Forbidden Forest
As the school year stretched into the end of spring, Reese had been, oddly enough, hanging around Lavender Brown more than anyone else. Like her, Lavender was also looking forward to the upcoming holiday break that she would spend with her family. Lavender, fussy and energetic as she may be at times, with her boundless energy and chatty nature, was a strangely attentive listener and her marks were almost as high as Reese’s. With that, though, she was a talker.
"Don't you think Ronald is nice?" She had asked Reese at dinner one evening. She followed her gaze downwards to the ginger-haired boy with a mouth full of stew
"Um—"
"I think so," she said, her head resting on a closed fist as she gazed at him through her eyelashes. Reese rolled her eyes.
"You're staring. It's creepy."
"He's brave, too."
"Have you ever spoken to him before?" Reese asked, and she huffed.
"It's a work in progress, okay?" Lavender insisted.
"If you say so." Reese replied with a shrug.
She jutted her chin upward. "I do."
Lavender waited for Reese to prod more, but she just stabbed her fork into her vegetables in disinterest. Lavender began again.
"I have other options, of course, if that doesn't work out."
Reese hummed with a nod, "I'm sure you do."
"He has lots of brothers."
Reese tried not to spit out her pumpkin juice when she laughed. "They are much older!"
"So?"
She snorted just as Ron averted his gaze back to them, and Lavender jumped out of her trance and shielded her eyes.
"Oh, God, do you think he noticed?"
"That you've been staring at him during the entirety of dinner? No, surely not." Reese quipped.
"Oh, good!" she smiled in relief, Reese’s sarcasm completely flying over her head.
As the moon waxed toward its fullness, Reese always felt an insatiable hunger gnawing within her. Despite having consumed two full meals, Lavender urged her to abandon her seat before she could finish buttering her fourth bread roll, and escorted her back to the common room.
"You know how to get back on your own, you’re a big girl. It’s still early," Reese pried lamely. Dinner was over, and Reese shuffled impatiently as they waited for their staircase to stop moving so they could proceed with their trudging ascent. Lavender narrowed her brown eyes at her.
"Rubbish, we are supposed to be back in our dorms by now, and Lacey wants us to get up early again to watch Quidditch practice tomorrow—I need my beauty rest, Reese!"
She was right; there wasn't another soul they could see in the silent corridors, and the moving paintings were beginning to still as the night fell over the castle.
"I mean, I guess—" She blurted just as Lavender skidded to a halt and swung her arm out in front of Reese to stop her trudging.
Her brow furrowed in confusion and Lavender raised a finger to her lips. "Shh,"
"Don't shush me—" Reese whispered, peeking over her arm to see what the holdup was. A shadow slipped through the Fat Lady painting and she watched in anticipation for the face to match it. Lavender tugged her against the wall as they saw the curly hair of Hermione Granger tip-toe past where they once stood and down the stairs.
Hermione Granger? Sneaking out? It was almost comical.
"That's weird," Reese tilted her head at her retreating figure before turning back to Lavender, whose face was scrunched up as if she were plotting. "C'mon, Lav, let's go to bed."
"Are you crazy? Let's follow her!"
"Are you crazy?" Reese snorted an incredulous laugh, but was cut short when she saw Lavender’s very firm expression.
"Oh, you're serious?"
"Yes, come on!" Lavender nudged her forward once more and Reese groaned as she was guided down the stairs.
"This is stupid."
"You're not even a little bit curious as to why Hermione is sneaking out of bed past curfew?"
"Not this curious—"
"Hurry up, follow me!"
The vacant corridors were almost pitch black, only dim lanterns illuminating the walls—they fumbled their way through the darkness, bumping into each other several times before finally reaching the ground floor—and she was taken aback to see Harry Potter and Ron Weasley appearing next to Hermione in the dewey grass. Reese supposed that the Invisibility Cloak was being put to effective use.
"What the heck?" Lavender blurted just a bit too loudly before clapping a hand over her mouth. Hermione and her two new companions had trekked all the way down to Hagrid's hut and creaked the heavy door open.
