Closed Redo

[Amory Raven]

It was about time Amory had his second go at the forbidden forest. Last year he had been rudely interrupted on his little trip with Felix, this time though he'd try to be more mindful where he stepped. As much as he wanted to see what the forest might hold he didn't want to disturb those who lived there too much. The Slytherin had his wand out just in case and besides the sun was going to set soon, so Lumos, the charm not his dormmate thank you very much, would come in handy no doubt.

 

[Echolyn Zephyr]

Echo was stupid. Any students that wanted to go in the forest the moment they stepped into the school grounds were bound to get found out by professors. Those that were smart however would wait until the other students had more or less gotten bored, and as such the professors would no longer bother to be on the lookout. Apparently, Amory wasn't stupid either as she saw him heading in the direction of the trees. "Going somewhere?" she called out to him. ​

 

[Amory Raven]

Amory was just about to enter when he heard a familiar, yet not sure whose, voice behind him. Had he been the least bit of jumpy that might have caught him off guard and caused a scare of some sorts, but lucky for him he wasn't jumpy. Turning around his gaze met that of a first year from his very house, he recognized her now as Demi's younger sister. Echo or something. "Yes actually and looks like you are too so I suggest you put some pep in your step and get over here before someone sees us go in." He told her quietly, beckoning her over. He wasn't about to get caught because a first year was snailing around. Without giving her much more time he dove in between the trees himself, whether she followed him or not was up to her.

 

[Echolyn Zephyr]

"That's not pep in my step you pixie brain, that's a very expensive footbed," Echo hurried after the fool, raising her own wand because she wasn't about to get closer to the trees without it. She wasn't sure Amory was bright enough that even Lumos was going to save the situation, so it was probably a good thing she was here too. Safety in numbers and all that. "I'm here because I'm not letting you go in on your own, not because I care about what's in there," Actually her parents had been in there and told her of the creatures that could roam in a forest, so it was probably a second benefit of Amory's that he had her with him too.​

 

[Amory Raven]

Amory didn't hide the eyeroll, nasty creatures these Zephyr girls. Glaring at the girl he made sure to not step on anything suspicious looking. "As if a first year is going to offer me much help, for all I know you might just freeze up at the sight of an owl flying above the tree line, I am not taking any responsibility over you. Got it?" He shot back, casting a Lumos as soon as they were far enough in for the light to not alarm others as easily outside of the woods.

 

[Echolyn Zephyr]

"Right, because by the time you're a second year you've mastered the art of defense," she muttered back, catching up to Amory's longer strides but careful not to trip over any branches. "I'm a first year, not an idiot," Echo didn't like to be thought of as weak, and even if she was just better at following after other people than she was at leading, that didn't mean she was going to just run away at the first sign of something being uncomfortable. Amory was apparently insistent on shining a beacon through the trees, although in all honestly it was a lot darker in here than Echo had initially believed it to be. "So are you hiding from something, or trying to find something hiding?"​

 

[Amory Raven]

Letting out a long sigh, to try and not say anything rude Amory just continued without a word. He wasn't looking to insult around just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. "Neither I just wanted to take a look around. See what the forest may hold and what all the fuss has been about at the start of year feasts." It was the god honest truth. He just wanted to see what there was. Making his steps a little shorter just for the sake of the girl the Slytherin looked around. There were only really trees around. A lot of them.

 

[Cecras]

Cecras had noted a shift in habits of young wand carriers in recent years as fewer of them strayed into the Dark Forest without supervision from their elders. A welcome change but he feared not a permanent one and as such, Cecras remained vigilant and continued his patrols. On this occasion, his ears detected the unmistakable sound of young wand carriers in the forest again. They were too loud, too unguarded and too unaware. Cecras took position upon a rocky rise where he watched them. He exhaled through his nose and flicked his tail in quiet disapproval at the small and foolish humans wandering the forest. He would watch. He would wait. The stars had not yet revealed their fate.

 

[Echolyn Zephyr]

Echo was half expecting Amory to be defensive straight back, so it make her speechless when he simply told her what felt like the truth. "Oh," she continued to follow after him. "You never came in here last year?" she asked, wondering whether there was a single soul in the entire school that could possibly have gone their entire hogwarts career without ever stepping foot in the forest. Echo's eyes were widened as she peered through the darkness, like a bug that knew it was trying to avoid becoming prey. She lit up her own wand, casting a glow in front of them as she pressed on. "What do you think would be the worst thing you could possibly find in here?" She both wanted to know what Amory could come up with, and what he thought would be realistic for school grounds.​

 

[Amory Raven]

Amory shrugged his shoulders at the question, of course he had come here last year. "Oh no I did come here last year, I was just interrupted also watch your step apparently some things might have their homes on the ground or something? Wouldn't want anyone stomping on my roof..." He kept his eyes out and looking for anything suspicious, for some odd reason even though he didn't know the girl being older than her and her following him made Amory feel oddly responsible for her. "Well considering f***** unicorns are real? I don't know what to expect, but probably worst thing I could find was my death, but I doubt considering this is around the school and that would be dumb of them to put kids around such dangers." Hell if he knew what else might lurk there, besides they had visited on their first year Herbology lesson, but that had been during the day and under adult supervision.

