This is my entry for the third round of the QLFC round 3. My chosen genre was fantasy and I selected 5 promts:
1. (dialogue) "So… what exactly is that?"
4. (word) chasing
9. (word) history
10. (creature) mermaid
14. (gemstone) Topaz
DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID
With exams fast approaching, Madam Pince was not lacking company. While the rest of the students were gathered in the Great Hall for dinner, the fifth and seventh years had occupied every seat in the library. Rose Weasley now commandeered an entire table with her rolled up parchments and a stack of textbooks. Next to her, a busty brunette had her legs kicked up as she casually flipped through a chapter in her copy of Hogwarts: A History. It was after dark when Rose finally put her book down after hearing the gentle snores of the girl next to her.
"Cordelia," she nudged the brunette next to her.
"What?" the fifth year gasped, snapping to attention.
"I think it's time to put the books away," Rose suggested.
"I'm fine," Cordelia said, stretching her neck. "It's just a quick power nap."
Rose rolled her eyes. In the five years they had been sharing a dormitory together, Cordelia never had trouble with academics. The girl practically had a photographic memory and Rose was convinced her friend had somehow cultivated Felix Felicis into a lifestyle.
"You don't have to stay," Rose told her. "I can find my way back to the common room."
"No, no. I could brush up on the..." Cordelia read aloud the title chapter. "...history of magical torture in education?"
"You're not even taking History of Magic," Rose reminded her. "Really, you don't need to pretend."
"Thank Merlin!" Cordelia breathed a sigh of relief. "I could really use a break from all this fake studying. I've been through two ink wells this week."
"Go," Rose urged her. "I'll be up soon."
"Try and make it back before sunrise this time?" Cordelia said as she gathered up her things. Then she leaned over and kissed Rose's forehead, just like a mother would. "Take it easy, Weasley."
Rose flashed her a wink and then Cordelia disappeared from the crowded library. As she strolled through the deserted hallways, she was reminded of how hungry she was from skipping all of those meals to commiserate with her fellow fifth years.
Knowing that the dinner feast was long over, she made her way down to the kitchen, carefully avoiding suspicious professors. As she approached the bottom of the staircase, she collided with Albus Potter, skittering through the halls, no doubt coming from the Hufflepuff basement.
"Cordelia?" he looked up at her in shock as he collected the flask he had dropped.
"Watch it Potter," she teased.
"Sorry," he said nervously. "I'm just in a bit of a hurry."
"I see that," she laughed, then she gestured to the liquor in his hand, "but doesn't the celebrating start after we take our OWLs?"
"Oh this?" he chuckled. "I'm visiting Hagrid. Gift from my parents."
Cordelia seemed to take that as a plausible activity for a week night and ventured on her way while Albus sprinted up the staircase once again. The corridors were deserted as he made his way out of the castle and down toward Hagrid's hut.
He enjoyed the cool quiet of the school during examinations. As much as he enjoyed the activities that Hogwarts offered, he much preferred the company of creatures. He would take an evening with a dozen Blast Ended Skrewts over one of Slughorn's dinner parties, any night.
His parents often wondered if his fascination for magical creatures may have been a pleasant side effect of having Hagrid for a godfather. Albus was particularly close with the half giant, often spending evenings with him and joining him on covert adventures, much like tonight.
When he reached the hut, Albus tapped lightly. He heard rustling inside and then Hagrid opened the door wide and embraced him in a bone crushing hug.
"Al!" Hagrid beamed.
Albus flashed him a smile and presented the flask his parents had asked him to deliver.
"Your favourite," Albus told him. "Mum asked Uncle Charlie to get it for you."
"Yeh tell yer mum," Hagrid chuckled, "that she's me favourite of 'em Weasleys."
"I'll be sure to tell her," Albus replied.
"Alrigh'," Hagrid gathered up his things. "Let's go. I've got somethin' ter show yeh."
Eagerly, Albus followed Hagrid out the door and down to the edge of the Black Lake where a boat was waiting for them. It was slightly larger than the one he had used to traverse the lake in his first year, but it just barely accommodated both a half giant and grown boy.
"Come on," Hagrid said as he pushed the boat into the lake. "Keep yer wand up."
Following directions, Albus pulled his wand out from his robe and helped Hagrid light the lantern at the head of the boat. Hagrid steered them further from shore bringing the boat to a stop near a sharp rock.
"See there?" Hagrid pointed at a submerged crater, just a few inches below the waterline.
Albus squinted his eyes trying to see what Hagrid was getting at. In an effort to improve their night vision, Hagrid switched off the lantern and let Al's eyes adjust to the darkness. Slowly, he was able to make out a shallow nest of small spotted red eggs nestled into the rock.
"So...what exactly is that?" Albus asked tentatively.
"Gryindlows," Hagrid explained. "They're just eggs now."
By the light of the full moon, he made out an adult Grindylow swimming through the current to protect the exposed eggs. Albus leaned over to get a better view and was met with a defensive mother. Immediately he pulled back and Hagrid let out a chuckle.
"Suits yeh righ'," he teased his godson. "Don' go messin' with a mother an' 'er eggs."
"That was wicked!" Albus gasped.
"I'll bring yeh back when 'ey hatch," Hagrid told him. "Should be 'bout..."
Hagrid trailed off when they saw a blue figure just off the shore. Something below the surface emanated a hint of blue light, almost as if it was glowing. With their eyes trained for the darkness, they could make out what looked like the silhouette of a woman with long wild hair. She dipped her head underwater and was replaced by a sleek blue tail peeking up over the water before it quickly disappeared.
