"Firs' years, this way!" Alistaire called out behind. It wouldn't do to lose any, now would it? "An' watch yer step!" he added as an afterthought.

Ofim had just gotten off of the train and heard someone calling for first years. That was him. Why the heck did he have to get in a boat, though? The other kids were getting in carriages. This whole magical world was getting more strange to him.

He seemed to be one of the first ones to get to the boats. Awesome, first dibs on a boat, he though. He smirked at the guy calling for first years and threw out a "Hello" to him as he climbed into a boat.

"Hello!" Audrey said brightly to the groundskeeper. "Do you wear your kilt in the traditional style?" she asked him curiously. Wouldn't that be cold? She shivered a bit, it was a bit chilly with just her sweater on.

The short girl looked around, and saw that she was the second one here. Well, it would be pretty awkward to sit in a different boat. She walked up to a boat with a blonde dude in it. "Mind if I ride up with you?" she asked. Why was she suddenly nervous?

Mack couldn't wait to meet everyone in her year, they all seemed super nice! Even the staff from Hogwarts that she had seen along the journey looked nice. "Hello!" she cheerfully smiled at the groundskeeper as he ushered them to the boat.

There were so many names swirling around in his head already from the platform. He tried to keep up a running commentary in his brain. Renesmee is Lochnessie, Oakey Gunter, Sierra the seventh year Slytherin... Belle Lecium, Daychee, Minerva Wheat-something.. But he was interrupted by one of his first year students he was supposed to be paying attention to. "Hullo! Mind yer step, there!" he advised. He didn't want to bother any creatures in the water.



"Hel-- Wha' was tha'?" he said, turning to another first year student, this one a female. "Er, I don' think tha's really... Tha' is, i's not really any of yer... Well, I'd rather not say, if yeh don' mind," he finished lamely. He was definitely going to have to keep an eye on this one, he was.



Glad to have that last interaction over with, he was soon greeted by a much more.. TACTFUL young lady. "Evenin' to yeh!" he said, flashing her a smile. "Mind th' gap, there, lass." People had been known to step into the lake instead of the boat before.

Audrey flashed him a crooked grin before sitting in the same boat as the blonde haired dude, whom she still didn't know the name of. She glanced at Dorcas, her massive, massive dog, a little way's away. Hiding.

She had an idea. "Is this lake dangerous to swim in?" she asked.

Ofim smiled at the rather odd dude who was speaking.


Ofim heard a female voice as he was getting settled into his boat. Oh, she wanted to sit with him "Sure, you can sit here"

Here was another student with a strange grin. What did they put in the water these days? But.. What is with this kid? Yes, he would DEFINITELY be keeping an eye on her. "Well, there are some dangerous creatures in th' Black Lake. If yeh stay in the area by the castle by the swimming dock, yeh'll be fine. Bu' anywhere else and yeh'll find yerself in trouble, yeh will." So fair warning.

"Well.. I have a dog, see," Audrey said, gesturing to the Black Russian Terrier easing it's way out of the shadows shyly. "And I was wondering what to do with her." she said.

The dog was nearly three feet tall and weighed 129 pounds. "She's person sized, so could Dorcas just ride in the boat?" Audrey jumped out of the boat again to go over and greet the animal.

Alistaire scratched his head. Why was she suddenly talking about her family dog, which was likely hundreds of... OH. His gaze followed her gesture and landed on the largest... could you even call it a dog? Anyways, it was LARGE.

"Wha' teh do with... wai', yeh mean you want to keep her here a' Hogwarts?" Whatever happened to cat, rat, toad, or owl? Was Hogwarts going to the dogs? He felt suddenly as if the trees were closing in on him and the night air felt very warm. What was he supposed to do? This poor girl is in a new place with not a friend but her dog.. And that's what made up his mind.

"Well, yeh're not allowed ter keep a dog a' Hogwarts, I'm afraid. Bu' I tell yeh wha' we'll do... Yer dog can ride in a boat with yeh, just you an' her, and she can sit outside the castle and watch yeh be Sorted through the window." Because he was NOT letting that ...thing inside. "Then after th' Feast I'll owl yer parents to come pick him up. He can stay wit' me until they get here. Sound fair?"

Sniffle, step. Sniffle, step.

He was here at Hogwarts now and the only people he knew were Leobald who worked here and Zoe Tillstorm who was just mean to him. He wanted to go home to his mum and dad and to be able to see them every night. As much as he disliked his dad's teasing, it was much preferable to Zoe's.

Daniel trudged up to the boats with his head down and the only sound following him was silence permeated by the odd sniffle now and again. He walked straight past the adult who was telling people what to do and sat down in the boat because it was obvious that was what he had to do. The second he sat, he put his head on his knees and waited for the year of loneliness to start. Because that's what the quiet boy was.

Lonely.

Audrey bit her lip. He was being very nice about it. But she couldn't leave Dorcas without her, the dog had spent every day with her since she was eight years old and Dorcas a newborn pup. "She's big, but honestly she's more chill and sweet than anything else," she said pleadingly. She'd had to leave everything else in her muggle life and she wasn't leaving her best friend. "That's very nice of you and all," she tried to make sure he knew she appreciated it. "But Dorcas needs me or she'll get very sad and I'll get very sad."