 

[Echolyn Zephyr]

Echo wasn't entirely sure what to think when Amory was interrupted. Was that a good or bad thing? "Well of course they are," Echo had only seen a few unicorns herself, they weren't anything special though. If you'd seen one you'd seen them all in her opinion. She listened to him explain though that it given this was a school after all, surely there was only so many creatures that would be allowed on site. "That's true, we're probably safe enough. What sort of professor would want to risk another student death on their hands?" Echo asked, careful where she was stepping. She crossed over a root and stepped a little closer to Amory, hand resting on his arm for balance. She knew she could look after herself whatever creature they came up against, given her experience, but it was still nice that she was here with an older boy that would be able to protect her if needed. ​

 

[Amory Raven]

Amory rolled his eyes, though the girl couldn't see it, at the way she assumed everyone would know those animals were real. He hadn't known it until recently, jeez they did not teach that in biology at his elementary school. He was just about to say something when she said ANOTHER STUDENT DEATH. Not an A student death but ANOTHER. Turning around eyes wide he pushed the hand he hadn't noticed placed against his arm and stared at the girl for a beat before speaking. "What the hell do you mean by ANOTHER?!? Students have DIED BEFORE?" He asked with a hushed yet very alarmed tone. They had allowed CHILDREN to die?!?! Surely the girl was confused.

 

[Echolyn Zephyr]

Echo was startled when Amory suddenly turned on her, shock written across his face. She backtracked, her foot slipping backwards into a small uneven ditch. Her fingers clutched Amory's sleeve harder as she regained her balance, before looking back up at the second year. "Well, yeah"" The urge to flick him on the forehead was strong, "What did you think the memorial rose bush was for? Making the lake look a little prettier? Or Avie's rock? Students have died at this school Amory, and I don't intend to be next on the list," Honestly had this boy never properly explored his school?​

 

[Amory Raven]

Amory just stared at the girl, what on earth. Kids dying, that's insane behaviour. "I mean I haven't gone around the lake? I havent seen any bushes... or rocks? Well I have seen rocks but not Avie's rock specifically? I just you know tried to adapt to the fact that OH there's a magic stick that shoots out sparks and sh**. You know just trying to understand that my whole life has turned upside down, nothing special, nothing big." These magical born kids were seriously so ignorant to the fact that some of the students might have to take some time adapting to the idea of magic being real. Being able to end someone else's life with a few words and a whip of a fancy stick.

 

[Echolyn Zephyr]

As Echo was looking up at him with her large brown eyes, there was a smile spreading across her face as Amory told her how all of this was new to him. It must have been a little daunting, trying to understand the power that a muggle born now possessed. "You're really cute," she giggled, reaching up to pinch his cheek lightly between her fingers. "Come on, I'll tell you all about the creatures we find," she said, quickly turning to take his hand and pull him along behind her, still very careful not to trip on anymore rocks.​

 

[Amory Raven]

Amory's head was filled with the ring's of alarm bells when the first year called him cute and touched his cheeks. Swatting her hands away he wrinkled his face. "Don't call me cute and don't touch me like that." Had she never heard of boundaries. Apparently not because she was now pulling him by the hand, he pulled his own away feeling increasingly more uncomfortable. It wasn't like he was doing something wrong but he also didn't want to hold other girls hands. "Um just keep your hands to yourself and let's just keep looking." He gave her a weird look, not sure how to act.

 

[Echolyn Zephyr]

As Amory practically slapped Echo away, she pouted, unsure what else to say. She'd never really tried to compliment anyone outside of her family before, but it wasn't great to be rejected. "Fine." She let go of the Slytherin and walked on ahead by herself, not knowing whether or not Amory would come after her. If he didn't, then she'd just have to find the creatures by herself. ​

 

[Amory Raven]

Amory immediately felt bad as the girl seemed a bit offended and he walked behind her in quick strides. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to be rude I just don't like people touching my face or me for that matter.." He never really had, if only because he was not used to it and currently he wasn't trying to give the wrong impression to this girl who was harboring some sort of a crush or something at this point.

 

[Echolyn Zephyr]

"Don't worry about it," Echo wasn't keen to linger on the subject, especially when they were in the forest and they should have been keeping their guard up. At least he was still walking behind her rather than leaving Echo to fend for herself, so that meant he was a gentleman. "We can follow these footprints," she noted out loud, bending down to point her wand at the large prints that was almost as big as her face, squished into the mud off the main path.​