Fandom 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧

[natasha.]

chapter three

the forbidden forest

after the events of last night, a lot of you probably have several questions in mind.

in any case, all of that is put on hold for a while because you still have detention to get through.

once classes for the day got over, a meeting was held in mcgonogall's chambers and she decided that the four of you can help out hagrid with some work he needs to tend to in the forest.

maybe this means nothing to you, or maybe it means a whole lot if you think there's some truth to the rumours that have been spreading among the students, talking about an unknown beast that resides in the woods. something new, and dangerous, but something that hasn't actually been seen by anyone.

well, you'll soon find out if it's all true or not, won't you?

for now, you're expected to report to hagrid's hut and wait till everyone else also arrives before you find out what you all are actually meant to do so late at night.

 

[Xed]

Arc Le'Frey

Arc clicked his tongue as he dragged his feet to Hagrid's hut for detention. Of all things he had to get caught together with the chumps and not by Filch but McGonagall. He should have made a run for it when he had the chance, then it would just be those three getting punished and not him. Detention was nothing new to him and Dani what with all the trouble they'd gotten into over the years, he wasn't a fan of it but he'd spent enough time in detention to get used to it. He imagined it wasn't the same for the other two though. With how well behaved they were who wouldn't be surprised if this was their first time having detention at all. It would be amusing to see how they'd handle the forbidden forest, especially Eliza, sometimes it seemed to him as if the smallest of sounds could scare her out of her wits. Still it felt kinda weird to know that his first visit of the school year to the forbidden forest and it was for detention. Normally he'd have snuck out to it as soon as the school year started but with all that had happened since last year the forbidden forest wasn't what it used to be. Putting aside all the rumors and the warning his parents had given him not to get involved in anything related to the forbidden forest for fear of bringing further shame to the family name, Arc couldn't bring himself to just stroll in to the place where Audie's body had been found. If anyone was going to die, everyone always thought it was Arc. After all, he was the weaker one, he was the troublemaker, his parents had made it clear that he ought to be the one buried sixth foot under. But instead of him, his indomitable sister was the one dead by causes unknown. No doubt her death only worsened the rumors and fears. He imagined the teachers found it to be a fantastic deterrent for keeping would be adventurers and mischief makers out of the forest, and it wouldn't surprise him if the prefects used it to scare new students into behaving themselves so they could have a better chance at winning the house cup.

Arc scuffed his shoe against the ground as he reached the hut. He hoped whatever this was would end quickly but if it had to drag out then hopefully the two goody-two-shoes would make things somewhat entertaining. He still didn't really know what exactly had happened to Ignatius that night beyond the fact that a painting was involved and the Ravenclaw prefect really didn't want whatever it was to get out. With other things to do during the day, he hadn't paid it much mind but now it was starting to irk him that he was pretty much in the dark on something so potentially juicy. He should have sought out that painting and got an answer before showing up for detention, after all it wouldn't have made that much of a difference if he was late and now that he was here and the first one to arrive...well it was really starting to annoy him that he hadn't done just that. Arc ran a hand through his hair in frustration as he parked himself in the vicinity of the hut. He'd wait for others to show up before letting Hagrid know he was here. A one on one conversation with the half-giant didn't sound the least bit appealing and right now he was far more interested in getting Ignatius or one of the other two to spill on the details of what had happened that night with the painting. He couldn't believe that he was the first but if nothing else, he had one more thing to poke the stuck up prefect with and try to get under his skin. His provocations had clearly worked last night, they could work again, if he could tear off that 'oh-so perfect, do no wrong' image of his even once, it would be easier to expose the fraud in front of the entire school
spooked.duke
Uxie
natasha.

 

[spooked.duke]

