Chapter Eleven: The Dark Forest
Sirius and the Weasleys left just after curfew on Friday night, teleporting with Sirius to the border near Hagrid’s hut, trying their best not to wake the groundskeeper. Lee put on the invisibility cloak and set off, while Brian and Jack turned into weasels and began pacing him, slinking along, completely out of sight. Sirius carried Chris in his talons, with the idea that he might see something Sirius missed while flying ahead.
Sirius had flown over the forest at length, but the trees were so large and so close that anything could be going on inside and he would never be able to tell above the canopy. Now, they were going inside, trying to be ready for anything; the Weasleys would switch off wearing the cloak, since they had decided that it was best if one of them had a wand ready at all times, but could still remain hidden.
All of them had been in the Dark Forest several times; they explored and enjoyed the thrill of doing something forbidden, but they had never ventured too far in. Now, they were purposefully setting off into a place that they knew would be very dangerous, and none of them were very comfortable with that knowledge.
After an hour of wandering, the forest began to seem even more foreboding. The trees leaned in closer, their branches gnarled and twisted into grasping appendages, and the air grew close and still, seeming too quiet for a living forest. The silence would grow ominous, and just when one of them would be near to shouting just to hear something, noise would burst out of the forest like a Weasley’s Whizbang firecracker. It was usually something unpleasant, as well, a squeal and a snap that told of some kind of predator earning a meal. Their tension grew.
Chris was under the cloak when the first Acromantula attacked. He saw it coming, as did Sirius and the others since it stood as tall as they did and covered more ground with its eight legs, and he froze, thinking to let it wander past and to resume the search once it was gone. The giant spider, however, seemed to see right through the cloak, and Sirius realized, a second before it attacked, that it was hunting by smell.
Sirius transported to right in front of Chris, letting himself become visible and blinding the spider as it approached. The Acromantula shied back, momentarily blinded, while Brian, who had been in Sirius’ talons, transformed back into himself and cast a powerful Reductor Curse directly into the spider’s face. Sirius had also turned back into himself, and cast a fire spell that reduced the battered arachnid to ashes.
“Honestly, Sirius, could you for once stop to think before you light something on fire?” Lee asked, having resumed his usual and joining the rest of them. Jack followed shortly afterwards.
“That was an Acromantula! Not only could we sell the venom and make a fortune, we could use the stuff ourselves. And you go and burn it right up,” Brian said, shaking his head.
“I think there is plenty to go around,” Sirius said, looking out into the darkness; all of them had been blinded briefly by the flames, and his eyes were just now adjusting once more to the darkness.
The quadruplets were soon able to see exactly what he meant; they were now surrounded by at least two dozen of the giant spiders, though it was hard to get an accurate count since each of them had so many legs. The spiders were wary now, after seeing the first spider die, but apparently they were more interested in eating than calculating odds since they attacked soon after being seen.
“Get ready to grab onto me!” Sirius shouted while casting several spells out into the night. The Weasleys nodded, and crowded close, each facing out in a different direction. When they were close enough, each laid a hand on Sirius, who transformed and transported them away.
“That was ridiculous,” Jack snapped, as they reappeared much closer to Hogwarts, the forest quiet and still around them. “They should have hunted those things down and gotten rid of them years ago. You’ve heard Ron’s stories; it’s Hagrid’s fault.”
“Maybe I should just search alone,” Sirius said doubtfully, not really feeling like he wanted to be alone while deep in the forest, even if he could fly and be invisible.
“And leave us to tell where you went before disappearing forever?” Chris said incredulously.
“We know your mother; no thanks,” Lee said with an exaggerated grimace.
“Well, I don’t think there’s anything in that particular part of the forest,” Brian declared as if Sirius hadn’t spoken. “I say we pick a different direction and go from their.”
They all agreed that that was the best plan and set off again, even more nervous than before.
***
“Well, that should be enough training today,” Madame Pince said with a kind smile. “You are doing very well; I always thought you were a wonderful student, you know, and you’ll be able to handle the whole library in no time.”
