Dear old September signaled the commencement of another year at Hogwarts. Ole Barty had seen many of those you know. Septembers that was. Also seen were many a student come and go. Barty reflected on this as he rested his many tentacles which were hanging off a giant rock as the ole fella bathed himself in the rich rays of the sun. Barty thrived on sunny days.

Her attention on the grounds had been to go do some laps around the Quidditch pitch - running being something she only recently discovered she enjoyed. She'd tried it on the practical idea of needing to be in tip top shape to avoid whatever dangers she inevitably would get herself into, but turns out it was fun and being truly physically and mentally exhausted was good for her. So yes, this new self care regiment was the goal but the moment she saw the tentacles above the water it was a whole other story.

Was she REALLY seeing what she thought she was?!

Running was apparently still in the cards, but this time it was to the lake edge where she nearly flung herself in order to keep the giant squid company. There was a lot of energy and excitement in the brunette's little body but she would try to compose herself before she scared him off. "Hi Mr. Bartholomew Henry, sir! What bringa you up to the surface?"

It was not entirely lost on Vera that that was probably more of a respectful greeting than she even tended to give the Professors.

As an early riser just like his dad, first-year Ravenclaw Yoji Reed was all ready for the new day-- watered and fed, bathed, hair neatly combed, and proudly dressed in his new blue-trimmed school robes, he'd made his way out from the Great Hall and on to the grounds to get himself acquainted with school's outdoor scene while he brought with him a small bag of edible crystal-- Kohakutou. It was kind of hard to miss the Black Lake, considering its location and size, and so it was just sort of obvious for the first year to check that school feature, first.

Yoji took a relaxed stroll, opening his bag of sweets while thinking of what to tell his dad in his next owl. The boy knew his father would be busy travelling again now that he was in boarding school, so he'd have to come up with a letter that would be long enough for Jace to read. Now, there was nothing unusual to the lake the first time he crossed it with his fellow first years a couple of days back, but he'd learned from Aurora that the Lake does have a giant squid. His knee-jerk reaction was panic of course-- considering that back in Japan, they had a lot of Yokai-- supernatural entities in Japanese culture, and those that he knew of were located in bodies of water. To think of a giant squid...

A giant squid... A GIANT SQUID!!!

Yoji stopped dead in his tracks, not quite believing what he was SEEING! Is that...? Is that the..???? The first year dropped his bag of goodies, and a couple of edible crystals spilt out and rolled away towards the bank of the lake. He really wasn't quite sure what to do at this point. It seemed neither his flight nor fight reaction were not working.

The time was here. Ole Bartholomew could see students arriving out at the lake on this fine day. There was one particularly enthusiastic young woman that captured Bart’s attention. Had the squid not been in the chatty mood today the tentacled creature would have shimmied from the rock back into the lake. Luckily Barty was chatty today. A tentacle was lifted in greeting. “Hello, child.” All Hogwarts students were children to Bart. “The warm sunshine. I need to work on my tan.” His shiny black eyes twinkled. Barty didn’t tan but the warmth was relaxing to him. "Are you here for that reason too?"

Barty began lifting another tentacle in a younger student’s direction. It was a first year by the looks of him. The spilling goodies and the boy’s expression told Barty that the male child was surprised to see him a Giant Squid basking so casually. “What have you got there? Any Bertie Botts or Crystalized Pineapples?”

September meant the last of the summer sunshine especially in the usually cold and dreary highlands of Scotland. Whilst the sun was still out and Aurora didn’t have so much homework to do, she could usually be found outside somewhere in the grounds. Today that location just so happened to be the lake for a spot of toe dipping and sunbathing before she would be forced inside for months.

As she skipped down the pathway she was greeted by the sight of Bartholomew the Giant Squid also relaxing out on the shores. As a tiny first year she had found the idea of a squid whose eyes were practically as big as her to be very intimidating but it just so happened that he was extremely friendly. “HI BARTY!!” she beamed as she joined her fellow students at the shore. “Hi Vera!” the Gryffindor received an excited wave too. There were no tyre swings to get stuck in around here so she was safe from the giggling of a petite blonde.

Now, perhaps equally as exciting as the Giant Squid was the fact that Yoji had arrived. “SEEEEEEE? I TOLD you there was a Giant Squid! His name is Sir Bartholomew Henry” she saluted the Squid. The ‘Sir’ had been added for she personally felt he deserved an important title for being perhaps the oldest AND biggest thing at Hogwarts.

She was not offended by the child remark. Considering how many generations she'd heard talk about Bartholomew Henry, she imagined that he had been around for... awhile. Which she was curious just HOW old he actually was, but it seemed a rude question to ask so with great efforts she bit her tongue and did not blurt it out. Besides at just shy of 15, she was in most ways still a child. But... did the giant squid just say.. he tanned?? This was new information she never would have guessed on. Putting her hands back behind her so she could lean, an attempt at a more relaxed and calm demeanor (of which she was neither) she just gave a nod. "Have to soak in the warmth while we can before the chill sets back in right? What does living in the black lake feel like? When it's winter does it get REALLY cold in your home too?"

