Solo Finished A practical approach

As Dominica left the castle through its front doors, she carried a few things. In her hand, she held a notebook in which she recorded her discoveries and most experiences. It was like a scholar’s diary, concerning only school subjects and not her feelings, as she would assure anyone who dared to ask. She also carried a bag over her shoulder, neatly packed with her towel and swimsuit, along with a handful of something special. During one Herbology lesson, she had secretly stolen a handful of Gillyweed, stuffing it into her pocket without the professor noticing, and was now heading to the lake to try it out. She found the idea of learning about ingredients without actually trying them pathetic. If she ever needed to use it, she would not know how to act in such a situation. She had decided to take matters into her own hands.

It was Saturday, and the sun had finally disappeared behind a mass of dark rain clouds, proving the Daily Prophet weather forecasters right. The sky looked like a rag drenched in water, each moment heaving and threatening to spill. But it was not time yet. First, the sky had to let Dominica reach the lake, and then it could rain as much as it wanted. Since it was Saturday, some students were outside, but thankfully not too many for any goody-two-shoes to notice her and report her to a teacher. The cloudy day had saved her; the sun was hidden, which meant she could leave the castle without having to cover her head. Most students were intimidated by the cold weather and chose to stay in the castle, either studying in the library or doing something else Dominica would not know about.

The shore of the lake from which she planned to depart was on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest – not yet in its most dangerous, or in other words, its forbidden parts, but deep enough to send a chill up her spine. The girl made her way down some hills that led to the shore and finally reached it. The shadowy atmosphere of the day cast a gloomy effect on the Great Lake, its waters’ glimmering seeming to create distorted figures that looked as if they had come straight out of the nightmares she used to have as a child. For a second, her eyes caught on the figures and her mind drifted back to that time. The figures had abandoned her now, but she felt they were still with her, still stalking her with hungry gazes – just quiet, hiding, for some reason.

She shook the thoughts from her mind. She could not stay here longer than absolutely necessary, as someone might notice her at any moment. She laid all her belongings on a tree stump, quickly took out her swimsuit, and ran behind some trees to change. After a couple of minutes, she emerged, shivering from the cold wind that struck her exposed skin. She hid the bag she had brought behind some bushes so it would not be seen by anyone who might pass by while she was underwater. She then took out the Gillyweed, along with her notebook and a quill.

She stuffed the handful of Gillyweed into her mouth and tried to chew it, but it was too disgusting, so she swallowed it whole. As it began to take effect, she quickly dipped her quill in ink and scribbled distorted one-liners in her notebook – notes that only she would understand – about the sensations she was experiencing and all the details she needed to fully study this fascinating plant. When she finished, she tossed the quill and notebook aside, aiming for the bush where her bag was hidden, and approached the water.

At last, she went in. The shore sloped downwards, so she had to walk a little to be fully submerged in the sickly cold, black water of the lake. The water was even colder than the air, so as quickly as she could, she splashed herself to get used to it – she could not back down now. She reached a point where her legs could no longer touch the bottom of the lake and she dived, submerging her entire head beneath the water.

For the first few seconds, she had to hold her breath and even doubted the Gillyweed for a moment, the thought of it not working crossing her mind. But suddenly, she felt her body changing. Her skin became slimier, almost gelatinous; webs appeared between her fingers and toes, like those on a frog’s hind limbs; and scales formed on her forearms and thighs, which she guessed served a protective function, just as they did for fish. Gills appeared on her neck, allowing her to take a deep breath underwater, making her gasp slightly at the very unusual feeling. It was nothing like normal breathing. It felt as if she were truly a fish, breathing underwater. She would draw water into her mouth and force it through the gills on her neck. The gills would extract the oxygen from the water, enabling her to breathe. She found the process fascinating, and for a few minutes she simply floated underwater, breathing and analysing the sensations it produced.