The girl and Hermione never met again during the course of that year.
Characteristically Hermione remembered that meeting and decided to buy a horse to see if riding was all that girl had told her it was. She found a ten-year-old Cleveland Bay at a riding stable near her house. "She's a sweetie," the old owner had told her and Hermione sincerely hoped that she was right.
Hermione began to take lessons once a week, but she rode everyday.
By her second lesson she had already mastered trotting and had begun to canter. "That girl was right." She thought to herself as she groomed her horse who she had named Dancer after her lesson.
The next days ride passed in a blur. Hermione and Dancer were in the middle of their second canter warm up lap. Hermione had just looked down for a second to check her lead and Dancer had veered away from the rail toward a jump that happened to be in the ring at the time.
'Dancer, NOOOOOO!' she thought, panicky.
But of course, Dancer could not hear her. Hermione tried desperately to pull on her outside rein to get Dancer back on the rail but it was no use. In the split second before Dancer jumped, Hermione went into the jumping position and they soared effortlessly over.
Thankfully after this Hermione was able to slow Dancer to a walk and dismount, shaking.
Characteristically Hermione remembered that meeting and decided to buy a horse to see if riding was all that girl had told her it was. She found a ten-year-old Cleveland Bay at a riding stable near her house. "She's a sweetie," the old owner had told her and Hermione sincerely hoped that she was right.
Hermione began to take lessons once a week, but she rode everyday.
By her second lesson she had already mastered trotting and had begun to canter. "That girl was right." She thought to herself as she groomed her horse who she had named Dancer after her lesson.
The next days ride passed in a blur. Hermione and Dancer were in the middle of their second canter warm up lap. Hermione had just looked down for a second to check her lead and Dancer had veered away from the rail toward a jump that happened to be in the ring at the time.
'Dancer, NOOOOOO!' she thought, panicky.
But of course, Dancer could not hear her. Hermione tried desperately to pull on her outside rein to get Dancer back on the rail but it was no use. In the split second before Dancer jumped, Hermione went into the jumping position and they soared effortlessly over.
Thankfully after this Hermione was able to slow Dancer to a walk and dismount, shaking.
