Madam Hooch & Flying Lessons

[catlady_de_los_angeles]

No: HPFGUIDX 38728

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Paul Wright" <paul_a_wright at h...> wrote:

> What I want to know is not what Madam Hooch does for the 364 days
> she isn't holding her only flying lesson, but what happened to the
> Gryffs after their ill fated lesson. The last we saw in the 
> book/film is Harry being taken off to see Wood after Neville breaks
> his wrist. Did the lesson continue, or did that year end up with no
> flying training at all?

Welcome, newcomer. I have total certainty but no evidence that the 
interrupted lesson resumed when Hooch returned from Hospital Wing 
without Neville. I suppose she then demanded to know where Harry had 
gone, and Draco tried to tell some nasty tale, and the Gryffindors 
shouted him down with the truth... 

I also have certainty, but no evidence, that the first-years get more 
than one flying lessson from Hooch. I can speculate that, except for 
Harry, who was a 'natural', the kids had flying lessons for a year, 
or a semester, or until they were able to pass a flying test. We the 
readers never heard of Ron and Hermione being off at flying lessons 
because Harry was busy with Quidditch practise or something and 
didn't notice.

I really think Hooch ought to be supervising the Quidditch teams's 
practises and advising them on matters of technique (like a coach!), 
but it's pretty clear in canon that the first-string teams take care 
of their own practises. Maybe she coaches practises for kids who 
didn't make the first-string?

Incidentally, that scene in the movie irritated me very much. There 
she was, running after Neville being flown away with, looking aghast 
when he got stuck on top of a statue and then fell from it...  "Madam 
Hooch! Are you a witch or aren't you?!" WHY didn't she just pull her 
wand and put some levitation charm (Nevillium Leviosa?) on Neville 
and steer him down as gently as an autumn leaf drifting on the breeze?