"I can't see," Reese hissed as they concealed themselves behind the poorly kept shrubs and landscape that sat just between Hagrid's and the forest. Reese strained her eyes to see through the glow emanating from the window, but the sinister looming of the forest behind her made her uneasy, and she fought to ignore the inkling feeling that crept up her spine.
"This is getting scary, I don't want to be here anymore!" Lavender squeaked timidly over the whistling of the nighttime breeze. Reese gaped at her.
"No way. You dragged me here, you can't back out now—"
"Well, isn't this interesting?" The accusatory voice of Draco Malfoy slithered through the air from behind them, sharp and accusator, breaking the eerie silence in the darkness that surrounded them. Reese jumped and whirled around to see the twisted smirk on his sour face, clutching her heart to ease its racing. Lavender made her fear audible, shrieking and clutching her arms around Reese. She shrugged her off, eyes fixed in a glare toward the blond boy who had his arms crossed in authority.
"Where the hell did you come from?" she whispered ferociously, and he shrugged.
"I knew you lot were up to something—I just knew it would be that rotten trio—"
"Why do you keep showing up when you're not wanted?" Reese's a voice a fierce whisper in demand, her blood boiling at his arrogance. "You better not get them into trouble."
"Or what?" Malfoy was nearing the hut, twigs crunching beneath his shoes as he raised himself on his toes to peek through.
"Or—"
"Shh!" he hissed, swatting his hand at her from behind him.
"Why does everyone keep shushing me?—"
"Is that—adragon? Oh, this should be brilliant—" he noted haughtily before abruptly ducking beneath the windowsill, "Thanks a lot, you blood traitors, they saw me—"
"Reese, can we please leave?" Lavender begged, tugging at her arm.
"Yes, Lavender, let's go."
"I don't think so," Malfoy grunted from where he hid. "It's your fault they spotted me—"
"We're leaving."
Lavender sighed in relief and padded up the steps as Reese hurried behind her with one more jab at Malfoy, "You better not tell anyone about this—you were out of bed, too, don't forget."
As they crept back to the castle, Lavender and Reese made a conscious effort to maintain distance from the approaching trio, despite the trio's inability to perceive them lurking in the shadows.
"Nonesense!" They heard Professor McGonagall shrill from beside a bobbing lamp head just at the corner of the corridor. Reese froze in place and tried to keep Lavender quiet, attempting to stifle Lavender's gasp of terror with a hand over her mouth. "How dare you violate curfew, Mister Malfoy, and venture out at this ungodly hour! Twenty points will be deducted from Slytherin—" the professor exclaimed.
"It's not just me, Professor! Potter—and the Lupin girl, too—Granger, Weasley, all of them!"
"How dare you utter such falsehoods!" she retorted sharply. Reese could see Malfoy flinch, his eyes darting around in search of a scapegoat.
"They were just here—they're somewhere around here right now, Professor!"
The clatter of Lavender's wand hitting the ground reverberated throughout the corridor, causing all voices to fall silent. Reese's breath caught in her throat as swift clicking of heels grew nearer.
Reese shoved Lavender roughly down the corner of the corridor, hissing at her to retreat.
"But—" she whispered frantically, and Reese gestured wildly for her to leave, snatching her wand up and tossing it to her. Lavender shot her an apologetic frown and slipped down the hall and disappeared to bask in the shadows, just as Reese turned to see Professor McGonagall's stern face looming in the lamplight, her grey eyebrows narrowing.
The night couldn't have gone more horribly. Unfortunately, only one of them was lucky enough to escape the clutches of detention, and she had to have been sound asleep in their dorms by now, or rehashing the events to a sleepy Lacey Macmillan. Filch had intercepted the trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione sprinting down the halls, promptly delivering them to the stern presence of Professor McGonagall. The five of them huddled together nervously, bracing for the inevitable scolding.
"No explanation, Miss Granger? And you, Mister Potter? Or perhaps you, Lupin? What do you have to say for yourselves?" chided the professor.
Harry and Ron remained silent, suddenly finding the wall behind her fascinating, and Hermione looked down at her slippers.
"Fifty points from Gryffindor," McGonagall announced, stunning them all.
"Fifty?" gasped Harry incredulously, while Malfoy's face lit up with malicious pleasure.
