Voices were surrounding her, some familiar, some not. A thick white fog was swirling around her. The heavy smell of pine and dirt hung in the air. She squinted her eyes up against the darkness, and lifted her head. The moon was high in the sky, the stars twinkling below it, giving a faint eerie glow to the trees around her. Jessica stood slowly and painfully, brushing dirt off her clothes. Getting a better look at her surroundings, she realized she was in a forest. She put her hand over her eyes to focus them in the dark. In the far off distance she could see a huge mass that looked strangely like the Whomping Willow.
Her stomach gave a funny jolt. If she could see the Whomping Willow, she must be inside the Forbidden Forest. Everyone knew that the Forbidden Forest was riddled with all kinds of murderous beasts. Shaking slightly, she pulled her wand out of her pocket. "Lumos," she whispered. Instantly, the ground was ignited with light. Again, she heard the voices. They sounded rather near.
"Who's there?" Jessica asked in a quivering voice.
No answer.
Jessica crept around a particularly large tree to get a look at the speakers. The sight that met her eyes was very unusual. Seven people were standing around in a large clearing. Four of them were men, and the other three were women. She managed to stifle her gasp of shock.
Shifting slightly to the left to try and distinguish their faces, she accidentally trod on a twig which snapped noisily. She jumped back, her heart thudding. Any minute now they were going to come around the tree, and then she would be in big trouble. She stood there for a long time waiting for them, but no one came. Relaxing slightly she leaned forward. No one seemed to notice the sound. They were all still talking casually amongst themselves.
How can this be? She wondered. And then it hit her. How many times had Harry been somewhere that no one could see or hear him? She almost started laughing she was so relieved. This obviously was a similar situation. Gathering her courage, she put out her wand and stepped out from behind the tree, starting toward the people.
As if the situation couldn't have gotten any worse, the first and only face she recognized belong to the one person she never wanted to run in to in a dark enclosed space...Professor Snape. He was looking particularly wicked tonight. The starlight shining off his greasy hair and turning his face stark white. She turned to study the other people talking. They were all wearing robes that looked like they might have been in style in the 1600s. Even more puzzling was their manner of talking.
Jessica could catch bits a pieces of their conversations.
A frazzled looking wizard was speaking in a low, hurried voice. "Ah yes, I remember that one. Yes indeed, that Frutch nearly killed me before I could kill him. He was a right viscous one, he was. At one point in the fight, I was halfway down his throat. I managed to escape, of course, but only to find that..."
"Now really, Albert," said a little blonde witch, "I seem to remember you screaming and crying like a child for several days after."
"My dear Isabel," said the wizard named Albert, chuckling, "Let us not forget your famous...er, defeat of the great wizard Gretkey."
"As I've said countless times," said the little witch named Isabel, "I was not feeling well that day. But what does it matter, he is dead, is he not?"
"That, he is," said a different wizard. He was taller and more handsome, and seem to hold some respected position with the others.
"Thank you, Dilan," said the little blonde witch.
"Well if you ask me," said yet another witch, "I think they should just let us get out there and do our job. Who says we need atleast ten Auror's to kill a dark wizard? There's no guarantee that the others are even able to be contacted." She sounded irritated, but apparently the others had become used to this.
"Now, now, Seria," Albert said, "I think that perhaps we should wait so we can do our job correctly, rather than quickly."
"And what do you think about this, Saria?" said Dilan, "Surely you have some opinion in this matter?"
At first, Jessica thought he was directing this question toward a particularly large boulder, but then she realized there was a with sitting on top of it, gazing at the moon. She had brunette hair that hung roughly below her shoulders. The moon and starlight was illuminating her pale skin, making her appear as though she was glowing. When she turned her head, the first thing Jessica saw was her bright green eyes. They stood out clearer than anything in the landscape. As Jessica watched, she sighed and slid sideways off the rock.
"I don't know," she said, straightening her robes, "I guess I want to get the fighting over and done with, but I also want to see Vincent. I've missed him so terribly."
"Very understandable," said Dilan.
Snape cleared his throat loudly, bringing their attention back to him.
"If you'll excuse me," he said in his oily voice, "It is nearly dawn. I must be getting back to the castle. Do not hesitate to send an owl if you need any assistance." He nodded slightly, then turned and swept off toward the castle.
"Doddering old git," said a wizard, who had not yet spoken, "I can't believe Dumbledore thinks he needs to keep us safe. We're fully trained Aurors! We can handle whatever this forest can cough up!"
"Now, Jacob," said Saria, finally making her way over to join the group, "I understand your frustration, but we are the last hope. And I suppose Dumbledore is just trying to show his appreciation for us coming."
"I suppose," Jacob said, apparently even more irritated that she had rationalized his anger.
Jessica had been listening raptly, and at the word Aurors she jumped. They were the six Aurors! Dumbledore had put them in the Forest, because he knew no one would venture in there without a good reason! She froze as she remembered what Ron and Hermione had told her about Saria and Vincent. Now that she thought about it, Saria did look a lot like her and Harry. Infact, she had Jessica's hair, Harry's eyes, and all three of them had pale skin. And wasn't she the one who said she missed Vincent? Her heart stopped beating and her breath caught in her throat.