She though for a second. "How about we do that but instead of her going home she just goes up to the dorms with me? She sleeps in my bed at home, 's not like I take up all the room in the bed or anything," her Limerick accent got stronger as she tried not to get upset because she was eleven years old and not about to get upset.

"Please," she asked, giving him big eyes.

Alistaire checked behind him to see if anyone else was coming. When it looked like he had them all, he cleared his throat and pronounced, "Alrigh', no more'n four to a boat, now. Everyone in!"

Text Cut: freddy-finn

Quote:

Originally Posted by freddy-finn

Audrey bit her lip. He was being very nice about it. But she couldn't leave Dorcas without her, the dog had spent every day with her since she was eight years old and Dorcas a newborn pup. "She's big, but honestly she's more chill and sweet than anything else," she said pleadingly. She'd had to leave everything else in her muggle life and she wasn't leaving her best friend. "That's very nice of you and all," she tried to make sure he knew she appreciated it. "But Dorcas needs me or she'll get very sad and I'll get very sad."

She though for a second. "How about we do that but instead of her going home she just goes up to the dorms with me? She sleeps in my bed at home, 's not like I take up all the room in the bed or anything," her Limerick accent got stronger as she tried not to get upset because she was eleven years old and not about to get upset.

"Please," she asked, giving him big eyes.

A big dog that was chill and sweet? Well, it had been known to happen before. Ali's face began to hold a frown. The girl was pleading. He didn't like pleading, even in children. But still he felt sympathy for her plight. He remembered having to leave everything he knew at home... Yes, that had been scary.

"No, lass, 'm afraid we can' allow that. Even if we don' like it, we have t' abide by th' rules." He glanced over at.. Dorcas, was it? I bet that dog smells when it's wet, was the first, though admittedly odd, thought to cross his mind. "Don' worry, I'll take good care o' yer dog til yer parents pick 'er up." He put his arm on her shoulder and began to gently direct her towards the boat. "Now in ya get, we don' want ter keep the Feast waitin', do we?" he asked, trying to engender some excitement in this sad scene. "Here girl," he called to the dog, coaxing her into the boat.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Alistaire looked around for the boy he'd offered to share a boat with, beckoning to him to climb in. Then the Groundskeeper hopped in to the boat himself and settled in. Craning his neck, he checked once again to see that they had everyone.

"Alrigh', now don' lean over the edge. I don' wan' Mr. Henry the squid having to fish any o' yeh outta here. Here we go!"

And with a tap of his wand on the side of his craft, the whole fleet left the safety of shore behind. The castle loomed nearer and nearer and Ali's stomach gave a loud growl.

Looking around she realized she was one of the last to get to the boats. "WAIT" she shrieked as she ran for the boats that were starting pull out scanning the boats she saw one with only three in it. THANK MERLIN! She didn't want to swim across! Diving into the boat she didn't check to see even who it was that was in the boat but ended up jumping on someone.

And of course with the lack of balance on the water she lost her balance.

Don't lean over the edge? He wasn't planning on it. Dan only peered up when he heard a familiar shriek. OH MERLIN, OH MERLIN. NOT HERE, PLEASE NOT HERE. He hid his face so Zoe wouldn't see him and the bad luck that followed Daniel around meant that she landed RIGHT ON HIM. She'd used him as her own personal comfortable landing! Well it wasn't comfortable for him. HUMPF.

Dan rose off his seat slightly as she lost her balance and instinctively tried to catch her. He might have hated the girl, but his mum had told him to be nice no matter what. Catching her hand, he ended up falling in to the water too, with a sort of hollow splash. Straight away, he started flailing because he couldn't swim! Daniel Reeves couldn't swim!

"Don't throw me...DON'T THROW MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

*SPLASH*

Well at least he caught her hand either way she ended up in the water. Merlin she'd be apologizing til the Christmas Hols she was sure! Paddling in the water she tried to catch onto the boat but her hand kept slipping off, not to mention it was moving besides. "HELP!" she called to whoever heard her.

That was when she realized that she was now getting splashed in the face, finally getting a grip on the boat, she tried to grab a flailing arm. "Grab on silly!"

"I didn't thro-" Bubble. Bubble. Gasp. "Throw you!" Oh Merlin, he really couldn't swim! "I -" He was cut off by going underwater again, but when he surfaced, Dan tried to grab onto her. It was her fault he was in here, so she was going to have to darn well save him. "I can't swi-!" he stopped himself from finishing that sentence because if Zoe knew that, she'd likely make it her mission to throw him into random bodies of water. Plus, he wasn't drowning. Treading water, he managed to get a good hold of her and shuddered because he knew they were both drenched through and Zoe was going to say it was all his fault.

Just as he had tapped the side of his boat, he heard a splash, closely followed by another splash. "Wha' in the name o' Robert the Bruce is going on?" he asked the warm night air as he turned and searched for the source of the sound. Students in the water! He tapped the side of his boat once more with his wand and the entire fleet came to a magically-fast halt.

