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Not Quite Detention in the Forbidden Forest
Never before in the history of her schooling had Eloise Midgeon been in such a good mood when heading to detention. She would usually drag her feet, whining and complaining to such a degree that she lost the sympathy of anyone within hearing range. Though not much appreciated, she firmly believed that her talent at aggravation would be recognized one day.
Tonight she skipped and whistled on her way, in an unconscious imitation of Weasley's elaborate choreography. It had been a dazzling triumph. Her reputation had immediately been re-established and she had gracefully accepted the adulation of the masses. Her defense misadventures were no longer quoted, she was now the Hufflepuff who 'whipped Weasley without batting an eye'. The first years she tutored had begged her to take them back and she had never seen Zacharias so delighted. Her choice of foe could not have been more perfect. Weasley tended to run off at the mouth and had offended quite a number of people during his years at Hogwarts. The Hufflepuffs were proud of her defending their house; the Slytherins were overjoyed that she had shown up Potter's friend; the Ravenclaws were relieved they wouldn't have to hear loud complaints about their bookishness for a few days; and, most of the Griffindors thought Ron being bested by a girl was hilarious. Admittedly, it had gone to her head. Susan had impatiently told her to grow-up as she yanked her down from her improvised orating platform. In hindsight, the announcement that 'the courageous and talented vanquisher of the great orange beast will be offering autographs for a modest monetary compensation,' might have been a little pretentious.
It had been worth it. A single evening of floor scrubbing, line writing or frog dissecting could not dampen her spirits. They were to meet Filch in the Great Hall.
She quieted as she approached, placing her feet quietly on the ground. Silence hung heavy in the air, the merest rustle of fabric echoed loudly, resonating across the large empty room. Silver splinters from the ghostly light of the windows shone on a few diffracted surfaces; a table edge, a forgotten parchment in a corner, a cracked stone. It illuminated the faint outlines of two students. She recognized them as she drew near: Malfoy and Weasley, mutually staring at each other with utter loathing.
"Come for your detentions I take it," rasped Filch as he materialized out of the gloom. "It'll be nothing more than you deserve. The thumbscrews might have done, but this will be even better."
The caretaker hacked a wheezing sound, "I warn you, this won't be pretty. Follow me."
His guileful smile hinting of horrors to come, he limped out of the hall, picking up his lantern on his way.
Eloise gulped and gave a frightened look to the others, whom had immediately followed while studiously ignoring each other, before running to catch up. They marched out the great doors onto the lawn and towards the groundkeeper's cabin.
"So ye brought 'em at las', Filch," rumbled the giant. "Thank ye. Tha' ell be all."
Filch was affronted at being so quickly dismissed, but he managed to give them a gleefully ominous good-bye.
"We'd better 'urry," said Hagrid. "Time's a running out. Do ye all know wha' hellebore is and do ye' all have a watch?"
The three nodded.
"We'll be goin' int'a the forest to harvest it's flowers ta'night. Midnigh' is comin', we have t'ah pick it 'afore one o'clock in the morning. They loose their potency af'ter tha'. Put 'em in these here bags. Ye've cultivated 'em 'afore in 'erbology, yeh know w'at ta do. Same metho' as last time boy's. Shoo' up red sparks if ye ge' int'a trouble. Ron ye'll be comin' with me. Malfoy ye'll be wi'h Fangs. You too Miss Midgeon," he added as an after thought.
Eloise tried to repress the sinking feeling in her stomach, it was making her sick.
"You want us to go into the forest on a full moon" Malfoy spluttered. "Are you mad?"
"Just as scared as a first year, aren't you Malfoy," Ron snorted derisively. "Five more years of magical education and you're just as cowardly as ever."
"Oh," Malfoy sneered. "Because wandering around at night in the Forbidden forest went so well last time. I seem to remember Potter almost getting killed… Pity."
"Ye'll be goin' Malfoy," growled Hagrid. 'It's no' more than ye' deserve fer bully'in the stu'ents.'
"Uh… Professor Hagrid," faltered Eloise. "I don't think this is such a good idea."
Malfy cut her off. "When my father hears about this.."
"Ye' father's in Azcaban, he's in no position t'a do anything Malfoy," Hagrid retorted pleasantly. "Now stop yer cowar'ly bleating, we haf'ta go."
Eloise stared at the forest; she was terrified. She knew what lived within, having researched the subject in her first year. Exploring it had at first sounded like a great idea, it was quickly rejected when she discovered the lists of the many students who had disappeared or died in the forest. She was panicking; cold sweat ran down her back. She tried to control her breath to keep herself from hyperventilating. Fear quickly turned to anger. An uncontrollable boiling rage filled her. Taking a few risks when magically experimenting was one thing, the possible rewards being worth the risk, but this was suicide! And for what?!