She walked forward slowly, her hand outstretched. But just as she reached the woman, a rush of air swept past her and the next thing she knew, she was waking up in her dormitory, the morning sun trickling in through a split in the curtains.
Her stomach gave a funny jolt. If she could see the Whomping Willow, she must be inside the Forbidden Forest. Everyone knew that the Forbidden Forest was riddled with all kinds of murderous beasts. Shaking slightly, she pulled her wand out of her pocket. "Lumos," she whispered. Instantly, the ground was ignited with light. Again, she heard the voices. They sounded rather near.
"Who's there?" Jessica asked in a quivering voice.
No answer.
Jessica crept around a particularly large tree to get a look at the speakers. The sight that met her eyes was very unusual. Seven people were standing around in a large clearing. Four of them were men, and the other three were women. She managed to stifle her gasp of shock.
Shifting slightly to the left to try and distinguish their faces, she accidentally trod on a twig which snapped noisily. She jumped back, her heart thudding. Any minute now they were going to come around the tree, and then she would be in big trouble. She stood there for a long time waiting for them, but no one came. Relaxing slightly she leaned forward. No one seemed to notice the sound. They were all still talking casually amongst themselves.
How can this be? She wondered. And then it hit her. How many times had Harry been somewhere that no one could see or hear him? She almost started laughing she was so relieved. This obviously was a similar situation. Gathering her courage, she put out her wand and stepped out from behind the tree, starting toward the people.
As if the situation couldn't have gotten any worse, the first and only face she recognized belong to the one person she never wanted to run in to in a dark enclosed space...Professor Snape. He was looking particularly wicked tonight. The starlight shining off his greasy hair and turning his face stark white. She turned to study the other people talking. They were all wearing robes that looked like they might have been in style in the 1600s. Even more puzzling was their manner of talking.
Jessica could catch bits a pieces of their conversations.
A frazzled looking wizard was speaking in a low, hurried voice. "Ah yes, I remember that one. Yes indeed, that Frutch nearly killed me before I could kill him. He was a right viscous one, he was. At one point in the fight, I was halfway down his throat. I managed to escape, of course, but only to find that..."
"Now really, Albert," said a little blonde witch, "I seem to remember you screaming and crying like a child for several days after."
"My dear Isabel," said the wizard named Albert, chuckling, "Let us not forget your famous...er, defeat of the great wizard Gretkey."
"As I've said countless times," said the little witch named Isabel, "I was not feeling well that day. But what does it matter, he is dead, is he not?"
"That, he is," said a different wizard. He was taller and more handsome, and seem to hold some respected position with the others.
"Thank you, Dilan," said the little blonde witch.
"Well if you ask me," said yet another witch, "I think they should just let us get out there and do our job. Who says we need atleast ten Auror's to kill a dark wizard? There's no guarantee that the others are even able to be contacted." She sounded irritated, but apparently the others had become used to this.
"Now, now, Seria," Albert said, "I think that perhaps we should wait so we can do our job correctly, rather than quickly."
"And what do you think about this, Saria?" said Dilan, "Surely you have some opinion in this matter?"
At first, Jessica thought he was directing this question toward a particularly large boulder, but then she realized there was a with sitting on top of it, gazing at the moon. She had brunette hair that hung roughly below her shoulders. The moon and starlight was illuminating her pale skin, making her appear as though she was glowing. When she turned her head, the first thing Jessica saw was her bright green eyes. They stood out clearer than anything in the landscape. As Jessica watched, she sighed and slid sideways off the rock.
"I don't know," she said, straightening her robes, "I guess I want to get the fighting over and done with, but I also want to see Vincent. I've missed him so terribly."
"Very understandable," said Dilan.
Snape cleared his throat loudly, bringing their attention back to him.
"If you'll excuse me," he said in his oily voice, "It is nearly dawn. I must be getting back to the castle. Do not hesitate to send an owl if you need any assistance." He nodded slightly, then turned and swept off toward the castle.
"Doddering old git," said a wizard, who had not yet spoken, "I can't believe Dumbledore thinks he needs to keep us safe. We're fully trained Aurors! We can handle whatever this forest can cough up!"
"Now, Jacob," said Saria, finally making her way over to join the group, "I understand your frustration, but we are the last hope. And I suppose Dumbledore is just trying to show his appreciation for us coming."
"I suppose," Jacob said, apparently even more irritated that she had rationalized his anger.
Jessica had been listening raptly, and at the word Aurors she jumped. They were the six Aurors! Dumbledore had put them in the Forest, because he knew no one would venture in there without a good reason! She froze as she remembered what Ron and Hermione had told her about Saria and Vincent. Now that she thought about it, Saria did look a lot like her and Harry. Infact, she had Jessica's hair, Harry's eyes, and all three of them had pale skin. And wasn't she the one who said she missed Vincent? Her heart stopped beating and her breath caught in her throat.
She walked forward slowly, her hand outstretched. But just as she reached the woman, a rush of air swept past her and the next thing she knew, she was waking up in her dormitory, the morning sun trickling in through a split in the curtains.