Octopus's Garden

Dennis Creevey's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was an eventful one. First, his family was a Muggle one, so even though his brother was a wizard, he was surprised and happy to find out he was one, too! He'd get to be with Colin again, which was fantastic because his brother was the most brilliant person he knew. And the most brilliant person Colin knew was Harry Potter, who also went to Hogwarts. What luck!

Dennis got to ride a great big train all the way to Scotland. Colin was there, of course, but Colin was talking to a redheaded girl and Dennis wanted to explore. While he was walking around, he noticed everyone was bigger than he was and he felt very overwhelmed. When he sat in a compartment, his feet wouldn't touch the floor! The train ride was very long and boring and Dennis was squirming to escape by the time the train finally arrived at the station.

A really, really, really big, bearded man greeted Dennis and the other first years when they got off the train. The man - who was named Hagrid - loaded them all onto boats. It was raining really badly, but Dennis didn't care because he'd never even been on a boat!

When they finally started their journey, the tiny ships were tossed all over the lake. Dennis leaned over to see the ripples in the water, but then a big wave came by and he fell in. Dennis could swim well enough, but it was dark and raining. He was a little worried no one would see him and Colin wasn't even around to keep an eye on him. His mum was going to kill him for drowning. All of a sudden, he felt something push him up and back into the boat. Hagrid wrapped him in his big, heavy coat and told Dennis that the Giant Squid had helped him out!

A squid? Neat!

Dennis tried talking to Colin about the squid, but Colin was too busy with his pictures to pay a lot of attention. Plus, the whole school got wrapped up in the Triwizard Tournament. Dennis thought that was a stupid name because there were four wizards playing. Sure, there was only supposed to be three, but Harry Potter had to be a Hogwarts Champion! It was obvious to Dennis that that was the way things were supposed to happen. Secretly, he called it the Fourwizards Tournament, though he didn't even tell Colin that because he was afraid Colin would laugh.

On the day of the Second Task, Harry Potter not only rescued Ron Weasley, but also the beautiful blonde girl's sister. The announcer said he used gillyweed. Dennis asked his brother what gillyweed was and Colin said Harry used it so he could breathe underwater.

"Do you think he could talk to the Giant Squid?" Dennis asked excitedly. But Colin only laughed.

Being a brave Gryffindor, Dennis was always looking for a new adventure and he couldn't stop thinking about the gillyweed. He'd read up on the plant, so he thought about all the places and people that might have it. After a lot of thought, he decided Professor Snape would! So, one night Dennis sneaked into Snape's private stores and stole some. Mrs. Norris caught him the halls and he got detention and lost ten points for his house, but he thought it was worth it. He still had the gillyweed! He kept it in a secret hiding place (the hidden pocket of his trunk, but don't tell anyone!), waiting for a day when he could use it.

When that day finally came, Dennis looked at the slimy greenish-grey bundle warily, but chewed it up all the same. He dove into the water and was astonished when he grew gills and his hands and feet turned webbed. He searched and searched the lake until he found what he was looking for.

"Hello! My name is Dennis Creevey! You saved me my first day here. I just wanted to say hi and see where you live!"

The squid raised up a tentacle in greeting.

"Can you understand me?"

The squid moved his whole body up and down, approximating a nod.

"That's so neat!" Dennis squealed, except he was underwater, so it sounded like "Blub blub blub!"

The squid did a perfect flip in the water.

"Do you live here?"

The squid shook his head from side to side, then motioned with one arm to follow. Dennis happily swam behind his new friend. When they got to the Squid's home, Dennis was in awe. The squid had set up row after row of underwater plants. Right next to that, there was a shady spot. When Dennis looked up, he saw it was right under the Whomping Willow! Dennis followed Squid into a cave, where he met the Giant Squid's whole family - a Not Quite Giant Squid and six Tiny Squid children.

"Can I stay here?" Dennis asked the Giant Squid.

He thought the Giant Squid looked sad as he shook his body.

"I suppose you're right. I belong on the surface." Dennis hung his head and the Giant Squid gently patted his back with a massive tentacle, propelling Dennis forward twenty feet. "Do you think I can visit again?"

The squid nodded enthusiastically and Dennis thought the Squid's arms turned up and formed the shape of six smiles.

Back at school, he wandered into the Gryffindor Common Room, still soaking wet.

"Where on Earth were you?" asked his brother.

Dennis smiled a secret smile and answered, "Oh, just visiting a friend." Still smiling, he trudged off to the showers. For now, that was as close to the lake as he would get.