Where are the Flowers?

[Rudolf Lagowski]

Rudolf wasn't scared. He wasn't. He wasn't. All he had to do was find that stupid purple plant Reuben had told him about, and he'd have proof of his ventures deep into the forbidden forest. But every direction in which the skittish Gryffindor looked, he saw nothing but sallow grey. Grey fog, grey trees, grey sky - even his skin appeared grey under the pallid silvery moonlight. Wispy tendrils threshed and licked at his ankles as he walked across what could have been, had the wildlife been a little less dead, called a glade. Still he pressed on. Rudolf would rather have returned to school in a coffin than gone back empty handed. Perhaps it should have occurred to him that such a purple plant did not exist, and that he was in fact the victim of one of his twin's less amusing practical jokes, but the heroic Gryffindor was far too determined to prove his courage to accept this as a possible explanation.

It was no matter. As long as he continued to walk in a straight line, he couldn't get lost... right? Wrong. A quick glance over his shoulder was all it took for Rudolf to lose all feeling in his legs. The trees all looked the same. Disorientated and close to giving up hope, he sat down on a damp, decaying log for a rest. Had it been this cold when he'd set out? He certainly couldn't recall seeing his breath on the air twenty minutes ago. "Suck it up!" Rudolf told himself fiercely, and then looked left and right to make sure he was alone. The forest was vast, but he'd heard rumours of the dark and disturbing creatures that inhabited it, and he had no intention of meeting any of them today. Eventually he sighed, rubbing his chilly palms together to retain some warmth. If he didn't head back soon, he really would be going home in a coffin. With no idea if he was heading in the right direction, Rudolf put a little faith in his internal compass and started the trek back to school (hopefully).

 

[Kimmyeon Kendall-Wu]

Kimmyeon had been told on her first day in school that she wasn't allowed to go into the forbidden forest, and naturally she wasn't to find out why. She was furious that she hadn't been allowed to ride her broom either. Apparently students were not supposed to until the official flying lessons had started. However Kimmyeon thought combining the two would mean a few hours of undisturbed rekindling.

She had found a wide open expanse, where the trees continued to grow thickly and wide, hiding the area from sunlight and prying eyes. It was a perfect spot to practice. if not perhaps a little small, however it was better than not flying at all. Flying was one of the only memories Kimmyeon had of her father, as she taught her how to use her first broomstick. She had struggled at first, and had multiple injuries to prove so, but as she persevered her result became more successful. Now, out in the woods, Kimmyeon mounted her broom once again, gripping tightly, and giving a firm kick up off the ground. It had been weeks; felt like years, since Kimmyeon has last flown, but as soon as the fresh air hit her everything came flooding back. Bending forward to keep streamline, her speed began to increase. Why must there be so many trees? She thought, as she continuously curved in on herself, and began to fly in some kind of circle. If only she were free enough to fly straight up and out of this forest.

A few moment past, and she pushed her broom back towards the ground. Why ever would first years be banned from this? She thought, arrived at the earth's surface with a small bump. As she landed in the dry dirt, she sat in silence for a few seconds, appreciating the silence and getting her breath back. All of a sudden she heard the crack of branches, and the padding of feet going past directly behind her. She froze, all memories of the stories she'd been told of werewolves coming back to her mind, and refused to look around.

 

[Rudolf Lagowski]

Was it Rudolf, or were the trees getting taller? The young boy shuddered, trying not to think about how closely the shadows they cast resembled dark monsters with long, twisting arms. The further through the forest he walked, the more apprehensive he grew. Had he seen that boulder before? And what was that noise? At first, Rudolf dismissed the quiet thud across the thicket as merely a figment of his imagination. It was far easier to control his legs when he pretended there weren't werewolves and centaurs roaming the forest with him. But as he approached a stretch of ground where the trees were sparse and thin, something that definitely wasn't grey caught his eye. A student! Rudolf had never been so pleased to see a girl in his entire life.

Putting his fears of cooties behind him, he approached the figure from behind. He assumed she was a girl; her long blonde hair and slender figure gave him plenty reason to believe so. She held a broom in one hand, and sat so rigidly she could have been made of stone. Rudolf cocked his head, calling out only once he was close enough not to alert any nearby werewolves. "Hey!" he said, stopping several meters away. If he hadn't been so desperate to find his way out of the forest, he might have considered hiding behind a tree trunk and growling, but he wasn't in the mood to play games.