The blonde girl skips across the grass, skidding to a stop near the lake. The dark water ripples gently, invitingly. She sits down on the shore, cross-legged, and begins to speak.
"How are you doing today?" Her voice is cheerful, as if there's nothing unusual about talking out loud when no one is around. "Did you miss me? Sorry I haven't been to see you for a few days. We had a lot of homework this week, and I spent most of last night hunting for my Potions book. Sometimes I wish people wouldn't hide my things."
The silence is broken by a splash. A tentacle emerges from the lake, creeping up onto the shore towards where the girl is sitting.
"There you are!" she exclaims delightedly. "I'm glad you're not upset with me for not coming to see you earlier. How are things in the lake? Are the merfolk behaving themselves? Is the water warm enough for you?"
The tentacle is followed by another, and a glimmering light begins to show in the depths of the water. It grows and grows, and eventually resolves itself into two enormous eyes. They rest at the surface of the lake, watching the girl intently.
"Have you been keeping an eye out for earfish? Hermione keeps insisting they're not real, but she says that about almost everything. I told Dad I'd ask you for him; he's keen to write about them in the Quibbler. He'll mention you as co-author, of course."
One of the tentacles curls lazily about the girl's wrist. Another begins to stroke her hair.
"What else? Oh, we had a fascinating Herbology lesson today. Although Professor Sprout has never heard of duffleplums. Isn't it odd that a teacher wouldn't know about them? Professor Snape was in a terrible mood. I think he has toothache. Or it could be that Harry's Potions class is right before ours. Harry does seem to find it easy to annoy the professors sometimes."
The great eyes blink slowly.
"Anyway, I better get going. I have a 17 inch essay to write on magical creature sightings in Britain, and Ginny says I'm not to mention heliopaths or chestergils at all, so I'm going to have my work cut out for me. Bye!"
The blonde girl skips off again, and the tentacles recede into the lake. Soon, the water is calm and still. For a moment longer, just below the surface, the glowing eyes can be seen. Then they close, and the giant squid is gone.