The three friends had departed Hagrid's hut after a nice spot of tea, and headed for the training grounds for their first flying lesson. It was the Gryffindors and Slytherins again, and the two houses were largely separated, with the main exception of Daphne remaining close to Hermione and Kellen. She had expressed some regret about being sorted as a Slytherin multiple times, but each time Kellen and Hermione assured her that it's okay to be a Slytherin, and that she was a far better representative of her house than Malfoy.

The flying coach, Madam Hooch, arrived with whistle in hand. "All right everybody," she barked. "Listen up. I need all of you to line up by a broom. Quickly now."

Each student lined up as instructed. Madam Hooch nodded. "All right, then. Now, you're each going to learn how to summon your broom. Stretch your hand out, like so, and give a hearty 'up' – like this." She stretched her hand out, and yelped a confident 'up', and the broomstick easily floated to her hand. She smirked. "It may come a bit more easily to some of you more than others, but don't give up. Practice makes perfect. I'll give you a few minutes to try it out."

The students each tried to summon their brooms as instructed, but only Harry and Kellen were able to get it on their first try. Daphne's broom stood up and flopped over. Hermione's broom merely wiggled. Poor Neville's broom didn't do anything at all.

Kellen smiled at his two pretty friends. "Say 'up' loud and proud. Be confident. Don't think you can do it, know you can do it."

Daphne was able to summon her broom on her second attempt, and squeaked in delight. "Thank you, Kellen!"

Hermione still couldn't quite get the hang of it. Her broom flopped around sort of like a fish out of water, but the broomstick was still nowhere near reaching her hand. A couple of tears rolled down her cheeks.

Kellen smiled at Hermione. "I know you're disappointed in yourself because you're usually very successful in everything you do, but at the end of the day, you're still Hermione Granger, and you have an awful lot to be proud of." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Look at me, Hermione," he said gently. "I want you to do something for me."

Hermione wiped her cheeks with her robe sleeve. "Okay, Kellen," she replied somewhat hesitantly. "What do you have in mind?"

Kellen's smile broadened. "I want you to think about something very, very positive. A wish, if you will. Like, acing your end-of-year exams." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Or a date night with me one day, if that'll make you happy."

A few tears still flowed down Hermione's cheeks, but she managed to crack a smile. "Okay, Kellen. I'm thinking," she replied softly.

"Good," replied Kellen. "When you have that happy thought, I want you to shout the word 'up' as loud as you can. I promise that broomstick will come right to your outstretched hand."

Hermione closed her eyes, thinking the happiest thought she could manage. When she found it, she yelped 'UP' exactly as Kellen told her to, and just as he promised, the broomstick levitated to her hand!

"Oh Merlin," Hermione murmured. "You're amazing, Kellen. I can't even begin to thank you enough."

"It's no problem," Kellen replied casually. "You'd do the same for me."

Madam Hooch had witnessed Kellen assisting his classmates, and decided to pull him aside. "Grimseth, a moment please?" she asked.

"Yes, Madam Hooch?" Kellen replied.

"I couldn't help but notice you assisting Miss Granger and Miss Greengrass with the summoning technique. That's very impressive, especially with how you taught Miss Granger. And I'm equally impressed with the fact that you were willing to help a student from another house altogether without a second thought. You're a true team player, young man. Five points to Gryffindor for your efforts."

"Thank you, Madam Hooch," Kellen said appreciatively.

Harry had similarly coached Neville with his summoning technique, and just like with Kellen, Madam Hooch awarded Gryffindor another five points for Harry's efforts as Neville was the slowest learner of the entire group.

After Madam Hooch was satisfied with everyone's progress, she proceeded to teach her charges the next step of how to handle a broom.

"All right, class, now, we're going to kick off from the ground, and see if we can each get a few feet above the ground. You don't have to go very high, just a few feet will be fine for now. Kick off from the ground, and then angle your broom down to return to the ground. I'll demonstrate this technique as well."

She clicked her boots on the ground, and went up several feet in the air, and then pointed her broom stick down towards the ground for an easy landing. "It's as simple as that, everyone. Do you all think you have that down? Even a couple of feet above the ground is better than nothing. Now, on my whistle, I want everyone to kick off…"

Daphne clutched Kellen's arm. "I'm scared, Kellen," she squeaked.

"I promise, I won't let anything happen to you," he replied.

Madam Hooch held her whistle in front of her mouth, then blew – "Three, two, one…" Tweeeet!

All the students kicked off from the ground as instructed, but poor Daphne was so nervous that she lost all control of her broom. Suddenly, she was twenty – then forty – then a hundred and fifty feet in the air. "Heeeeeeeelllllllllllllllp!" she cried out. Her broom was floating back towards the castle, and the poor child was clinging for dear life.