"Hagrid," Albus gasped, "what was that?"
"No' sure," Hagrid responded. "Never seen nuthin' like 'em 'round here."
"Looked like a mermaid," Albus said. "Like the ones in Aunt Hermione's Muggle stories."
"I don' know," Hagrid shook his head. "We ain't got mermaids like that 'round here. The Black Lake's full o' selkies. Evil, nasty lookin' creatures."
"Come on," Albus said.
With a flick of his wand, the boat tried to catch up to the moving blue aura.
"Slow down," Hagrid told him. "Don' wan' ter scare her."
Albus didn't listen. He only propelled the dingy to go even faster. They were quickly closing in on the creature when she disappeared well beneath the surface. Albus watched as the blue glow slowly faltered until he could no longer see it.
"She got away," Albus breathed.
"Told yeh," Hagrid shrugged. "Don' like being chased."
Feeling defeated, Albus allowed Hagrid to manoeuvre the boat back to shore. He loved going on these adventures with his godfather and he yearned to learn everything about the creatures that made their home at Hogwarts, but he abhored having to use restraint. He didn't have the same level of patience and finesse as the half giant.
"Alrigh'," Hagrid said as he hopped out of the boat. "Let's get yeh back ter the castle."
Albus obliged and they walked up the dirt path to the towering building where they said their goodbyes.
"Thanks Hagrid," Albus hugged him tightly. "You'll tell me when the eggs hatch?"
"Of course," Hagrid beamed. "G'night Al."
The two parted ways and Hagrid watched until his godson made it safely inside the castle. Once Albus was indoors, he flicked his wand to illuminate the dark hallways. He was wandering aimlessly, still trying to understand the vision of the foreign mermaid, when he bumped into another person. He looked up to find the corridor deserted until the disembodied head of his brother began floating next to him.
"Merlin," Albus gasped. "You frightened me."
"Oh come on," James rolled his eyes as he stepped entirely out from the protection of the cloak. "Besides, what are you doing out of bed so late. I ought to assign you detention."
"How you ever became Head Boy is a mystery to me," Albus sighed.
"Move along," James urged him. "I've got a fit Ravenclaw waiting for me in the boathouse."
"What a charmed life," Albus muttered.
"Watch it," James warned him. "Next time I'll issue you a detention."
Albus rolled his eyes but James was not concerned. He still had a beautiful girl waiting for him in the boathouse and he had already made her wait too long. He quickly took shelter underneath his father's invisibility cloak and ventured outside of the castle walls.
Making sure to keep hidden under the cloak, he propelled down the rocky cliffs until he reached the deserted boathouse. Convinced he was out of sight, James shrugged off the cloak and tucked it away before approaching the submerged building.
As he tiptoed inside, he noticed a faint blue light spilling out from inside. It flickered with every step he took. When he finally stepped onto the rickety wooden landing he saw that the glow came from one of the boats sitting in the harbour.
"James," he heard a weak voice call out his name.
Panicked, he ran toward the swaying boat and looked inside to find the slender figure of a woman with a scaly blue tail below her waist. Her dark hair was tinged with blue streaks and a familiar aquamarine ring as fastened to her right hand. He watched as the topaz stone glowed sporadically, emitting somewhat of a pulse.
"Cordelia," he gasped. "You're..."
"Hurt," she said with a shiver. James looked down and saw a thorn wedged into her fin. "You have to get it out."
Carefully, he applied pressure to her tail and then pinched the thorn between his fingers. Cordelia winced as she prepared herself for the strain, but it was over soon enough. James flicked aside the malicious barnacle and watched in awe as her topaz ring suddenly glowed bright blue. The mermaid kicked her fin until the scales fell away to reveal two svelte legs.
"Merlin," James gasped. "So, you're a mermaid?"
"A version of that," she replied. "We call ourselves Iara."
James was speechless. He was still trying to comprehend the idea that he was snogging a mermaid for the last three weeks. Trying to assuage his concern, Cordelia rested a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye.
"You won't tell anyone?" she pleaded.
"Who'd believe me?" James scoffed. "You're a mermaid, like from the Muggle stories. None of us believe you existed."
"Can I trust you?" she asked, a shiver coursing through her spine.
James nodded. Seeing the goosebumps forming on her arms, he pulled off his jumper and wrapped her in it. Then he climbed into the boat next to her. Cordelia rested her head on his chest and James draped an arm around her as he processed the revelation.
"So," he dragged out the words, "anything else you've been keeping from me?"
"Well, while we're on the subject," she teased, "I lied a little about my age. I'm not seventeen. Try seventeen hundred."
"What?!"
He spin his head around to face her and Cordelia let out a cackle before gently shoving him.
"Kidding!" she clarified. "I'm just like everyone else at Hogwarts, aside for the whole tail thing."
"I guess that makes sense," he sighed, "but will you at least tell me what happened tonight."
"It's a long story," she explained. "The short version is, I went for a dip before you arrived but a couple of lunatics started chasing me in a boat. I managed to get away but I got my tail stuck in a coral."
"Al," James muttered under his breath.
"What?" Cordelia asked.
"My bloody brother," James said, clambering out of the boat. "I'll kill him.
"Wait!" Cordelia called out, falling behind with her wounded leg. "James! Don't do anything stupid!"