Ginny was very surprised, since she remembered being chased out of the library no less than eight times. She had been asked to start training after the student’s curfew so she wouldn’t be bothered, and she had discovered that Madame Pince was actually very nice, and very friendly… to adults anyway. She still insisted that Ginny absolutely had to maintain a firm hand with the students or risk losing control completely. It was very amusing to Ginny now, since she was no longer a student, but she had already decided to be a little more understanding than the old librarian.
“Well I certainly hope so,” Ginny said ruefully, “There’s so much more to learn than I expected.”
Hogwarts had made a policy of sending owls to the Potter home with any new job openings or positions, even of a temporary nature, since Harry was qualified for almost anything and was often looking for something new to try. Ginny was also a fully qualified witch, having completed her schooling at Hogwarts with excellent OWLS and NEWTS and going on to various different training programs, such as the Healer program at St. Mungo’s. She had always spent more time in the home with the kids, where healing knowledge was more than just helpful, but she had tried a few different careers herself while following Harry around the world. She had answered the owl sent to Harry about the library opening, thinking to get herself into Hogwarts to protect her children while not having to worry about too much work-related stress. Madame Pince had spent the entire evening showing her just how large the library was, and how complicated. Still, she was confident she could get things worked out and do a good job, and Kingsley knew that she wouldn’t be staying for too long, so there weren’t any unreasonable demands on her time; she enjoyed the opportunities she had to work in the various things she had done, but she also recognized how much of a difference she was able to make in her children’s lives if she was at home to watch over them. Once all of them were in Hogwarts she fully intended to start a serious career, but until then she was happy with the various side jobs such as the one she was starting now.
“You’ll do very well, dear,” Madame Pince said again.
“Well, I think I’ll head home for the evening, then,” Ginny said with a smile, grabbing her bag and walking towards the door. “Have a good night, Madame Pince!”
She was on her way out when she decided to stop by Gryffindor tower. After all, the entire reason she was there was to help her children, and Sirius had the Marauder’s Map, and no one was likely to be watching it while they were supposed to be asleep. She could make it to the common room and summon the map without waking her son and nephews and then check to see if the ruthless killer was on the move. There were still Aurors at various points in the castle, but there was no way that they would see everything.
Her mind set, Ginny turned around and headed for a stairway.
***
They were deeper into the forest than they had ever been, having skirted the area of the forest infested by spiders, and pushing on for another hour or so. No one had spoken in some time; the silence had grown oppressive, and the trees loomed over them like skeletal wraiths while a thick chilly mist oozed through the gaps between the trees, rendering their own feet invisible. It was definitely not a friendly place.
Sirius was feeling the effects of their surroundings more than the others; he was sweating despite the chill, while an incredible sense of foreboding filled his mind until he could hardly think. Of one thing he was absolutely certain; something in this forest hated him, and it was getting closer.
As he concluded this thought, sound erupted in the distance startling him severely; he actually forgot to keep flapping his wings, and tumbled to the forest floor, and landing on top of Brian, who let out an indignant squeak before turning back into himself, while Sirius did the same.
The sound went on for perhaps fifteen seconds, a keening wail that had a metallic edge to it like Sirius had never heard before.
“What was that?” Jack asked fearfully, joining the rest of the group. Everyone had changed transformed back into themselves and Lee had removed the invisibility cloak.
Sirius was still feeling the same apprehension as before, and since being startled by the sound his heart had been beating as though it wanted to jump out of his chest and he was on the verge of hyperventilating. It was making it difficult for him to shout and tell the others to flee; he could see by their faces that panic was permeating through all of them, and he knew it wasn’t just a premonition.
Before he could gather himself enough to speak, he saw the black shape materialize in the darkness, as though shadows had grown together and taken on form. It was human-shaped, but that was all Sirius could see. The panic increased, and Sirius felt himself become immobilized by the fear.
Before the Weasleys could see what he was looking at, they were also panicking, looking around in terror, frantically trying to find the presence that was so threatening. Four rapid stunning spells rushing out of the darkness ended their searching, and all four of them were on the ground. A fifth followed immediately, hitting Sirius squarely in the chest.
Sirius was not stunned; seeing the spells and discovering that it was a wizard in the forest, likely wearing a shadow cloak and possibly the murderer at Hogwarts, combined with the realization that the fear must be caused by some kind of spell or enchantment as well, had made him angry. Seeing his cousins stunned had made him furious. The stunner didn’t affect him at all, just as the one from Hermione hadn’t done anything the time he had been threatening McFarren.