"Coward or not," Eloise sharply interjected. "Malfoy is perfectly right. I assume the Forbidden forest is forbidden because it is not safe for groups of students to go out exploring it in the middle of the day. It is now night and the full moon, magical creatures everywhere will be at their most active and dangerous."
"Don' worry yer 'ead abou' it. Fang 'ell be with ye," said Hagrid gruffly, heading to go.
"No!" she screeched. "You want me to go in there, on a full moon accompanied by nothing other than a mutt and another half trained student? You do realize that the most powerful offensive spells we have officially been taught at this school are weak stunner and impact charms?! All of which are next to useless when confronting magically resistant monsters. The forest is populated by lentifold, werewolves, chimera, and countless other nameless beasts. They are all resistant to magic! How exactly are we equipped to defend ourselves? Could you explain to me what exactly is worth the risk of loosing our lives? Or are you just that STUPID!"
Hagrid quailed a little, intimidated by the screaming student who didn't even reach his elbow. In other circumstance it might have been amusing. "Well…" he hesitated. "Professor Snape wan'ed some po'ion ingredients."
"If professor Snape wants his ingredients so badly, he can go get them himself," she seethed. "I'm certainly not risking my neck for something so stupid. I'm already a Muggle-born, there is no way I will contend with being a werewolf as well. There's enough discrimination heading my way already, thank you very much. And surprisingly enough, I have no desire to come to a premature end in the belly of some nightmarish creature!"
"You're just a coward Midgeon," Weasley scoffed. "Not so brave now that your little Puffy friends aren't with you."
Eloise looked back at him in disbelief. "If having a sense of self-preservation means that I am a coward and a Hufflepuff, then I am proud of it!"
Hagrid was at a loss. This detention was rapidly turning into a disaster. He did not know how to deal with the enraged student challenging him.
"I, for one," continued Midgeon. "Am NOT an IMBECILE and so refuse to risk my life in such pointless foolhardiness. If you Griffindors wish to pursue such idiocy, I will not stop you, but do not overstep your bounds a professor. You have no right to risk the life of your students in such a senseless quest. I am going back to bed and will serve detention if and when you come up with a less outlandish proposal."
She stalked off in a huff, her nose pointed superiorly in the air. After a glance at the open-mouthed giant, Malfoy quickly followed and fell into step beside her.
They walked in silence until they were well out of hearing range.
"Did you see their faces?" he gloated, having seemingly forgotten she was a mudblood in his rivalry with the Griffindors. "It was beautiful! You're the one who showed Weasley up at breakfast the other day aren't you?"
"Well, yes," she said uncomfortably, wondering what he wanted. All he'd ever done was insult her and sneer at her. A lovely sneer it was too, damn him. No, no,no. It was not the time to be jealous.
"You've got spunk for a Hufflepuff," he said, looking as if he was paying her a great compliment.
"Not really," she chocked in shock. Had the great-oh-mighty pureblood just used the word 'spunk'?
"Hufflepuffs," he said with distain. "Seldom shout down their teachers. They are far too obedient; no sense of pride or cunning whatsoever."
Eloise smiled bemusedly up at the stars. If Malfoy wanted to have a conversation, she might as well roll with it. "Hufflepuffs and Slytherins aren't all that different. Both houses posses a strong sense of self-preservation. Say, for example, that someone fell off a broom above you during a quidditch game, and you could either catch them and most likely get injured or get out of the way – what would you do?"
"I'd get out of the way of course."
"So would most Hufflepuffs. Difference being that we'd feel terribly guilty afterwards and that given enough time to think, we'd probably reverse our decision. However, the innate reaction remains: to get the hell out of there."
He observed her in amusement, rather as one observes a dog that has been pushing its upturned food bowl around for the last twenty minutes in an attempt to get to the food underneath, never succeeding.
"The entire house is still disgustingly honest."
"Why do Slytherins always assume that honesty and truth are a weakness? You don't have to lie to people to turn them to your side. Just present the truth in a positive light that serves your purpose and appeal to the right side of their character. Persuade them – don't trick them. And don't persuade them like a self-righteous Griffindor either. You can't bulldoze someone into agreeing with you."
At the work 'bulldoze', Malfoy looked a little confused, before he remembered the status of her blood.
"Now if mudbloods such as yourself, would just accept our superiority, there wouldn't be any trouble," he said kindly. "We're much more intelligent and magically talented. It is a proven fact."
Eloise couldn't believe it. The little zealot actually believed all that bullshit. Instead of getting mad, she shrugged indifferently. "Would you buy into an ideology that proclaimed Weasley to be your superior?"
"No!" exclaimed Malfoy, revolted by the very thought. It took him a couple seconds to come up with a retort. "That's different though, he's a blood traitor."
"Hum," responded Midgeon. "If you say so."
They lapsed into silence once more.
"I can't expect a mudblood like you to understand," were Malfoy's parting words as they entered the school.
Some things weren't worth the trouble.