The two girls sped to the Hogwarts docks and Rikki slowed the speed of the oars with her wand. They came to a stop and a tall blond girl with a stern face looked down at them. Emma Gilbert, a fifth-year Gryffindor questioned Rikki, "Are you permitted to use that boat?" Rikki shot back with a smirk, "Are you my mother?" Emma rolled her eyes and tried to hide her smile. She hopped into the boat and Rikki flicked her wand, setting the oars off.
They flew around the lake so fast and the wind whipped their hair behind them. The sun was about to set, so the warm orange and pink colors from the sky reflected on the lake beautifully. Suddenly, Rikki felt water splash on her and she whipped her head to the side. A large tentacle was wrapping around her broom.
"Hey!" She shouted and lunged for it, but she was too slow. The tentacle snatched her broom away and sunk down into the water and below Rikki's line of vision. Rikki scoffed, "Well, there goes my broom." She followed up with a chuckle which made the two other girls giggle along with her.
They zoomed around the lake for what seemed like minutes, but was actually an hour. They were far from the school now, floating aimlessly in the middle of the giant lake. The school was still in sight, but was miles away. They chatted while floating. About silly things and about serious, quidditch things, as Emma preferred. To her, quidditch was very serious. The sun was saying it's final goodbye and Emma said, "Okay, it's late. We should probably be heading back now. Before Headmistress McGonnagall finds out we've been missing." The other two nodded and Rikki lifted her wand to command the enchanted oars but, nothing happened. She looked at her wand confused, then tried again. Nothing but a strange spark emitted from the end of her wand and she gave up after the sixth try. She turned to the other girls and shrugged.
"The spell isn't working... my wand isn't the best quality. It's second hand," Rikki confessed and explained. Cleo gave her and understanding nod, but Emma rolled her eyes and complained, "You strand us out here, lose your broom, then mess up the spell?" Rikki breathed in heavily and glanced away from the Gryffindor. Cleo asked the girls, "What do we do?" Emma sighed and answered as-a-matter-of-factly, "Row the oars like muggles do, of course." Rikki disappointedly nodded. She reached out her hands and grasped both oar's handles. She tried to row them forward, but when they wouldn't budge, she tried backward. That didn't work either. She stared at the oars, puzzled. Emma spouted, exasperated, "You're kidding! They are enchantment-only oars? Great." She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head disappointedly. Rikki spat, "Don't get your robes in a bunch! Let's swim to that island and see if there's anything on there. Maybe a different boat? Some branches to use as oars?"
"The island? That's your brightest idea?" Emma accused. Rikki shrugged, "That's all we've got!" Cleo chimed in, worriedly and with her eyebrows furrowed, "Er, swim? I can't swim. I won't swim in this lake!" Emma placed a kind hand on her friend's knee.
"Don't worry. You can stay in the boat and we'll drag it to shore," She told her which made Cleo's worries wash (most of the way) away. Emma and Rikki shed their black school robes exposing their uniforms underneath: white button up shirt, house tie, grey sweater vest, black pleated skirt. Emma hopped into the water without a second's thought. Rikki hesitated, but jumped in after her. Cleo flinched at the tiny cold splashes that landed on her cheek.
The moon started to rise and the sun had finally dipped down completely. It was dark in the water, but neither Emma or Rikki were fearful of what could have been underneath. They swam and dragged the rowboat onto the shore of the island.
"I didn't know this island was here," Rikki admitted as she helped Cleo out of the boat. Emma ringed out her blond hair and said, "I read about it in Hogwarts: A History, but there isn't much info about it. Everyone avoids it because of old fables and tall tales and such, but I'm sure we have nothing to worry about." Cleo jolted at her words and a chill went down her spine. Out of the three girls, she was definitely the most anxious. They walked into the forested part of the island, searching for anything that could be of use. They found nothing but broken crates of nothing or empty potion glasses Nothing useful.
"Why don't we try to get to higher ground, to see if we can cast a spell that will shoot a beam of light to alarm people of our disappearance or something?" Emma suggested and Cleo nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."
They climbed up the hilly island, covered in trees, boulders and bushes. They approached a river that flowed over tall, sharp rocks.
"Watch your step!" Rikki called to the other girls. Cleo said in response, "I am!" But with that, she slipped and fell down what seemed to be a tunnel that carried her down to a pit of sand like a slide. She landed on the sand abruptly and heard the other girls call down to her from the top of the opening, "Cleo! Are you okay?" She wasn't, but she groaned quietly, then shouted, "Yeah! I'm fine!" She turned to her side and realized that she had landed on her wand and snapped it in half. She growled. She was in a small and strange looking cave.
"Can you climb up?" Emma yelled down to her. Cleo glanced at the steep slope for a moment before deciding, "I can't! It's too steep!" Emma spoke without looking at Rikki, "I've gotta go down to get her." Even though Rikki protested, Emma slipped down the steep opening to the cave and landed at the bottom next to Cleo who was rubbing her leg.
"Are you okay?" Emma asked her friend kindly and Cleo reluctantly nodded. Without a warning, Rikki came crashing into Emma in the cave and they both grunted. Rikki looked around the cave, taking in her surroundings. The ceiling was low and pointy with sharp rocks and stalactites.
Emma whipped her head to the other blonde and snapped, "What are you doing here?" Rikki raised her eyebrows, appalled at Emma's audacity.
"Well you came down." Rikki answered.
"You were meant to stay at the top and throw down a rope or something!" Emma lashed at her and Rikki responded with a wide eyed, "What am I? A legilimens? And what rope? We haven't learned a spell that can conjure a rope yet." Cleo sighed and whined, "Shouldn't we just concentrate on getting out of here?" All three girls stood, receiving help from each other to get up. They noticed a curved tunnel that seemed like a passage way made out of rock and they each made their way through it.
Inside a larger cavern, light reflected off of a small body of water that was in the shape of a circle. It resembled the shape of the full moon. In the grotto, sand and rocks surrounded the pool on three sides of it and a steep rock wall stood on the last side of it, opposite to the opening of the passage way. The rocky walls of the grotto had different gems and crystals sticking out of it, making the water glitter many different colors. Emma kneeled next to the natural stone steps that went down into the pool of water.
"Look! Tidal rings!" She exclaimed. The other two girls stood confused with their arms crossed over their chests. Rikki asked, "Tidal what?" Emma sighed quickly and went on to explain, "The water level rises and falls. It means it's connected to the lake. We can swim out of here!" Panic set on Cleo's face as her cheeks turned red and her brown eyes widened as big as the sun.
"Swim? No. I don't swim!" She protested with a shaky voice. Emma practically hopped in as if it were a hot tub. As Rikki stepped into the glimmering pool, she said to Cleo, "Come on, Cleo. There's no other way out. You can do it!" Cleo remained where she stood and argued, "I can't do it. And besides, I can't swim."
"Everything will be fine," Comforted Emma.
"How can you be sure?" Cleo continued. Rikki replied, "Listen to her, Cleo! What other alternative do we have? Stay stuck in here forever?" Cleo silently shrugged and looked around the cave once more. Rikki extended her hand to her and she hesitated before she took it. She slipped into the water and now all three girls treaded the water inside of the pool.