"Each. Detention will be held with Mr. Filch at eleven o'clock tomorrow night for the five of you."
"Pardon me. Five?" Malfoy blurted, and McGonagall shifted her fiery gaze to him.
"Yes, five. That includes you."
🗡🗡🗡
In the aftermath of their misadventure, Hermione had remained uncharacteristically silent, leaving Reese to endure a scolding for their shared transgressions. It seemed that the loss of two hundred points had struck a nerve with the Gryffindors, who made no effort to conceal their disgruntlement and directed accusatory glares towards Reese and Hermione. Even the Slytherins, usually so reserved, couldn't resist gloating at the sight of their rivals' misfortune. Reese observed the effects of their folly on her fellow students, their moods having shifted from hopeful to dejected, their focus now consumed by the elusive House Cup. Reese had never seen Hermione so distraught, and Harry even volunteered to resign from the Quidditch team (a detail Lacey was happy to hear), but Oliver Wood wouldn't allow it.
Although she had not drawn as much attention to herself as Harry, Reese still faced ridicule and mockery from the Slytherins, a faux and scornful round of applause her greeting whenever she entered the Potions class. Lavender, feeling guilty for her own part in their transgressions, had offered to walk Reese to detention, but her noble intentions were quickly abandoned when the prospect of facing Draco Malfoy proved too much to bear.
As they made their way towards detention, Reese was consumed by her heightened senses, her body acutely aware of the beating hearts and coursing blood of her companions. The moon shone brightly overhead, casting an ethereal light upon their faces, and the wind whispered mournfully through the mist, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the night. Despite her own concerns, Reese couldn't help but worry about the impending full moon and the dangers it brought, as if the consequences of their actions had extended far beyond their immediate punishment.
"Detention with Hagrid tonight—the old-fashioned detention would have been more fitting." Filch's sadistic glee was palpable in his words, relishing the opportunity to punish the students under his watchful eye. A primal fear of what was to come twisted in Reese's stomach. "Should've hung you by your wrists for a few days, but McGonagall had somethin' else in mind."
Hagrid emerged from the shadows with his faithful companion, a gargantuan black Boarhound. Harry let out a sigh of relief, but the sound of the forest was enough to make Reese's heart race.
"Come on, I wanna get this started," the giant said as he emerged from behind his hut that Reese had been hunched beside just the night before. He had an oversized black Boarhound at his side, panting as he planted his paws in the dirt.
"Don't look so thrilled, Potter." Filch sneered down at Harry, whose eyes widened behind his glasses. "You'll be spending detention in the forest tonight."
"The forest?" Malfoy interjected, incredulously, "We can't be in there—students aren't allowed—"
Reese mumbled, "Since when has that stopped you—"
Malfoy continued blubbering, as if she hadn't uttered a word, "And there are werewolves!"
Reese’s eyes widened larger than his just as the ominous howl sounded from the depths of the shadows. She swallowed thickly and forced her feet to move after them. One foot in front of the other, don't bloody collapse in front of everyone. There aren't any werewolves tonight, Reese. It wouldn't be possible. Malfoy just didn't know his moon cycles.
"Right, Filch, 'snot yer place to be lecturin' them. I'll take it from here." Hagrid intervened, brusquely dismissing Filch's unwanted interference. Malfoy, however, remained stubborn, still clinging to his haughty superiority.
"This is servant stuff!" Malfoy spat, "Wait until my father hears about this—"
"This is how you learn, come along." Hagrid admonished, starting ahead with his dog at his heel.
They all trudged warily after Hagrid as they followed the winding, leaf-strewn paths down the edge of the forest. Reese slapped a bug off her arm as Ron’s frightened voice sounded from her left.
"What's that?" he asked, pointing to a silvery puddle, and Hagrid exclaimed in surprise.
"A sharp eye, Ron! That there is unicorn blood. Split into parties, we'll find the hurtin' unicorn—may have to put it out of its misery."
"You want us to wander out into the forest alone?" Hermione gasped, speaking for the first time that evening.
Hagrid quickly dismissed her worries. "No, we'll be in groups. You stick with Reese, Harry go with Malfoy, I'll take Ron—"
"You expect me to survive with Potter?" Malfoy scoffed, and Harry rolled his eyes. "Give me someone else."
