By the lake

"What was what?" Alex asked looking around and trying not to get tooo grossed out by the poor fishie's organs spilling on the grass.

Sighing she joined Cat into the task of surrounding the fish with sticks, then she turned to Cat and asked, "How are we going to light this?" looking around, before shaking her head and getting out her wand.

"What you said before, something about streets. Do you know a fire spell?" asked Cat with interest, putting the matches down. "I think I read one somewhere, but I can't remember the details."

The Ravenclaw looked at the entrails on the grass and gagged. Ick. Then she had a brain wave and chuckled. Thinking of her last transfiguration assignment she raised her wand and pointed at the pile of offal. "Aliquantulus!" In it's place was a bright pink feather. Oops.

Alex looked up form her book she had not beena ble to pull herself away to answre any of cass's questions until now "hey cass" she greeted "no i have had any detentinos and i'm reading a muggle book. My mum sent it to me she thinks it will do me some good to stop reading information books all time" Alex told her "it called private peaceful and is set in one of the muggle world wars" she suddenly turned and saw another ravenclaw cat? she thought she was sure this was this girl that had dived into the lake or something at the start of the year. "hi" she greeted her shyly.

"'Lo" Cat said cheerfully. "The book must be good. Glad I didn't get you with any water." She grinned and lit the small, not-quite barbecue with the matches. "Fancy some barbecued fish? It's got rosemary and thyme in it." she asked, wafting over the smells of the trout cooking.

(a/n Lovegood, I got that one on my shelf behind me XD)
"Lucky you, I got one for being around the Whomping Willow."
Cass sneezed, and then rooted in her bag for her hankerchief.
"The-" sneeze. "Dive into the Black Lakes given me the most god awful" sneeze, "cold. Bleugh."

She rubbed her shoulders to get some warmth in them. The tips of her fingers could've fallen off for all she knew.

Cat frowned at Cass. "You'll catch your death. Here." she said, handing her a small branch of fire. "Don't burn your fingers off, and in a little while we'll have some fish." She grinned. "I hope you're ok with trout." She rocked back and prodded the cooking fish with a long stick, stepping on the end when it lit. "Now all we need is marshmallows." she joked.

"We're eating from the lake?" said Cass incredulously, backing away, "Cat, I don't think I could do that. Theresa and everyone else are here to protect the fishes from being harmed. Someone could kill you," she folded her arms, and with inspiration, then got out her bag. "Here."
Cauliflower Pureé. "You don't even need a fire for this."

Oh, wait. "And here's a bag of Honeydukes finest Marshmellows."

Cat looked incredulous. "They'd seriously have a massive problem with that?" she asked sceptically. "'Cause he's an old bugger, he's within the legal limits and it's a fish. If they're that worried they can turn vegetarian, but I enjoy my fish and I caught him." she looked at the marhmallows. "I can't take your food without anything in exchange," she said, "It wouldn't be right. And if it really bothers you I'll take him up to the kitchens." She bit her lip. She liked Cass and really hoped she hadn't done anything to massively offend her.

"Pecan are you not getting a bit too..." Alex trailed of as she searched for a suitable word, "obsessive? deranged? addicted? fanatical? monomaniacal? about this whole 'Animal Rights Group' you both are a part of? Its just a fish! You do know that the ecosystem of this lake would only be severely affected, if we were doing overfishing here? And one fish does not count as overfishing!" she added glad of the 'Eco-Day' her teachers had forced her to participate in.

"No, no I don't have a problem with eating a fish. I just don't want to eat one so close to the Dive we did. I'm still seeing them as... alive. Don't worry about it," she gulped.

"Cauliflower pureé needs no exchange. It just needs to be eaten," she shrugged, forcing the bowl into Cat's lap. "Don't worry. I won't AK you or anything."

"That reminds me! Just what was your dive all about? I mean, what did you guys do? Anything that will work? By the way, if you need help, count me in. I am not that great with animals, but I can try! Just one more thing, what is your pureé made up of? What are its ingredients? Did you make it yourself? Or....?"

"Well really you have to see Theresa about it. There's a petition stand. We are just going to help out around the Lake, there is a lot of pollution and injured animals in there. You know, that kind of stuff. And my pureé? Lovely house elves to thank for that. It's got cauliflower, mashed potato, pepper and you can have mustard in it, but I don't think this one does. Wait," Cass took a mouthful, "nope. Shame."

Cat laughed "Thanks, I do quite like cauliflower." she dipped a finger experimentally and licked it clean. "Yum! I am sorry about the fish, but - animal rights group??? Where? Who? Can I join? I mean-" she looked guiltily at the fish in the fire, "I'm against the pointless and cruel harm of animals." she said, somewhat lamely. "Dive? Sounds cool. Were you looking at the wildlife?"

"Yeah, it was mostly wildlife and then looking at problems with the lake itself. Theresa's always happy for more recruits, you should both go. And Cat, have the rest. I have a billion more to eat from Scooter. He's a cool house elf."

(a/n you two, the thread on the lake by Theresa is just called Petition, write your name on it somewhere and then head to the thread 'Dive')

"Isn't it closed now? I mean you still accept members? Thats very cool Pecan! And Cat we can together be the newest members! Not that cats are generally known as compassionate creatures. Spiteful is more like it. No offense though." Alex said, alternating her gaze between Pecan and Cat. then taking out the spoon that Pecan had given to her before, she took another mouthful of the puree.

"It ROCKS Pecan!"

Cat laughed. "You mustn't know any good cats! Thanks Cass!" she said happily, digging in to the puree, "It's delicious, Scooter must be a great cook." She grinned. "Theresa's pretty cool to think of something like that. What did you see on the dive?"

"I didn't see much. A massive colony of Plimplies. But after a while I felt a little sick so I stayed on the grass and accio'd everyone some food and blankets. It's getting colder at night there now. So yeah, join. We'll be helping out around the year, any time. There's not been a meeting so to speak, yet, but we'll start to, in the second year."

Cat grinned. "Cool." She said, taking a mouthful of puree and making a mental note to look up Plimplies when she got the next chance. They sounded like interesting creatures. She grinned at Alex. "Maybe we could help make placards and interesting slogans," she teased with an evil grin. "You never know, it could work."

(Where's the petition thread? I can't find it at the lake.)

"Except I suck at art you know? Maybe I will stick with the job of shouting them. I got a great shouting voice!" Alex said brightly as she thought of all the times in pres-school she had gotten people to stay away from her toys just by screaming. As she thought all of this, Alex had a pretty evil look on her face, making her look sorta scary.

(I found it but.... every bodies talking there! Or rather was talking.)

"I doubt we're activists, like, but we're just cleaning up after people have abused the lake. And healing the animals, I guess. Placards would be cool. I'll leave you to that, though!" she added with a grin. "You want me to show you to the table?"

(LINK: https://hogwartsportus.rpg-board.net/the-lake-f33/petition-t789.htm do that one first, then head on to Dive ;D)

"you mean leaving Cat for that, right? And cleaning up after the lake, like are there toxic substances out there? "Cause if there is, then maybe we can send it out to the muggle laboratories and figure out how old it was, giving us an idea of what to do and how to counter attack it!" Alex suggested cheerily, she loved the study of toxins, because in front of them, no one was strong or weak.