Written for the QLFC Procrastination Thread Boot Camp.
Prompt: Water (3)
Level: Hard
Character: Regulus Black
/
The boats that would take the first years of 1972 up to Hogwarts slid across the smooth surface of the Black Lake. Regulus watched avidly, his silver eyes scanning the Lake, the boats, the gigantic figure of Hagrid, and everything in between. Sirius had told him about it once, but Regulus preferred to see for himself.
The boats veered away from a low-hanging vine, and then he saw it.
Hogwarts.
Its towers were so tall that it was like they were pushing up the sky. The Hogwarts flag sat at the top of each one. He knew, from Sirius, that the tallest one was the Astronomy Tower, and Regulus could definitely see how you could stargaze from there. In a few windows, lights were open. On the first floor, where the Great Hall was, all the windows were bright with not only light, but happy, relaxed chatter.
It was magnificent - better than Regulus had ever dreamed.
Then he felt a hand push at his back, and he tumbled -
Straight into the Black Lake, straight into the tentacles of the Giant Squid (wait, did squids have tentacles?).
The cold water flooded his lungs, making him gasp and sputter. He could see nothing but darkness all around.
He couldn't breathe. He was choking now, trying to take in air. More water entered his lungs.
That couldn't be healthy. Regulus tried to remember, desperately, what to do in these situations. Nothing came up.
Ugh!
Okay. He had to review his scenario.
Con, he didn't know how to swim.
Con, he didn't have his wand, because he had very stupidly packed it in his trunk, which was now at Hogwarts.
Con, there was a Giant Squid. Did squids have poison? They better not!
Con, he was going even deeper.
Con, he couldn't stop it.
Pro, his clothes weren't wet because of the water-repelling charm that had been put on them.
Con, his clothes were still quite heavy and were weighing him down.
Con, it was getting really dark down here.
Con, he didn't know if anyone except the people in his boat knew that he was down here, and he doubted that they would dive into a literal death trap to save a stranger.
Con, the water was really cold.
Con, water had entered his eyes and he couldn't see clearly.
Con, the lake was really big, so he couldn't try to paddle to the end or the beginning.
Con, he was really deep in now.
Realisation, he was going to die.
Regulus tried frantically to paddle up, but he was pretty sure that the water-repelling charms on his clothes were fading quickly, and he was getting heavier, being pulled even deeper down -
A pair of eyes peered out of the darkness, large, weirdly-shaped -
The Giant Squid was coming for him -
It came out of the darkness, its body twisting, something wrapping around his waist -
Then something else closed around his hand, something warm -
Then unconsciousness took him, and he had one fleeting view at a gigantic figure pulling him up towards the surface.