"You can take Fang with you." Hagrid shrugged as the big dog trotted up to Malfoy and gave him one slobbery lick on the face. Both Reese and Ron snickered at his grimace of disgust.
As they set out into the forest, contained in their pairs, the group was enveloped in a deafening silence, broken only by the occasional distant chatter of other groups and the haunting howls of faraway creatures. Hermione was thoroughly distraught by the whole ordeal.
"I reckon this will appear on my permanent record," she sniffed, and Reese looked around them cautiously.
"It'll be fine," Reese offered, though her words held little reassurance as she remained vigilant for any signs of danger lurking in the shadows.
Hermione's response was sharp. "Stop saying that," she scolded, holding a lantern above their heads. Reese rolled her eyes.
"Stop snapping at me, Granger. I'm just trying to help."
Hermione let silence blanket them before cutting through it once more. "Sorry,"
"S'ok."
"And I'm sorry we got into this detention—I shouldn't have been out of bed so late. I don't know what's gotten into me."
Reese held her breath as the hairs on the back of her neck prickled her skin as they drew deeper into the forest. She could hear her heart racing in her ears as she imagined the yellow eyes of Fenrir Greyback piercing her vision before he springs at her once more—
"Reese?" Hermione waves a hand in her face as they halt, "Are you listening?"
"Yeah," she mumbled, hugging her torso as a shiver trickled down her spine. "Yeah, I am. Sorry."
Then, a frightened scream from Malfoy echos through the trees, and their heads whipped in that direction.
Without hesitation, Hermione tugged at Reese's sleeve and they raced through the forest. The trees seemed to stretch on forever, and Reese's legs burned with exertion as they pushed themselves to move faster. Finally, they saw a figure in the distance
"Are you okay, Harry?" Hermione gasped at the panting boy who had been sprawled across the muddy ground, propped up by his elbows. She remained by the trees as a lookout as Reese approached the strange creature hovering over Harry.
A man? A horse?
"Yeah, I'm alright," he gazed, astounded, at the centaur that stood before them, a sorrowful expression plaguing its face.
Harry and Reese couldn't seem to pry their eyes away from those of the centaur, even as they heard the crunching footsteps of their group in the distance. The centaur eyed them carefully.
"You shouldn't be out here at this time, especially you two."
Reese felt Harry stiffen beside her just as she did, and she desperately hoped the centaur wouldn't reveal in mixed company why she shouldn't be out in the night right now. She knew why, of course she did.
"Firenze!" Hagrid called gruffly as he made his way to them. Reese tried to shrug off her nerves as she turned to disappear behind their crowd and ignore the continuing conversation being held around her, vanishing from everyones eyeline the best she could.
"...well, it's a pleasure seein' you, but we best be off."
They followed Hagrid to the clearing, and Reese couldn't stop thinking about the horrible sensations that washed over her. The ghostly shiver across her body, her trembling hands, the breeze whistling its secrets to her. She couldn't get what the centaur had said out of her head. Especially you.
She turned to look back toward the woods, shrouded in darkness, lying in wait for those who seek the unseekable. Dangerous and marred with unknowns.
It was already light out by the time Reese finally let her eyes sink shut, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't quite drift to sleep.
🗡🗡🗡
"Please, please, please?"
"No,"
"It could be fun!"
"No," Reese griped to Lacey who, for the last several weeks as they rolled into the warm skies, had been begging to stay with her for summer break—without valid reason. Lacey's pleas for summer companionship fell upon deaf ears, as Reese remained resolute in her refusal. The warmth of the approaching summer air did little to sway her, and Lacey's complaints about Quidditch practice with her brother did little to change her mind.
"I don't want to go home—I bet my parents will have Ernie practice with me for Quidditch—"
"Isn't that a good thing?" Reese suggested. Lacey crossed her arms and shook her head.
"Hardly! I don't need my brother to teach me Quidditch—I know how to play, and I'm amazing at it! My parents are just convinced that he's some Quidditch prodigy that can improve my playing—"
"Maybe he can," she offered lightheartedly and Lacey’s jaw dropped in offense.
