Chapter 1 introduces seven-year-old Elsa. Elsa is different from other children her age and has trouble fitting in at school. Granny is Elsa’s only friend, and Elsa’s personal superhero. According to Granny, “Every seven-year-old deserves a superhero. Anyone who doesn’t agree needs their head examined” (1). Granny used to be a doctor, who traveled to the most dangerous, war-torn places in the world. Her superpowers, according to Elsa, are “saving lives and driving people nuts” (3).

The story begins with Elsa and Granny at the police station. Earlier in the day, Granny left the hospital where she is an inpatient and broke into a zoo with Elsa. Elsa wants Granny to apologize to the police officers so they will be allowed to leave, but Granny refuses to admit she did anything wrong. They begin to argue in their “secret language.” Eventually a policewoman with green eyes who is familiar with Granny allows them to leave, but not before warning Granny that she needs to “stop doing this, we also have real criminals to worry about” (9).

Elsa remembers that her beloved Gryffindor scarf was torn by bullies at school earlier in the day, and she begins to cry.