House: Slytherin
Category: Drabble
Prompts: The Forbidden Forest is Forbidden for a reason
Word count: 892 (Excluding Author's Note, but including entire Drabble and Title)
Beta'd by: Daronwyk- Thank you so much! Couldn't have done it without you, and you're right. I was a little too excited to write and publish this!
Author's Note: Although I just missed Round One, I'm happy how this round is going. :) This is giving me the opportunity to write things I would never dare write about, thus this drabble! I promised myself (because it was so hard to word this fic) that if I fell through with my first choice that I would pick something more tuned to my talents in a later round. As difficult as it was, I'm very pleased with the turn out.
As always, enjoy
-Carolare Scarletus
.~.
Lesson Learned
.~.
They never thought he would follow through with his word. Hanging by their toes in the dungeons felt slightly more appealing than being buried up to their necks in upturned soil in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, especially with raging hawks and Centaurs hell-bent on ravishing the world's population of Wizards. If that wasn't enough, there was a banshee whose scream came clearer and clearer as the night waned on, sending shivers to run down their spines at the very thought. Had they listened to Dumbledore, the group wouldn't be in this mess.
"When we get out of here, I'm going to kill you two myself!" hissed Ron as he struggled against the binding of the soil as it tightened slightly against his body. It hadn't been enchanted to cause death, only an uncomfortable pinch between the pockets of air that he was able to create while he wiggled about, trying to escape. "If mum and dad don't, I'll-"
"Shut up," the twins said in sync. "She's coming." Ron could see that there was an odd strangeness to the way they were looking out into the open darkness and he looked at Harry for assistance.
He didn't want to be part of it, already frightened enough. They had all been found outside of their dorms by Professor McGonagall and by the time she casted the spell and left, he had time to reflect that maybe his midnight wanderings were just a bit spontaneous, if not stupid. He could hear Hermione's distinctive drawl in his mind and he did everything to push it out, even holding his breath. The pain did little to help the nagging sensation that crept up his spine.
If only he listened to her!
"W-what do you mean 'she's'?" Ron asked then, certain that the answer was nothing that he wanted to hear. "Fred? George?" When neither of them answered, he began to rock his body against the soil once more, determined to get out before either of them could crack out in laughter. Unfortunately, it wasn't like any of those times. This was serious.
You see, legend spoke of her nudeness, and the marks that formed her exposed bosom and the valleys that even the richest king wouldn't dare trespass. Her skin was marred with wrinkles so unbelievably deep that one had to question its authenticity. Moles the size of saucers, hair twined and grey stood out against the pale contour of her backside and a haunting madness that anyone that even heard a retelling of the old-aged story would vomit upon hearing it. It was a story that was passed down for decades, something that had been delivered again and again until nothing of the original masterpiece was left, only that of which was of myth and legend. But, no one could fabricate something as seeing the Old Hag of the Woods, not even Fred and George Weasley.
If they could get a picture of the toad-like creature, they would be put into Hogwarts, A History itself for discovering such an unappealing creature dressed in the moonlight in the Forbidden Forest.
Old Dumbledore had spoken of the Forest and the creatures, but never really told the students why it was named as such.
Until now.
The long sought-after creature of such hideousness that no man dared to even make her acquaintance, in fear that they would be turned to stone would be found.
It was a challenge they so readily accepted.
"D'you think she'll show up, ol'Georgie?" asked Fred as a grin stretched across his freckled face.
His twin laughed painfully underneath the bearing weight of their prison. They had been thrown into a pit together. Born together, die together, they'd always said.
"Dunno. Maybe or maybe not."
"What are you two talking about!?" Ron's screech punctured the quiet air.
"The Legendary Wrinkly Toad-Faced Woman of the Woods, of course." scoffed Fred.
"What?"
Even Harry looked at them, dumbstruck.
"Should be here shortly," George words were clipped as he looked around, his red hair falling over his eyes. He wanted to reach up and brush them out of the way but couldn't.
Fred looked around, meeting absolute darkness. In the interim of looking, he saw something flicker beyond the makeshift campsite of their burial. There, as if being summoned by the mating call of their brother. The twins' hearts quickened into accelerated paces that even in the confines of the soil, it threatened to pop right out of their chests.
If only they hadn't been caught!
In an instant, something came into view and what met them took all their breaths away in the utterance of a single blow.
And, when they turned they were met with the most astounding picture they ever saw:
Albus Dumbledore dressed in nothing but his birthday suit as he danced to the rhythm of unheard drum. As he consorted with his nudity, his body bounced in the most unflattering of ways. In their delirium, they had lost themselves. Come morning, they were found muttering under their breaths of the strange images that they had seen of their Headmaster. He however seemed perfectly contented, and heavily clothed when they were fetched and brought to the Great Hall for breakfast.
The Forbidden Forest was Forbidden, and it was a lesson they sure as hell would soon not forget.