"Just wait until you see me play, Reese," she gushed. "You'll be so proud—you won't even know what hit you."
"I'm sure that’s true."
Dean was walking alongside them, curiously skimming the back summary of a book Reese had just finished after snatching it from her. "I don't get the fuss," he shrugged, chewing through an apple he had snagged from the Great Hall earlier that morning. "Your brother seems cool."
"He is not cool—"
"Come on, Lacey, it's only a couple of months." Reese reasoned, shrugging, as Lacey’s glare toward Dean dissolved into a frown when she looked at her.
"Alright, fine, but you have to get into tip-top shape for Quidditch when term starts again—we're in this together!”
Dean grinned amusedly and Reese smiled facetiously, "Yeah, yeah, okay."
The waning year had been a flurry of events at Hogwarts, with news of You-Know-Who's resurgence and Professor Quirrel's expulsion from the school grounds spreading like wildfire.
"Are you sure Harry will even be awake?" Dean hesitated warily as they approached the Hospital Wing, waiting patiently outside the infirmary.
"What?" Lacey blurted, "That's why we're here?"
"Yes," Reese nodded.
"We aren't even friends! I'm leaving—"
Reese latched onto her arm and tugged her into the watchful eye of Madam Pomfrey, who had beamed when she saw them.
"Miss Lupin, Mister Thomas, what a lovely surprise!" she gushed and Dean offered her a kind smile. Lacey had her arms crossed, shielding herself from any sign of Harry Potter. "Is something wrong? Are you ill?"
"No, no, is Harry okay?" Dean inquired. She nodded.
"Just over here. Don't keep him long. He needs rest."
As they were led to his hospital bed, Lacey couldn't help but gape at the sheer volume of gifts and care packages that surrounded him, evidence of his devoted fan club.
"Reese! Hey, everyone." Harry spluttered in surprise once he saw them, sitting up beneath the covers and grabbing his glasses from the bedside table. He gave Lacey a bemused look as she shuffled awkwardly alongside Dean.
"How are you feeling?" Reese asked, watching how he grunted in discomfort when he propped himself up on his pillow. He shrugged helplessly.
"All right. You know what happened, then?"
"Heard a bit," she fibbed. Reese had heard all of it—everyone had. He cast his eyes downward, frowning as he scratched the back of his neck.
Dean chimed in quickly, “It was brilliant—you saved the school! Isn't that right, Lacey?" He nudged her and she grumbled.
"Yeah, I s'pose." Lacey begrudgingly agreed.
Harry grinned weakly, "Thanks. Have you heard from Ron—or Hermione?"
"Hermione is doing just fine," Reese assured. "Greatly anticipating her exam scores—good as new.”
Harry smiled and Dean continued, "And Ron can't stop talking about the adventure he had. He's doing well, too."
Harry's shoulders relaxed as he rubbed the purple bruise on his chin. Lacey stepped forward sheepishly, offering her own comments. Reese and Dean strayed a bit, allowing the two to converse.
"We have the last of our exams soon," Dean reminded her, pulling her out of her daze. "Only one, though, and it's Herbology, so we'll be fine. Dunno about Lacey, though."
"I'll help her study a bit beforehand, I reckon.”
"Help me, too, would you?” he suggested, nudging her elbow lightly. She tried not to wince, still sore from the recent full moon.
"Sure, sure."
Reese savored the serene mayhem of the exam period, a blissful respite from the monotony of routine. An entire two weeks of no lessons, all studying. While Lavender languished in her own personal hell, Reese relished the chance to dive deep into her studies. But Hermione was a different story. Obsessively committed to achieving excellence, she was driving herself to the brink of madness. Every spare moment was spent poring over textbooks, scribbling notes in a frenzy, and drilling herself on every detail until she was nearly delirious. So Reese offered to help, quizzing her with flashcards during meals and breaks, a small gesture to alleviate Hermione's stress.
You-Know-Who was back—living off the soul of another, mere shadow and vapour, his return sparking a wave of fear and uncertainty, who had escaped once more. The entire school was buzzing about what Professor Dumbledore called ‘the incident’, and Harry was on his second day spent in the Hospital Wing, Pomfrey tending to him strictly with limited visitors.
