Ice, Ice, Baby Errand

Banner by Kim Sato

André steeped outside of the castle satchel at his side, Miko his owl was perched on his shoulder. He had on a few more layers then normal. As it was chilly that day. He made his way to the great lake to take part in one of the more recent errands. One that would allow him; and anyone else who wanted to to dive in the great lake.

As he got closer to the lake he told Miko to go and wait for him on a branch of a near by tree. The owl flew off of his shoulder and on a tree as André asked. He was handed the price of parchment to write his new years goals. He found a nice place on the grass to sit and write them. He had a few that he definitely wanted. He pulled out his black ink and crow feather Quill and began to write.

1. Get way better with directions
2. Get my first O
3. Get better at studying

Those sounded good, he definitely wanted an O, and he really wanted to not get lost. That was why it was on top of his list. A nice short and simple list. Before the caretaker had said 'go' André began to take of his layers. Starting with socks and shoes, the shirts and his pants. Leaving him in in swimming trunks. And cold.

If only he knew how much colder the water would be. There was on last thing he needed to take off his necklace. He took it off and safely tucked it in his bag, and grabbed his towel planning to use it soon as he got out of the water. Parchment in hand, he listed carefully for the signal to rush in. Yes he would run in. To get it over with fast. Like a bandaid.

The caretaker said go and just as he thought he would do he ran into the water. The feeling was a shock of cold. It was definitely viable on his face, he knew it would be cold. But this? Oh well no turning back now. He walked A bit further into the lake still in the boundaries of what they were allowed. "So. Freaking. Cold." he muttered to himself. He suck the parchment in the water and a quick as he got in he got out.

He grabbed his towel off of his bag were he left it and began to dry himself off. Wrapping it around his shoulders. He decided to stay at the lake for a little while longer, as he had to admit it was quite pretty. He also didn't want to track much water into the Castle. So he sat and put on his shirt, he wasn't crazy. Anyone who would stay just in there swim clothes literally had to be a fireplace. He thought to himself. It was something cool to do, seeing as going in the lake on any other day would end up in detention. So doing it right under the watch of some adults, it was really fun! He didn't really know why they had chosen to do it when the lake was so cold. There was probably a spell for that or something, right?

Nessie didn't know what she'd been thinking when she decided to take part in a Polar Plunge at the lake. Sure, she was trying to get more involved in school activities, and this was certainly a school activity, but it hadn't really occurred to her - at least not until she started walking out towards the lake and felt the cold winter air on her face - just how cold it was likely to be. Normally, Nessie loved the water, so how bad could it be? But she'd never actually considered the practical details of swimming outside in January, and she had the entire walk out to the lake to think about it.

And yet, she did not turn around. She'd come this far, and she still did want to partake. Part of her was even curious at how cold the water could actually be. Certainly, if it was still water and not ice, then it couldn't really be that freezing, right?

Once she joined the group waiting near the lake, she was handed a piece of parchment. Nessie didn't hesitate before scribbling onto it her intention for 2023: Make more friends.

After all, that was part of why she was here to begin with. Nessie had always been just a bit shy and so she hoped that by participating in school activities, maybe she'd become braver with regards to socializing more with her fellow students, and maybe she'd eventually find a few more friends. Of course, the activities themselves might be a place to meet people, although Nessie wasn't sure how much chatting anybody could do in the cold water today, but she hoped that at least if she tried this then others might remember her as a friendly face in future similar events, and then maybe eventually she'd work up the nerve to say hello, or perhaps someone might say hi.

It wasn't the most direct plan to achieve her goal, but now Nessie had the slip of parchment as well. She could only hope it was somehow magical, as she prepared for the signal and got ready to briefly swim. Would it even be a swim? Nessie wasn't planning to stay in the water for long, and she wondered if that was why they called events like this a polar plunge rather than a shivering swim.

She was very glad that she hadn't intended to stay in the water any longer than strictly necessary when the signal sounded and she rushed into the water, feeling the sudden cold, watching the parchment in her hand dissolve before her eyes, and then rushing out of the water with even more haste than she'd rushed in. She thought she'd been mentally prepared for the cold but somehow it felt even colder than she'd thought; was it even possible to be ready for something like this? Nessie didn't think so.

As she quickly tried to get dry and warm again, she reflected on what she'd just done. It was certainly an experience ... and she didn't think she'd want to repeat it.

