Chaoter is really long, but Forbidden Forest. YAY!!!
If any of you are confused, you need only ask.



Chapter 13


We all stood there frozen. The forest? What did he mean by that?

“Charlie, what are you talking about?” I asked.

“No time to explain. Come on you guys! We gotta hurry!” replied Charlie rather urgently.

“Cool man, I need time to stretch my legs,” Tonks said while she jumped out of her chair, as if she hadn’t just fainted a few seconds ago.

As Jen ran over to grab her wand from her bag, Charlie blocked her way. “What makes you think you’re coming?” he questioned menacingly.

“I’m coming to help you,” she stated.

“What makes you think you’re invited?”

“By you saying ‘you guys’ I thought that included me too. I’m not letting you all go into the forest without me.”

“No no. Besides, it’s way too dangerous for a girl, especially a Slytherin one. You might chicken out...”

Jen stared at him in fury. “Oh don’t play that card on me, you Gryffindor! Just because I’m a Slytherin doesn’t mean that I can’t be brave. And with the girl comment, I just want to point out you’re letting Tonks go, and she just collapsed a minute ago!”

“She did?” said Charlie, stopping for moment.

“No time to explain,” I answered. “Come on, you said it was urgent. We should probably get going. Come on Tonks.” I grabbed my wand, along with her hand, for I didn’t know how steady she really was.

As I turned around, I could still see Jen and Charlie arguing, and he was closing the library door on her.

But five seconds after he caught up to us, Jen was on Tonks’ other side, also making sure she was steady. As we were running through the halls I had to get the story. “So Charlie, tell us; why are we making a mad dash to the Forbidden Forest?”

“Because,” answered Charlie. “You know how Hagrid was saying there was something strange in the forest? Well, we’re going to find out what it is, and why it’s happening.”

“But Charlie,” Tonks screamed. “That’s mental for four first years to go running into the Forbidden Forest knowing nearly no offensive or even defensive spells believing that they can destroy something that has a giant scared!”

“Hagrid’s not a giant Tonks, and lucky for you guys I’ve been practicing. You can practice these spells too while we’re running down there. Remember, ‘Expelliarmus, Protego, and Petrificus Totalus!’ Try it, it might work and also try ‘Lumos!’ It will put a light at the end of your wand.”

Muttering these under our breaths, we hurried into the woods. It was silent. It was as dark as a nightmare, and as creepy as the boogie man in there. I really didn’t want to go in, but then Charlie whispered, “lumos!” and his wand lit a white glow within a three feet radius of us. At least now we could see our feet. Tonks, Jen, and I attempted the same, and after three attempts, Jen got it. Then I got it at five, and Tonks at six. When our wands were all finally lit, we went deeper into the forest. “

“Do you even know where this hollow is Charlie?” Jen said in an undertone.

“I thought we’d be able to figure it out on our own,” told Charlie.

Jen stepped back, frowning slightly. Obviously she did not fancy the idea of wandering into the forest with no idea of where they were going, and I strongly agreed.

For a long time, we trumped through the forest. Our wands showing off of each other’s faces, I could see that Jen and Tonks had fear in their eyes. But not Gryffindor Charlie. He was striding in front of us, waiting for anything or anyone to pop out of us at any moment. Now, I might be a descendant of Master Samwise the Stout-hearted, but I am truly not a brave person. So my heart was pounding as we traveled in the night,

Finally, the occasional scurrying of paws and animal calls got even more quiet than before. We finally came to a circle empty of trees. Is this it? I asked myself in my head anxiously, but I was too nervous to say any of it out loud.

Charlie was the first to speak. “I think this might be it, but what’s keeping the animals away?”

We gathered in a circle, our backs facing each other. We scanned the area as we turned, wands outstretched. I then heard Jen gasp behind me, “He looks just like my uncle Lucius.” The way she said “uncle” made me think that she didn’t enjoy having him have such a title. So I turned around to see what her uncle Lucius must’ve looked like, and I realized he must be a very regal person, for an elf appeared between two trees.

I had never seen an elf before in person, and even I was mesmerized by it even though I knew of their existence. His pointed ears stuck out from under his long blond hair. His green robes were embroidered with gold, and his gray eyes were scanning the ground as if searching for something.

It took him at least a minute to see the four of us. When he did, he stepped back, aghast, and then created a fake smile. “Hello,” he said, rather majestically, “And how may I come across three men-children and a hobbit-lad.”

Luckily, my friends were too frozen with fear to say anything.

Finally, I plucked up my courage and answered, “We were just… taking a walk.”

“Aww… ‘Taking a walk’. Well, it was nice seeing you and if you’ll excuse me…” He then walked past us and into the woods.

As I turned to mutter to them that was weird, I noticed that Tonks was cowering again, as if he was an orc instead of a handsome elf.

