After wondering around for a few more mutes, she finally found a promising looking path, heading in what she thought looked like the right direction...yes she was pretty sure it was going in the direction of the lake, she could only hope it didn't take her to a dead end once more. but, hey, it was definetly worth a try.

So Melanie began walking down the path thinking about turning back around as it took so many curvy turns. Surely it couldn't be leading her to the exit if it was so swerving...chances were that it was taking it back to the beginning, but since she hadn't reached a fork or anything yet she decided she may as well keep going and if it did indeed lead to a split in the road she turn back around and go back to prevent from getting further lost than she was. At least back there she had an idea where she was going and where in the maze she was....here she was rather confused, there had been too many swerves and turns in the path for her to keep up.

But apparently it'd paid to take the curvy road in the maze because as she kept walking she caught sight of the a glimmer of the sunshine on the pond, and then she saw more water...and even more still...

She was out of the maze and had finally reached the end.

As she realized this a triumphant smile spread across the young Hufflepuff's face, breathing a sigh of relief. That meant she wasn't gonna be lost in there for the rest of the school year annnnd it also meant she was no longer stuck in there with the killer plants. she really had to resist the urge to do a happy dance.

Now all she had to do was cross the pod and she'd truly be at the end of the course. she always been afraid of a lot of water for at least as long as she could remember, so naturally she was practically shaking. Taking a deep breath to brace herself for the task, Melanie clutched the gillyweed tightly in one hand and walked over to the side of pond with the Victoria Amazonian Lily Pads were floating across in a neat little trail. After taking yet another deep breath she moved backwards she she could take a running jump for the very first plant. And that was exactly what she did... she flew toward the floating plant and landed somewhat neatly,on her knees, on top of it, a small spurt of water splashing up around the the plant, which left her spluttering as it dipped an inch or so into the pond though it seemed to easily support her weight. Smiling to herself she looked to the next pad, wondering how she was going to summon up the courage to stand up onto this one to jump.

One jump covered, a whole more pond full to go.