The Owlery was cold and drafty. There were no windows and the floor was covered in straw, bones, and owl droppings. She hated the way it smelled and the breeze coming through the glassless windows was making her shiver.

"There he is," Richard said, pointing to a small, sleeping, brown ball of feathers.

"You sure he's alive?" She poked him and Telemachus fell over. "Richard!"

He pushed her out of the way. "Stop pushing him." Richard picked him up in his hands and the little bird started screeching.

"It's alive," Elizabeth said, covering her ears to block out the noise.

Richard was gently stroking Telemachus. "It's okay, boy," he said softly. "You're okay."

Elizabeth's jaw dropped. "You baby talk the owl?"

"Shut it! It–it calms him down is all." Richard pulled out the letter. "Are you going to fly today? Huh?"

"I can't believe you talk to it that way."

"Shut it!" Richard whinged. "You just don't like animals."

"That's not an animal." Elizabeth pointed at Telemachus. "That's a feather duster."

Richard glared at her and attached the letter to Telemachus. He carried him to one of the open windows. "Okay, Telemachus, this is it."

"He's gonna fall."

"He's not going to fall, Elizabeth Ann!"

During all of this Telemachus was dosing in and out of consciousness. Elizabeth could tell because whenever he fell asleep he would fall backwards onto Richard's hands and flap around until he was upright again.

"This is how Uncle William learned to fly, right?" she asked. "He dove off the Astronomy Tower."

"Don't let him tell you that. He didn't dive off the Astronomy Tower, he fell studying for his OWLs."

"Well, then it's suiting he became an owl."

Richard hushed her. He shook Telemachus awake and placed him on the window ledge. "Go on," he urged the little bird, but Telemachus just ruffled his feathers.

"Oh yeah, Richard, he can fly alright," she said sarcastically.

Richard tried gently pushing him. "Go on, Telemachus." But the bird did not budge. Elizabeth yawned loudly, but Richard ignored her. "He can too fly. Come on, Telemachus. Fly." He pushed the bird again and it stumbled forward before falling backwards and crying. "Maybe if I —"

Richard didn't have time to finish his sentence. Elizabeth had grabbed Telemachus with both hands and threw him out the window.

"ELIZABETH ANN!" Richard shouted, nearly jumping out the window after Telemachus.

The little bird was hardly visible now that the sun was setting, but they could clearly see him falling. Richard closed his eyes as he nearly hit the ground, but just as he was about to, the little bird hovered off the ground. He flapped his wings with all his might and rose. Given it was about the height of an average sized dog that he was flying at, but he was flying nonetheless.

"Hmm," Elizabeth shrugged. "I guess you can call that flying. I mean he hasn't hit the —"

Just as she was about to finish her sentence, Telemachus fell to the ground, but quickly got back up, flying low like he was intoxicated, in a bumpy, unpredictable pattern that almost smacked him right into a few trees.

"Nevermind," she finished.

Richard jumped from window to window, watching the little bird go, slowly, but going nonetheless. He cheered. "He did it! He can fly!" He spun around to Elizabeth, a wide goofy grin plastered to his face. "And you have fun spending some quality time with Odysseus."

"Shut it!" she snapped.

She wasn't looking forward to the next time the mail came and she had to let Odysseus bite her. When she entered the common room the next day, she thought the entire room sound like they would be suffering the same fate. All the first year Gryffindors were groaning in a way that sounded awfully similar to when Fred and George poisoned Percy with their joke candies. She walked over to Ron and Harry.

"Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."

"That's a very specific wish you have there, Potter," said Elizabeth. He just looked at her. "It was just a joke. So what's the news? Something about brooms?"

"Flying lessons start Thursday," said Ron.

"Great," said Elizabeth cheerfully.

"With the Slytherins," said Harry.

"Not so great," she said miserably.

Elizabeth had always wanted to try flying. Her grandmother would never let her and her uncle didn't need a broom to fly, so he was no help there. She wondered if she'd catch on quickly enough. She didn't want to be in the same position as Hermione Granger. She was incredibly nervous about flying and had checked Quidditch Through the Ages out of the library for help. Elizabeth had told her that flying was not something she could learn out of book, but Hermione wouldn't listen. She spent breakfast Thursday morning telling them all the tips she'd gotten from it. No one except Neville was listening.

The post had come again. Elizabeth hadn't received another threatening letter so she was sure Richard was right about it just being one of their grandmother's scare tactics. Neville's grandmother had sent him a Remembrall this morning.

