The train arrived in Hogsmeade on time. All of the second, third, fourth,
fifth, sixth, and seventh years looked puzzled. There were no carriages
waiting for them. Then there was the first years. They looked even more
confused, if that was possible. Hagrid wasn't there to direct the first
years to the boats. Harry thought to himself, 'What a great way to start
off our year.'
Harry, Hermione, and Ron decided to go look for any of the professors. They couldn't find a single one. So, they went into the train station.
"Excuse me ma'am," Hermione said.
"Yes?"
"Did anyone from Hogwarts send an owl or leave any message at all of what's going on?"
"No, why do you ask."
"Er, we are seventh years at Hogwarts. And Hagrid has always been here to take the first years to the castle by boats and there has always been carriages for the rest of us."
"Yes, your point?"
"There aren't any carriages out there now, and none of the professors have come down to meet us or give us directions."
"Well now, that's one I haven't seen before. I've been at this station for thirty years and not once has this happened before. Let's go outside and check."
There was still no one there, and by this time, the first years were so frightened that some were biting there finger nails while others were complaining that they wanted to go back to their mums.
"Okay everyone," the station manager called out; using her wand to magnify her voice, "We're going to figure this out. I want all the seventh years to go by the first years. Take a buddy and don't lose them. There seems to be enough boats to accompany your two years. See if you can cross the lake and find out what's going on. Anyone who has a broom, and knows how to use it, see if you can make it up to the castle. The rest of you will stay here with me and we will wait for the other students to get some help from the castle, then we will figure out what to do."
So, the first and seventh years got in the boats, four pairs of two to a boat. It was very crowded since both years were going by boat. Harry, Hermione, Ron and their worst enemy, Draco Malfoy all ended up in the front boat with their first year "buddies" Shane, Estania, Anthony, and Edward. As they started across the lake the clouds rolled in and rain started to fall. Then, something very unexpected happened. It got very cold and snow started to fall. As the boats drifted on, the water turned slushy at a very rapid pace. Something was very wrong.
Just as the boats were coming into view of the castle the water turned into ice. The boats were frozen into the ice.
"What do we do now?" Ron said with a look of panic on his face.
"I don't know," Hermione whispered. This was what really scared everyone, Hermione not knowing.
"Don't tell me you goons got us stuck out here; it's really cold. I think there's ice in my hair!"
"Would you shut up Draco?!"
"Yeah, it's probably all that gel in your hair that's making icicles."
"Ron, Draco, would you two stop fighting for two minutes, we need to find a way up to the castle."
Ron rolled his eyes and then stuck out his tongue at Draco, while Draco just looked the other way and pouted.
"Excuse me," a little voice protruded into the conversation. Hermione looked over at her buddy, Estania.
"What is it?"
"I have a question; what's all of this white stuff that's falling down out of the sky? I mean it's really pretty, but I don't know what it is."
"You mean you've never seen snow?"
"Snow?"
"I guess not; well, its like frozen rain, but lighter and fluffier."
"I thought frozen rain was hail," Draco remarked snidely at his chance to correct Hermione.
"I said it was like frozen rain, but lighter and fluffier, okay?" She glared back at Draco, her least favorite person to be corrected by.
"Er, I think I know how we can get across the lake," Shane joined the conversation.
"How?"
"Well, back home in Canada, we used to go ice fishing. You cut holes in the ice and then stick your fishing line through the hole and caught fish that way…"
"Your point? Are we supposed to cut holes in the ice to make our way to the castle? That makes a lot of sense," Draco said matter-o-factly. He didn't like anything that had to do with Harry Potter, and Shane was Harry's buddy.
"My point was that we always performed a spell to see if the ice was thick enough to walk on. If it was, the ice stayed the same, if it was too thin, the ice turned purple."
"Well why don't you use the spell so we know if we can walk to the castle over the ice."
Shane stood up in the boat and took out his wand. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Levidensis congelo aqua." There was a loud crackling sound and then spots of ice here and there turned a deep purple.
"Wow," Estania gasped. She had never seen ice before, none the less walked on it. "At home, in Kenya it's always extremely hot."
"Well, normally," Hermione explained, "we don't get snow and ice until late November, early December."
Everyone got out of their boats and gathered in a big group around Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Draco. There was about 64 people gathered around, but the only sound was the chattering of teeth.
"Okay," Hermione yelled out. "Everyone stay with the groups that you were with in your boats. Walk single file, and avoid all purple patches whatever you do. We are all going to make it across. Don't leave anyone behind. Let's go."
At this, one of the Seventh Years headed up each line and one took the back of the line. They walked very slowly across the ice so that they wouldn't slip and fall. As they were walking, the last Seventh Year in the furthest back line, Seamus Finnigan, looked back over his shoulder. "Oh my goodness," he said under his breath. The ice was starting to melt as they walked over it. About 20 meters back, there was no ice, just water. He ran up to the front of the group, while everyone kept on walking.
"Harry, Ron!"
"What is it Seamus?"
"The ice… it's… starting to…melt."
"Where?" Hermione butted into the conversation.
"About… 20… meters…or so… behind… our group."
"I'll come with you and check it out. Harry, Ron, keep going. We aren't too far from the castle, I'll catch up with you."
Seamus and Hermione ran back to the last group as fast as they could without slipping. No one asked any questions, just stared at them. When they got back to the end, they stopped running and walked cautiously to the edge of the ice.
