Snowballs and Ice Skating

[Eugene Smythe]

The grounds were covered in six inches of snow and the Black lake had frozen over,the trees and plants were leafless and dead and did little to protect the frozen earth.The sight was a cold and unwelcoming one that made most yearn for the warmth and comfort of their dorms.While most students lounged in their respective dorms,reading a book or playing a game of wizard's chess,Eugene was standing in the Entrance hall wondering if it would be wise to go out into the grounds.

Coming from Glasgow,Eugene had never experienced a snowfall or seen snow in his entire life until he came to Hogwarts New Zealand.Last night there had been a heavy snow fall when they had all been sound asleep in their dorms and today the castle looked like a white fluffy banket of cotton had been laid over it.This had made Eugene's eyes pop wide in awe as he stared out of the window and grinned from ear to ear.

He had put on warm clothes with gloves and all.He had purchased them before coming to New Zealand because he had known how bad the weather could get.And also he had bought a pair of Ice Skates.They weren't normal skates.These ones were bewitched to fit on anyone's legs perfectly.And Eugene couldn't wait to try them out.He had never ice skated before and he hoped that he didn't make a fool out of himself.But he was ready to risk it because he could tell that it was going to be great fun.

And now standing in the Entrance Hall,Eugene was not so sure anymore.He didn't know all of the school rules.Was there one which said no ice skating on the lake? Was there one that said no students should be out on the grounds unless permitted? He didn't know.And it made him reconsider for a few minutes.But then he decided that he didn't care.There were hardly any students in sight and Eugene decided to risk it just to get a new experience.His first snow day.

He walked down the front steps of the castle and stepped into the snow.His legs sank in and immediately he felt the snow against his socks.It would melt and they would get wet.But that knowledge didn't stop this boy from heading straight towards the lake.He left foot prints everywhere he stepped and it was so much fun to stand in the middle of an ocean of glittering white snow.

When he reached the lake,he put his bad down under a tree which was now leafless and life less.It's roots were huge and Eugene used them as a place to keep his bag and sat down on one of them.From his bag he took out a camera which belonged to his grandfather.It was an ancient magical camera and his Nana promised him that she would help him develop the pictures that moved.He looked through the view finder and took a picture of the castle and then the grounds.He didn't have a lot of photography skills but the scene was so pretty that none were required.

Then he sat down on the tree trunk and just gazed out at the Lake.It was eerie to think about the creatures and merpeople living beneath it's frozen surface.He wondered how they stayed alive without fresh air supply.He just sat there lost in thought until he heard muffled footsteps in the snow behind him.

 

[Cerridwyn Price]

Cerridwyn stared out of the girls' dormitory window, pulling on a pair of snow-white gloves and a thickly padded coat. She would not let the thick blanket of pure white snow ruin her enjoyment of the great outdoors. Nothing could put a damper on her joy of nature. And besides, she didn't really wish to spend another day trapped in the common room at the fireside watching many other students trilling about with glazed over faces. No. She was going out and that was final.

Closing the door behind her, Cerridwyn moved swiftly from the room, down the stairs, out through the common room and into the corridors. She still couldn't get used to the backwards weather here. In Wales the months of August and September, while usually wetter than one could hope, were usually sunny. She had certainly not witnessed snow at this time of year before. The novelty sparked a smile on the usually grumpy girl's face, and as she reached the welcoming warmth of the entrance hall and ventured out into the bleak white scene, she scooped up a gloveful of snow. Cerridwyn patted it round into a ball, reflecting back on the days she had spent launching snowballs at her younger brothers during her childhood years in Wales.

Curiousity ebbed through her every being as Cerridwyn trailed down towards the frozen lake in all its beauty. She paused to observe the body of water before throwing the snowball she was still wielding towards the ice. It smattered against it, bursting into a thousand tiny pieces and sliding along the solid ice surface. She wondered just how strong the ice was. Could it hold a person? Would she be able to slide across it? Cerridwyn glanced down at her heavy wellington boots. Well, they had plenty of grip. She was sure she had enough friction to walk over to the small bout of marsh land in its middle.