"This tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do," he explained. "Look, if you hold it tight like this and it turns red ─ oh..." His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "... you've forgotten something..."

Elizabeth smiled because she liked Neville. He thought he was a nice boy. A bit clumsy, and obviously forgetful, but he was nice. Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand. Elizabeth slammed her hands on the table and pushed herself up from her seat. She snarled at Malfoy. Harry and Ron were half hoping that she'd hex Malfoy from here to eternity, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

"What's going on?"

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."

Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table. "Just looking," he said, and he walked away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

Elizabeth reluctantly sat down and Professor McGonagall went back to the High Table. "One of these days, I'm going to petrify him and give him to Fred and George as a gift. I'm sure they'd love to have a new test subject."

At three-thirty the Gryffindors hurried out onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear breezy day and Elizabeth couldn't wait to try flying. The Slytherins were already there when they arrived. Madam Hooch arrived shortly after. She had short, grey hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up." She waited for everyone to be in position. "Stick out your right hand over your broom, and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" everyone shouted.

Elizabeth's broom jumped into her hand. She was excited, partially because she got it no problem, and partially because Hermione Granger didn't. She had noticed that Harry had gotten his broom up as well and smiled at him. Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," she said. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle ─ three ─ two ─"

But Neville, nervous and jumpy, had accidently pushed off before the whistle had blown.

"Come back!" shouted Madam Hooch.

Neville was rising straight up rapidly. He looked back, scared, at the ground falling away, and slipped sideways off the broom. He hit the ground with a thud and a crack. Elizabeth winced at the sound. Madam Hooch was bending over him in no time.

"Broken wrist," she muttered. "Come on ─ it's all right, up you get." She turned to the rest of the class. "None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.'"

Neville hobbled off with Madam Hooch, clutching his wrist. No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.

Elizabeth glared at him. "Where's my wand? I'm going to obliterate him."

"Oh, really, Wellington?" said Pansy Parkison, a pug faced Slytherin girl. "You think that just because you can turn a match into a needle, you can do magic now?"

"Well, from what I hear it's more than you can do," said Elizabeth.

Pansy scowled. Elizabeth did the same.

"Liz, knock it off!" said Ron, pulling her back by the arms as she darted forward.

"Look!" said Malfoy, snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

He held up the Remembrall. Elizabeth tried to pulled her arms away from Ron, but he tightened his grip.

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking. Elizabeth was still.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find ─ how about ─ up a tree?"

Malfoy mounted his broomstick and took off. He hovered over the trees. "Come and get it, Potter!"

Harry grabbed his broom, mounted it, and kicked off hard. He soared up. He was fantastic at flying.

Ron let go of Elizabeth and she stumbled forward, almost falling on her face. She was staring in amazement at Harry. He pulled his broomstick up a little to take him even higher. Girls in the class were screaming and gasping. Ron and Elizabeth had begun cheering for him.

Harry turned his broomstick to face a stunned Malfoy. No one on the ground could hear what they were saying, but could see that they were indeed exchanging words. Suddenly Harry shot at Malfoy. He only got out of the way in time. He threw the ball into the air and watched it streak back toward the ground. Elizabeth's eyes widened. There was only one thought on her mind; Catch that ball.

Harry leaned forward on his broom and pointed the handle down. Elizabeth saw him racing the ball, his hand outstretched to catch it. A foot from the ground he did, and toppled onto the ground with Neville's Remembrall in his fist.

Elizabeth sighed in relief before she heard a voice behind her.

"HARRY POTTER!"

She tensed up again. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. "Never ─ in all my time at Hogwarts ─" She seemed speechless and Elizabeth felt sick with worry. "─ how dare you ─ might have broken your neck ─"

Elizabeth couldn't stand this. She couldn't let Harry get in trouble. "It wasn't his fault, Professor ─"

"Be quiet, Miss Wellington ─"

"But Malfoy ─"

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."

Harry walked behind Professor McGonagall into the castle. Malfoy looked triumphant and opened his mouth to, no doubt, insult Harry.

"Piss off, Malfoy!" screamed Elizabeth. "If he's in any trouble because of you, I swear ─" She was furious and sure if there was anything around that could have suddenly dented, it would have.

"Come on, Liz," said Ron quietly.

She turned her back to Malfoy and looked at Ron. "They wouldn't expel him, would they? It wasn't his fault. He didn't do anything."

"I know, but I guess they could if they wanted to."

A/N: Plot points and quotes from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling, Chapter 9, The Midnight Duel, pages 143 to 149.