Ignatius Carrow

the orphan

hagrid's hut
• "dear lord." • ravenclaw robes • archard • Xed
​

Igantius walked towards Hagrid's hut with only a little bit of hesitation. In the years he has been in Hogwarts, Ignatius had only received a detention once, and that was for being caught snogging Anthony McCormick during their fifth year in a not-so-abandoned classroom after a quidditch game; and even then professor Flitwick had only made him organize his quills as punishment. Even if he was a prefect, Ignatius wasn't very sure if somehow helping Hagrid meant walking beyond curfew was worse than catching kisses after quidditch. If he were to be honest, he had too much on his mind to really think much in advance regarding the labor he'd have to endure tonight. In his eyes, Hagrid was a decent professor of Care of Magical Creatures, Ignatius can admit that he shares sympathy for the half-giant and found his presence to be endearing to the point he'd visit every now and then (just small talk and occasional help) and although Hagrid was oblivious to the Ravenclaw's "condition", Ignatius always felt less out of place whenever he saw someone else who wasn't entirely human. Unfortunately, he knew that pleasantries were going to be a bit more forced tonight. After everything that had occurred the night before, Iggy barely slept when he had returned to his dorm. And during his classes earlier it was rather obvious that he was out of it. Even three cups of coffee didn't do anything but slightly sooth his ongoing migraine. He really needed to review his lunar calendar after all of this.

Hagrid's hut was just at the edge of the forbidden forest. A very poor selection of placement if you asked Iggy, the forest literally had "forbidden" in it's name. Just by that, it was already tempting dumb teenagers to go roaming through it late at night, curiosity is always peaked when there's a narrative of danger. Many stories have circled around that forest, rumors of indescribable monsters and beasts living amidst the dark cedar wood. Ignatius had always been a skeptic when it came down to the stories being told. He'd take any "spooky story" about the forest with a grain of salt, they were all mostly dramatic tales to scare the first years. They never helped in the end, just fueled the curiosity of adventurous youth who had nothing better to do. But when Audelia Le' Frey was mysteriously found dead in the forbidden forest last year, it seemed that the thrill of adventuring that students once possessed had died with her. The stories on the other hand only grew in detail, gripping onto her death as a "vital" piece evidence to a beast in the forest. Ignatius never truly believed in that. It felt disrespectful to assume she died in the hands of an unidentified beast, and to have that narrative spread around the school made Iggy feel the slightest tinge of pity for Archard.

His thoughts continued to run but the closer he got to the old hut the more he noticed the all-too-familiar figure standing just outside it. "Speak of the devil. Why don't you just strike me with lightning already?" Ignatius muttered as he glanced up to the sky, as if negotiating to what ever deity in the sky to save him from speaking with him. To his dismay, the skies were clear and no cloud looked particularly keened to strike him down thus he had no choice but to walk towards the awfully punchable looking Slytherin, the small bit of pity being pushed aside as he remembered their verbal showdown last night. "Surprised to see you here this early Le'Frey," Ignatius kept an arm's length away from Arc, speaking to him with nicest tone he could muster. If it had been Dani or Eliza to arrive first, it would have been easier, but Arc was just someone he couldn't stand to be around without someone else being there to prevent them from practically killing each other. Ignatius didn't exactly know how things turned sour between him and Arc, he liked to think that compared to his peers, Ignatius was more considerate. If the faculty knew the amount of times Ignatius turned a blind eye on Dani's more harmless pranks he's sure that he wouldn't have been prefect this year. But for some probably demented reason, Archard pushed everything aside and acted as if he knew Ignatius, like he had a clear image of who Iggy really was and knew if he did something that wasn't "him". And Ignatius knew very well that the Slytherin knew absolutely nothing about him. "I'm impressed."

 

[Uxie]

hagrid's hut

apprehensive

hufflepuff robes

ignatius, archard

spooked.duke Xed

eliza

the destined

her first ever detention! eliza was unexpectedly jittery, and since it was no cause for celebration, she was almost sure it was from fear rather than excitement. she hadn't expected to be caught by the headmistress herself that night, though her timid replies probably did nothing for her case. now here she was, only yards away from the forbidden forest and stood in front of hagrid's hut, trying to focus on the warm crackle of the hearth she could hear within rather than the eerie howls that seemed to manifest from the darkness of the woods. a chill ran up her spine as she heard what sounded like a far-away screech, and the heavy slam of the wooden door made her jump, letting out a quiet yelp. stood in the entry was the half-giant himself, looking down at her small form with a leering expression. or so it seemed. he scratched his hair, glancing around behind her for the other lot that was supposed to be present for their punishment too.