Before Madam Hooch could react, Kellen already went into action. He quickly pointed his broom upward, and sped off to catch up with Daphne. Unfortunately, her broom was starting to buck, and she couldn't hold on any longer. She screamed as she fell off her broom, but thankfully Kellen was more than quick enough to catch up to her. He steadied himself as he stood on his broomstick, and deftly caught Daphne in his arms, right in front of Professor McGonagall's office window. Professor McGonagall was so stunned at what had just happened, she accidentally shattered her teacup.

Professor McGonagall hurried outside to address Kellen and Daphne.

"What in the name of Merlin just happened?" she exclaimed, rather incredulously.

"Kellen saved my life, Professor," Daphne replied shyly. "I couldn't control my broomstick and I fell off. I'm very grateful he was able to catch up with me. Otherwise I'd be at the infirmary – or worse."

"You've broken some serious rules, young man," Professor McGonagall admonished Kellen. "You could have seriously hurt yourself in the process. Under ordinary circumstances, this would be grounds for many points lost, many nights of detention, even dismissal…"

Her expression then softened. "But there are times when rules can be bent, if not outright broken, if there is an emergency such as this. Your bravery and quick thinking saved Miss Greengrass' life, and you truly exemplify the core Gryffindor values. In addition to awarding Gryffindor fifteen points for your heroism, I will be consulting our quidditch captain, Mister Oliver Wood. I think you'll be the perfect replacement for him when he leaves Hogwarts, as I think you'll be the next great keeper for the Gryffindor quidditch team. I'll owl you when we have a meeting time and place established so he can train you to be his understudy."

Kellen beamed. "Thank you, Professor."

Professor McGonagall chuckled. "No, Mister Grimseth. It is I that should be thanking you. You went above and beyond to save the life of a student outside your own house. I'll go ahead and notify Mister Wood right away."

As Professor McGonagall left, Daphne gave Kellen a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Kellen," she said. "I'm so, so grateful that you're my friend. None of my own housemates would have stuck their neck out for me like you did." The two friends then embraced each other warmly.

"Let's just say that after meeting you, I might be okay with being sorted in Slytherin," Kellen said. "I'll return the favor and meet you at your table sometime. You said that Tracey is pretty cool, and Pansy's all right?"

"You'd really do that? I know I gave you an open invitation, but I never actually expected you to accept, or even seriously consider it," Daphne replied.

Kellen shrugged. "Why wouldn't I? When I look at you, I don't see a Slytherin, Daphne. I see a pretty face. I see a sweet and honest girl, and I also see a real friend. I'm not going to lie, you'd make a terrific Gryffindor, but if you're serious about wanting to bridge the gap between Slytherin and the other three houses, I'll gladly help." He then smirked. "I can't speak for Hermione or my cousin 'Ree, but they're both very kind-hearted girls and I can easily see them getting on board."

"I'm still a little nervous about what my parents would think knowing that I'm friends with not one, but two Muggle-borns," Daphne admitted. "They're not 'purists' like the Malfoys are, but I think in their heart-of-hearts they would probably prefer the company of half-blood, minimum. But if they really knew you and Hermione, I think they'd get over the initial shock and warm up to you."

"I'm not one bit embarrassed to be Muggle-born, or from where I come from, no-maj," Kellen said. "I'm surprised you didn't say anything about my accent, it was the first thing Hermione mentioned when we met on the train," he added with a chuckle. "I come from Minnesota in the States, but she thought I was Canadian. Too funny!"

Daphne shrugged. "Where you come from matters about as much as blood purity in the grand scheme of things." She smiled sweetly. "When I look at you Kellen, I don't see an 'outlander' as Malfoy says, or a no-maj or Muggle-born, whatever you want to call it. I see a handsome and an exceptionally gifted boy with a heart to match. I see a true hero for all of Hogwarts to look up to, and most importantly, I see a close friend."

Kellen smiled. "Thank you, Daphne. That means a lot." He tilted his head slightly. "Perhaps just this once, it can be just you and me at the Slytherin table, and you can introduce me to your friends. I figured it might be easier that way because I'm just not sure how comfortable 'Ree or Hermione would be about going to the Slytherin table."

"I don't have too many friends in Slytherin, but I'm sure Tracey will be receptive at least. I'm a little nervous about Pansy as she is one of Draco's friends, so please don't take this the wrong way. I'd imagine she's rather afraid of you because of what you've done to Draco the past couple of nights, even though you were just sticking up for your friends."

