Open Something Strange Dwells Here

[Aras Ragauskas]

It wasn't the first time Aras caught a glimpse of shadows flying over the grounds. Sometimes while walking past windows overlooking the forest, winged silhouettes emerged briefly through the dense canopy of the Forbidden Forest, to disappear beneath it again before he was quick enough to use his omnioculars. Stranger it seemed that many other students around him didn't seem to have noticed the mysterious creatures but maybe he just did because he was alerted, expecting them to make an appearance. The only distinctive feature he had made out was the pair of wings, serpentine in appearance like the one dragons had. But definitely what he was seeing from time to time, was far smaller than dragons and he was certain that no fire-breathing creatures would have been allowed to dwell that close to the castle.

Today's sighting through a window of the sixth floor, made Aras wanting to finally see what the winged shadows really looked like. Despite having a class later that afternoon, he went straight to his common room to pack a backpack with a few essentials he might needed while wandering in the forest. The sun was on its way down as he reached the tree line. He hesitated as he looked around him one last time to make sure he wasn't watched. With his wand in hand for reassurance, he stepped into the forest's embrace.

Aras looked overhead in awe. The tree's trunks, which species he totally ignored, were rising straight up to form a leafy roof that filtered even more the dying light of the afternoon. It was the first time he entered the forest while he had no reason to do so before. He flicked his wand and mattered an incantation for an orb of light to glow on its tip. It felt much more comforting the extra light he cast and started following a visible path, winding through the ancient tree trunks. He felt on edge as silence was only disturbed by his own footsteps and realized that whatever elusive creature that was, would have been alarmed of his presence before he would have been able to lay his eyes on it. He froze on the spot when he heard vegetation rustling not far from him. He pointed his lit wand towards the direction of the sound, not sure what to expect.

 

[Leia Hume]

Leia was watching the sunset from the lakefront, it was nice and a nice break from the studying that she’d been doing. But she knew she was supposed to head inside at some point soon. She would have to, she couldn’t exactly be breaking the rules, not when she was so close to the end of a perfect year. She had won her house points - a significant amount by her being a duelling champion and she wasn’t keen to lose them or worse end up in detention. She had time, the sun was setting early and there was plenty of time, but she didn’t want to get caught outside or spend too much time there. She turned intending to go back indoors when she spotted a familiar enough person head into the forest. She was sure it was that boy from the Kitchens, the one with the weird eye. Leia was curious as to why he was going into the forest. ​

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The forest was a place you weren’t supposed to go. She frowned, he wasn’t a slytherin, but he was a transfer perhaps he just didn’t know that you weren’t supposed to go into the forest. Perhaps that was it. She decided she’d be a good person and go and tell him that. She knew that being caught in the forest would likely still land her in trouble but she could still warn him. If she got in a little trouble, perhaps people wouldn’t at all think of her as a swot. She approached where she was sure that she was supposed to be going and eventually found him, his wand raised to her, ”The forest is forbidden. Do you know? Didn’t anyone tell you?” the tone was not one of sharpness, just telling him as it was, in an almost friendly enough manner. ​

 

[Aras Ragauskas]

A sigh of relief left his lips when the face of a fellow student was illuminated by his wand's tip. He didn't know what to expect from a forbidden forest. A creature? A patrolling professor? Or even worse, a werewolf? It didn't seem as forbidden as it was lectured. Yet another second year was also strolling around. Aras recognized the girl and quickly lowered his wand, not wanting to be rude by pointing the blinding light on her.
"I thought it was called that way to sound more dramatic." He joked but he immediately realized it wasn't a good jape. "Of course I know." He recalled the introductory speech he was given by the head of the house when he first arrived at Hogwarts. "It is just..." He hesitated as he looked around them, everything dimming steadily into darkness now. He eyed the girl for a moment, thinking that she was going to believe he was crazy as he was about to tell her about the weird creatures he was seeing. "I saw some strange creatures with dragon-like wings flying over the forest. I just want to see what they look like. They seem to be dwelling here. That's all." He explained as briefly as possible. Then he raised the eyebrow of his unscathed, blue eye. "It is forbidden as you say, but what are you doing here then?" He asked curiously as her presence there was as prohibited as his.