Closed PV Flying Seahorse Fishing

Reducio

It had been a long day and Colin had really needed the run! He was in fact flying higher than any broom racer or flying carpet pilot could ever dream of going! It was just a few hours ago that Clair and he had each other to the ball! WHOA. That was exhilarating! They'd ended up turning it into a game to see who would get it out first. Clair won, but only by a syllable or two! It didn't matter who won, really, because either way they both won!

And after classes, Colin hit the nearest bathroom he could find for a quick change from uniform wearing Colin to normal clothes wearing Colin. He couldn't thank he Da enough for the enchanted satchel! Who would have guessed that one could fit an entire wardrobe inside one of these things! Of course, anyone who knew Colin at all well knew that "entire wardrobe" essentially meant a black and green plaid shirt, a dull greeny grey kilt and a pair of Ravenclaw boxers!

Transformation effected, Colin was on his way out of the castle before most Gryffindorks even realised class was over! It was with a howl and his shirt flying open that he'd run all the way up to the high meadows above the castle, even well beyond the stone outcropping. Out here, far from the school, these were great places to be alone, to meditate, and of course today's meditation focused on one Clair Fernandez.

It struck him that perhaps all boys thought their girlfriends were The Best Girl Ever. While clearly Clair was superlative in all objective respects he could think of, he could --- just barely --- concede that other boys might possibly have a subjective point in their favour as regards their own dear loves! This naturally brought him to the question of AngelFyre McCubbin and Clair Fernandez. Clair was his and she was clearly The Best Girl Ever. But Fyre Angel was also his --- his best friend. The one he talked about deep things with. She was his Seer after all! And was terribly wise, and not just for a thirteen year old!

He knew that Simon thought of AngelFyre as The Best Girl Ever, and frankly, Colin could not argue. Hmm. As Colin ran back down from the high places above the castle, he realised that this question of Dual Supremacy would need some further meditation! So he squirrelled it away in his mind and in his heart: how could two girls both be The Best Girl Ever?

Colin was just about to throw off shirt and kilt and hurl himself into the lake when he spotted a boy standing by the shore. "Whoa!" he said to himself as he slowed. He was a big lad, Colin noted. Short brown hair. Colin was sure he'd seen the shape in the corridors before, and he was pretty sure it belonged to an older Hufflepuff. The figure was staring out over the water. Colin nodded as he approached. Yep. He knew that look!

Colin sighed.

Staring out over the water could only mean one thing: CLAIR!

Colin smirked. He reckoned that in the other boy's case, it most likely wouldn't actually be Clair. He got closer, and now he recognised the familiar shape! Howard something or other --- they'd met at the errand last year where all human kids could get to know Werewolf and Dhampir kids. Hopefully so they wouldn't be terrified of being in the same school as 'monsters'! It struck him that Ava Winchect most likely put paid to that project by trying to stab a fellow Wolf in his sleep.

Colin stopped a little way back and to Howard's right. He considered. What was the older boy out here to do? He could be taking a break from studying. Colin loved to read his History of Magic out here. He could imagine all the great battles and events of history set against the mountains across the lake. Or maybe he's going to go for a swim! That was Colin's plan, after all!

Well, there was only one way to solve the mystery!

"Oi!" Colin began. He'd learnt that from his English friends. Such a courteous greeting, oi! Colin stepped closer, his bare feet now on the sun warmed sandy shoreline. Not too close --- there was always something slightly unsettling about Dhampirs! The older boy had his wand out. "I was going to ask if you were contemplating the beauty of the lake or the complexity of girls --- but with yer wand out lad, I wonder. Are you going to duel the lake? Do you need any help?"

@Howard White

@Colin McCoire

Howard held his wand out before him. With a deep breath he would attempt to clear his mind and focus on the spell at hand. With any luck a cord of golden light would lash out to seek its prey and Howard would be one Flying Seahorse richer. However, just as he was about to go for his first attempt there was a sudden shift in the environment around him. A new scent caught his sensitive nostrils. He would often smell someone before seeing them, but it wasn’t one he was intimately familiar with. Not that it mattered, soon enough its owner would call out to him.

Howard turned and his crimson eyes took in the sight of the younger boy that approached him. His outfit was slightly unusual, but it was the long mane of silver hair that struck a memory within. Colin, if Howard remembered correctly. An excitable lad that was part of his group during the halfbreed support event. One of the schools werewolves of his memory indeed served him well. “Oi.” He called back in greeting.

Colin’s next remark would be met with a bark of laughter. The lake was definitely beautiful and the complexity of girls had long been a focus of Howard’s, but to duel the lake? Now there was a task. His mind quickly daydreamed of what he may do. A madman shouting at the water while flinging hexes and spells to destroy it. Maybe he’d boil it with a Incendio! Or freeze it! Or maybe one of his friends skilled in transfiguration could lend a hand. Though the merpeople would probably have a thing or two to say about it. Not to mention the squid that would surely crush him within its mighty tentacles. Howard shook away the thought as he turned his attention back to Colin.

“Nah. I’ll let the lake live another day, but I do hope to steal some of its residents.” The two of them had kept a respectable space between themselves, but Howard pointed to water’s edge. “See those.” If Colin’s eyes were keen enough, he may spot the flashes of tan and red scales reflecting off of the sun just below the surface of the lake. “Flying Seahorses.” He offered the knowledge in case the younger boy didn’t know. “I need them for a potion I like to brew. How’s your fishing skills?” Howard asked with quick raise of the brow. “I have a spell I can try, but I’m not much of a caster. Got any ideas?”

Colin laughed when Howard said he'd let the lake live another day! He reckoned it probably wouldn't be easy to duel the lake anyway --- well, perhaps easy to duel, but also easy to lose! How would you actually win, even if you were a really powerful wizard? Thinking back to his last race, against Hufflepuff, even if you tried to harm the lake itself, Herman the giant quid might bonk you for trying!

He was intrigued though, about stealing one of its residents. "Not a mermaid I hope!" he cried, wide eyed. Of course, it would be cool to meet one of the merfolk, but kidnapping them didn't seem to be the best way of going about it! You'd probably end up in Azkaban for a while if you tried! Howard turned towards the lake and extended his towards it.

"See those," he said. It wasn't a question. An invitation. Colin had swum in the lake with some frequency and had met some of the denizens of the shallower waters. He followed Howard's line of sight. He could see them. Or rather, he could see the somewhat indistinct blur of tans and reds that were the bodies of water creatures. "Flying seahorses," he confirmed for Colin.

"Whoa, yeah! They can be a nuisance if they get up yer boxers when ye're in the water! Or if a herd get in yer hair! Yeugh, I had to pick em out one by one! What do ye need them for?"

Howard replied that he needed them for a potion, then asked if he knew anything about fishing.

Colin thought for a moment. "Well, I know there's a spell, but I haven't learnt it yet." Wait. Something Howard said caught a memory in Colin's mind. Something Fyre Angel had said about Simon. Not much of a caster. "Wait. Is that normal for Dhampirs? I mean, not that ye're not good at magic, but... Er..." Colin's curiosity was piqued now, even if he didn't quite know how to ask. Not only about the potion but also about Dhampirs. "Um. What potion are they for anyway?"

The idea of fishing for flying seahorses sounded like a brilliant idea however! "Got any ideas?" the older boy asked.

Colin smiled. He counted off the spells he knew that might be helpful, but setting them on fire or gluing them or cutting them in half probably wouldn't be very useful. "Ach! We haven't done accio yet! Oof. I tried it and managed to throw meself into the wall. Oh! Wait! I know! If you know a spell that can yank em out of the water, I can jump in snatch em for ye!"

@Howard White