Sail Away Private Closed

Technically, no on said she wasn't allowed on the lake. And no one really gave restrictions on making things bigger so long as she could reduce them to their regular size. And that was the start of a grand scheme to bring sailing to Hogwarts. The first step in her grand scheme was to acquire a suitable boat. Thankfully, her parents kept model sailboats in the house, and one in particular was simple and semi-functional. The sails could be raised and lowered, and it was supposed to be pond-worthy. Owling her parents was the easy part. A few words about feeling homesick and how she just loved that particular model and how it would make her feel so much better to have it in her dorm. They bought it hook, line, and sinker. Within a few days, she had her boat. Then there was the endless waiting for a Saturday with a good breeze.

If anything went wrong, then it was far easier to not have to worry about classes. The weekend was perfect. And this Saturday at the end of September was perfect. Even walking out onto the grounds, she could feel the stiff breeze. With the model boat tucked firmly under her arm and wrapped in a blanket, Norah sprinted the last several meters to the shoreline. Moments away from putting her plans to fruition, the girl realized one massive problem. There was no place to tie the boat. The dock was below the castle, and she didn't feel daring enough to go steal one of the school's ropes. Besides, they were probably enchanted with anti-stealing spells that would suffocate any potential thieves.

She stood dumbfounded for a few minutes trying to work out a solution. She could always shrink the boat before it crashed into shore and just swim the remaining distance. After more deliberation, that seemed to be the best choice. She set the boat in the water as far as she could reach and cast Engorgio on it and brought the model boat to something close to human height. It wasn't yet big enough to board, but as the sails caught the wind, it took all her effort to keep the boat from drifting away. Norah grimaced and held the boat in place awkwardly with one foot while she fumbled with the small lines holding the sails in place. Every few moments, the receding waves threatened to pull the boat away with its jib and mainsail still set and to send Norah swimming. She balanced precariously on the edge of the shore with the hem of her robes already soaking wet.