"yer awfully early," he commented, turning his gaze back to her as his face broke into a small smile that made eliza relax marginally, "come on in then, it's cold out there." he stepped back into the house and eliza followed hesitantly, though she found the warmly lit interior far more inviting than the endlessly dark woods just beyond. professor hagrid was reaching for his kettle, a rusty old thing, and eliza stood awkwardly by the door, pulling the heavy slab of wood shut behind her. she was handed a warm cup of soup and took a wary sip from it, though her shoes were still firmly planted on the floor where she stood. "don't just stand there, take a seat. i reckon it'll be a while before the rest of you troublemakers show up." eliza hurried to follow his instruction, opting for a small stool.

a silence took over, and eliza continued to watch the professor timidly while drinking from her cup. the soup was good, and it was in no time that she'd emptied her fill, setting the cup on a nearby table. "thank you for the soup, professor. it was very good." she piped up, her voice quiet as a mouse, to which she received a hearty laugh in response that made her clam up slightly.

"yer a quiet one, aren't ya, elizabeth?" ah, he knew her name. well, he'd likely received the list of names from headmistress mcgonagall, but the poor witch surely hadn't been expecting to be addressed directly. "i think i remember ya bein' mighty terrified of salamanders in your first class. a bit of a bummer that you dropped the class. you had some nice ideas on carin' for 'em."[/color] eliza flushed, recalling the experience he was recounting, lowering her head. she'd taken a few more electives than the average student in her third year, care of magical creatures included. she'd thoroughly enjoyed learning about the creatures, though admittedly, eliza didn't do quite as well in the practical aspect. professor sprout had relented to her (desperate) request to quit the elective, in consideration of her other present classes.

"sorry about that, i've never been very good with creatures..." she began meekly, her voice trailing off as she heard what sounded like muffled voices from behind her. she turned, craning her neck to peer out of the frosted window and catching a glimpse of two figures stood outside the hut. the rest of them must be here. did they not know they could just come in? eliza got to her feet and cracked the door open just enough to see outside. her face fell as soon as she spotted archard, and she seriously considered shutting the door again and lying to hagrid that none had come before daniella arrived, but feeling the biting chill of the night wind made her sympathetic. "hello," she called out to the boys, before she turned back to address professor hagrid, "would it be alright if they come in?"

he responded with a gruff yes, and eliza reacted accordingly, pulling the door open fully with a little more effort. "is daniella not here yet?" she asked, and though the question was heard by both of them, it was quite obviously directed more towards ignatius, if the fact that she was avoiding eye contact with the slytherin was anything to go by.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[natasha.]

daniella myrdden

the cursed

Dani was used to detention. This was nothing new to her. Hagrid knew her well by now because of the amount of times she'd had to serve her detention with him. Usually they just did some grunt work for many of the magical creature enclosures situated near the Forbidden Forest, and she figured the same would apply tonight as well. It was usually quite fun to work with Hagrid. Unlike many students in her year, she'd elected to stay in her Care for Magical Creatures class because Hagrid was a good teacher, and she was truly fascinated by everything she learned in that class. Detention admittedly gave her more insight into some things more than others, so she can't say she hated it too much. Detention with Slughorn was close to the worst, not because she had to work with potions, but because Professor Slughorn sometimes couldn't stop talking, and most of the time, Dani didn't understand a word he was saying. Though that could also be due to her not paying much attention.

As she approached Hagrid's hut, she noticed she wasn't the first to arrive. That was likely because she ran a little late, having been at Quidditch practise. The closer she got, she was able to recognise the figures standing outside. Arc was there, and so was Iggy. She began to wonder where Eliza was when the door to the hut opened up and revealed her inside. So Dani was the last to show up. "Hey," she called out to the lot of them in greeting, just as Hagrid poked his head out from inside the hut as well.

"Good to see ya again, Dani." He surveyed both Arc and Iggy before speaking again. "Looks like we're all here, and perfect timing too." He seemed almost excited at whatever they were meant to do, which naturally made Dani a little excited as well. Grunt work was never fun, even if she was learning new things. This didn't seem like the face of someone about to do some more grunt work.

"I've got a treat for you lot tonight," the half giant beamed as he exited the hut and gestured for them to follow him around to the back, the only source of light coming from the moon, and inside Hagrid's hut. Dani glanced at the others and then followed behind Hagrid curiously. Three wooden buckets sat against the wall on the floor, as well as three lanterns. Hagrid picked up one bucket and lantern for himself and gestured for them to distribute the rest among themselves. Shrugging, Dani picked up a bucket since she had no idea what they were going to do.

