Chapter 6 - The Forbidden Forest
Barney and Thomas finally caught up with Tabitha as she stood at the edge of the tree line.
"It's in there," she announced pointing towards the forest in front of her.
"But that's the Forbidden Forest," Thomas replied. "We're not meant to go in there."
"The clue said 'it grows at night and sleeps by day', it must be something growing in there."
They all looked into the dense forest. Little light seemed to be able to penetrate the thick canopy of branches and no sounds could be heard from within. It was eerily quiet and gave Thomas a chill along his spine as he looked on.
"Why would the clue lead us to the forest when we were told not to go in there?" Barney asked.
"Maybe it's a test," Tabitha replied taking a few bold steps closer to the forest.
"What sort of test?"
"Like to test our initiative or our bravery," she suggested as she turned back to look at them both. "Are you coming or not?"
"Maybe we should check the greenhouses again," Thomas said, not wanting to get in trouble before classes had even begun.
Tabitha ignored him and kept on walking towards the forest. She momentarily paused at the very edge, took another long deep stare in and then proceeded to make her way through the thick foliage.
"We should probably go with her," Barney remarked. "To make sure she's OK."
He hesitantly began to follow Tabitha into the dense forest before he lost sight on her, getting scratched by branches as he went. Thomas still stood at the forest's edge as he watched his friends disappear. He looked around and saw no one else was about then reached into his pocket and pulled out his inhaler and took a long puff.
"Hey wait up," he called out and reluctantly followed.
Tabitha had managed to find a faint path which they were all now following deeper into the Forbidden Forest. Little streams of sunlight that managed to find it's way through gave them just enough light to see where they were going. Once or twice Thomas tripped up on roots or branches and often fell straight in to Barney's back, almost knocking him over too.
"Maybe we should go back?" Thomas uttered, constantly looking around in all directions for signs of danger.
"He's right," Barney noted. "Even if what we're looking for is in here, it could be anywhere. We'll just end up getting lost."
"Just a little further, " Tabitha replied, continuing on ahead none the less.
Soon they emerged into a small clearing. Thomas sat down on a fallen tree trunk to catch his breath as Tabitha surveyed the forest to determine which direction to go in next as Barney noticed a rip in his trousers and could see blood underneath. He rolled up his trouser leg and tended to the scratch.
"This is hopeless," said Barney as he pulled his trouser leg back down. "We should go back now."
Thomas didn't need to be told twice and was already up and ready to follow his friend back out of the forest. Tabitha, realising she would be walking around the forest on her own with no idea of where to go, grudgingly turned to follow the other two back the way they came when she heard a noise in the distance.
"What was that?" she exclaimed.
"Sounded like a cry," Barney suggested.
"Come on lets go see," she said as she speed off into the direction the noise had come from.
"Wait," Barney called out. But it was no use, she was already gone.
Both Thomas and Barney wanted to get out of the forest as soon as possible but they couldn't leave Tabitha alone so they both hurried after her.
They heard the cry again as they dashed through the forest. Tabitha stopped briefly, not sure if she was still going in the right direction and strained to listen for the cry again. When she heard it again she darted off just as Thomas and Barney had caught up with her.
"Come on it came from over here," she called back as she ploughed on ahead.
Next time they heard the cry it was much louder and they knew they were getting closer. All of a sudden Tabitha stopped and Barney and Thomas went crashing into the back of her.
The boys peered around Tabitha as they all looked towards the base of a tree in front of them. There in the nook of the tree was huddled a small creature with greyish purple skin. It had a little tuft of hair on it's head but otherwise was completely bald. The creature let out another cry.
"Wha... what is it? Thomas trembled.
"I'm not sure," Tabitha replied. "I wonder if it's hurt?"
Seeing no obvious signs of injuries, Tabitha slowly stepped towards the creature, not wanting to frighten it. She crouched down in front of it as the creature looked up at her with wide black eyes.
"We should take it back to Hagrid," she said as she reached out a finger towards the creature who playfully grasped it in it's tiny hands.
"Why?" Thomas asked. "We should just leave it and get going back. It's not injured."
"But something doesn't seem right," Tabitha said. "It looks so small and young. Where is it's mother? If we just leave it who knows what will happen to it."
"Maybe it's mum will be back any minute and won't be happy to find we've taken her baby," Thomas noted.
Barney took off his jumper and gave it to Tabitha.
"Here, use this to wrap it up in. We can take it to Hagrid and then he can always bring it back."
Tabitha took the jumper and carefully wrapped the creature up in it and picked it up and cradled it in her arms. It looked up at her with innocent eyes.
"But if we take it to him, he'll know we were in the forest and we'll get into trouble." Thomas moaned.
"Me and Barney can take it to him, he won't need to know you were with us."
Slightly reassured but not entirely happy, Thomas got a closer look at the creature. All three stared at it in wonder as it seemed to smile back at them.
"What you got there?" a voice boomed from behind them.
Tabitha almost dropped the creature in shock as they all turned to see a large figure emerge from the undergrowth.
"Oh Professor Hagrid erm..." Tabitha stuttered as they other two remained tight lipped and looked rather nervous and afraid, having also noticed the very large black dog at Hagrid's side.
"An' what you doing in here? You know you're not meant to be in the Forbidden Forest," he said as he stepped forward and took a closer look at the creature.
"Well you see..." Tabitha continued, "we were doing the scavenger hunt and err... we thought one of the clues was leading us here and err... then we heard this crying noise and found this creature all alone."
"Alone you say?" Hagrid asked and all three nodded in agreement. "That's strange. See this here is a Minx Goblin. Female minx goblins only produce one young in their whole life. That's why they're pretty rare creatures. Also means the mother would never leave their young unless somethin' bad had happened ter 'em."
