Infinity and Magic

“Move along now.” Filch ushered them onwards, out of the castle and into the courtyard, while Alucard seemed disgusted by the spittle flying everywhere the moment Filch opened his mouth.

But there was not much to say to Filch, he appeared happier than ever as he led them over towards the forest, his smile inching closer and closer to his ears as they walked towards the tall dark trees which dwarfed Hagrid’s hut in size.

“If it were up to me you all would’ve been tied by your thumbs to the dungeon ceiling or made to scrub out every nook and cranny of the castle walls.” Filch said as they walked, slowly inching closer to what felt to  be their doom.

“It’s a good thing it’s not up to you then.” Simon said with a huff and FIlch’s sagged cheeks dropped their smile just as fast as the Sun disappeared behind the horizon, leaving them with enough sunlight through the treeline to walk the last stretch of their journey over hurriedly, walking on patches of grass that paved the way to Hagrid’s hut.

Filch hadn’t brought a lantern with him and so they had to stop every few steps to wait for him. They probably wouldn’t have if Harriet didn’t grab all three of them by their sleeves and kept them in their place while Filch cursed this stone or the other.

When at last they reached Hagrid’s hut, with its smell of soil and dusk and slight smoke from the chimney, Anos didn’t know if he felt better about what was to come. He had forgone wearing his gloves or even his full sleeved robes but all of them did wear full sleeved shirts on Hermione’s suggestion so they did not get bitten by a spider or bugrat or whatever else existed in the forest.

As they saw Hagrid, chopping wood at the other end of his hut; the one towards the forest, Anos touched the ring he wore that had been gifted by Simon, the weight of the metal and stone on his hand  was a small comfort as Filch talked with Hagrid, giving them a gleeful smile before passing on back towards the castle, cursing stones and pitfalls and wet soil every step of the way.

“Well, ye can take sit o’er there fer now. I have work.” Hagrid said, pointing them at 4 stools that looked like tree stumps; considering Hagrid they probably were.

Hagrid didn’t speak and continued to chop wood until Filch was well out of their sight, before shiftily looking this way and that and making a giant show of stretching his arms and yawning just to look in every direction except the forest.

When at last he was sure no one was listening to them he scooted over to all of them and produced Stoat Sandwiches from his overcoat’s pockets, one for each of them.

“There, eat em while I get Fang, we’ll go in quick and out of t’ere quicker.” Hagrid spoke, handing them each a sandwich before walking inside the hut.

In silent agreement the Stoat Sandwiches were passed onto Simon who looked at them confused.

“You don’t want any? Well, fine by me.” He said smiling genuinely in thanks before he began to eat, it would’ve been funny if Anos and Alucard could stop themselves from shuddering everytime the bread cracked beneath Simon’s teeth like shattering boulders.

Four sandwiches lighter and with one Simon happier they waited patiently for Hagrid to come out of the hut.

“Remember to stick close to me or Alucard or Hagrid.” Anos explained for what felt like the thousandth time to Harriet who still nodded just as gravely as she had done the first time.

Simon in his own words had even lived alone in the forest for a bit, while Alucard and he could see better in the night than any human could in the day.

All three of them had agreed to keep her safe between them, Harriet knew little and less of the Forbidden Forest except well that it was Forbidden, and for good reason.

There were many myths of how the Forest became forbidden in the first place, some spoke of trolls taking children from the castle grounds and into the forest to eat, others spoke of centaurs and them taking children away while others still spoke of the wolves that roamed the forest or hidden dragon caves, wyvern burrows, dungeons infested with all kinds of hideous beasts.

The thing most adults could agree on was that the forest was simply too large and too filled with creatures for any children or creature for that matter, poachers were a nuisance in the 14th century too and a forest of magical creatures was as good a place to bag the best creatures they could, if they didn’t know the path? Why there was a school at the edge of the forest, just take a wizard child or two with you? What did it matter if they themselves weren’t allowed in the forest? The school was magic.

Anos didn’t know if it was poachers or hunters or werewolves or dragons in the forest but he knew the forest made him shudder unlike anything else, oh it felt familiar too in the night, he could feel like walking through the forest just to feel the moon above his head and the trees of decades and centuries past around him, and if he was dumb or led by his emotions enough he would have done it too.

But for now he had to survive the forest, and he had come prepared for known and unknown dangers.

By the look Alucard gave him and his wrist he agreed.

Before Hagrid came out of his hut they had another visitor, huffing and coughing and scared out of his mind.

“Maxwell?” Anos asked, confused.

“Thank god all of you aren’t gone.” He said, dropping himself down on one of the stumps and yelping when the hardwood hurt his back.

“I thought you were supposed to just do parchment work and lose house points?” Harriet asked, since no one else in their group would.

“Well yeah, but I would rather have the punishment done with in a day.” He answered and Anos didn’t know if he was brave or foolish.

Considering he was meant to lose house points perhaps his cousin was just smart.

They let him sit and take deep breaths, and the more he relaxed the more afraid he seemed to become, looking anywhere but at the forest as he cracked his knuckles or looked at the palm of his hand as if it held a bravery potion.

His eye was healing along well and there was no mark at all up to this point so at least he wouldn’t be fully blind in the forest, just a quarter blind considering the rapidly draining sunlight around them.

Hagrid came out of the hut finally, bearing a lantern, his dog and the biggest crossbow Anos had ever seen. Hagrid was surprised at Maxwell’s presence and showed it with a gruff noise from his throat.

“I thought ye were sick? Fell down or something?” Hagrid asked and Maxwell blushed before answering that he was fine to go.

Hagrid just shrugged and began to explain to them what they were going to do as clearly as he could.

“Right, now that all of ye ere here, let me make this clear. No running ahead without me, no  lookin’ around all shifty or gettin’ into  fights with each other or whatever you might see in there. All of you have your wands?” They answered Hagrid with an immediate nod, “Well, only use it if you get lost, all of you know how to make a signal in trouble?” Another nod from all of them and Hagrid nodded in turn “Right? Good. Let’s go.” Hagrid said, shifting to the crouching position he had gotten into while explaining things to them and held his crossbow in one hand and lamp in the other.

It was well past dusk now, and the forest had fed on any sunlight that had remained so that there were only a dark sky and giant trees to welcome them as they moved.

Fang looked just as scared as Maxwell,the old hound whined at the low whistle of the wind coming from the forest.

Anos weighed the metal in his right hand as he walked behind Hagrid and alongside his friends, led along into the dark forest.

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