Of Peppermint Toads and Sugar Quills

𝕛𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕤𝕝𝕦𝕘𝕤

   The Great Lake truly lived up to its name. Black murky water rippled across a vast expanse of land. To the side lay a rickety old shack, rotting wood was strewn every which way and it looked like the stained windows were the only thing keeping it together. The lake honestly looked much more appealing. Tiny bits of coral poked from the surface, and there were some students exclaiming that they saw the Giant Squid or the flash of a mermaids tail. Ogg directed us to five rows of old boats and Puck and I sat down across from each other. We each took an oar in our hand just as the groundskeeper began to speak. 

 "I see most of you have found your partners. You- Mrs. Toveis. Do you have someone to row with? Unless you would rather go swimming." A girl with blue hair shook her head, obviously afraid of the groundskeeper. "Huh. Sit with Mr. Diggory over there." She sat next to Amos and almost immediately looked calmer. Ogg sat in a bigger boat reserved for him and continued his speech. "When I say so, you will row your boats across this lake. Try not to fall in unless you want to get taken by the giant squid." He winked at us and several kids paled. "Kidding.. Off you go now!" 

   With a great heave, we managed to get our boats moving. Puck kept cursing under his breath at how the boats should be enchanted and that they were muggle junk. I thought they were gorgeous, a little piece of Hogwarts history. Lanterns illuminated our way and the smell of baked goods took over the sea salt. Gasps echoed across the lake. There in front of us stood Hogwarts in all of its glory. 

   Little towers peeked out of it like children. Swirling pillars and great bricks of stone built a foundation, and I could see the buds of an owlery in the distance. Trunks lay at the front and house elves scurried away with them, afraid to get caught by their masters. I was in awe. I realized that Ogg was right. This is a massive honor, and I could see why. Our boats gave way to the soft peat of the shore and we scrambled out, dusting dirt and arrogance away from our shoulders. I took a deep breath of the Hogwarts air. It was full of promise and new experiences. 

  Amos and since abandoned his partner and had scrambled over to us, with messy hair  swept over his eyes and a satchel tucked under one arm. 

"I cannot wait! Mum always said it was gorgeous." Amos gestured around wildly. "But nothing like this!" 

 "It smells like cat piss and sweaty teens." I jumped as Hera stepped into our makeshift circle. She wrinkled her nose like she had smelled something awful and pulled out her wand. It was a long, brittle looking thing, with copper veins that broke through the wood like wounds. She murmured a few words and suddenly the air smelled like rose and sage. I stifled a gasp- It was not my first time witnessing magic, but seeing it again brought me back to my senses. The idea that I could alter our sense of reality with just willpower and words was enough to make any sane person power-hungry. I hoped I didn't end up like one of the bratty boys who traipsed through our village, flaunting little magical bursts as they liked. 

  Puck glared at the young woman and Amos looked like a sad puppy. As Puck started to argue with Hera, I glanced around and decided to explore the shoreline. Blocks of cobble lined the dirt and trunks lay amok, printed with initials. I spotted mine and smiled. The gold 'I.H.' was stamped neatly in gold unto the faded beige leather. It had once belonged to my grandpa, Issal Honeyduke, but with a little bit of magic it was in brand new condition once again. I walked over to pick it up but my hand was smacked away by immensely small fingers. A house elf was looking up at me. He dawned a bright teal tunic and a matching hat to go with it; and I saw jam stains along his hem. 

 "Ah ah ah!" The elf waggled a finger at me. "Mister Honeyduke must wait his turn before getting his trunk, Sir! He'll get in the dorms!"

I tilted my head at him. "Pardon me..." I leaned down to read the name tag scribbled in messy handwriting. "...Egg, but how do you know my last name?"  I thought it a strange name for a house elf.