When I turned to look up at the other end of the hollow to make sure the elf was gone, he wasn’t. He was as still as stone, his pointed ears pricked up as if he was a dog. I stared at him with the greatest curiosity. What was wrong with this elf?

He then turned round, with a slight gleam in his eyes. “Perhaps you can help me with my problem.”

I seemed to be the only one with the ability to talk. “Problem?” I replied.

“Yes, you see, umm... I dropped something in the forest that was rather important. None of you perhaps had picked it up at any chance.”

Tonks continued to shiver and leaned up against Jen. Before I answered, I just bluntly asked, “Who are you? I thought all the elves went to the Undying Lands. ”

He paused. Then he grinned and answered, “You are very educated young Halfling. You look a lot like another Halfling I know, Master Samwise.”

I knew what he was trying to do; make me forget the questions. I stared at him with great distrust that he finally sighed and answered who he was, “Lalanos, Prince of Mirkwood. You might have learned of my older brother, Legolas. And also, I have a sort of magic that can bring me from here to the Undying lands, young hobbit-lad.”

I froze. Legolas was apart of the Fellowship. And a portal to the Undying Lands? Finally, Charlie was first one of my friends to speak. “Okay, Bandy, what are you guys talking about? What’s Mirkwood? Who’s Legolas? And what the bloody heck is a Hobbit?”

I could’ve slapped my forehead. But instead I just gave Charlie a look saying I’ll explain it to you later.

If we get out I said in an afterthought.

“What are you looking for? And how could you possibly get from the Undying Lands back to here?” I questioned, giving Lalanos an evil glare.

“Why, I thought you’d know. I can sense it on you. It could be anyone of you children. Any…one…of…you…” With the last words, he took one step closer to us, and with each step Tonks drew closer and closer to Jen.

“We have no idea what you’re talking about!” Jen answered. “If you tell us what it is we’ll try to help you!”

“You don’t know…” he said rather mockingly. “Why the Ring of Galadriel. Come now, don’t lie.”

A rye smile flitted across his face. I couldn’t understand it. The Ring of Galadriel went to the Undying Lands centuries ago. “We don’t have the Ring. Why are you asking?”

He stared at me. “Well, I guess you can say I lost it.”

Only I of the four of us could understand the true importance of this. The Ring of Galadriel, somewhere in this very forest.

“Please elf-lord,” I replied. “We don’t have it.”

“Oh, I beg to differ.” And with great agility, he lunged himself at Tonks, who was luckily dragged away by Jen just in time.

Charlie, after all of his practice, cried out at the top of his voice, “Expelliarmus!!!”

It would’ve worked beautifully, if Lalanos was actually holding something. But because his hands were empty, he just quickly got up from his failed attack, and this time made a lunge for Charlie.

As I was just about to scream a spell, a bright flash came behind me, and Lalanos had frozen.

I turned around to see Jen pointing her wand towards us with a free arm. Charlie ran towards her. It seemed to me like their rival houses immediately disappeared.

“Come on,” I yelled. “Let’s get out of here!”

But I suppose our first-year magic was no match for an elf-lord’s. Because at that moment, he was back on his feet, staring at me with hatred. “I know which friend of yours has it Halfling, and I’m not going to stop until I get it back.”

Out of nowhere, I fell backwards, and slammed into a tree. My head was spinning. Before I knew it, he had me levitated in the air, and I could feel as if his hand was on my throat. “If you must know how I got here, you should look into the Old Tales. Too bad you won’t be able to find them though.” I felt the force around my neck grow tighter. Through my blurred vision, I could see flashes of light coming from Jen and Charlie’s wands, but they seemed to bounce off him as if he had created an invisible wall.

As I felt life leaving me, I heard a roaring come from behind me, a dog barking, and a rough voice saying, “Get away from ‘im you no good ruffian!!”

The force on my neck released, and I fell to the ground, sputtering.

There, lo and behold, was Hagrid, with Fang by his side. Lalanos was unconscious on the ground, with a motorcycle only a few feet behind him.

“Come on kids!” Hagrid screamed.

Charlie, Jen, and I, with Tonks being carried by Hagrid, climbed into the motorcycle, and we rode off into the woods. Fang was sitting next to me.

Jen seemed to have gotten out of her trance first. “Do you think he’s dead?” she asked Hagrid hopefully.

“No,” I answered for Hagrid. “It would take a lot more than a motorcycle to kill an elf.”

“What on earth were you kids doin’ in there?” he turned to all of us trying to put a look of fury on his face, but there seemed to be relief in his black eyes.

Charlie sighed. “We were just trying to find out what was causing so much trouble,” he muttered.

“Well, now we know,” answered Hagrid. “And we shan’t be talkin’ about this until the morning. Got it?” We all nodded. “Good,” he replied. “Now let’s get you back to the castle. Looks like Tonks could use a bit of rest.”