"Ya ever hear of Moondew?" He asked, waiting for them to ready themselves. Fang had trotted up toward them as well, and he nosed around Dani's hand, likely looking for treats or some food of some sort, and when he found nothing, he went to the others.

"Is that some kind of plant?" Dani asked, seemingly unsure. Herbology wasn't her best subject.

"Aye," Hagrid nodded. "Not found much around these parts but we planted some last year since it's used in a lot of potions. Professor Slughorn had the idea," he waved that thought aside. "Fun thing about Moondew is that it only blossoms under the moonlight, and only the flowers can be used in potions. Real nice at night. The flowers almost glow. You all know what it looks like, don't ya?"

Dani stayed silent because no, she didn't know what it looked like. But she was assuming that either Iggy or Eliza did. And how hard would it be to find flowers that glow?

"The four of you can head west, and I'll take Fang toward the east because I've got to harvest some more things for Professor Slughorn. Collect as many as you can, but those two buckets should be enough. And don't go too far west! When you see a patch of Bubotubers, you'll know you've gone too far so you best turn around and be on your way back."

Dani was sure she knew what Bubotubers were since she recalled studying them in Herbology, so at least that was something she knew. She nodded at everything Hagrid said and then glanced toward the others as Hagrid and Fang made their way toward the east. As far as detention went, looking for flowers wasn't so bad. She wasn't sure it would be a very peaceful affair with everyone involved. And of course, the Forbidden Forest was almost pitch black at this time of day, but they had lanterns, so Dani wasn't so bothered. "Let's go find some Moondew, I guess."

hagrid's hut.

here we go again.

gryffindor robes.

Xed Uxie spooked.duke

 

[spooked.duke]

Ignatius Carrow

the orphan

hagrid's hut
• "and so it begins." • ravenclaw robes • archard, elizabeth, daniella • Xed natasha. Uxie
​

Iggy tried not to give Arc the side eye when Eliza opened the door from Hagrid's hut. He honestly shouldn't be surprised that the Slytherin never bothered to check if someone had arrived earlier. The Ravenclaw barely had time to reply to Eliza when the person in question came calling out from behind. Ignatius was surprised when Archard had arrived earlier than him, but Dani being the last out of the lot felt right (obviously, Iggy remembered one of his dormmates complaining about Gryffindor hogging the field today) and somehow balanced the disruption Arc had caused to Iggy's expectations. Not that he expected much at all, he naturally just assumed that Archard would be late and the four of them will have to possibly do some gardening work.

Technically, he wasn't wrong thinking that they'd be gardening. Moondew. Ignatius couldn't help but frown at the mention before forcing a smile and nod when Hagrid had looked towards him. It was simple enough to say that Ignatius wasn't fond of the flower, though more for it's appearance rather than the properties it possesses. The glow that normally radiates from them gives him a headache if he stares too long. Ignatius decided to grab a lantern just to be sure he wouldn't be caught in a irritable trance looking at a bucket full of Moondew tonight."They're just regular looking flowers if you look past their glow, the petals are almost a white-silver. Like the name suggests, it's basically what the moon would look like if it were a flower." Ignatius supplied, mostly because he noticed Dani's blank look and sudden lack of participation. He's been her tutor long enough to recognize when she didn't know the answer to questions. And even if they weren't in the library focusing on Herbology homework, he figured she'd need to know this information eventually, it could help in the chances of an exam. "They're a good ingredient for antidotes to poison and sleeping potions."

This earned him a rather rough pat on the back from the school groundskeeper which made Iggy stumble forward on impact. "A bright one ya are, Ignatius." A hearty chuckle bellowed from the half-giant before he continued on with his instructions. The task seemed simple enough, as long as he didn't look at the Moondew for too long or let Archard get on his nerves, it'll end completely uneventful. And he did hope this wouldn't take them very long, he had plans to sneak off to the owlery before going back to to dormitory to give his owl the letter he had written which was currently neatly tucked into his pocket. Ignatius barely slept the night before, choosing to spend his evening hunched over his desk rather than sleeping soundly in his bed. The letter was to his guardians, a desperate attempt to make them aware of the situation and possibly asking for any explanation they could give. He wasn't sure if he wanted them to give him answers or respond with the same amount of confusion he felt. The message the portrait had told him still lingered at the back of his skull. Should he be afraid to wander into the forest knowing that there was someone actively searching for him? ... No of course not. Ignatius was fully capable of taking care of himself, he's endured the worst of it at age eight.

