29 Friday

Apparition class was no more. Noelle guessed they'd finally run out of material to cover. So now the students had a free period in the morning before heading to their class with Hagrid. Still, after a week of detention with the man, Noelle couldn't wait to get to class and learn more about the creatures he dealt with. She wanted to offer to come and help more often, and if that didn't work, well… Maybe she'd just have to get in trouble again.

On the other hand, she thought as she walked to class, she was excited for the potential of this being her last week with Queenie. She loved going and talking with the older woman sure, but she couldn't wait to be free of extra lessons. On top of that, though she could now use the spell and easily access someone's mind, it still was spotty when the ability kicked in on its own. And when it did, it seemed to be in hall full of students, where thoughts and spoken words alike flooded her mind and she almost had to pull over and take a breather just to hear her own.

Caught up in such a moment, Noelle jumped when she felt a hand on her arm. Her friends looked at her in concern.

"You okay Noelle? You look as though you saw a ghost." Paul looked at her curiously.

"Y-Yeah I'm fine." She straightened up and fixed her uniform. "Just got a bit overwhelmed is all. Not much sleep last night I guess." She lied.

Still, this answer seemed to please them all and Brooke stepped in to walk beside her, taking her arm. "I feel like I've barely even seen you this week. You doing alright?"

Noelle nodded. "Like I said, just tired." In a lower voice she added. "And a little weirded out but all this mind-reading stuff honestly."

Brooke smiled. "You'll get there."

Curious what her friend actually thought about her mind-reading, Noelle strained to reach her mind without saying the spell aloud. It took some concentration and intense staring at the back of Brooke's head, but she was able to get there.

"She's being stupid about this. She should tell the others and then she'll have more of us supporting her. I'm about ready to tell them myself."

Not one who liked being criticized, Noelle pulled her arm back suddenly, surprising Brooke who looked at her in confusion and then her face turned to one of betrayal. "Did you just…"

Noelle looked away, her own face reflecting the same as she walked faster to get ahead of the group. She could see Hagrid at the bottom on the hill waiting for the class, but not even class was going to brighten her mood now. She stopped with the others, awaiting instruction.

Hagrid waited for everyone to stop and then smiled. "Today we'll be going down to the lake. Everyone ready?"

When everyone nodded or shouted that yes, they were ready, he began the walk. Noelle ignored her friends behind her and seeked out another familiar figure in the crowd.

Azraeyn was near the head of the crowd and she struggled to catch up. "Hey." She said when she got near.

"Hey." He looked around and then turned to her, puzzled. "Where are your friends? I don't usually see you without them except for Dungeons and Dragons."

Noelle worked at putting her hair up as a distraction for her mind. "Just wanted to see what you were up to."

"Walking to class, same as you." He smiled. "Glad you could join me though."

Noelle blushed awkwardly and looked to the side, where the grassy hills around them had begun turning flat and then dipping down into the water that made up the lake. "Well, you shouldn't walk alone all of the time. You could always join us." She added the last part before thinking that even she didn't want to be around her friends at the moment. "Speaking of which, are you going to Kade's party at the end of the month?"

"Hadn't really thought about it. Not much of a partier."

Feeling a sudden desperation to convince him to be there, she pushed on. "You should definitely come! It's always a lot of fun and there's good food and…" She trailed off, seeing him staring at her.

"Clearly this is something you feel passionate about. I'll see what I can do to be there." Noelle grinned as he said this and turned forwards. Knowing she could now, she tapped into his mind, hoping she wouldn't find the same disappointment she had with Brooke. "It'll also give me some time to hang around her and meet her friends."

She felt her insides grow warm at that. Someone genuine who had managed to turn her mood back to happiness when she was worried even small, cute, furry creatures couldn't accomplish such a feat.

Hagrid stood at the edge of the lake, having made everyone stand several feet back. "Now, I advise you all to stay a ways back as she is a little temperamental at times." He seemed to stare at them all a moment and then nodded in satisfaction before turned his back to the group and whistling.

The students all stared at the water, waiting for something to happen. It almost seemed for a time that nothing would. Even Hagrid looked over his shoulder at them awkwardly.

Draco leaned over to his friends. "Hagrid is talking to his imaginary friends again." They laughed wickedly.

And then, when Hagrid had whistled several times, and his shoulders slumped in defeat, the water shifted. Everyone straightened up, watching intently.

Something large was flung from the water, arching high in the air just in front of the sun, and therefore nothing more than a silhouette to the class, before coming back down into the water with a huge splash, showering the students with water. Noelle put her arms out, instantly uncomfortable in her soaked uniform. Clearly Hagrid had either underestimated the splash zone or had only put them a few feet back to keep them out of physical reach of the beast.

Hagrid laughed and reached out his hand. The creature came out of the water, much calmer this time and put its head under Hagrid's hand. It was like a horse with a seaweed mane and complexion.

Noelle, despite warnings otherwise, crept forwards a few feet, peering under the water. She felt other students around her do the same. Under the water, the creature had two hooves like a horse in front, but then a find similar to a mermaid in back.

People around her were pointing for their friends to look as well as Hagrid grinned at them. "This here is a Kelpie. They're a shape-shifting water demon, normally not very friendly towards humans. They can take on any form," he continued rubbing the horse's head as he spoke, "but this is their most common form. Now, normally, they'll drag unwary humans underwater and eat them, but this one here," he added as the class looked horrified and took a step back, "has been bridled." And sure enough, as he said this, Noelle could see the bridle on the head of the creature. "Rendering it friendly and tame."

Next to her, Draco was making faces and comments about how "no beast was ever really tame. Take that hippogriff for instance."

Noelle rolled her eyes. Draco was exactly the type of person she'd never want looking over magical creatures.

Ahead of them, Hagrid was holding the bridle of the horse, keeping it in place and letting students come forwards one at a time to look at it closer. As usual, Noelle took up her place in line, but this time, not with her friends. She saw them further ahead and wondered again if maybe Brooke was right.

Maybe it was like jumping in cold water. You could stand at the edge of the dock all day and stare at it, but the temperature wouldn't change. You could edge your way in like Kade, but it would still be cold and almost more painful as you slowly inched your body closer. The best thing to do was to jump and start swimming.