"I can see that," sighed Kellen. "I'd never hurt her, and I never really meant any harm to Malfoy. He's a turd, but I wouldn't hurt him for real."

Daphne giggled. "Did you just say, turd? That one doesn't get used much around here."

Kellen suddenly switched to his flawless Received Pronunciation dialect. "I'm sorry, I suppose I meant to say that Malfoy's a right rotter."

Daphne arched an eyebrow. "Wait, did you just use my dialect? You never told me you knew British slang."

Kellen kept going in his posh Received accent. "My mum's from London, and everyone from her side of the family lives in Great Britain. I've spent quite a few summers here, so I naturally picked up the dialect. I can code-switch on a whim."

Daphne smiled warmly. "You don't sound at all like an outlander, in fact, your British accent is really cute. It's perfect, really. You should use it more."

Kellen laughed, but reverted to his native Upper Midwestern accent. "That's exactly what Hermione said." He grinned at his friend. "In all seriousness, just because I can speak the Queen's English perfectly well, I feel a little weird doing it because I'm just a Minnesota farm boy at heart. Not a 'clever clogs', not a wizard, just a simple farm boy."

Daphne's eyes filled with wonder. "You really are too good to be true, Kellen Grimseth. You're way too modest to be a Gryffindor. I've never met a farm boy before. What's that like?"

Kellen shrugged. "Lots of hard work – I have to get up at five thirty in the morning to feed the dogs and the sheep, clean poo out of the barn… stuff that wizards would probably find revolting." Daphne stuck her tongue out about the poo-cleaning bit.

Kellen smiled. "Of course, there's a lot of fun, too. We have our own private pond for fishing, lots of nights of playing baseball and football with my brother and friends from school, and in the winter, there's snowmobiling, ice skating, sleigh rides, snowball fights, hockey on the frozen pond, hot chocolate… it's wonderful."

Daphne returned the smile. "I'm not rightly sure what a lot of that stuff is, but it does sound fun. I know that being a pureblood has its privileges, but in a weird way, I'm a little jealous of Muggle-born wizards, precisely of the things you described. Sleigh rides and hot chocolate on a cold day sounds wonderful. Maybe… you can take me to your parents' farm one day? I've never really mingled with Muggles but you've genuinely got me curious."

"I'd be delighted," Kellen replied. "They're good people, they'll treat you right, I promise."

Daphne giggled. "I have no doubts about that, Kellen. If your family is half as sweet as you are, I'm sold."

"Well, I suppose it's just about lunch time," Kellen replied. "Would you like to introduce me to your housemates? You know I'll play nice."

Daphne nodded. "I know you will, and I promise that they will play nice in return."

A few minutes later, they entered the Great Hall. Daphne made sure that she and Kellen stayed as far away from Draco and his cronies as they could so that nobody could stir anything up. Daphne and Kellen were by themselves for a few minutes, until Tracey Davis took a seat across from the pair. Tracey winced slightly at not just seeing a Gryffindor sitting with Daphne, but the dangerous Kellen Grimseth! Tracey looked at Kellen rather nervously, and tried to force a slight smile.

"It's okay, Tracey," Daphne insisted. "Kellen's a really nice boy. He comes in peace, I promise."

Kellen stuck out his hand and smiled at Tracey. She slowly broadened her smile, and slowly took his hand. "Hello, Kellen," she said quietly. "Uh… you're the one that saved Daphne during the flying lesson, right?"

Kellen nodded. "I did," he said simply. "I don't think I've met you before, Tracey. Daphne seems to think you're a pretty chill girl."

Tracey giggled. "Well, thank you, Kellen. You definitely don't seem to fit the Malfoys' description of you… you definitely don't seem dangerous." She looked at Daphne before addressing Kellen again. "Daphne thinks the world of you, by the way. She wouldn't stop talking about you before bedtime last night… I was about to stuff a bloody sock in her mouth!" She giggled again. "Anyway, I'm glad to meet you. Not many outside our house, particularly Gryffindors, want much to do with Slytherins. It's really nice to see someone take that step."

Kellen smiled. "I told Daphne that she'd make a terrific Gryffindor, but she's in Slytherin for a reason. I let her know that she's capable of doing plenty of good things as a Slytherin. I've come to understand that those that think like the Malfoys are the minority, and that many – if not most – in Slytherin, eschew the Malfoys' opinions. Daphne wants to bridge the gap between Slytherin and the other three houses, so I offered to help her out. I know a couple other open-minded witches who might pay you a visit another time, but I think for now, it should be just me. I don't want things to be too awkward right off the bat."

"I'm with Daphne there," agreed Tracey. "It's a little hurtful that the other houses think of us as the black sheep, when most of us are actually pretty reasonable and really do want to make a positive impact in the wizarding world."