"I can't believe it, first it was water and then all of a sudden it changed to ice that was a couple inches thick. This could all melt in a few minutes. We should probably start walking faster so that we make it."
"Yeah, I think your right, Hermione."
Harry, Hermione, and Ron decided to go look for any of the professors. They couldn't find a single one. So, they went into the train station.
"Excuse me ma'am," Hermione said.
"Yes?"
"Did anyone from Hogwarts send an owl or leave any message at all of what's going on?"
"No, why do you ask."
"Er, we are seventh years at Hogwarts. And Hagrid has always been here to take the first years to the castle by boats and there has always been carriages for the rest of us."
"Yes, your point?"
"There aren't any carriages out there now, and none of the professors have come down to meet us or give us directions."
"Well now, that's one I haven't seen before. I've been at this station for thirty years and not once has this happened before. Let's go outside and check."
There was still no one there, and by this time, the first years were so frightened that some were biting there finger nails while others were complaining that they wanted to go back to their mums.
"Okay everyone," the station manager called out; using her wand to magnify her voice, "We're going to figure this out. I want all the seventh years to go by the first years. Take a buddy and don't lose them. There seems to be enough boats to accompany your two years. See if you can cross the lake and find out what's going on. Anyone who has a broom, and knows how to use it, see if you can make it up to the castle. The rest of you will stay here with me and we will wait for the other students to get some help from the castle, then we will figure out what to do."
So, the first and seventh years got in the boats, four pairs of two to a boat. It was very crowded since both years were going by boat. Harry, Hermione, Ron and their worst enemy, Draco Malfoy all ended up in the front boat with their first year "buddies" Shane, Estania, Anthony, and Edward. As they started across the lake the clouds rolled in and rain started to fall. Then, something very unexpected happened. It got very cold and snow started to fall. As the boats drifted on, the water turned slushy at a very rapid pace. Something was very wrong.
Just as the boats were coming into view of the castle the water turned into ice. The boats were frozen into the ice.
"What do we do now?" Ron said with a look of panic on his face.
"I don't know," Hermione whispered. This was what really scared everyone, Hermione not knowing.
"Don't tell me you goons got us stuck out here; it's really cold. I think there's ice in my hair!"
"Would you shut up Draco?!"
"Yeah, it's probably all that gel in your hair that's making icicles."
"Ron, Draco, would you two stop fighting for two minutes, we need to find a way up to the castle."
Ron rolled his eyes and then stuck out his tongue at Draco, while Draco just looked the other way and pouted.
"Excuse me," a little voice protruded into the conversation. Hermione looked over at her buddy, Estania.
"What is it?"
"I have a question; what's all of this white stuff that's falling down out of the sky? I mean it's really pretty, but I don't know what it is."
"You mean you've never seen snow?"
"Snow?"
"I guess not; well, its like frozen rain, but lighter and fluffier."
"I thought frozen rain was hail," Draco remarked snidely at his chance to correct Hermione.
"I said it was like frozen rain, but lighter and fluffier, okay?" She glared back at Draco, her least favorite person to be corrected by.
"Er, I think I know how we can get across the lake," Shane joined the conversation.
"How?"
"Well, back home in Canada, we used to go ice fishing. You cut holes in the ice and then stick your fishing line through the hole and caught fish that way…"
"Your point? Are we supposed to cut holes in the ice to make our way to the castle? That makes a lot of sense," Draco said matter-o-factly. He didn't like anything that had to do with Harry Potter, and Shane was Harry's buddy.
"My point was that we always performed a spell to see if the ice was thick enough to walk on. If it was, the ice stayed the same, if it was too thin, the ice turned purple."
"Well why don't you use the spell so we know if we can walk to the castle over the ice."
Shane stood up in the boat and took out his wand. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Levidensis congelo aqua." There was a loud crackling sound and then spots of ice here and there turned a deep purple.
"Wow," Estania gasped. She had never seen ice before, none the less walked on it. "At home, in Kenya it's always extremely hot."
"Well, normally," Hermione explained, "we don't get snow and ice until late November, early December."
Everyone got out of their boats and gathered in a big group around Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Draco. There was about 64 people gathered around, but the only sound was the chattering of teeth.
"Okay," Hermione yelled out. "Everyone stay with the groups that you were with in your boats. Walk single file, and avoid all purple patches whatever you do. We are all going to make it across. Don't leave anyone behind. Let's go."
At this, one of the Seventh Years headed up each line and one took the back of the line. They walked very slowly across the ice so that they wouldn't slip and fall. As they were walking, the last Seventh Year in the furthest back line, Seamus Finnigan, looked back over his shoulder. "Oh my goodness," he said under his breath. The ice was starting to melt as they walked over it. About 20 meters back, there was no ice, just water. He ran up to the front of the group, while everyone kept on walking.
"Harry, Ron!"
"What is it Seamus?"
"The ice… it's… starting to…melt."
"Where?" Hermione butted into the conversation.
"About… 20… meters…or so… behind… our group."
"I'll come with you and check it out. Harry, Ron, keep going. We aren't too far from the castle, I'll catch up with you."
Seamus and Hermione ran back to the last group as fast as they could without slipping. No one asked any questions, just stared at them. When they got back to the end, they stopped running and walked cautiously to the edge of the ice.
"I can't believe it, first it was water and then all of a sudden it changed to ice that was a couple inches thick. This could all melt in a few minutes. We should probably start walking faster so that we make it."
"Yeah, I think your right, Hermione."