the truth of snakes

Mud-Drenched & Freezing

Roxanne stepped into the hall outside of McGonagall's classroom and was immediately engulfed in the unmistakable smell of dragon excrement.

"What th-"

"Dung Bombs!" Sirius shouted over Roxanne's question. The passage was amass with students' loud exclamations as they ran past with fingers clamped tightly around noses, trying to evade the fumes that seemed to be emanating from a strange yellow fog which was creeping around the hall. "Damn- they must've started without me!"

A loud "WEEEEEEHHHEEEE" was heard from around a corner.

"And they've got Peeves too!!" Sirius said, sounding very eager to partake in whatever the poltergeist was getting into.

"Sounds like a lovely time you've planned for yourself then, but if you wouldn't mind- keep all that dung your so partial to away from the grounds... at least until I'm done with them for the day?" Roxanne gave the boy a patronizing little smile and conjured up a little air bubble around her head so she wouldn't have to breathe in any displeasing smells. She then strolled off into the opposite direction from whence she had heard the poltergeist's voice, making sure to sway her hips especially unabashedly as she went.

"Oi Malfoy!" Sirius called after her.

She turned to see a lazy smirk playing on his lips.

"You do know it's raining?" As if to emphasize his point, a large flash of lightning lit up the students scattering the hallway followed closely by a roll a thunder.

"No fucking shit, Black."

• • •

"Look- there she is!" Said a hushed voice as Roxanne strolled out of the castle.

Georgette, Juniper, and Farrah were huddled just outside the castle doors, sheltered from the rain by the large awning that covered the front steps. They had been waiting for Roxanne before setting off onto the grounds.

"Alright ladies, I'm here.. brollies up!" And in unison all four girls' wands sprouted transparent umbrellas, shielding them from the rain.

After finishing up with McGonagall, Roxanne had run down to the dungeons and bundled herself up in as many sweaters as she could find before wrapping her large cloak around it all. She also wore a pair waterproof dragon skin boots and a bright green woolen scarf was wrapped around her head and neck. The other girls in her company were dressed similarly.

They were soon squelching along nicely as they made their way onto the Hogwarts grounds, and the sounds of their merriment blended exquisitely with the patter of rain on the grass. The sky was dark and thunderous, and the ominous waters of the black lake were churning ferociously. A light was visible in the little hut on the edge of the forest, as well as a plume of smoke from its chimney.

"Oi, Roxanne you sure were heading in the right direction?" Panted Farrah as she trudged through the sopping grass towards the line of trees that marked the outer edges of the forbidden forest.

"Definitely- I definitely saw lighting right around that group of trees there." Roxanne pointed towards a cluster of skinny elm trees whose boughs did look a bit singed.

The clouds were thick and allowed very little illumination of the looming forest ahead of them, but as the girls neared they could make out a patch of earth in front of two trees that was noticeably blacker than the ground surrounding it.

Roxanne pulled out a little jar from her cloak pocket and scooped some of the burnt earth into it. The rain had turned the dirt sludgy and it dribbled over the sides of the jar onto Roxanne's fingers. As she straightened up and turned back to her friends she flicked a large glob of it, attempting to remove the mud off her fingers.