Days passed sluggishly, each one a grueling slog of studying and preparation for the exams. But at least Reese felt confident in her performance, aided by her tireless studying and her efforts to assist Hermione. The end-of-year feast loomed, a bittersweet conclusion to their term. Lacey insisted they walk down together, a motley crew of friends and acquaintances, each lost in their own thoughts and concerns.
The grand hall resonated with the lively chatter of students enjoying a festive meal, as they relished the recounting of their triumphs and trials throughout the school year. Dumbledore's sonorous voice penetrated the lively ambience, commanding attention as he spoke with measured eloquence.
"Another year gone," he declared, his mirthful tone resounding across the hall. "And it is time to crown the House Cup champions. Let us tally the points, shall we?"
The Gryffindors exchanged uneasy glances, anticipating their defeat and preparing themselves for the inevitable outcome as Dumbledore began to announce the results.
"Fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points," groans sounded from their section, and Ron sank low in his seat, hiding his guiltily purple face in his hands from the withering stares of his housemates. "Next, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two points. Ravenclaw insecond, with four hundred and twenty-six. Finally, please applaud Slytherin House for their four hundred and seventy-two points."
The Slytherins erupted into a boisterous celebration, their cheers echoing through the hall. Meanwhile, the Gryffindors grumbled in dejection, while Dumbledore tapped his spoon against his glass.
"However, let us not forget the exceptional feats of this year," he continued, prompting murmurs of curiosity and excitement from the students, even as the Slytherins' glee dissipated. "To Ronald Weasley, for the greatest game of chess ever seen at Hogwarts, fifty points."
Ron turned as pink as he had the first day he was sorted, sharing a sheepish smile with Harry.
"To Hermione Granger, for heroic use of knowledge in the face of fire, fifty points." Reese gave Hermione an encouraging smile and squeezed her arm reassuringly as tears welled in Hermione’s eyes, dropping her flushed face into her hands.
"To Mister Harry Potter," Harry stared wide-eyed, "In the face of danger, you showed remarkable courage and nobility. Sixty points."
"We're tied with Slytherin!" Hermione squealed wishfully.
Then, looking around the room as though it were an afterthought, Dumbledore spoke again, "Lastly, I award Neville Longbottom," whose face turned a ghostly white before Dean clapped a proud hand on his shoulder and he was tackled with hugs, "Ten points will be awarded to Gryffindor for your great strength against not only your enemies, but your friends."
The green banners of Slytherin folded away, replaced by the bold gold-red lion symbol of Gryffindor. Caps were thrown in the air, as the students cheered themselves hoarse, rejoicing in their victory. The Slytherins were appalled, tearing their caps off their heads and slamming them to the table as the rest of them exclaimed in celebratory glee.
Their trunks had been packed, beds made, and wardrobes emptied. The time had come to bid farewell to Hogwarts, and the prospect of not being able to use magic outside its walls weighed heavily on their minds. The Weasley twins, in particular, were crestfallen at the thought.
Reese’s compartment on the train doubled in company than it was on the very first journey up. Piled in together sat her, Lacey, Lavender, and Dean, and the occasional visit from Seamus every other hour—along with Hermione, Ron, and Harry who were seated just across the isle. The latter two teased Lacey and Reese relentlessly about their sleepwear attire ("Shut up, Ron, other kids wore their pajamas too...")
As they lounged in their cramped seats, their bodies intertwined, the golden light of the setting sun casting a warm glow over the scene, Dean stretched his arms behind his head and asked, "You'll all write, right?"
Lacey giggled, her head resting on Reese's shoulder. "Ha, 'right right'."
"Yes, we'll write," Reese assured, reaching over to pluck a bean from Dean's box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and tossing it into her mouth.
"Ooh, let me try," Lavender chirped, claiming one as well and flinging it into the air to catch. Dean giggled when it completely missed her tongue and pelted her on the forehead.
"That's what you get for putting your paws in my sweets,"
As the train rumbled on, the view of grassy meadows stretching across miles—the creaky sounds of the train lurching and slowly lulling them to sleep.