"Oi, you two! Stop messing aroun' o'er there! Ge' back in th' boat!" He sighed. Clearly they thought they were drowning. "I's shallow enough t' stand here, yeh know. An' i' does no good ter bicker about it," he said with a touch of annoyance.

He waited to see them climb back in the boat. He wasn't starting this fleet back up until they were safely seated.

She knew that voice! "Daniel?" she asked with shock hinting in her voice. "You don't need to swim!" she said with laughter bursting out of her. "PUT YOUR FEET DOWN!" When the boats stopped she decided maybe she should just help him into the boat and let him feel better then actually climbing in and leaving him to sit in the water. wow for once she was being nice to him?

Her attention was drawn to the man who was yelling from his boat, "I wasn't messing around, you left without me!" she exclaimed "I had to get in the boat somehow!" HAH there mr. meany big person.

Turning to Dan she put her hands down in the water, "Here get in."

Ivy was frozen with fear as the boat wobbled along. What if she...fell out. And died. Which was even worse. Yeah, what if that big scary squid ate her? She didn't mind water but the groundskeeper had said that there was a giant squid who might eat her if she fell in the water. It wouldn't matter if she could swim well enough for the Olympics - the squid would still eat her. The girl's lip wobbled and she was shaking when the boats started.

"Um...Sir?" Ivy asked nervous about getting his attention when there was really no need. "I'm scared - I want to get out!" Her voice went up at the end of the sentence, proving even more that she was totally petrified.

Yes, Daniel. Wait, she hadn't called him Danny or Danny boy! He flailed for a moment more until his feet touched the floor of the lake and he immediately went red. Okay, so that was ANOTHER thing she'd have to tease him about.

Who the who? Robert the Bruce? What? OH MERLIN, THAT WAS A BIG PERSON VOICE. Daniel squeaked as he was told to get back in the boat and immediately ducked straight back underwater. Nope. The big people wouldn't get him if they couldn't see him. Out of sight, out of mind. Right? He surfaced in time to see Zoe's hands in front of him and it was just lucky that he already had water on his face because his eyes were red from the effort of trying not to cry.

He, drenched right through, attempted to get back into the boat so the big person wouldn't shout any more, but his hands kept slipping from Zoe's and he just gave up with a frustrated splash of the water and turned to look away so he could try harder not to cry. Nope. He wasn't going to cry in front of Zoe. Nope. Not again.

Watching as Daniel dipped out of sight into the lake her eyes followed him til he popped back up. Shaking her head "Would you just...?" Trying to catch hold of his hand "PUT YOUR FOOT IN MY HANDS" she said emphatically "I'll lift you in." Sighing she shook her head.

"Aww Dan don't blub it's just water." she said when he turned to look away. Yep she knew him too well, he had turned away so he could cry and not show it. She was dripping wet with her long hair laying across her shoulders, but it didn't bother her none! "Put your foot in my hands."

Good, at least ONE of them had enough sense to just put their feet down. "Nex' time, lass, jus' call to me ter stop the boats," he said logically, though not unkindly. He tried his hardest to have a friendly look on his face, which was hard to do when the other child couldn't seem to do anything but flail harder.

Ali sighed and leaped out of his boat, his shoes splashing in the water. Great. Now my kilt socks are wet. He'd have to dry them later. Grabbing the boy underneath the armpits, he heaved him out of the water. "Tha's right, laddie, in yeh go." Alistaire plunked him down securely in the middle of the craft. Twiddling his wand, he directed a stream of hot air over the pair of students. After several seconds, their clothes were beginning to dry off. "There, no harm done," he said as he finished.

Making his way back to his own boat, he climbed in a dried himself off as well. "Okay, le's get this show on th' road!" With another tap of his wand, the little group made its way forward once more.


He heard a trembling voice behind him, a female voice. "Yes, m'dear?" he asked kindly. Oh, another one that was afraid. He didn't really understand this. Hadn't any of them been in a boat before? "Well if yeh get ou' now yeh'll be in the middle o' the lake, which I think is wha' yeh're tryin' ter avoid," he said, trying to speak logic into this fear. "I won' let anythin' happen to yeh, don' worry. An' neither will our squid, Bartholomew Henry. He's been known ter help put students back in th' boat if they fall out. He's right friendly, yeh see."

Put his what where? His foot in her hand? Merlin, he didn't know if that was even possible! He shook his head at Zoe, terrified if he attempted that and succeeded, she'd flip him straight back into the water. "I'm not blubbing!" The childish, petulant response was so quiet, he wasn't even sure if she heard it over the water. Before he could attempt to get back in the water again, he was being grabbed under the armpits.

A squeak of fear escaped him and his face went completely blank like it always did when a big person did something like that without warning. He immediately put his head down on his knees and had his own little mental meltdown in silence. BIG PERSON. He was way too terrified to thank the guy or even look at him. All he needed to make this worse was have Zoe start hissing in his ear about him being a baby. He hadn't even noticed he was dry again.