Minutes of contemplation passed her by as she silently stared down into the frozen depths, stroking a little frosted snow from the surface to reveal the darkness beneath. She remembered what she had been told about a giant squid living in the lake, and she wondered if the story had been true. Well, she guessed now was not the time to find out. So Cerridwyn stood up cautiously, taking a step forward to stand on the ice. Yes. It was frozen and very hard. Solid enough to support her gangly frame. She took another step forward. But her gut feeling told her to stop, that she was not alone.

Cerridwyn stepped back off the ice and turned her head slowly to look straight at the boy sitting on a tree trunk. She stared for a few moments, before realising how rude this must have seemed and remembering her manners. "Sorry," she responded softly to his form, "I didn't realise anyone else was present." She took a cautious step closer and fixed an awkward smile on her face. She wondered what he was doing here and could only assume his motives were similar to her own. "It's beautiful," Cerridwyn added, gesturing out to the forboding snowy scene of the lake.

 

[Eugene Smythe]

As Eugene sat there,watching the lake,he heard footsteps muffled by the snow.And then a SPLAT! as a snowball flew to the lake and smattered against it.And then a young girl walked forward to the lake.It looked like she was testing whether it would hold her weight or not.Eugene wondered why he had not had any doubts about the strength of the ice.Maybe it was because he had never seen snow but it might also have been because he tended to be simply reckless.

He watched her silently and studied her.Was she a first year like? He couldn't decided because she was taller than average so she could easily be a first or second year.Had he met her before? He couldn't tell because he only saw part of her face and mostly her back.But then,as if she had felt his presence,she turned and stared right at him.Now he knew that she was a Hufflepuff and she was a first year too.Completely harmless he thought as he gave her on of his lazy smiles and waited for her to say something.Or maybe she wouldn't because Hufflepuffs were rather shy.

But then she spoke."Nah It's okay as long as you didn't throw the snowball at me" Eugene said with a grin.That doesn't mean that I won't throw one at you he thought as he sized her up and wondered how good her aim was.But he wasn't sure if he really wanted to start a snowball fight with someone who wouldn't fight back."Yeah it is..." he agreed.He didn't want to scare her off because maybe she would be the only company he would have out here."I'm Eugene" he introduced himself running a hand idly through his hair."And you are?"

 

[Cerridwyn Price]

Cerridwyn watched the boy with reserved curiosity. She was relieved to find he had not pelted her with snow as she knew many of her previous peers would have done. She exchanged a smile of her own, thankful for the introduction which broke unseen ice surrounding her earlobes. "Cerridwyn," she pronounced as clearly as she could, used to many people not hearing her properly and calling her names such as 'Kerry-Gwin'. "Nice to meet you."

Oh, Merlin! Cerridwyn internally scolded, You did NOT just say that. Her cheeks flushed a fragrant pink though thankfully the scarf sweeping her neck partially concealed this from view. "Are you here for the view?" she enquired, looking him over and continuing her guesses as to other reasons a fellow Hufflepuff first year was sitting on a tree stump in the snow. She had begun to recognise his face, now that she could see closer and the name helped, too. Cerridwyn had hardly taken the time to better get to know the other members of her house. She very much kept herself to herself, and the same appeared to go for the rest of the students sharing her dorm.

 

[Eugene Smythe]

"Nice to meet you too." Eugene said with a smile as he shifted on the tree root to make room for Cerridwyn.She had an unusual name and Eugene wondered what it meant or where she came from.But he decided that he would ask her later.He patted the tree trunk and asked,"Would you like to sit?" and then he rummaged his bag and pulled out his skates."Yeah kind of,I've never seen snow before so I guess it's my first snow fall" .She would probably understand why he was fascinated by the snow.

"And I got these Ice Skates just for the occasion!" He said excitedly as he picked up his skates and dangled them next to his face with a cheesy smile.Eugene was just 11 after all so he allowe himself to be overly excited sometimes."Hey maybe you can show me how to skate!" he added as he pulled out his wand and made a sweeping motion willing the snow to be swept off the frozen lake surface.He had seen some teachers use such motions sometimes and had practiced them finding out that it wasn't that hard to do.