"The sooner the better." He glanced at Eliza, she was considerably timid compared to the rest of them and Iggy couldn't help but wonder if she thinks the task is as easy as everyone else probably thinks it is. Not everyone would be comfortable walking around the forbidden forest at this time. "Would you like the other lantern, Elizabeth?" He had already reached out to grab the second lantern for her. Although he didn't say, he too had a fear of the dark. Ignatius himself felt much safer when holding a source of light whenever daylight died down, his dormmates found it both alarming and annoying whenever he slept with a lit candle on his bedside table. It wouldn't hurt to inquire if Eliza needed the same sense of security. Besides, Archard probably wouldn't mind carrying around a bucket.

 

[Uxie]

hagrid's hut

ah, this is horrible

hufflepuff robes

ignatius, archard, daniella

spooked.duke Xed natasha.

eliza

the destined

daniella's arrival brought a smile to elizabeth's face, and she was thankful that the friendly, talkative gryffindor would be around to break the silence. with the tension that had been brewing between the two fellows that had stood outside the hut for who knows how long, eliza reckons she'd have been choked by that long before any monster in the woods found her. with all four present, hagrid brought them round to the back of his hut and began explaining the details of their punishment. meanwhile, his big black dog (fang, was it?) seemed to have taken an interest in the students. eliza watched him with wary eyes as he sniffed at dani's hand, though she froze up when he turned his attention towards her. lord, he was huge. she held her breath as he ambled around her with lazy curiosity, her shoulders immediately relaxing slightly once he'd decided she wasn't worth his time either.

"the four of you can head west, and i'll take fang toward the east..." the rest of hagrid's instructions were likely very important, but eliza had zoned out a little once it'd dawned on her that they'd have to venture into the woods alone. her face paled as she stared into the impossible darkness surrounded by the thick forest, biting her bottom lip anxiously. without the professor! without supervision! why couldn't they have just gotten normal detention that happened indoors while the sun was still up, preferably? she'd clean a thousand plates before going in there alone, though she supposed she had the other three for company. eliza had little expectations for archard, but surely daniella and ignatius wouldn't leave her for dead, right?

she tuned back into the conversation just in time to catch the last of hagrid's briefing. "when you see a patch of bubotubers, you'll know you've gone too far so you best turn around and be on your way back."

"bubotubers..." she repeated softly in a barely audible murmur. not the most attractive of plants, but it seemed it would get a load of attention from her tonight if she didn't want to lose her life this detention. was that an exaggeration? well, maybe, but there was no denying the ominous nature of darkness. she'd only know it all too well. she watched wistfully as hagrid set off with his large black dog (fang, was it?) in the opposite direction, her mind racing as the rumours of the odd, frightening creatures that dwelled in the forbidden forest surfaced in her subconscious. she'd heard of the giant spiders, and hairy as they were, none were quite as terrifying as the thought of unknown creatures that had just one day sprouted up. and with audelia le'frey's death...

she snuck the smallest glance at archard, though ignatius' calling of her name would take her attention back, eliciting a small jump from the poor hufflepuff. "would you like the other lantern, elizabeth?" eliza regarded the lantern he was holding out for her, her eyes wide.

she blinked once, twice, before she registered his goodwill, "oh, oh. yes, please." her voice was meek, and she shot him a sheepish but grateful smile as she took it from his hands. "thank you," eliza added, turning the lantern about as she observed it. it was a little heavy, but in a good way. the weight of it on her fingers was almost... comforting? the light it granted her was indeed soothing, though she was far from confident as to how it would fare against that suffocating murkiness they were about to walk into. with the fog and the horrifying ambience of eerie noises from unseen sources, eliza had no doubt she'd be holding onto this lantern for dear life in only a few minutes.

she glanced around at the group, her gaze drifting from wizards to witch. daniella seemed about ready to go, as did ignatius, each armed with their lanterns, and eliza instinctively tightened the grip on her own. her hands were already getting a little clammy. she couldn't be the only one who was anxious about the forest, right? well, hopefully one of them had the guts to head their little flower-picking quartet, just so she could be done and over with it as soon as possible. her only objective tonight was to look out for the prettiest of glowing flowers and the ugliest of slug fauna. eliza was no gryffindor— bravery was far from her forte, and pigs would sooner fly before she'd be the first to lead the group into that sinister holt.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Xed]