Hagrid reached out an exceptionally large hand towards Tabitha who handed the goblin over to him. The creature now looked even smaller and more defenceless in the giants oversized hand. Hagrid lifted the bundled creature up to get a closer look.
"Doesn't look 'urt ter me. Where did yeh find it?"
"Over there" said Tabitha as she pointed to the base of the tree.
With one long stride Hagrid was already at the spot and carefully looked around for signs of where the mother may have gone. He knelt down, still holding the goblin and smelt the ground as the trio of students looked on baffled at their professor's actions.
They all noticed a change in the wind as Hagrid stood up again. The expression on his face looked grim as he continued to look around in an anxious manner.
"We should be gettin' you back to the school. Come on lets not dawdle."
And with that Hagrid began bounding back through the forest, with Thomas, Barney and Tabitha barely able to keep up with his large strides. No one said a word as they went. The students exchanged some worried glances between themselves as they set off. Though Hagrid's large body was cutting something of a path through the forest, the students were having to be careful they didn't get a branch snap back in their face as the giant went. He didn't seem to be too concerned with what was going on behind him, he just wanted to get everyone out their as soon as possible.
Eventually they made it out of the forest as Hagrid continued on towards the castle. The trio followed him as Hagrid stopped outside his hut.
"Right now you three best be gettin' back ter the scavenger 'unt."
"But can't we stay with you and the goblin for a bit?" Tabitha pleaded.
Thomas didn't look to fussed and seemed happy to just get back to the safety of the castle but Barney also wanted to spend some time with the goblin.
"Well a few minutes won't 'urt. Come in and I'll put the kettle on."
The trio followed him in through the massive door. Inside there was only one room and Hagrid immediately moved over to the fireplace, lit it and filled his copper kettle with water and started to heat it. The room was filled with hanging pheasants and hams with gave the hut an odd aroma, which made Thomas wish they hadn't entered. In the corner was a massive bed with a patchwork quilt and they noticed resting against it was a crossbow.
Hagrid placed the Minx Goblin on the table and removed the jumped from around it and handed it back to Barney. He then rummaged around in some cupboards and handed the little creature a piece of parsnip, which it happily began to chew on. Hagrid then brought out four cups and placed them on the table. Barney noticed that the cups were more like extremely large bowls to them. Hagrid's dog came up beside Barney and started licking his hand, covering it in slobber.
"So what do you think happened to it's mother?" Tabitha asked as she watched the creature with fascination devouring the parsnip.
"Hard to say. There's a lot of dangerous things in that forest. That's why yeh never ter go in there."
"So what will you do with him?" Barney asked as Hagrid began to pour the tea into the mugs.
"Well I'll have ter look after the little fella. Without it's mother it wouldn' survive long on it's own."
"So it was a good job we found it then?" Tabitha smirked, giving Thomas and Barney a satisfied grin.
Barney picked up his mug of steaming tea and tried to drink it but just ended up scolding his mouth. He put the mug back on the table and watched as the creature started to play with a spoon.
"Well yeah I guess so," Hagrid noted. "But that doesn' excuse yeh from going in ter the forest. Professor McGonagall made it very clear yeh weren' ter go in there. Now I should really report this ter her."
All three of them slumped in their chairs, conscious of what punishment McGonagall would give them.
"But like yeh said," Hagrid continued, "if you hadn' gone in there then we would never 'ave found this little guy an' who knows what would of 'appened to him. So it will be our little secret."
They all let out a sigh of relief.
Hagrid continued to tell them all about Minx Goblins and how they might seem cute and adorable when they're young, but once they grow to adolescent hood they can become rather mischievous with a habit of eating any object they take a fancy too and starting fires. As well as the tea, Hagrid also offered them some cakes. And though they were all hungry no one took up his offer as the cakes didn't exactly look appetizing and they were all pretty sure if they took a bit of them they would break their teeth as they looked hard as rocks.
"Well I'd better be gettin' back ter the school before any students finish the 'unt," Hagrid announced as he got up and pulled a blanket off a large cage in the corner of the room. He put the blanket in the cage to make it nice and comfortable and carefully placed the little Minx Goblin inside with some more vegetables to keep it happy.
"So how far yeh got with the 'unt then?" he asked as they all made their way out of his hut and started heading back up to the school.
"We're still on the third clue," Tabitha answered slightly downcast.
"Oh well erm... it's the takin' part that counts."
As they entered the entrance hall, Professor Sinistra greeted them with some excited Ravenclaw students.
"Ah Professor Hagrid there you are," she said as she approached them. "I think we may have your scavenger hunt winners here."
One of the Ravenclaw students, a young girl with long black hair and very green eyes held out carefully in front of her a small glass ball that glowed gold inside, which had been found where the last clue of the scavenger hunt had led them.
"Well done," Hagrid boomed with a smile. "One 'undred points ter Ravenclaw."
Just then three Slytherin students came bursting into the hall. Barney recognised the two boys from his dorm and they were joined by a girl who was very tall and slim, had pale skin and long silvery hair. Barney vaguely remembered seeing her the night before during the sorting ceremony. The girl held in her hand a small glass ball that glowed silver.
"And fifty points ter Slytherin," hollered Hagrid, his deep voice reverberating around the room.
The Slytherin girl looked extremely pleased with herself and when she caught sight of Barney she gave him an almighty sneer and an almost look of disgust. Spending time with Thomas and Tabitha, Barney had nearly forgotten his troubles. But now he was back in the castle he was reminded of just how much the Slytherins hated him.