The Kind Hufflepuff

Chapter 41: Forbidden Forest

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The Kind Hufflepuff - Year Two

Chapter Forty- One: Forbidden Forest

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The snow covered the grounds for most of the year, something that Cali had grown to love during her time at Hogwarts. The smell of the cold frozen stuff brought her happiness on most days, the weather chilling her in a kind reminder of the outdoors. The crunch of the thick snow that hadn't been broken previously by another student was also so satisfying to her, and she giggled as snow would fall of trees and hit her head as she forged on.

She had been considering coming here for some months now, the omnious forests that people whispered about often intriguing the young girl as older students reminisced about their own ventures into the forest that had been forbidden for so long. She had heard of the unicorns that resided in the forest, the centaurs that inhabited the wooded area, the acromantulas that scattered around the grounds. For her, this forest seemed like a paradise that she was dreaming of experiencing.

It was dark, the full moon overhead that provided her the only light she had. The flashlight that had been in her dorm room not working, which she had wished that she had checked before making it all the way out to the forest. She had found a nice spot to sit against, a large burly tree that offered her a sense of safety as she sat against it, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of the bark against her back. She sat against the tree, her knees brought to her chest as her trust notebook was laid out on her legs, a muggle pen that Greta had gifted her some time ago clutched in her hand.

She was there to observe- curious what she might see in the expansive forest. Curious if she could be the one that would map out the inhabitants of the forests, making notes on the communities and locations of the various creatures that somehow coexisted within the forest. She wondered if the creatures she had heard resided here so often ever interacted, if they fought or were friends.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there, listening to the chirps of the crickets that roamed the night and the light rustling of the wind. A soft snow began once again, falling lightly and creating a snow crown around her head as she smiled, watching and experience the forbidden forest. She remembered when Greta had been fearful of it, fearing the unknown and scarier aspects of the forest but Cali found peace here.

The rustling grew louder eventually, stomps that seemed to disturb the ground even from a distance as Cali continued to watch, curious if she could see whatever it was that was causing the disturbance. She was surprised the see the wolf-like creature, with a shorter snout and human- like eyes. The creature was prowling, hunting, looking for it's next target as it listened. She recognized the creature, knowing that the wolf could hear throughout most of the forest- including her. She waited for the werewolf to notice her, staying as still as she could as she stayed quiet, hesitant to even breathe. This creature, this being, was a werewolf.

She was convinced the hunting creature would notice her, convinced that the being would come to her as her leapt out for the being within the werewolf. The one that would wake up in the morning with her blood on their skin, a reminder of the uncontrollable nature that appeared only during full moons. She wished she had considered the moon phase, knowing that werewolves were a legitimate possibility, but she simply hadn't thought that she would see such a creature tonight. She had been naïve with this assumption. But there had been a loud thump a short distance away, she wasn't sure what the sound was, but she knew it had caught the attention of the creature as it darted into the direction that the thump had come from.

She stood up tentatively, worried that the creature would turn around but she noticed that the thumping was becoming more consistent. She decided that she would take the opportunity to leave, the fear that was coursing through her now expelling as she made her exit from the Forbidden Forest as quickly as possible. It wasn't until she reached the doors of Hogwarts that pondered about who the werewolf could be, recognizing that the werewolf likely had something to do with Hogwarts considering they were a human for so much of the time. She thought back to Remus Lupin and the scars that covered his face.

What she didn't know was that she wasn't the only second year within Hogwarts that was in the forest that night- and they were likely the reason that she had survived as they used a minor illusion spell to trick the werewolf into leaving the vicinity of the Hufflepuff.

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A/N: This is an insanely short chapter but... it was necessary to get the story moving along!