As their little boat glided across the water, they disappeared into the heavy fog that clung to the water’s surface. After what seemed like an absurdly short amount of time, the girls could no longer see the shore. Cirice swallowed her panic that was threatening to rise and Joanne’s hand tightened around her own.
“Have… have you ever been here?” Joanne asked softly.
“Just once,” Cirice said, “I came for a family weekend for one of my cousins a last year. It’s such a magical place.” She grinned sheepishly at Joanne, despite their surroundings, “I mean… I would have said that even if Hogwarts wasn’t magic.” Joanne giggled beside her.
A thump against the bottom of their boat silenced the two girls instantly.
“Is… is there something in the water?” Joanne asked hesitantly.
Cirice swallowed, uncertain how much she should tell Joanne right away. Though, she did suppose the girl was going to find out soon enough, anyway.
“There are lots of things in the waters around Hogwarts,” Cirice said. But before she could begin to list off the merfolk, the grindylows, the giant squid, and whatever else called the Black Lake home, the mist and fog suddenly parted and the girls’ view was clear. They were surrounded by all the other little boats of their fellow first year classmates, and on the far shore before them, rose the most beautiful castle.
Cirice heard Joanne suck in an awed breath, and she turned to watch her new friend’s eyes scan the ornate, dark castle that loomed above them. The towers had steep, tiled roofs. The walls were a stone that seemed to glow a mossy-green. All of the windows were alight with warm, soft yellow glow.
Inktober 2025, Prompt #17: ORNATE🧡🖤👻🎃
Whitney Writes... 
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