Hearing the squid ask another question, her head turned to spot a younger student looking rather startled and an approaching Aurora as well. Glancing at the candy that had spilled on the ground, Vera quickly called out, "Five second rule! Scoop them up!" As a candyman's daughter, candy was not to be wasted. Even if Papa excelled in chocolatier-ing and these were not chocolates. Once the important thing had been pointed out, Aurora's wave was also returned enthusiastically. "Hi Aurora! Welcome back to Hogwarts!" She would have been tickled the girl was concerned about tire swings but... truthfully, probably also would have pointed out she would find another way to embarrass herself.

“Little Ms. Aurora! Hello. How lovely to see you again.” If there was a student old Barty was familiar with it was Aurora. “Are you in positive anticipation of the new school year?” Barty waved a few tentacles around with each word. This old habit of his would die hard. “Aurora is right. I do exist. Would you like to shake a tentacle for proof?’’ Barty would not mind shaking Yoji’s hand to offer proof that would wash doubts away like the lake waves would wash any writing in the sand made by the humans at Hogwarts.

“I couldn’t agree more. It gets rather frigid in my home. I retreat into the furthest depths of my cave. After so many years of residing in the lake I sometimes think that I have grown used to the freezing temperatures.” Old Barty was ancient you know. Positively ancient. One couldn’t tell though since he looked so young and hip. “Would the five second rule count for damp foods like a licked ice lolly? Or does it only work on dry foods?”

It's alive... and talking... TO HIM. What in the mighty name of Amaterasu?!

Having studied at Mahoutokoro, it shouldn't surprise him that creatures like the Giant Squid existed. He'd reckoned it was the massive size, its age... and well, it was talking so casually. Based on what he's heard, at least from his dad, seeing the Giant Squid would be a novelty. And yet here it was... having a conversation with other kids, whom he didn't mean to ignore

In shock, he didn't realize Aurora had arrived despite her excitement. His eyes were fixed on the giant squid before him who'd asked a question. "A-ano..." he'd looked down momentarily at the dropped bag of crystal jellies and immediately picked up those that spilt. The five-second rule didn't quite exist in Japan, but apparently, it does apply in his new school. "These... are... what we call in Japan... Kohakutou," he said clearly struggling with his English. "Edible crystals!" Of course, they wouldn't know what it was, yes?

"Would you... like to try some? Barthorromew-san?" Yoji, the 4-foot Ravenclaw first year bravely stepped up near the bank of the lake and offered the edible crystals with two hands to the Giant Squid, as if he was giving an offer at their local temple.

Barty was talking to you little Ravenclaw and most likely will be talking to you in the future should you want to chat. Barty was immediately quite taken by the colors of the crystals. His eyes shone as he admired them. “My my. Those are so breathtaking to look at. Are you certain they need to be consumed? Kohakutou you say? Am I saying the word correctly?” Barty would be quite heartbroken if the word were to be butchered by himself.

What a polite little one. “It would be my pleasure.” Credit ust be given to the boy for bravely stepping closer even if Barty was not about to harm him. A crystal was taken by a tentacle then popped into Barty’s mouth. It was quite possible that his eyes shone brighter. “Why that’s absolutely spectacular!” Barty took another to consume. “Thank you for bringing joy to this old squid’s taste buds, young one.” Barty inclined his head in a little bow.

Tapio had arrived at the Great Lake early so that he could take a bit of time to gaze out at the open water and consume one of the kolaches sent by his wife, who was now studying creatures in the Czech Republic. Tapio enjoyed being outdoors--most rooms indoors seemed just a little too small for him, but out here he could enjoy the feeling of being small and unencumbered by walls. He had gotten the feeling that Mr. Evans enjoyed being outdoors, too, or so he hoped, so he'd chosen the most open spot he could think of for their meeting to prepare for the job fair.

Were it not for the fact that Milo had exhausted his supply of gillyweed, he might have used the rendez-vous at the lake as his motivation to undertake a short expedition into its depths for some supplies. As it was, he had no gillyweed, and no real talent (or ability) at swimming without it, so he'd spent the past couple of hours staying under the radar and skirting the edge of the forest, collecting small animal bones.

As four p.m. loomed and then settled in around him, Milo had turned his footsteps towards the lake, refastening his school bag, which held his newest finds. It was not difficult to find Mr DeVries, the area being so open. Still, as Milo approached the Herbology professor, he cast a glance towards the castle, and to the forest, and the distant mountains, and he wondered about asking some kind of security question to ensure that this really was Mr DeVries. But then, of course, he reasoned that anything he knew about Mr DeVries was likely to be information widely known by anyone, if not easily researched, which rendered that particular measure pointless in this context.

And so all Milo did, in the end, was to wordlessly approach the Herbology professor, and to allow his presence to speak for itself.

Tapio was just midway through the act of skimming a stone across the Lake when he felt Milo's approach behind him. "Ah, Mr. Evans, welcome!" Tapio turning around. He dropped the stone on the ground and motioned the young Ravenclaw to join him by the edge of the water.

"Please, sit down," Tapio continued, seating himself on a large smooth stone. "We can transfigure one into a chair, if you prefer." Tapio stopped to enjoy a brisk breeze that blew through the area he'd set the warming charm on; it gave a nice hint of winter, he thought to himself. He looked back at Milo to see if he was going to join him. He always felt a bit wrong-footed with this student, who always seemed somewhat wary and on edge whenever he was around him. Actually, when he was around anyone else, for that matter.