Flying Time
Twenty minutes later she'd left the room for her next class, and found herself out in the courtyard with Madame Hooch for flying lessons. Lying on the ground were two rows of broomsticks, and the group of Gryffindors were instructed to stand at the foot of the broom, spaced evenly apart.
She walked down the isle between the two rows, and stood at the head of the group. "When I say go, I want you to raise your hand over your broom, and say "UP!" Once your broom rises, mount it, and rise three feet in the air, hover, then ground yourself again."
Much of the class followed her instruction, but at first few seemed to have the hang of it. Penny was among the last to get the broom into her hands, but after mounting it, was one of the first into the air. She hovered for a little longer, perhaps, then she was supposed to but the feeling of being up in the air, supported only by a magic broom as so powerful for her, she felt like she would burst with happiness.
She had never dreamt in all of her time at the orphanage that she could fly, nor, she realised, that she would ever be going to a magical school.
After class, she walked back into the school amidst the croud of first year students who'd just left their class, and saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione sneaking down the hill to a small cottage. Raising an eye, she turned to follow them, having two hours before her next class.
Just as she reached the stairs to the door of the cottage, it opened, and out came barreling a large black shaggy dog and a smaller black less shaggy dog. "Fang, get yer butt back in 'ere!" she heard yelled out past her to one of the two, and the one that paused, she guessed, was Fang. He bared his teeth at her, while the other ran up to her, sniffing her for a moment, before licking her hand once and disappearing into the forest.
"Oh, 'ello" she heard the scruffy voice of someone behind her, and turned to face him. in the doorway of the hut stood a half giant man, with messy black hair, and a face similar to what she would have imagined Santa Claus to look like, a small round nose, and bright red cheeks.
"Erm...hi.." she said, blushing brightly as the giant motioned her closer and asked if he could help her. She bit her lip, looking up at him, oh, where was Harry? She tried to look around the massive bulk of the man, but was disappointed when she saw that she could see nothing behind him except the back of his large furry coat. "I..eh..was just looking for Hermione and Harry and Ron.."
Hagrid's eyes widened as he looked down at the small framed girl before him. "Oh?" He turned around to look into the hut, and saw that Hermione nodded an ok to him. on in 'en.." and he smiled a smile that didn't seem as happy as it should have to Penny.
She followed him in, and looked around at Harry, and Hermione, and Ron..she blushed slightly "I'm sorry to bother you three, but..I..er..-"
Hermione smiled and nodded "It's alright Penny, we don't mind." But Ron and Harry beside her smirked, a strangled sound issuing from one of them that told that at least one disagreed with Hermione, but Harry's eyes had turned to the open door, and the spot where the larger of the two black dogs had disappeared.
Penny looked at him carefully, then turned to Hagrid "Hello sir, I'm Penny. At Hagrid's big smile, Penny relaxed, and stepped inside a bit further. She turned to face the trio, and smiled "I'm sorry to bother you...if I'm bothering you, that is...but, Harry, you said that you didn't know much about platform 9 and 3/4s when you first got here...I wanted to ask you...cause...I'm new to all of this...magic and all. I'd never really thought about there being a whole new world of wizards...and...I ..uh...I was wondering if you could...tell me a bit about it, as well, you know what it's like to be...new.." the entire time she'd been squeezing her hands and trying to think of her next words. She didn't want to sound too geeky, but she needed to know about this world. She had suddenly gone from being in a very small orphanage in the middle of nowhere, to a castle filled with people, each different.
Harry frowned, a hand rushing to his forehead for a moment, before returning to his lap. He looked up at the younger girl standing in front of him. She was tiny, just like all of the other first years. He smiled a little quirked smile, and nodded "Well, come on, lets have a go at it then." Hermione and Ron both smiled too.
Penny smiled with great relief, as Hagrid interrupted to ask "Well then, how are your first classes going then?"
Penny replied, looking up at the massive giant as she was motioned to sit down next to Ron "Classes are going well. My favorite so far was Defense against the Dark Arts with Professor Snape" Her sentence was quickly followed by snickers and frowns from all three of the other students present, and a mild gasp from the Care of Magical Creatures professor.
Ron gaped stupidly at her, while Harry asked why on earth she'd ever say such a thing about Professor Snape. Penny frowned "Why? He seems like a really good teacher."
Hermione responded with a "well, beat that" look at the other two, but no one answered her. Silence descended over the hut for a moment before Hermione rose "Well, it's time we get up to the hall for lunch."
