A Midnight Adventure
The castle was alive with the hum of another year beginning. The start-of-term feast had ended, and the Slytherin common room buzzed with excitement as students caught up after the summer. Harry sat with Blaise and Daphne near the fire, Ginny perched confidently on the arm of a nearby chair.
“So,” Ginny asked, her brown eyes gleaming with curiosity, “what’s the story with the Forbidden Forest? Percy told me it’s full of deadly creatures.”
Blaise chuckled, tossing a chocolate frog into his mouth. “It’s not a bedtime story, Weasley. The Forest is dangerous, but deadly? Only if you’re stupid enough to wander in unprepared.”
Ginny smirked. “Sounds like a challenge.”
Harry leaned forward, his voice teasing. “You wouldn’t last five minutes, Ginny. The centaurs alone would have you running back to the castle.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Is that so, Potter? Care to test that theory?”
Daphne sighed, exasperated. “You’ve barely been here a day, and you’re already planning rule-breaking. Impressive.”
But Ginny was undeterred. “Come on, Harry. What’s the worst that could happen? We sneak out, take a look, and come back before anyone notices.”
Harry hesitated. It wasn’t like he hadn’t snuck out before, but dragging a first-year into the Forbidden Forest on her first night seemed... reckless. Then again, he couldn’t deny the thrill in her voice, or the challenge in her gaze.
“Fine,” he said finally, standing. “But if we get caught, you’re taking the blame.”
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In the Forest
The moon hung high above as Harry and Ginny slipped out of the castle under the cover of Harry’s Invisibility Cloak. The night was crisp, the air heavy with the scent of pine and earth.
Ginny peeked out from under the cloak as they crossed the dark grounds. “This is amazing,” she whispered.
“Wait until we’re actually in the Forest,” Harry replied.
The trees loomed ahead, their shadows stretching across the ground like dark fingers. They slipped past Hagrid’s hut, the light in the window extinguished, and into the thick underbrush of the Forbidden Forest.
Ginny’s excitement was palpable as she gazed around at the towering trees. “It’s like something out of a storybook,” she murmured.
A rustling noise to their left made them both freeze. Harry grabbed Ginny’s arm, pulling her closer under the cloak.
“Stay quiet,” he whispered.
The sound grew louder—a rhythmic crunching of leaves, like something large moving toward them.
Suddenly, a pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared in the darkness, and a massive shape stepped into the moonlight. It was a unicorn, its silver mane glimmering like starlight.
Ginny gasped softly. “It’s beautiful.”
The unicorn paused, staring directly at them as if it could see through the cloak. For a moment, Harry felt an odd sense of peace, but the creature’s calm demeanour shattered as another noise echoed through the trees—a low growl.
A pack of wolves emerged from the shadows, their eyes gleaming with predatory intent.
“Run,” Harry hissed, grabbing Ginny’s hand.
The two bolted, the wolves snarling and snapping at their heels. Harry led the way, weaving through the trees, his heart pounding in his chest.
“Over here!” he shouted, spotting a hollowed-out tree trunk ahead.
They dove inside, barely fitting, as the wolves closed in. Harry drew his wand, his voice steady despite the panic in his chest. “Lumos.”
The light from his wand seemed to startle the wolves. They backed off slightly, growling, but didn’t leave. Ginny clutched his arm, her eyes wide.
“What now?” she whispered.
“We wait,” Harry said, gripping his wand tightly.
Minutes passed like hours before the wolves finally retreated, their growls fading into the distance.
Ginny let out a shaky laugh. “Okay, maybe Percy was right about the Forest.”
Harry smirked, his adrenaline still high. “Told you so.”
They crept back to the castle under the cover of darkness, the thrill of their adventure lingering. As they slipped into the common room, Ginny turned to Harry with a grin.
“Same time tomorrow?”
Harry shook his head, chuckling. “You’re mad, Weasley.”
“Maybe,” she said, her smile unwavering. “But it was fun, wasn’t it?”
He didn’t reply, but the look on his face said enough.