Arc Le'Frey

"Speak of the devil. Why don't you just strike me with lightning already? Surprised to see you here this early Le'Frey, I'm impressed"
The sound of the prefect's voice cut through the air and put a smirk on Arc's face. Finally some entertainment. Well to be fair it hadn't been that long since he'd arrived but he was getting bored so it felt like he'd been waiting long enough. That and being near the forest was reminding of all the rumours, all the whispered words and conspiracy theories and it was starting to grate on his nerves. "A most tempting idea but I prefer methods that are less flashy and less likely to get me caught. Besides it's not much fun if you're asking for it yourself and you'll find that I am full of surprises. In fact I think most people are." Arc hated storms, particularly the lightning that fueled the racket they made but Ignatius didn't need to know that. No one did. He gave Iggy a pointed glance as he said the last line, letting his eyes linger a little longer before looking away. If he was being honest, he was probably being more than a little excessive in making life difficult for the Ravenclaw, especially since things went south last year, but when he saw people always acting like perfect little goody two shoes, he couldn't help but want to tear that apart. No one was that selfless and kind, not even Audie with her sparkling reputation. His older sister was kinder than most in his family but she still had that same twisted streak all of them seemed to possess. She just hid it better. The art of subtlety she called it. No one crossed her without getting bitten back. Of course it was mostly little things those people faced, like having trouble sleeping, hearing strange noises at night or 'suddenly misplacing all their things', showing up to class late and other little mischiefs. No one would ever believe her petty enough to do such silly things so no one ever suspected her of doing it. The closest people would get to figuring out her twisted personality was when they heard her acid tongue in action with a smile plastered on her face. He'd found out about her pettiness after trailing her back when he was an angry first year who hated her almost as much as he hated their parents, determined to find some weakness or destroy her sterling reputation to get back at his family for years of pain. And in Ignatius, he was seeing his parents and the 'perfect' family reputation they were so obsessed with upholding, the reputation that had contributed to his childhood suffering.

When the door of the hut had opened a crack and Eliza peered out from behind it, Arc almost mistook her for a ghost until she spoke and opened the door wider. Huh. So he wasn't first after all. Shame but not that surprising. He should have seen it coming with what he knew of Eliza's timid personality. It wouldn't surprise him if she had in fact arrived while light was still out so she wouldn't be caught walking the path in the dark alone. If something spooked her tonight and sent her running blind in the forest well he......the others could look for her. She seemed like she would much prefer that too with how she seemed to be avoiding his gaze at all cost. He smirked as he left his spot by the tree and slowly made his way over. She reminded him of Audie's cat, Whiskers. Anytime Arc was nearby, Whiskers would hide in a corner or cling to Audie for life. It'd been endlessly amusing to watch the cat jump when he moved so much as a twitch, but now that Audie was gone, he'd barely seen the rascal and he didn't want to. His feet slowed to a stop as he recalled the last he'd seen of the damn cat before he left for the semester, lying on Audie's bed barely moving, staring forlornly at the door, waiting like a fool for a master who would never come home. Knowing his coldblooded parents Whiskers probably wouldn't be there when he next returned home. The cat was the one thing they had never liked about Audie. They'd always complain about how it was too weak and timid to be a pet befitting of their household, Audie hadn't cared less because she'd found Whiskers adorable.

Dani's quick arrival following Eliza emerging from the hut signaled the start of their detention task and snapped Arc out of his useless thoughts about the useless cat. Still he barely paid attention as Hagrid gave the details of their task, instead staring at the ground and the trees, everywhere else but the half giant. It was not like they needed all four pairs of ears to be listening and what else were their two model students here for if not to do that for them? Besides, it was a rare detention for them and how fun or helpful would it be if the experienced ones ended up doing all the work? It'd be a good experience for them to stretch their legs a little and learn to do some dirty work. As soon as Hagrid walked off, Arc returned some of his attention to the group, watching as they distributed the lanterns and buckets amongst themselves. He scoffed at the sight of the lanterns in their hands. Possibly a wise decision given all the rumours about beasts in the forest recently. Also a potentially stupid one. Light would help them see better, it would also tell other creatures in the forest where they were. But then the two model students might do that anyway since it was probably their first time out here at night. It'd be easy to trip or step on something and make a lot of noise that alerted the forest creatures to their presence with or without the light. Well if things went south it was every man for himself. He wasn't sticking his neck out for any of them, playing hero always seemed to be far more trouble than it was worth and he really didn't need anything of the sort to happen tonight. More rumours connecting him to the darkness of the forbidden forest really weren't welcome at this time.

