How Many Now?

[Benjamin Walden]

Benjamin had heard many stories about the grounds of Hogwarts and had every sibling's opinion on which was the best place to spend time in between classes but he didn't listen to them. He had found his own favourite place within Hogwarts and that was the Lake. It was peaceful and exciting at the same time which Benjamin loved. It also brought out lots of different students so there was always someone new to talk to and to convince to engage in mischief with him.

He lay down his towel by the closest tree to the Lake and placed his bag and his clothes next to it. He stretched and ran as quick as he could towards the Lake only stopping millimeters before he entered it. His toes slightly brushed the edge of the water and he felt goosebumps erupt on his skin immediately. He slowly waded deeper into the water, his breath catching in his chest as he did so. The hardest part would now be getting his head and shoulders in so to prepare himself he inhaled deeply and slowly lowered himself into the water as he waited for the cold temperature to engulf him.

 

[Alice Holland]

Alice had quickly discovered the grounds were her favorite part of Hogwarts. She had to admit the castle was very nice, but she couldn't help but love all the nature surrounding it a lot more. There was so much to explore! Though she doubted anything would be better than the beautiful gardens she had already found. It was her favorite spot, and she had already spent most of her free hours out there to enjoy the spring flowers. But there was a lot more to explore! The forest was off-limits, and while her two oldest sisters didn't seem to care about that, Alice didn't feel the need to go in there. But the lake was also very interesting, and very beautiful as well.

She was walking along the edge, thinking about her classes so far. She really enjoyed all of them, though she found Transfiguration a little bit difficult. Flying also wasn't entirely her thing, but having her cousin be her teacher was amazing and she couldn't help but love the classes. She wondered if she would ever be good enough to play Quidditch, but she doubted it. Humming softly to herself, she suddenly stopped as she spotted a boy. At first, she thought he was walking along the shores like her, but it quickly became clear he was in the water, and he had left most of his clothes behind. Curiosity piqued, Alice approached, standing on the grass as close to the lake as she could get without getting her shoes muddy. "What are you doing?" She called out. "What are you going to do if something in there grabs your ankles?" She added with a slight smile. Alice wasn't sure if there was anything like that in the lake, but she wondered if the boy had considered it before stepping into the water. But she also had to admit it looked kind of fun. She wondered if the water was cold. She wouldn't swim, but maybe dipping a toe in wouldn't be the worst.