Down by the lake a boy sat quietly at the edge of the water. He was surrounded by tiny maidens, not even six inches tall, half hidden behind tree stumps and stones. Each one was snuggly wrapped in a beautiful gown made of seaweed and bright fall leaves.
“Oh, thank heavens!” Gretchen screamed when she spotted him.
But before he was able to get out of the way, the frantic girl had crashed through the bushes knocking Doug back to the ground and sending the whole gaggle of water nymphs scurrying in every direction.
“Hey!” Doug stood up, ready to give the crazy flying witch his two cents on terrifying the poor little water nymphs. But he quickly realized she was more upset than he was. “Hey, it’s Gretchen, right? What’s the matter? Calm down, what’s wrong?”
She pushed the broom into his hand “The hippogriffs… a first year… go help!” Doug grabbed the young witch by the arm, pulling her off the ground. “Get up, hurry!”
“Go, just go.” Tears were starting to well up in her eyes, and he could see her face was going pale.
Still pulling her up, he looked her squarely in the eye. “I’m a NEP remember? A non-enchanted person. I need you to fly me. I need you to keep it together long enough to get me there. Do you understand?”
She nodded and within seconds they were back in the air.
“Just fly low over the ground near that tree.” The young witch started to go to the side closest to the fence. “No, on the side where the other hippogriffs are coming from. Go as slow as you can, and when I jump off, just go straight until you get to the tree line.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep, I need to stop the herd before this gets really bad.”
She swooped down, and with a fluid motion Doug slid off the broom, landed, rolled and stood up running towards the oncoming family unit.
Although Doug was no older than these first year students, nor was he large for his age, he had a way of commanding respect from all creatures, both great and small.
The headmaster had come too. He stood helplessly in the same out‐of‐control way as the gamekeeper.
An eerie birdlike “caw” echoed from Doug and the rest of the herd pranced to a stop right before him. With a bow and a few soft words from Doug, the hippogriffs relaxed and went back to grazing on ground hogs. Doug took a deep breath, at least that crisis was averted.
Doug turned and immediately recognized the two hippogriffs as the adolescent Arnold he was helping to train, and his mother Molly, who was quite friendly if not fiercely protective of her young. Doug was pretty sure he had a good idea what had happened.
The wind had picked up and crunchy fall leaves were swirling all around, making the animals even more anxious as an autumn storm loomed.
“Oh, thank heavens!” Gretchen screamed when she spotted him.
But before he was able to get out of the way, the frantic girl had crashed through the bushes knocking Doug back to the ground and sending the whole gaggle of water nymphs scurrying in every direction.
“Hey!” Doug stood up, ready to give the crazy flying witch his two cents on terrifying the poor little water nymphs. But he quickly realized she was more upset than he was. “Hey, it’s Gretchen, right? What’s the matter? Calm down, what’s wrong?”
She pushed the broom into his hand “The hippogriffs… a first year… go help!” Doug grabbed the young witch by the arm, pulling her off the ground. “Get up, hurry!”
“Go, just go.” Tears were starting to well up in her eyes, and he could see her face was going pale.
Still pulling her up, he looked her squarely in the eye. “I’m a NEP remember? A non-enchanted person. I need you to fly me. I need you to keep it together long enough to get me there. Do you understand?”
She nodded and within seconds they were back in the air.
“Just fly low over the ground near that tree.” The young witch started to go to the side closest to the fence. “No, on the side where the other hippogriffs are coming from. Go as slow as you can, and when I jump off, just go straight until you get to the tree line.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep, I need to stop the herd before this gets really bad.”
She swooped down, and with a fluid motion Doug slid off the broom, landed, rolled and stood up running towards the oncoming family unit.
Although Doug was no older than these first year students, nor was he large for his age, he had a way of commanding respect from all creatures, both great and small.
The headmaster had come too. He stood helplessly in the same out‐of‐control way as the gamekeeper.
An eerie birdlike “caw” echoed from Doug and the rest of the herd pranced to a stop right before him. With a bow and a few soft words from Doug, the hippogriffs relaxed and went back to grazing on ground hogs. Doug took a deep breath, at least that crisis was averted.
Doug turned and immediately recognized the two hippogriffs as the adolescent Arnold he was helping to train, and his mother Molly, who was quite friendly if not fiercely protective of her young. Doug was pretty sure he had a good idea what had happened.
The wind had picked up and crunchy fall leaves were swirling all around, making the animals even more anxious as an autumn storm loomed.
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