Arc had planned to just tag along with his hands in his pockets and not do anything but they were taking an awfully long time just to get ready to leave. In reality, it wasn't that long but again the boredom and impatience was getting to him. He had heard bits and pieces of the conversation, something about Moon..bub? Ah well whatever it was, he couldn't be bothered to try and figure out, way too much effort, especially when that was what they had Iggy and Eliza for. He stared at the bucket sat on the ground, a grin forming on his face as an idea hatched in his mind. This should be good. Strolling over leisurely, he scooped up the bucket and turned it upside down, casually dropping it on Ignatius' head as he walked past him and towards the forest. "Alright slowpokes, we got something moony to find and unless you want to spend all night in the forest, I suggest we start moving. Sad as it is, it won't come looking for us." He drawled sarcastically. Definitely not a smart move to cause more trouble during detention and in the forbidden forest of all places but being smart was the last thing on his mind right now and truthfully, he needed a distraction to take his mind off the edge that the recent events surrounding the forest was giving him.
spooked.duke
Uxie
natasha.

 

[spooked.duke]

Ignatius Carrow

the orphan

hagrid's hut
• "ugh." • ravenclaw robes • archard, elizabeth, and daniella • Xed natasha. Uxie
​

"You're welcome." A small sense of fulfillment swelled in Iggy's chest. Aiding came natural to the Ravenclaw, he had been assisting fellow students with their studies long before he was even appointed as a prefect (his helpful nature might as well be the reason Flitwick gave him the position in the first place) and the feeling he got from it was one of the reasons he continued to help people out whenever he had the means to. Another reason would be that there was a time where he was once in similar circumstances. His days in the orphanage were never remembered out of fondness, more so a lesson to be learned from. When he looks at people like Eliza, he's reminded of himself in a way, the runt of the pack, an underdog of sorts. It's probably why he sympathizes with her and has a soft spot for her brother (the little rascal practically beamed when Iggy had told him that he's already talked with the headmistress about allowing him to be his successor for casting the quidditch games). It was easy for teenagers to underestimate the more soft spoken students like Eliza, and the past of her parents don’t particularly give most people the desire to know her beyond what she presents. “Don’t punish the son for his father’s sins” Wilfred would always say- a bit too spiritual for his own tastes but was something Iggy agreed with regardless. He knows her to be one of the brightest witches in their year, and yet he’s never heard her brag about it once (hell, even he’s teased his roommates about his grades on occasion) although Ignatius didn’t know her beyond short homework discussions, you’d be a ignorant to think she was just a meek girl constantly shying away from the crowd.

Not like that was saying a lot coming from Ignatius Carrow, one of the most painfully awkward human beings if he wasn’t behind closed doors or behind the broadcasting mic. Ironically enough, he grew up surrounded by children yet didn’t seem to develop any sort of extrovert social cue most would get if they grew up in the same place he did. St. Gertrude’s Orphanage was nothing close to saintly, if it wasn't for Maggie's tiger parenting and force feeding Ignatius would probably still be the scrawny child she and Wilfred picked up at the rundown building he called home for the beginning of his life. He could still remember the chilly nights he spent shivering underneath a piece of linen he got his hands on as a make-shift blanket (even to this day he’s always too sensitive with the changing of the seasons) or the times the children had to skip breakfast or dinner due to the lack of resources. Times were always tough back then and Ignatius couldn’t help but wonder if things were still the same to this day. There were days his mind would linger on what could’ve been if he hadn’t been adopted by Maggie and Wilfred. He’s had his fair share of curiosity peaking through the restricted section of the library’s array of books and has tidbits of information regarding some background on Obscurials and they were… unnerving knowing that he could have easily became one if he was never adopted by his guardians. It gave him all the more reason to be grateful for being where he is now. Or at least as grateful as he could be for an orphan boy (Perhaps he can’t even call himself that anymore considering that his mother was still alive apparently) who got bitten by a werewolf.

