The Doctor in the Wizarding World

Chapter 3

Previously:

The mermaid swam all the way to the surface, seemed to poke her head out of the water, look around and swim back into the depths of the ocean. A minute later, it returned, but this time with five others, all armed with spears or pitchforks, and they seemed to be swimming strait towards us.

"What are they doing?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm not sure. They've never come anywhere close to here before."

But they continued swimming towards us until they were inches away from the window.

Then they all let out a loud screech, lifted their weapons and punctured the glass, making water fly into the room. We were going to drown!

The water hit us, making us all fall back, and quickly started filling up the room.

Bridget and Albus pulled out their wands and shot spells at the mermaids, but they swiftly dodged them. They soon seemed to be trying to repair the glass, but the mermaids just kept smashing it as soon as it was repaired. The water rose up to my waist, and the Doctor was trying to open the door that led to the stairs with his sonic screwdriver, but it didn't seem to be working. The water was up to my shoulder now, and still rising. The mermaids were still screeching. My head bobbed underwater and I heard that they were actually talking. I put my head underwater again.

"Doctor! You must help us!" They sang out. The Doctor must've heard too because he stopped and turned his head. But before either of us could do anything about it, Bridget and Albus grabbed our hands and our surroundings disappeared with a crack. A wave of nausea rushed over me, and I found myself out in the fresh summer air, in the grass by the trapdoor. We were all drenched and coughing really hard.

"Wh... What happened?" I asked between coughs.

"We apparated." Bridget said. "It's a thing wizards can do to get from one place to another in no time at all.

"Is that why I feel like I'm about to throw up?" I clutched my stomach, trying to catch my breath.

"Yeah, that sometimes happens the first time."

"Did you hear that?" The Doctor asked, in a daze. "How do they know me? And why did they try to kill us? Have there ever been any mermaid attacks before?"

"No, they have never been violent. Ever."

A screeching noise made us all turn towards the water that was lapping at the shore. A mermaid was waving at us trying to get our attention. She was beckoning the Doctor.

He stood there for a minute weighing his options. Then he did something I never thought he would do. He ran into the Tardis and let it materialize away, abandoning us. The mermaids hissed loudly. A wave of relief rushed over me as I saw the Tardis coming back only a few seconds later, but he has a time machine, so I wonder how long it was for him. He burst out of the Tardis, his hair sticking up a bit, and he looked a bit more dry than he had been, meaning that he could've been gone for quite a while in his time.

"But Doctor, they want to kill you!" Bridget exclaimed.

"Possibly. Or they had to get me underwater I could hear them, they just didn't know any other way to do that."

"It seems like they could've come up with something other than almost killing us." I said in annoyance.

The Doctor didn't say anything in response, but took another few steps forward. I took a step to follow him but the Doctor looked back at me and said, "No Clara, I need you to stay here with them. If I'm not back in 5 minutes-" he pulled out his screwdriver, it whirred and the Tardis appeared in front of us, "You go inside and press this button..." He pointed to a button on his screwdriver and gave it to me as Bridget and Albus marveled at the Tardis. "You two," they snapped out of their wonder, "go stay with your cousins for a while and just forget about us."

"What will it do?" I asked, but in response he just looked at me and walked to the waves crashing on the beach. The cool breeze made me shiver in my dripping wet clothes.

"Wait!" Bridget snapped out of her gaze at the Tardis, taking out her wand, pointing it at the Doctor who quickly took a step back "No, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm just going to make it so you can breath underwater. It wont hurt you at all. I promise." The Doctor stopped and let her wave her wand at him. Nothing happened.

"It only takes affect when you go underwater." She explained.

"Okay, right then." he stepped into the water. As he did a bubble of air formed around his face. That must be what Bridget did.

I watched him disappear beneath the surface with the mermaids. I watched intently getting more and more worried as the minutes passed. Albus glanced at his watch.

"It's been five minutes." he said.

"No just one more minute. He'll come back. I know it." He has to.

I waited and waited. As every second past hope slowly drained from me. After a few more minutes, Bridget and Albus looked very sorrow, and tried to get me to go. I wouldn't go. I couldn't. After him saving my life and being the best friend I could hope for, I couldn't leave him. Now it was my turn to save him. I took off my sweater, socks and shoes, then waded into the water, shivering.

"No, you can't go in the water, it's too late, you'll just get hurt too. And you can't go without one of us doing the bubble head charm on you." Bridget pointed out. Oh yeah. That was right. How was I going to go underwater for a long period of time without their help.

"I'm begging you, I have to do this. For him. He's all I've got left! I can't abandon him!" Memories, happy and sad flooded back. Good times with the Doctor, but also the horrid reason why he's all I have left. My eyes started to glisten, but luckily it didn't really show because I was already dripping wet.

"And I can't do something that could result in your... In you getting hurt." I could tell it was too much for her to say the truth. I was most likely going to die.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take, but please, I have a better chance of saving him, the sooner I go. I could never live with myself if I never see him again, and had a chance to change that, that I didn't take. How would you feel if one of your children got lost and there was a chance to save them? Wouldn't you take that chance, even if it endangered your life?" Tears flowed down my cheeks and I was nearly shaking. "Please."

"Bridget. She has a point." Albus said. I gave him a small smile.

Bridget sighed. "Fine, but I don't know what I would do with myself if you didn't come back, knowing it was my fault." She slowly lifted her wand and waved it at my face.

"It won't be your fault, I promise. Thank you!" I said as I rushed towards the crashing waves. The water was so cold, making me want to stop, but I knew I couldn't. I had to go on. Soon I was all the way underwater, but I could breath just fine. Sure enough, there was a small bubble of air right around my nose and mouth.

There was a big flash of light and I looked up. There was a bright glow of light that seemed to settle a few feet below the surface. I smiled. That must've been Bridget or Albus, giving me light to see.

I continued to swim, down and down I went. Further and further from the surface, and safety. A chill ran down my back, making me realize just how cold it was. I hugged myself even tighter, trying to stay warm, but to no success.

Suddenly, hands reached out and tightened around my neck.