Can't Go It Alone
Chapter 7
Cnorth
Disclaimer: All HP Characters belong to JKR.
Credit: Winthrops Slayer and whitv.
A/N: Thanks for being so tolerant of that last chapter and how short it was. This one will be longer, I promise.
It was almost sunset when the seven figures were seen departing the shadow cast across the grounds by the castle, and entering the deeper shadow that was the forest. Knowing that the only way to get herself into the elven territory on the far side of the forest was to have humans with her, Luna had quickly secured the help of Lori, Shaylin, Chelli, Whitney, Stacy, and Hollie by telling them that Brittany was hurt and she needed their help to save her.
More than this, she had a specific reason to choose each of these girls for the task. Many of them didn't know it yet, but they each had certain special talents that could come in handy. Lori was proving to be a very talented student of potions, even within just her first week. Then, of course, there was also the fact that with Lori there automatically came a well stocked basket of handmade food. Shaylin was a good hand with animals, and experienced in treating minor human injuries as well. Chelli showed great promise in divination, and possibly was even good enough to be qualified as a Seer. Whitney had been able to fully heal many injuries in her very first magical healing class. Stacy had a lot of talent managing fire, which in this forest, could be a very powerful weapon against many of the more dangerous magical creatures. Hollie, though she didn't know any veterinary medicine, was able to communicate with animals. They would be easily able to find their way through the forest with her talents at their side.
Knowing she could lose her job if the Headmistress found out before they succeeded, they had managed to cover their tracks very thoroughly. Luna had prepared a "field trip" back to the US for the girls that would take a week. If they finished this task in little enough time, they would still have time to go back to Winthrop in order to get some more of their things.
Rather than robes, they were wearing comfortable and more fashionable muggle clothes. Luna had on free moving leather pants, fairly high boots, and a peasant top with a "utility belt" that, while not resembling something out of Batman, was still more convenient than carrying a purse or backpack through the forest. The rest of the girls were wearing jeans and hoodies of varying styles and colors, with hiking boots and the utility belts, except for Chelli, who could fit all her stuff in her cargo pants, and also just happened to be very anti-utility belt and hiking boots, which accounted for the slightly worn combat boots she was sporting. Lori and Whitney carried the majority of the potions, and Luna dispersed the other items between the girls.
The Forbidden Forest, which sat to the east of the castle, stretched as far as the eye could see. No one had ever fully explored it, and even if they had, it would have been impossible to map the dangers, since most of the magical creatures that inhabited the forest migrated around, never staying in the same place for very long.
As the teens marched towards the looming forest, Chelli muttered, "Ya know what's worse than nature? Enchanted nature, that's what." She turned to Holls, "Why am I here again?"
"Brittany."
"Well, she better not die before we get back."
The small group of explorers trudged through the dense foliage. In the distance a howl pierced the emerging night's tranquility. Above the sounds that emanated from the forest, the occasional grunt or complaint slipped out. Chelli and Hollie leaned against each other for support, since they had both fallen over tree roots in the first five miles. Luna tried to keep a close eye on both the girls and their perilous surroundings. The dangers of the Forbidden Forest were known throughout the Wizarding World, and Luna did not want to lose any of her friends while they tried to save the injured girl.
After a few hours of walking, or trudging in some cases, darkness fully enshrouded the forest. No one said a word for the most part. An occasional reference to a horror movie came from Chelli, which caused Lori to whimper, and then there was the moment when Hollie exclaimed, "Too bad we don't have a Mustang Man with us…Mustang Men don't die!" adding just a touch of bitter sarcasm in the last remark. But essentially, the only noises came from deeper in the forest. So when a loud shriek rang out, all the girls screamed as they looked for the source of the shriek. They found a self-conscious Whitney standing behind the group
"There was a ladybug." The older girl mumbled as the others glared.
Chelli replied incredulously, "Of all the things in this incredibly massive forest that could kill us, you're afraid of one tiny ladybug?"
"But it was a ladybug…and I just don't like ladybugs," Whitney whined pitifully, and her friends just groaned as they continued on their way.
They walked for several hours, and finally settled down a few miles into the forest. They pulled a tent much like the ones at the Quidditch World Cup out from its place, shrunken in Hollie's utility belt, and watched as it set itself up. After only minimal complaints about sleeping in the forest from Chelli, they closed themselves into the tent, some going to sleep, others opting for mere relaxation. Shaylin and Whitney were both asleep the instant their heads hit the pillow, closely followed by Luna and Chelli. Lori, Hollie, and Stacy, however, were too hyper to sleep. Now, allow an explanation of this-their restlessness was caused by the phenomenon known as Fundip. Even though Lori had packed plenty of normal, and even healthy, foods for the trip, still they fell back on sugar. Not surprisingly, by the time the others woke up, the 3 night owls had fallen asleep, and Luna groaned in frustration, knowing it was going to be hard to get them up, much less energetic enough to continue the trip.
Finally, after much poking and prodding, and a cry from Chelli to Hollie of, "Get your blonde ass out of bed!" the 3 finally woke up. Lori was hardest to wake up, and they eventually had to resort to pulling her half out of the bed to get her moving. Hollie had responded with a groan, before rolling over and trying to go back to sleep, but she had finally gotten up.
They reshrunk the tent, and continued on down the path after a light breakfast of juice and toast, made with a brief use of the "lacarnum inflamarae" charm. By noon, they were reaching the edge of elvish territory. It was easy to tell when they fully crossed into it, because the trees were in better condition, with no dead trees and no dead vegetation on the floor of the forest. Also, flowers that shouldn't have been blooming in the fall were in full bloom, including dogwood trees, which only bloom in springtime.
They proceeded for a while unchecked, but then all of a sudden, they were surrounded. Elves came pouring out, popping up behind every bush and tree. And, not surprisingly, all of them had weapons pointed at Luna's head.