Twenty minutes later she'd left the room for her next class, and found herself out in the courtyard with Madame Hooch for flying lessons. Lying on the ground were two rows of broomsticks, and the group of Gryffindors were instructed to stand at the foot of the broom, spaced evenly apart.
She walked down the isle between the two rows, and stood at the head of the group. "When I say go, I want you to raise your hand over your broom, and say "UP!" Once your broom rises, mount it, and rise three feet in the air, hover, then ground yourself again."
Much of the class followed her instruction, but at first few seemed to have the hang of it. Penny was among the last to get the broom into her hands, but after mounting it, was one of the first into the air. She hovered for a little longer, perhaps, then she was supposed to but the feeling of being up in the air, supported only by a magic broom as so powerful for her, she felt like she would burst with happiness.
She had never dreamt in all of her time at the orphanage that she could fly, nor, she realised, that she would ever be going to a magical school.
After class, she walked back into the school amidst the croud of first year students who'd just left their class, and saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione sneaking down the hill to a small cottage. Raising an eye, she turned to follow them, having two hours before her next class.
Just as she reached the stairs to the door of the cottage, it opened, and out came barreling a large black shaggy dog and a smaller black less shaggy dog. "Fang, get yer butt back in 'ere!" she heard yelled out past her to one of the two, and the one that paused, she guessed, was Fang. He bared his teeth at her, while the other ran up to her, sniffing her for a moment, before licking her hand once and disappearing into the forest.
"Oh, 'ello" she heard the scruffy voice of someone behind her, and turned to face him. in the doorway of the hut stood a half giant man, with messy black hair, and a face similar to what she would have imagined Santa Claus to look like, a small round nose, and bright red cheeks.
"Erm...hi.." she said, blushing brightly as the giant motioned her closer and asked if he could help her. She bit her lip, looking up at him, oh, where was Harry? She tried to look around the massive bulk of the man, but was disappointed when she saw that she could see nothing behind him except the back of his large furry coat. "I..eh..was just looking for Hermione and Harry and Ron.."
Hagrid's eyes widened as he looked down at the small framed girl before him. "Oh?" He turned around to look into the hut, and saw that Hermione nodded an ok to him. on in 'en.." and he smiled a smile that didn't seem as happy as it should have to Penny.
She followed him in, and looked around at Harry, and Hermione, and Ron..she blushed slightly "I'm sorry to bother you three, but..I..er..-"
Hermione smiled and nodded "It's alright Penny, we don't mind." But Ron and Harry beside her smirked, a strangled sound issuing from one of them that told that at least one disagreed with Hermione, but Harry's eyes had turned to the open door, and the spot where the larger of the two black dogs had disappeared.
Penny looked at him carefully, then turned to Hagrid "Hello sir, I'm Penny. At Hagrid's big smile, Penny relaxed, and stepped inside a bit further. She turned to face the trio, and smiled "I'm sorry to bother you...if I'm bothering you, that is...but, Harry, you said that you didn't know much about platform 9 and 3/4s when you first got here...I wanted to ask you...cause...I'm new to all of this...magic and all. I'd never really thought about there being a whole new world of wizards...and...I ..uh...I was wondering if you could...tell me a bit about it, as well, you know what it's like to be...new.." the entire time she'd been squeezing her hands and trying to think of her next words. She didn't want to sound too geeky, but she needed to know about this world. She had suddenly gone from being in a very small orphanage in the middle of nowhere, to a castle filled with people, each different.
Harry frowned, a hand rushing to his forehead for a moment, before returning to his lap. He looked up at the younger girl standing in front of him. She was tiny, just like all of the other first years. He smiled a little quirked smile, and nodded "Well, come on, lets have a go at it then." Hermione and Ron both smiled too.
Penny smiled with great relief, as Hagrid interrupted to ask "Well then, how are your first classes going then?"
Penny replied, looking up at the massive giant as she was motioned to sit down next to Ron "Classes are going well. My favorite so far was Defense against the Dark Arts with Professor Snape" Her sentence was quickly followed by snickers and frowns from all three of the other students present, and a mild gasp from the Care of Magical Creatures professor.
Ron gaped stupidly at her, while Harry asked why on earth she'd ever say such a thing about Professor Snape. Penny frowned "Why? He seems like a really good teacher."
Hermione responded with a "well, beat that" look at the other two, but no one answered her. Silence descended over the hut for a moment before Hermione rose "Well, it's time we get up to the hall for lunch."