The Black House Heiress (Book 1)

Chapter 5: Flying lessons and a dog?

Finally, the flying lessons schudle had been announced. Pinned up in the Gryffindor common room was a notice saying that the flying lessons would be starting on Thursday- and Gryffindor and Slythering would be learning together.

Rhea didn't care much for the Slytherins. Yes, some of them were annoying as hell, but not all of them. She knew better that to judge a person just by their House; something most of her housemates did not seem to agree with her on. She much preferred to judge people by their characters. Her families stories about their time at Hogwarts taught her that. Your house does not define you.

Rhea was excited for the flying lessons, unlike Hermione who was extremely nervous. The bushy-haired girl tried to read every book about flying she could find in the library.

"'Mione, this is not something you can learn through a book, so please stop with the reading already." Rhea confiscated all the books of flying from Hermione.

At breakfast, on Thursday she managed to get her hands on a book called Quidditch Through the Ages.

"That's it 'Mione, your privilages on going to the library without me are revoked. Give me that book and stop with the flying tips." said Rhea in this-is-final tone.

Every Gryffindor student was pleased when Rhea interrumped Hermione's blabbering. Well everyone except for Neville, who was desparatly hanging on every word Hermione said.

At that moment, hundreds of owls swooped in to deliver the mail. Hermes landed in front of Rhea with two letters that the girl had not noticed yet. She was looking at Harry with sad eyes; he never had any mail. Not even one letter. Hedwig always came with the school owls with nothing but affection to her owner. Rhea hated it. She hated the look on Harry's face whenever Hedwig showed up without any letter. She could tell it affected Harry no matter how much he tried to cover it up.

Rhea's attention returned to her owl when Hermes bit her finger.

"OUCH!" Rhea glared at her owl while untying the letters from his foot. "That was mean you little feather ball."

Hermes hooted indignantly, but Rhea ignored him. She took a roll of parchment, wrote something in it quickly, and gave it to Hermes while whispiring the destination.

Hermes flew around the table at once, before dropping the parchment on Harry's lap and returning to Rhea's shoulder.

The boy looked at her with an adorable confused look. She smiled at him and went back to feeding and petting her owl. Harry returned his gaze to the parchment that was carefully rolled and kept together with a silver ribon. He take off the ribon and slowly opened the parchment.

"Dear Harry

Cheer up! I bet you would enjoy flying today. Forget about the Slytherins,

Sincerly, Rhea Black."

Harry could not help but smile as he re-read the short letter. He did not know there is someone who noticed his lack of mail. Harry smiled brightly at Rhea. He didn't understand why everyone was avoiding her, or whispering things of her. Even Ron avoids her, but then again, Ron was not fond of both of her and Hermione since their little argument on the train.

"Rhea, where is your other ribon?" asked Neville, pointing at the girls hair where just moments ago, there were two ribons that adorned her curls on both side of her head.

"Dunno maybe it fell off." she said casually. Harry quickly hide the parchment and the ribon in his robes.

Their conversation was cut short when a barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, full of white smoke.