Leaping to his feet, he sent a wordless stunner of his own out at the approaching figure, followed immediately by a Reductor Curse from his free hand. The phantom reacted instantly, moving with a feral grace and speed that amazed Sirius. It dodged the first spell with ease, hardly seeming to move at all, and then vanished as the second hit right where it was standing. It reappeared behind Sirius, but Sirius had recognized the Apparation and had already assumed he would be attacked from a new angle. He dove to the side, rolling into a crouch and already casting his next spell.
The disarming curse hit him hard, pulling his wand away to be absorbed by the shadow, and leaving him too surprised to move. Time slowed as Sirius saw his death approaching; the shadow seemed to be laughing silently as it raised its wand.
“Avada…” the voice was a harsh whisper, like a file rasping across a gravestone, but it never finished the deadly curse.
The wail that had startled Sirius so much before returned, causing the shadow to stop and look away. A second later there was a brilliant flash of light as something big burst out of the forest and planted itself between Sirius and his antagonist. Sirius had a glimpse of a very old car, almost rusted out but with patches of blue paint still visible, before the shadow cast a powerful curse that caused the car to explode, silencing its horn forever.
All of dad’s stories are true, Sirius thought with wonder, while acting quicker than he would have thought possible. With one hand he summoned his wand, while he used the other to summon his cousins. As they came flying through the air towards him he caught the wand, almost surprised it had gotten away from its captor, and let the Weasleys fall at his feet, happy to see that the invisibility cloak was still clutched in Lee’s motionless hands. Making sure they were all touching him in some way, Sirius ignored the wreckage of the car being blasted away in both directions as the shadow continued its advance and transported all of them back to the area behind Hagrid’s hut.
***
The black shape stood motionless as it observed the spot from which its prey had just vanished, perplexed and somewhat angry, though not too concerned.
It had thought to increase the panic by letting Sirius Potter be found dead, killed with his own wand, while the one of the Weasleys would be found holding it, all of them stunned and unconscious around him. It wasn’t necessary to its plan, though; the world would be panicking before long.
It had been trailing the one under the cloak for some time, utilizing some of its special talents to produce the fear he had wanted his prey to feel before meeting his end. Then that wail had distracted him, and he had looked back to find four more students that he hadn’t detected, which had concerned him enough that he had attacked immediately. Now that he had seen them vanish, he knew that they must be able to Apparate, even though they were all underage; it was the only explanation for how they had gotten there and how they had escaped. Still, he didn’t like being surprised.
“I’ll be the one to surprise them, soon enough,” the voice rasped out into the darkness. “I’ll make them all pay, and then no one will be able to stop me.”
***
Sirius had woken his cousins up immediately and told them all about what he had seen and what had happened.
“This is crazy,” Chris muttered. “We’re in over our heads; shouldn’t we tell Uncle Ron about this?”
“We still haven’t learned anything,” Brian protested, “We don’t know exactly where it’s hiding and we don’t know what it was. We’ll get in trouble for nothing.”
Chris nodded glumly; none of them were willing to go to the authorities without enough proof that helping to solve the mystery would get them out of being in trouble.
“I don’t think we should go into the forest again,” Sirius stated quietly.
“Oh, brilliant suggestion, Sirius,” Lee said in a bland voice. “While we’re pointing out the obvious, I also recommend we don’t jump off the Astronomy tower.”
Sirius was about to retort, when Jack interrupted in a shocked and terrified whisper; “It’s your mom!”
Sirius looked and saw his mother exit the castle, coming right for them, her fiery red hair standing out in the darkness. By her quick stride, he could tell she was angry.
“Hide,” Chris whispered frantically, but Sirius overrode him.
“It won’t do any good,” he said, trying to brace himself for the confrontation he knew he couldn’t escape. “She’s got the Map.”
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, everyone! I'm sorry this was a few days getting submitted, but I was in Spain for the week for work, and the internet connection I had wasn't the most reliable. It was a whole lot of fun, though, let me tell you! Keep up the reviewing, and I hope you like this chapter. It's a transitional one, so nothing TOO major happens, but things are going to be picking up!