511 words

@None

House Colours: Ravenclaw

Now returned to Hogwarts after Christmas Break, Piérre was essentially getting geared up for the next semester and the plethora of tests and exams that he was sure to have before the year was done. On the other hand, he was also trying to focus on reigniting his social life and hoping to figure out exactly what he wanted out of his life. Up to this point he had been little more than a bit of gossamer floating at the whim of the winds, letting chance guide him more than his own actions did. More often than not, it was for the approval of others that Piérre acted as politely as he did (which mind you wasn’t saying much), and not always because he wanted to act that way. But, as always, he was immensely capable of doing worse (or perhaps doing better based on what your prerogatives were).

Let’s just say that insofar as the execution and his performance of mischief was concerned in previous years he had been training with weights on. And that, truthfully, between his rekindling of a relationship with his brother, the recognition that there was still something highly suspicious concerning said brother, and the continued stress that this cursed school seemed to put on him, Piérre was finally done with putting on false airs. In the past he had always preached to others that that wouldn’t get anyone anywhere, so why had he tried so hard up to this point to act that way himself?

The answer? There wasn’t a good one.

So that was the crux of his resolution, obviously. To stop being what everyone wanted him to be and to instead act upon what he knew to be right and wrong regardless of their expectations. If he could help people in the process, so be it (and in fact, good for him and them alike), but in the end to himself he knew he had to be true. Generally, he liked to think of himself as a good person. He hoped that others considered him a good person as well… but in the end words were words, and though they were powerful they were nothing compared to an iron soul and a stalwart heart. Words were something that Piérre had in spades, after all; he doubted that there were many others that could match either his sense of whimsy or his cleverness in tongue.

As he stood with his fellow students at the bank of the Great Lake, Piérre both shivered with his bronze and blue scarf combined with an admittedly thick back coat and eyed the nurse Polonius with narrow suspicion combined with something that was likely akin to scorn. This was but another face of Nurse Finley, he had to keep reminding himself. A deception, a ruse. Just like Piérre himself was excellent at misdirection and occasional trickery, there were others who were at his level who had decidedly more malicious intentions when compared to him. Crossing his arms tightly, Piérre bit his lip and chattered his teeth behind sealed blue lips as he waited for the command to advance into the cold water. Piérre knew that many people would be ‘swimming’ for a few brief minutes, or at least running out for as far as they dared either for the sake of showing off or for the sake of having a good time that usually was not permitted to be had by the Great Lake. Unlike these people, Piérre was not interested in swimming in the slightest. No, he had already had a bad incident with the Great Lake concerning it being iced over and then falling through said ice when he had only been a tender first year. On top of that, he had never dared to attempt swimming after he had nearly drowned as a child caught in a Mediterranean undertow. On that day Romeo had been the one to save him… but the intense aquaphobia that came from that moment had continued to haunt Piérre ever since.

No, he would not be ‘swimming’ today. More of a wade, actually. Such a choice was made even as the nurse was speaking, which caused Piérre to grit his teeth further and bury his face down inside the Ravenclaw scarf. That nurse… it wasn’t like Piérre could do anything about it, but he sure didn’t like hearing him speak. The very idea that it was possibly Nurse Finley somehow pulling the strings behind a mask created by the use of Polyjuice Potion rubbed Piérre the wrong way. So wrong, as a matter of fact, that Piérre wanted nothing else than to cast a Quieting Charm on him (though fortunately for the nurse Piérre did not currently have his wand on him).

Alas, the best he could do was grumble to himself under his breath and upon the call for the group to charge, he pressed his piece of enchanted parchment paper close to himself and closed his eyes as people nearly ran him over in their excitement. On it was written a few short words.

If I was indeed born a copy
Let me die original and totally unashamed of it.

Shaking off his coat to reveal what currently felt like a paper thin t-shirt and similarly thin long pants, Piérre finally worked up the courage to finally step into the water after shooting the nurse one last venomous glare and wading up to the shins. He didn’t dare go out further lest the lake’s depth somehow increase to the point where he could no longer touch the ground. He didn’t want to get hypothermia, and he didn’t want to drown. So, he carefully lowered the parchment into the water and watched it dissolve, splashing his hands around in the subzero water for a few seconds with a small smile on his face before standing up again and walking back, shivering heartily indeed. Though he had been schooled in Highland Scotland and had been partially raised in the UK for nearly a decade now, Piérre had never gotten used to the cold. Truth be told, he very much doubted that he would ever get used to the cold.

