Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Realism: Breaking Clichés ❯ Fresh Water Squid ( Chapter 5 )

A/N: This is yet another canon examining chapter. This one was inspired by the second chapter of Searching for Disaster--a new story of mine--in which at one point Harry has a small inner rant about Hogwarts' giant squid. For those of you who haven't read it, Searching for Disaster is a story featuring a very cynical Harry and a realistic tilt on the HP universe like that found in chapter four of this story. Though, granted, perhaps not quite to that extreme.

 

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Realism: Breaking Clichés

 

Chapter 5

Fresh Water Squid

 

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The warm afternoon sun beat down of the hills around Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Numerous students were lounging around the banks of the lake, soaking up the nice weather during their afternoon off.

 

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were two of these students. They lay side by side on a small, grassy knoll overlooking the lake while waiting for Ron to join them. As they watched on the giant squid's tentacles broke the surface of the lake and began to trail lazily along the water.

 

"Hey, Hermione," Harry said suddenly. "Don't squid usually live in salt water?"

 

Instantly Hermione froze, a shocked look coming over her face. "I-- Er, uh...Yes?"

 

"So then how can this one survive here?"

 

"...Umm, maybe the lake is salt water?"

 

Harry frowned. "No, I remember from when I had to dive into it during the Triwizard tournament that it's fresh water."

 

"Uh, well then, perhaps...Magic?"

 

Harry's frown deepened. "But...Magic can't change the innate essence of living things, right?" he replied. "So it still wouldn't be able to survive."

Hermione's mouth opened and closed several times as she struggled to find some other excuse for the existent of the squid. Finally, when nothing came, she let out a sigh and shrugged.

 

"It's special."

 

Harry gave his brown haired friend a strange stare, his brow furrowed in confusion. "But--"

 

"Harry," Hermione interrupted, "It's special. Just leave it at that. Please, for the sake of our sanity, just leave it at that."