June 3rd, 1895 — Padmore Park side of the Black Lake

Somewhere over there, on the other side of this lake, was Hogwarts. It was a little foggy this afternoon, so Lysander couldn't see it, but he knew it was there. He stood at the edge of the lake with his hands on his hips, squinting as he tried to see the castle. His governess had told him earlier that morning, as she had several times during her tenure, that he probably wouldn't be able to see Hogwarts from here, given the length of the lake and all the trees in the way.

He put his hands on his hips and sighed. She was right — he still had no luck — and he turned to walk in the other direction. But then — the surface of the lake moved and surged, and a long tentacle curled above it before vanishing back under the roiling water.

"Woah!" Lysander exclaimed; he turned to the nearest person. "Did you see that? The Giant Squid!"

  

Caspian was forever put out that broomstick flying was still banned in Hogsmeade. Hadn't that girl come back to life somehow anyway? That was what he had heard! Obviously he felt sorry for the family going through all that but he didn't see why he ought not be allowed to fly anymore because of it!

Caspian had been taken to the Park to let off his excess energy or something and he spotted one of his friends staring across the lake. He had the intention of sneaking up on the other but that was rather ruined by the appearance of the Squids tentacle and Lysander turning to speak right at him.

"So much for pushing you into the lake," he said with a drawn out sigh of faux-disappointment before grinning. "What do you think its surfacing for?"

  

Oh, good, he'd talked to a friend and not a stranger! He was going to have to meet a lot of strangers soon, but Lysander was rather daunted by them, when he didn't get excited and forget himself.

But Lysander couldn't remember a time that he hadn't known Caspian, and grinned back at the other boy. He probably would have forgiven Caspian even if he had pushed him into the lake, but he definitely would have at least splashed him in return.

"I think that it's saying hello," Lysander said, turning back to the lake with the hope that he'd see another tentacle. There was nothing yet — but the water still rippled near its surface in the area where he had seen its smooth arm moments before. He realized belatedly that the squid saying hello was a childish answer, and adde swiftly: "Or it's going to go after some of the paddleboats. What do you think?"

  

Caspian eyed the lake when Lysander mentioned thinking the Squid was saying hello. There were still some ripples but he couldn't make out the Squid itself anymore. Maybe it would come back out if they were very patient?

"I wonder if it will come back up if we throw something it finds delicious like we do with the ducks?" Caspian wondered as he turned his attention back to his friend. He chuckled at the idea of the Squid going after the paddleboats. "Who knows? Could be both. I wonder if we would be able to see it better if we went out on one of them." They would be able to peer into the lake from a more direct point at least.

  

"Oh!" Lysander said, straightening up with excitement at Caspdian's suggestion. "I have pin money, let's get some bread! And a rowboat! Can we?"

They were old enough that he didn't think their minders would stop them — especially since Lysander would be going out with Caspian, who was already a Hogwarts student and therefor older and wiser and could be trusted on a rowboat.

  

Caspian had his own pin money to pitch in so he wouldn't mind that, he didn't think. "I don't see why not," he agreed with a shrug. His governess was meant to keep him out of trouble but she generally was loose on his reins so long as he stayed within eyesight. She was with Odessa in the distance and he figured she could see him. "Let's go to the rental hut."

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   Lysander Echelon

Lysander grinned, and was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet on the walk to the rental hut. A few yards before it, he turned to Caspian. "Do you want to talk to the rental person, or should I?" he whispered, as if the person could hear them from here.