He wanted out. So, after standing up straight again, he watched the others all freak out over their individual polar plunges and gradually return to the shore. He too would return, but would ignore the words of praise that came from the Caretaker and the Nurse. He took the offer of the coat, but shed it as quickly as possible in favor of his own. He didn’t trust the coat, not that one anyways. Nuzzling back into his Ravenclaw scarf again, the boy would return to the castle after lingering long enough to hear any passing gossip or interesting stories about the ins and outs of certain lives. In particular he wanted anything pertaining to the state of the school and its Hexwizard tournament. From what he understood, his brother was actually being moved into the active team. While this was probably good for him, Piérre couldn’t help but worry for his sibling, especially after seeing what had happened to people that had fallen during the first trial. In particular, he remembered the Durmstrang boy who had looked more dead than alive even after being resuscitated by his teammate.

If there was something– anything– he could figure out about the terms or the conditions of the next task, Piérre was more than game when it came down to being a little sneak. After all, he cared about his brother. And, well… when it came down to it…

Perhaps he should care a little bit more if Romeo wanted the company of that albino Valentin.

Maybe something good could come of all of this yet.

1,293 words

Ava walked into her dorm room. She had been coming from the library and was quite surprised to see two girls in swimsuits in the common room.
"hey you two, make sure to swim on the north side of the lake to not get caught." Ava said, readily sharing some advice she wished she would have had when she jumped in the lake.
The two girls looked at each other confusedly. "Er, we're not breaking any rules. One of the professors is letting everyone jump in the lake!" the blond one said.
Ava looked at them both, confused. "And no one told me?" She couldn't help but feel the least bit angry. They both looked at each other nervously. This certainly wouldn't be the first time she had lost her temper in the common room. "Er, I guess not?" The brunette said after a few seconds."Hey, I have a great idea! You go get changed and we'll wait for you!" The blond said, earning herself a glare from the brunette. This made Ava feel a little better.
"I'll be right back." Ava rushed into her dorm and changed into a swimsuit. It was cold, even in the castle, to be in only a swimsuit, so Ava threw on some clothes over it. When she was done she grabbed a towel and raced back to the common room to meet back up with the other two girls. When she got there, they were gone. "Cowards," Ava muttered under her breath. She stalked through the halls and headed towards the lake, grumbling the entire time.
Soon, she was at the lake, surprised to see such a big group gathered there. Ava had assumed the majority of the school was cowards. She looked around to see if she could spot the girls but instead spotted someone else.
"Charlie!" Ava grinned at her friend then frowned. "Did you know about this event?"

Banner created by the wonderful Sienna Lenoir

═══════════════════════════

═══════════════════════════

═══════════════════════════

═══════════════════════════

It was a cold day in January and I had just returned to Hogwarts. I was all snuggled up in the common room with Zara, my cat and a thick blanket. I had just finished my work and was reading ahead in my transfiguration book, wanting to get ahead. I was almost ready to go to bed when some boys came into the common room. Most Ravenclaw boys were nerds but these boys were not. They began talking about doing a polar plunge. I had done a polar plunge back in December and I had gotten my very first detention from it. Fun experience.

“Hey, what’s this polar plunge about?” I asked.

“Oh just something that the caretaker is doing,” one of the boys replied.

A polar plunge! Last time was easy, and I wondered if Ava would be there. She probably would.“Is it still going on right now?” I asked.

“I think so. We were just getting changed…” the second boy said, and the first boy pulled him up the stairs and into one of the boys' dorms.

They were not getting changed. I know that. I grabbed Zara and took her into my dorm. She gave me a glaring look but I just shrugged and pulled my heavy blanket on the bed. I went over to the wardrobe and grabbed my dark blue wetsuit. I put it on, and threw my hoodie and sweatpants back on top of it. I grabbed a thick fluffy towel as I made my way to the lake.

I arrived at the lake seeing a huge group of people. Wow. That’s a lot of people. I thought. A new round of people were gathered to jump so I joined them. Suddenly Ava appeared behind me and asked if had heard about the event. “No. I haven't. I just heard about it from two chickens in the Ravenclaw common room. They said they were getting changed but it was a lie.”

