A young Native American girl with bright green eyes and jet-black hair, walked down a gravel path through the cool fall air. She lagged behind a small group of students who intently listened to a young professor with blonde spiky hair and a bright dragon tattoo that slithered from one arm to the other. Her fellow students marched along like ducks in a row, but all the amazing sights and sounds that surrounded them too easily distracted Ronnie.
As the professor rambled, Ronnie became mesmerized by a sleek silky hippogriff – a creature she had heard stories about, but until now, had never seen. At first glance it looked like a large horse, but its eagle head, enormous claws, and massive wings captivated the girl. The creature raised its head and started walking towards them.
“Although Hippogriffs are normally docile creatures, more apt to flee than fight, their massive beaks can easily snap a person’s arm off, or a swift kick from their horse-like rear hooves can crush a man’s skull …” The young professor was surprised that the students were not enraptured by his graphic description, but as he followed their gaze his stomach flipped when he saw Ronnie walking out into the field.
“Who is that?” He whispered to the other children in an alarming tone.
“Ronnie, Professor Funkly,” a young girl up front offered.
“What is she doing?” he demanded.
“It looks like she is going to go pet the hippogriff,” the little girl replied. “Is she allowed to do that?”
“No!” he yelled.
By this time Ronnie was within feet of the eight-foot-tall, fifteen-hundred pound animal. Funkly jumped the fence and started running frantically toward the girl. His actions startled the beast as it flung its wings out to escape. However, like all young, untrained hippogriffs, its wings were hobbled, so instead of escaping, it spun around, knocking the young girl off her feet.
Ronnie had no idea what had spooked the elegant animal, and was terrified she was the cause of its wild behavior. Dazed by the impact, she got up and started to back away, but this caught the frightened animal’s attention, and he charged. Luckily for Ronnie, years of being chased by bigger brothers gave her the quick reflexes she needed to get out of the animal’s way. The young hippogriff cried out for help, and another more massive hippogriff from the farther field came charging towards them: wings outstretched, ears back, beak wide open in an ear‐piercing cry.
Luckily for both student and teacher, a summer school class with older students and a much more experienced professor was nearby. “Charles, go get the headmaster! Nicholas get the gamekeeper! And Gretchen, take my broom and find the NEP boy, Douglas, and bring him back here immediately!” Without hesitation the two boys took off running.
Gretchen, the young witch, hopped on the broom and took flight, hoping the odd, non-magical son of one of her professors would be easy to find.
In the meantime, John, the gamekeeper quickly made it to the abandoned class.
“Sir, aren’t you going to do something?” a small voice squeaked.
“Where’s Douglas?” John replied. As he looked into the vacant stares of the class he realized these were first-years on an orientation tour, and probably had never even met Doug.
“Oh, never mind,” John mumbled as he scanned the scene in search of Doug.
As the professor rambled, Ronnie became mesmerized by a sleek silky hippogriff – a creature she had heard stories about, but until now, had never seen. At first glance it looked like a large horse, but its eagle head, enormous claws, and massive wings captivated the girl. The creature raised its head and started walking towards them.
“Although Hippogriffs are normally docile creatures, more apt to flee than fight, their massive beaks can easily snap a person’s arm off, or a swift kick from their horse-like rear hooves can crush a man’s skull …” The young professor was surprised that the students were not enraptured by his graphic description, but as he followed their gaze his stomach flipped when he saw Ronnie walking out into the field.
“Who is that?” He whispered to the other children in an alarming tone.
“Ronnie, Professor Funkly,” a young girl up front offered.
“What is she doing?” he demanded.
“It looks like she is going to go pet the hippogriff,” the little girl replied. “Is she allowed to do that?”
“No!” he yelled.
By this time Ronnie was within feet of the eight-foot-tall, fifteen-hundred pound animal. Funkly jumped the fence and started running frantically toward the girl. His actions startled the beast as it flung its wings out to escape. However, like all young, untrained hippogriffs, its wings were hobbled, so instead of escaping, it spun around, knocking the young girl off her feet.
Ronnie had no idea what had spooked the elegant animal, and was terrified she was the cause of its wild behavior. Dazed by the impact, she got up and started to back away, but this caught the frightened animal’s attention, and he charged. Luckily for Ronnie, years of being chased by bigger brothers gave her the quick reflexes she needed to get out of the animal’s way. The young hippogriff cried out for help, and another more massive hippogriff from the farther field came charging towards them: wings outstretched, ears back, beak wide open in an ear‐piercing cry.
Luckily for both student and teacher, a summer school class with older students and a much more experienced professor was nearby. “Charles, go get the headmaster! Nicholas get the gamekeeper! And Gretchen, take my broom and find the NEP boy, Douglas, and bring him back here immediately!” Without hesitation the two boys took off running.
Gretchen, the young witch, hopped on the broom and took flight, hoping the odd, non-magical son of one of her professors would be easy to find.
In the meantime, John, the gamekeeper quickly made it to the abandoned class.
“Sir, aren’t you going to do something?” a small voice squeaked.
“Where’s Douglas?” John replied. As he looked into the vacant stares of the class he realized these were first-years on an orientation tour, and probably had never even met Doug.
“Oh, never mind,” John mumbled as he scanned the scene in search of Doug.
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