[Hogwarts Between] Crossing the Lake

[Margaret Dean]

pmccartney at squaredbee.com wrote:
> 
> >     With a quiet 'slush' all the boats left the
> > shore under their own
> >     power.  They quickly formed themselves into a
> > triangular pattern
> >     with
> >     Hagrid's boat at the leading point.
> >
> >     Hagrid sat in the bow holding out his lantern.
> > Except
> > for the
> >     windows
> >     of the Hogwarts castle and the crescent moon it
> > was the
> > only
> >     light.
> >
> >   Kadyn's mouth gaped open, as the castle looked
> > more
> > majestic then
> >   ever. He had seen it before, but it looked more
> > awesome
> > than ever.
> >   Cyrus, too, looked up in awe at Hogwarts. It was
> > nothing
> > like
> >   Blackmare castle where his aunt and uncle lived. It
> > was
> > huge, with
> >   tall towers sticking up everywhere. The pinpoints of
> > light that were
> >   the windows seemed to fill its shadowy outline.
> >
> > "Now, that," said Amber pointing at
> > Hogwarts, "is amazing."
> >
> > Outside of the wake caused by the boats, the water was
> > almost
> > completely still and flat.  Reflected in it were the lights
> > from the
> > tall towers.  They shimmered here and there as small
> > ripples appeared
> > and went across the water's surface.
> >
> > All Paloma could do is look up at hogwarts and say, "Wow..."
> > Seluna watched the oncoming castle, still wondering why her life
> > was so
> > messed up at the moment. all the magic, and giants, and strange
> > things that
> > were happening.
> >
> > Heath too stared at the majesty of Hogwarts, in between moments
> > staring over the edge of his boat. It was as though his stomach
> > couldn't decide if it wanted to throw out his lunch or not. He only
> > felt a little nausous, but since the way his day had been going it
> > never hurt to be to careful.
> >
> > Their steady approach to the far shore was almost at an end.  As
> > Heath
> > looked down into the water, favoring his stomach, he spotted what
> > looked like eyes -- human eyes -- staring up at him from below the
> > surface.  The boat floated past them; but another pair of eyes
> > followed, and this time he could just make out long hair flowing
> > around
> > them.  His boat slowly glided by.  The light from Hagrid's torch, the
> > Hogwarts windows, and the crescent moon were not enough to see much
> > more.
> 
>  Paloma's fingers made their own wake, unseen by anyone.
> 
>  The water started to feel odd.  It seemed to be pressing
>  firmer against
>  the tips of her fingers.  It also felt bumpy -- and
>  slimy!!!
> 
>  "Eww!" Paloma shriked and quickly pulled her fingers out of the water
>  and shook her hand in the air to try to get the water off.

"Everybody duck yer heads!" called Hagrid, as the boats sailed
through a curtain of ivy into the opening of a tunnel in the
cliff.  The line of boats followed Hagrid's through the dark,
rocky tunnel until they reached a pebbly beach in a cavern that
was evidently somewhere under the castle.
 
> Hagrid's boat was the first to reach land, and he stepped out.  As he
> turned around to face the students the small boats arranged themselves
> into a line.  The scraping of wood on gravel was heard as they
> simultaneously landed on the shore.
> 
> [OOC:  This thread ends.  The next thread is "First Year's Entrance." ]


--Margaret Dean
  <margdean at erols.com>