"It's unfortunate," replied Kellen, "because I think the ones who give Slytherin a bad name are also some of the most wealthy and influential names in the wizarding world."

"Ain't that the truth," added Tracey. She smiled gratefully at Kellen. "Oh, and thank you for going after Daphne like that. It was very unexpected, but a welcome surprise. You have my respect for that."

A couple of minutes later, Daphne gestured to an older female student sitting a handful of seats down. "That girl with the prefect badge? That's Gemma," she explained. "She's a nice girl, I promise. I can introduce you to her, if you'd like."

"Okay," agreed Kellen. Daphne and Kellen made their way toward Gemma so that Daphne could introduce them.

"Hello Gemma," Daphne said cheerfully. "I'd like for you to meet someone… he's a really nice boy. His name is Kellen Grimseth, and he literally saved my life during my flying lesson today. I just want him to see for himself that most of us in Slytherin don't bite."

"Howdy Gemma," Kellen said as he extended his hand. "Daphne seems to think highly of you."

Gemma smiled radiantly. "Well, hello there Kellen. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said as she shook his hand. "And you saved Daphne's life? I'd like to hear the story, if you don't mind."

Kellen chuckled. "Madam Hooch was trying to get all of us to kick off the ground and get our brooms in the air, at least a couple of feet, but Daphne's broom had a mind of its own, and it must have risen well over a hundred feet in the air, maybe two hundred, and was about to collide with the castle wall." He gave Daphne a side-hug. "The poor thing, she was hanging on for dear life, and I figured someone had to do something, so I did the only thing I could – I took my broomstick and bolted off toward her as fast as I could. I was able to position myself on my broomstick where I could stand on it and catch her as she fell."

Daphne beamed. "He's a farm boy, so he's got some deceptively strong arms. Oh, and what's more is that Professor McGonagall witnessed the whole thing, so she came out and it looked like she was going to give him a decade's worth of detention for disregarding protocol, but she also said that what he did was incredibly brave and she was so proud of him, because he was willing to risk his neck to save the life of someone from another house. I get the feeling that doesn't happen much, especially when it concerns Slytherin. She gave him fifteen house points – which he definitely deserved, and what's more, she's going to have Oliver Wood train him to be Gryffindor's next Quidditch keeper!"

Gemma's smile was brighter than a hundred watt bulb. "That's very impressive, Kellen. It's really good to see that students from other houses are willing to put house prejudices aside for a moment and do the right thing. Now, I won't go so far as to say I'll openly root for Gryffindor when you play your first match, but I'll root for you."

"Thanks, Gemma," Kellen said, his cheeks turning pink. "Daphne says she wants to make Slytherin, well… more approachable for other houses. She's opened my eyes, and I'm grateful that she did, because there are honorable witches and wizards in your house and I'm sure it's hurtful knowing that they're all lumped as being practitioners of the dark arts… I told her that I'll help bridge that gap any way I can."

Gemma nodded. "That's a very noble thing, you two. It's easier said than done, but I also would like a more unified Hogwarts where all four houses live harmoniously." She gestured to Kellen. "I heard about your episode with the Malfoys earlier… and let me say that I'm sorry that you bore the brunt of their wrath. They don't represent all of Slytherin, and I assure you that when you put Draco in his place – both before the Start of Term feast, and last night – you instantly won the respect of quite a few of us. Now that you saved Daphne's life, that level of respect has increased. I'd be delighted if you can help Daphne improve Slytherin's reputation. At the very least, I'm happy to know that you've discovered that as a whole, we're not scary."

"It won't be an overnight fix," Kellen said. "And it will take a lot more than just me, but I'll do my part."

"That's all we can ask for, Kellen," Gemma replied. "I'm glad I got to meet you, by the way. I'm sure you're happy you're in Gryffindor, but I'd be delighted to have you in my house."

"I am happy as a Gryffindor, yes," agreed Kellen, "but after spending time with Daphne, I think I could actually fare well as a Slytherin."

"I wish more of your housemates were open-minded like that," Gemma giggled.

At that moment, Pansy walked past Gemma, Kellen, and Daphne, and took her seat next to Tracey.

"Hey Kellen, there goes Pansy. I don't know how she'll react, but since she saw you save me, maybe she'll be open to meeting you," Daphne suggested.

"Expect the worst, hope for the best," murmured Kellen. "I guess we'll see how it goes."

Kellen and Daphne went back to their original seats. "Hey Pansy," Daphne said.

"Hi, Daphne," Pansy replied rather nonchalantly.

"I have someone I'd like for you to meet, if you're okay with that," Daphne offered rather nervously.

