The First Boat Ride
Sparkling blue water lapped the side of the boat where Lily and Little Harry Potter sat facing his father, James. Harry was soon to be 1 and he was a bright baby. His father explained that it was important to stay still in the boat and Harry did just that. He watched schools of fish darting around nimbly. Once in a while a yellow fish nibbled at the boat and then disappeared.
Sitting close to Lily, Harry's mother, was Carla Brooks, a tomboy. Carla was their neighbor. She was a spunky two years old who loved running and skipping jump rope, kicking a ball around and collecting rocks. She knew no fear. Wherever there was any excitement around the neighborhood, Carla was in on it.
Carla was sitting close to Lily because that was the only condition under which Mrs. Potter would agree to get in the boat.
"I'm not going to get turned over with you horsing around," Lily firmly explained. "If I go, you have to promise that you'll sit quietly the whole time we're on the lake."
James chuckled. Carla agreed and so they tried out the new boat. It was a pleasant day. The sky was almost cloudless and the spring sun was still far away from the earth to give comfortable warmth.
"Snake!" Little Harry pointed as he smiled at his new discovery.
"Let me see!" Carla jumped up at the same time she squealed the words. Lily had no time to stop her. Carla ran to Harry (who was in his mother's arms) and leaning over the side of the boat pushed her hand into the water. The sudden movement made the boat wobble throwing Carla overboard.
All of a sudden, there was a huge splash as Carla landed in the water.
"Help.help!" Carla screamed. "Help me!!! Get me out of here!!!"
Finally, when James finally was able to get a hold of her by the waist, he hoisted her into the boat. Miraculously, she wasn't at all wet! She was as dry as she was when she first stepped into the rowboat! But, for some reason, she didn't notice. All she could see was the poisoness snake hanging onto her leg.
"Get it off me!!! Get it OFF!!!!!!!" she screamed on the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her face, staining her new dress.
"Alright, alright! You don't need to blow a gasket! Look, it didn't even pierce the skin! Commme down, Carla!" James tried to calm her down, but it didn't work. She just kept screaming and crying, screaming and crying. The snake didn't even leave a mark! James and Lily just kept sneaking glances at each other. They knew what they were dealing with, but they had now clue how to deal with it. Carla was a witch, and that was that. Of course, they would have to tell her parents, even though they were muggles and they probably wouldn't understand.
"Are you sure?" Lily whispered into James' ear. "Or should we wait for other signs?"
"No, no, no.er.I'm."James was confused. He didn't know if he should tell Carla's parents, just incase it was a mistake. But then, she did fall into the water and not get wet at all. "We'll give them the heads-up. They know we're a witch and a wizard. But I don't think they'll understand how their daughter could be a witch. Their whole family are muggles and were muggles. So, oh.I don't know." James frowned. For the first time in his adult life (but defiantly not his last) he didn't know what to do.
Sparkling blue water lapped the side of the boat where Lily and Little Harry Potter sat facing his father, James. Harry was soon to be 1 and he was a bright baby. His father explained that it was important to stay still in the boat and Harry did just that. He watched schools of fish darting around nimbly. Once in a while a yellow fish nibbled at the boat and then disappeared.
Sitting close to Lily, Harry's mother, was Carla Brooks, a tomboy. Carla was their neighbor. She was a spunky two years old who loved running and skipping jump rope, kicking a ball around and collecting rocks. She knew no fear. Wherever there was any excitement around the neighborhood, Carla was in on it.
Carla was sitting close to Lily because that was the only condition under which Mrs. Potter would agree to get in the boat.
"I'm not going to get turned over with you horsing around," Lily firmly explained. "If I go, you have to promise that you'll sit quietly the whole time we're on the lake."
James chuckled. Carla agreed and so they tried out the new boat. It was a pleasant day. The sky was almost cloudless and the spring sun was still far away from the earth to give comfortable warmth.
"Snake!" Little Harry pointed as he smiled at his new discovery.
"Let me see!" Carla jumped up at the same time she squealed the words. Lily had no time to stop her. Carla ran to Harry (who was in his mother's arms) and leaning over the side of the boat pushed her hand into the water. The sudden movement made the boat wobble throwing Carla overboard.
All of a sudden, there was a huge splash as Carla landed in the water.
"Help.help!" Carla screamed. "Help me!!! Get me out of here!!!"
Finally, when James finally was able to get a hold of her by the waist, he hoisted her into the boat. Miraculously, she wasn't at all wet! She was as dry as she was when she first stepped into the rowboat! But, for some reason, she didn't notice. All she could see was the poisoness snake hanging onto her leg.
"Get it off me!!! Get it OFF!!!!!!!" she screamed on the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her face, staining her new dress.
"Alright, alright! You don't need to blow a gasket! Look, it didn't even pierce the skin! Commme down, Carla!" James tried to calm her down, but it didn't work. She just kept screaming and crying, screaming and crying. The snake didn't even leave a mark! James and Lily just kept sneaking glances at each other. They knew what they were dealing with, but they had now clue how to deal with it. Carla was a witch, and that was that. Of course, they would have to tell her parents, even though they were muggles and they probably wouldn't understand.
"Are you sure?" Lily whispered into James' ear. "Or should we wait for other signs?"
"No, no, no.er.I'm."James was confused. He didn't know if he should tell Carla's parents, just incase it was a mistake. But then, she did fall into the water and not get wet at all. "We'll give them the heads-up. They know we're a witch and a wizard. But I don't think they'll understand how their daughter could be a witch. Their whole family are muggles and were muggles. So, oh.I don't know." James frowned. For the first time in his adult life (but defiantly not his last) he didn't know what to do.