“Same thing happened to me, kinda. Two girls were on the way out and said they would wait for me and then took off.”
Then I noticed where Charlie was at. Near the group that was preparing to jump. “Y’know you have to do some actual work.” I nodded at a group of kids writing about their New Years resolutions or whatever. Then I spotted the two girls who had abandoned me in the common room preparing to jump. Oh, revenge would be sweet.
“I’ll be right back.” Both girls looked scared to death. I pretended to trip into them and they tumbled right into the lake. When they surfaced I pretended to brush some imaginary grass of my bare legs. “Oops. Didn’t see you there.”
By the wide look in their eyes, they recognized me from earlier. With a turn on my heels I walked back to Charlie who was looking wide eyed at the girls I had pushed in.
“If you see the boys who left you, tell me so I can give ‘em a nice punch in the face. Into the lake.”
By now, Charlie was used to my moodiness so she just followed me as I stalked over to where others were writing stuff down on paper.
“What are we supposed to do?” I demanded.
“Write something on it that we would like to do or see in ourselves in 2023” said an innocent looking girl.
I scoffed, “Lame.”
Instead of writing anything down, I drew a picture of a smiley face.
“Done!”

Banner created by the wonderful Sienna Lenoir

═══════════════════════════

═══════════════════════════

═══════════════════════════

═══════════════════════════

The same thing had happened to Ava? How? She was so much cooler than me. I kinda zoned out, and Ava started talking to me. “Oh yeah.” I said, not knowing what to say. Ava spotted some girls and began to go over to them. I stayed behind cause a, I had no idea who they were and b, it was rude and Ava was not the type of person you wanted to mess with. I watched from the edge of the crowd of people wanting to see what was up.

Ava didn’t talk to them, she just pretended to trip them!!! What! really? I thought as I watched them fall right into the lake. What has she done!? They specifically said DO NOT GO EARLY! But Ava went ahead and shoved them in early! Ava acted like it was an accident. As she brushed fake grass off!? What the heck! All the grass is dead! This is sooo over the top. Ava finally left them alone and she came back over to me.

She asked if I had seen the boys who ditched me. They hadn’t even ditched me. “Ok. First of all, those boys are chickens. They don’t need to be shoved in the lake. Plus they’re probably hiding out in their dorm.”

We went over to the group of people and asked what we had to do. Well, Ava demanded to know what we had to do. It turned out that all we had to do was write down our resolution on one of the little slips of paper. I thought and thought. Finally I knew it.
This year, my resolution is to be more outgoing outside of school and serious inside of school.

It seemed like Ava had been done for a while, so I crinkled up my resolution in the palm of my hand, and turned back to Ava.

“Can I shove you into the lake?” I asked her. “It seems like it would be fun.”

“Chickens should always get shoved into the lake,” I grumbled but I didn’t argue. We headed over to the people writing things down and sat down to write our resolutions down.

I stared, waiting for her to finish. She seemed quite legit about writing her resolutions down. My smily looked quite odd surrounded by the scraps of thoughtful writing. I crumpled it in my first and Charlie and I stood up to join the group gathered at the lake. When we arrived she asked me a question that made my blood race. “Can I shove you in the lake?” I thought for a moment. There were two things I could tell her. The first, “How about I shove you in the lake? The Second, “I thought you’d never ask.” Ava decided on the second.
“I thought you’d never ask.” I gave Charlie a cheeky grin. When I stood near the edge we waited for the teachers cue. “JUMP!” She yelled and I felt Charlie’s hands shoving me into the icy cold lake. Even underwater I shivered as I felt the paper start to disintegrate in my hand. Under that icy waters, I realized I did write my resolutions for the new year. I wanted to be happier. I surfaced just in time to see Charlie jump in and I cheered for her. Although the lake was freezing I stayed in until Charlie surfaced then helped her out and to the towels. When I was out I felt happier somehow, like the lake and that resolution may have helped me realize what I needed to do.

Banner created by the wonderful Sienna Lenoir

═══════════════════════════

═══════════════════════════

═══════════════════════════

═══════════════════════════

Ava seemed mad that I had said no to shoving innocent people, no boys into the lake. It was for the best, though. There was no doubt that the boys were hiding out in their dorm, probably studying or something.

I finished writing my resolution. I wasn’t sure that I would actually complete this resolution. In the past I had made resolutions, and I had only half completed one of them that I had when I was seven. It was to better at hockey, and I only kind of did that. No matter if I complete this I will still try. I thought to myself. I wanted something so I would work for it.

I asked to shove Ava in the lake and she agreed. Finally! I smiled and got ready. I stood behind Ava, hands ready to shove her. I waited for the Caretaker to say go. When she finally did, I shoved Ava. She flew into the lake, and I watched her go deeper into the lake and come back up slowly.

I jumped, aiming right next to her. I splashed into the icy water, wondering how it wasn’t frozen. I felt the paper dissolving in my palm. I let it float away and continue to dissolve in the lake. I swam up and saw Ava, also treading water.

We got out of the water, dried off and said our goodbyes.

Charlie has left the thread.