"Grimseth? I know him," Pansy said quietly. "At least of him."

Daphne was trying hard to get Pansy to see Kellen the same way she does. "He's a really sweet boy. He saved my life at our flying lesson today."

"I saw," Pansy replied. "Good for him."

"Let me try," Kellen whispered to Daphne. "If it doesn't work, I'll leave well enough alone." Daphne nodded in agreement.

"Howdy, Pansy," Kellen said in a friendly tone. "I'm guessing you're not the biggest fan of me, and that's okay, I get it. Daphne thought you'd be worth getting to know a little bit better, she seems to think you're a pretty cool girl."

"Is there something you're wanting from me, Grimseth?" Pansy asked. "You're being a little too friendly for my taste, so you'll have to forgive my skepticism."

Kellen shook his head 'no'. "I don't have an ulterior motive. Daphne simply invited me to the Slytherin table. She wanted to introduce me to a few of her housemates, and so far, they're all pretty nice. In fact, she's wanting me to help her bridge the gap between our two houses."

"That's kind of a fool's errand," Pansy replied. "As long as certain families run the show in Slytherin, things just aren't going to change." She smirked. "But that being said, you seem to be all right for a Gryffindor, despite what Draco thinks. You don't seem to be the type that actively looks for trouble, so I suppose I have no problem with you spending a few minutes of your lunch hour with us." Her smirk grew to a full smile. "Tracey seems to think you're all right, and you certainly provide a significant amount of comfort for Daphne."

She leaned over and whispered in Kellen's ear. "I'll hex you into oblivion if you tell anyone I said this, but you're much more pleasant company than Draco. You're probably the nicest boy I've ever met – but that's not saying much because most of the boys I know are prats – and you're brave like a Gryffindor should be, but you have very little of the typical Gryffindor arrogance. You're an almost impossible boy to hate, Grimseth."

Kellen grinned. "You can call me Kellen if you want, Pansy."

Pansy giggled again. "Let's not get too carried away, buddy. We're acquaintances, not friends. But I may be open to the possibility of friendship… one day."

"Acquaintances is better than nothing, I suppose," Kellen replied. "Thanks for at least giving me a chance. I know I have a double-whammy as I'm both a Gryffindor and I'm Muggle-born."

"You're also giving me a chance," said Pansy. "Slytherin is very much an 'every man for himself' sort of house, but you'd rather sacrifice yourself in order to protect your friends. That's not a Slytherin quality at all… but if we were ever in danger, there might not be another person at this table I'd feel safer with than you." She smiled again. "Oh, you can tell Granger and Moultrie that they're welcome to stop by as long as they mind their manners. I don't bite… hard."

"I will, Pansy," replied Kellen. "And for the record, I don't hate Draco."

Pansy shot Kellen a look. "You have every reason to hate Malfoy, he's only insulted you and your friends."

Kellen shrugged. "I don't. I actually pity him, because while he clearly admires his father, I also think he's deathly afraid of messing up in front of him. Lucius just seems cruel."

"Cruel is a very accurate description of Lucius Malfoy," agreed Pansy. "He clearly loves his son, but he's also grooming him to be every bit the cold-hearted bastard that he is. Rumor says that he originally wanted to send Draco to another school in continental Europe called Durmstrang – the whole school is like Slytherin on steroids as they have a strict policy on not admitting Muggle-born students, and they don't even pretend to hide the fact that they practice the dark arts."

"Yeah, there's no chance of me ever going to Durmstrang because I'm Muggle-born," Kellen said. "Otherwise, there wouldn't be too much of a cultural barrier. I'm half Norwegian and speak the language fluently, plus I'm fluent in German."

"Yes, those languages would be useful at Durmstrang," replied Pansy. "And I'm, erm, well… sorry that you're not a pureblood or half-blood, Grimseth. You're insanely talented, and we're all at least a little jealous."

"Why?" shrugged Kellen. "I'm proud of my Muggle roots."

"Hunh," Pansy replied, somewhat shocked. "I've never heard of anyone actually being proud of being Muggle-born."

"It's a farm boy thing, Pansy," Daphne said. "He told me some things he did before coming to Hogwarts, and they actually sound really interesting. Ice skating? Snowmobiling? I'm not really sure what those are but they sound like they could be a lot of fun to me."

"I'll take your word for it," Pansy murmured. "Well Grimseth, it was a pleasure meeting you today. You'll have to forgive me if I'm always going to be a little leery of sitting at the Gryffindor table, but never say never, I guess." She offered her hand to Kellen, who readily accepted it.

"I'll see you another time then," Kellen said respectfully.