Alyssa contined to stroke the Hippogriff's head while talking to it in a soft voice. She wondered how the other students were doing but was afraid that if she took her attention off this beautiful creature she would lose her bond with it. She regretted not bringing more food for it but she promised herself that if they ever had a chance to meet again, that she would bring more.

As Alyssa talked to it she continued to wonder why it was standing apart from the others. It didn't look more dangerous than the others. In fact, it looked like the others were shunning it. "Is it because you're different like me? Do you want to belong but don't know how to fit in?" Alyssa whispered into the ear of the animal. "I feel the same way too. I feel alone too." Alyssa whispered nuzzling it's head. The Hippogrigf seemed to sense her sadness because his head seemed to nod and nuzzle her back. Then suddenly it stepped back from her arms.

Not only did that surprise Alyssa, it scared her. Was it going to attack her now? Did she say something wrong? Had she offended it? All those thoughts raced through her mind. Then before she could decide what to do next, the Hippogriff first bent both it's front legs and leaned forward and then it bent it's hind legs and soon it was lying on the ground and stayed in that position. 'Does it want me to get on? Are we allowed to do so?' Alyssa knew that if she didn't get on the Hippogriff might get insulted and hurt, thinking that she too was rejecting it. So she slowly mounted the majestic animal and sat on it.

The Hippogriff quickly stood up and Alyssa felt herself a little higher off the ground. Of course she had been higher than this on her broomstick playing Quidditch, but that was different. She was in control of her broom. Being on a Hippogriff was an entirely different situation. Alyssa just continued to sit on it, bending forward to stroke it's head and talk to it. She whispered into it's ear so no one else could hear her. She whispered how her great grandpaps had met one of it's kind and how he had flown it many times. She told it things about her past.