Sean needed more speed.
Luckily, the Bludgers had been toned down quite a bit, which made it easy for someone like Sean, with his [Skilled] level flying proficiency, to dodge them without breaking a sweat.
"First Snitch!"
Sean saw Madam Hooch release the Golden Snitch. The leather ball, twelve inches across, darted out like a nimble little bird.
His eyes locked onto the Snitch's quick, fluttering movements. The wind roared in his ears, growing sharper by the second. In a flash, his magic triggered a braking charm, and his Nimbus 2000 screeched to a halt as if it were an extension of his arm. With a sharp turn, he left the Bludger trailing far behind.
It was only when he kicked off that he truly understood what the panel's description meant:
[Greatly enhances sensitivity to a broom's magical flow, significantly boosts flying talent, and slightly improves short bursts of speed.]
His magic surged like a rushing tide. The moment he cast an acceleration charm, his power spiked, yet he could still track the Snitch perfectly. Even at breakneck speed, he felt completely in control.
In under ten seconds, Sean snatched the first Snitch—when the standard time given was a full three minutes.
As soon as he grabbed it, the Snitch clung to his hand, thanks to the gripping charm invented by wizards back in 1875.
Sean zoomed low over the pitch, dropping the Snitch into the basket in front of Madam Hooch.
"Excellent!" she shouted. "Second one!"
"Awesome!"
Up in the stands, Justin pumped his fist, hyped. Hermione's face flushed with excitement. "That was terrifying!" she said.
"If I hadn't seen the notice," Justin added, "and missed Sean's test—man, I'd regret it for the rest of my life!"
Hermione shot him an exasperated look.
Their attention snapped back to Sean.
The second Snitch was noticeably faster and trickier, zipping around the goalposts in tight loops.
But for Sean? Still a piece of cake.
"Third one!"
Two minutes later, Madam Hooch's voice rang out, practically vibrating with excitement. "Listen up! Catch this Snitch! You've got twelve minutes left!"
The flying test was supposed to take fifteen minutes total, with the time split into one minute for the first Snitch, five for the second, and nine for the third.
But Sean was blowing past every other student who'd ever taken the test.
He was more than twice as fast.
Madam Hooch couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. What a Quidditch prodigy.
Just then, a tall Gryffindor strode up with a pack of teammates in tow, still preaching as they walked:
"We're gonna be the strongest team—stronger than any other house—because we train harder, in every kind of weather—"
"That's right," George Weasley chimed in. "My clothes haven't been dry since August."
"—and we've got the best Seeker, plus brand-new Nimbus 2000s," Wood continued, his chest puffing with pride as he turned to Harry.
"It's all on you, Harry. Show 'em your talent. Today, you either catch the Snitch or die trying."
"No pressure, though," Fred added with a wink.
Harry felt the weight of that "no pressure" comment like a ton of bricks.
Meanwhile, Madam Hooch was practically buzzing with excitement. Sean was her student, one she'd trained from the ground up. Watching him weave effortlessly between two Bludgers, closing in on the Snitch, her Quidditch-loving heart was pounding again.
Bludgers were fastest right at the start since there were no Beaters to speed them up. Most students played it safe, kiting the Bludgers until they slowed down before going for the Snitch. That's why the time limit existed.
But Sean? He was going head-to-head with the Bludgers, using raw speed and slick moves to dodge them outright.
Madam Hooch had completely forgotten to tell him that Bludgers slow down over time—and Sean, catching the Snitch so quickly, hadn't even noticed.
"Believe in yourself, Mr. Green! Accelerate!"
Watching the young wizard explode with speed, streaking across the sky like a meteor, Madam Hooch felt like she was back on the thrilling pitches of her youth. "Accelerate! Turn! You've got this, Mr. Green!"
Her enthusiasm left Wood stunned, unsure if he should even approach.
"Mr. Green?" he muttered. "Anyone know him?"
"I… I might," Harry said, barely believing his eyes.
Sean Green. No first-year didn't know that name. He aced every subject, earned Professor McGonagall's praise, and even got a pass from Snape—who might even toss a few points Ravenclaw's way.
That alone was mind-boggling.
But his notes? Those were what really stuck with everyone. Every weekend, Ron would groan in the dorms:
"Without Green's notes, I'm done for—buried under History of Magic essays!"
High above in the clear blue sky, Sean rocketed toward the final Snitch. In front of a crowd of stunned onlookers, he burst forward, outpacing the Bludgers and snatching the Snitch at a speed that rivaled every Seeker at Hogwarts.
Harry and the others heard Madam Hooch clapping wildly.
"Outstanding, Mr. Green! You've passed the flying test with a perfect score!"
The stands erupted with two loud gasps. Harry saw Justin, the Hufflepuff, nearly topple over the edge in excitement before Hermione yanked him back by his robes.
"This—Green guy," Wood stammered. "Harry, tell me, is he Gryffindor?!"
"He's Ravenclaw," Harry said quietly.
"Oh, alright. Harry, let's get to training—now!" Wood said urgently. "Get used to your Nimbus 2000. You're still the best Seeker!"
"Maybe not," Fred said, eyeing the young wizard who'd just landed.
"Another Nimbus 2000," George added.
"Talk about a surprise."
"Feels kinda weird."
"Ravenclaw might just have us beat."
"Are we gonna lose the next Quidditch match?"
"Shut it, you two!" Wood barked, his shout silencing the twins. They glanced at Sean, exchanging looks and winking.
George caught Fred's meaning in a heartbeat:
Go talk to him.