Ignatius didn’t expect what happened next. Almost completely submerged into his own thoughts while waiting for the rest to get ready, he didn’t even notice Arc’s presence growing closer in his peripheral until it was too late. His sight of the forbidden forest was completely gone, instead replaced with darkness casted from the object now on his head. The brief moment of surprise quickly dissipated into anger and annoyance, the night had barely begun and Le’ Frey is already testing his patience. Ignatius swiftly got the bucket that was over his head off and turned immediately to Arc with gritted teeth. In most circumstances that involved the Slytherin, Ignatius would normally roll his eyes and give him a scolding but tonight he just couldn’t bare with it. His head was practically throbbing at this point from the oncoming full moon in the next few days and the predicament from last night was still lodged in the back of his thoughts, admittedly stressing him out. ”I’m at my wits end here Le’ Frey, I wanted to at least be civil with you here considering your relationship with this forest. But if you want act like a bloody toddler I suggest you go frolic and find the creature you just love to bring up.” Ignatius practically snarled out, his grip on the bucket was enough to give him splinters. Le’ Frey should be lucky that he still had enough restraint to hold back the instinct to swing his fist at him, which would’ve wiped that smug look of his face.

Archard reminded him of the kids back in the orphanage, the ones that would pick at him and shove him around like a rag doll. Ignatius sensed the same amount of entitlement on Archard as he felt off of them, if anything, he’s come to conclusion Arc had more than that. He loathed how the man actually affects him whatsoever with his words and attempts to rile him up, and the worst part is that it works. ”Why do you love antagonizing me so much? What have I ever done to you that wasn’t out of retaliation from something you’ve said or done to me? Please, enlighten me.” If Ignatius was going to be stuck flower picking with Archard all night, he might as well figure out what he’s done to deserve his sour treatment because Ignatius has no clue.

 

[natasha.]

daniella myrdden

the cursed

As expected, Iggy knew exactly what kind of flower they were looking for, which reassured her some more. She suspected that he offered an explanation for her benefit, so she smiled in his direction to express her gratitude. Even outside their tutoring sessions, he still found a way to help her learn new things. Dani would have probably failed a lot of her subjects if she hadn't had his help. It was just far too easy for her to be distracted by other things, and when it was quidditch season, she rarely cared about much else other than winning.

With Eliza and Iggy claiming both lanterns, it left a bucket for Arc. She wasn't sure how he'd take that but she didn't pay it much mind for the time being. He seemed to happily stroll over and pick up what remained, and Dani figured they could get going and get this over with. She was exhausted after quidditch practise and she really just wanted to collapse in bed. Dani began to make her way forward when Arc passed by her, dropping his bucket onto Iggy's head as he went. She groaned a little, easily picking up on where this whole thing would go now.

Iggy quickly lashed out at Arc, and it wasn't unwarranted. Dani knew she would have done the same in Iggy's place.

Well, truthfully, she would have done much worse with her wand on hand. Arc was pretty much asking for it, and he either seemed to know that he'd get this kind of reaction and didn't care about it, or he was just that stupid. Dani didn't feel like she was in any position to ask either of them to let this go — Arc because she knew what he was like, and they'd competed against each other in a similar manner multiple times in the past, landing them in detention most of the time, and Iggy because she couldn't blame him for being upset. Arc wasn't making this any easier, specially since their last encounter in the corridor, with that nosy portrait.

But Dani was just really tired, and she wanted to get this over with. She was frustrated with all the antics — funny, given that she was usually the one causing trouble, just not among friends — and she just felt like going to bed.

"Son of a bludger," she muttered, shifting her gaze between both boys and clutching her bucket handle a little tighter. "You boys can stay here and argue till daylight, but I'd like to just get detention over with so I can go to bed and not have to be around this anymore." She gestured wildly to the both of them, as if that was enough to emphasis 'this', before shoving past Arc with her shoulder applying a bit more force than she'd intended.

She glanced back, only for a second, to let her gaze land on the only other one who would probably want to get this over with as well. "Come on, Eliza." Her words still came out as a bark, mostly unintentionally, though she did attempt to let her expression soften since none of her frustration was directed at the other girl. Dani just wanted to be done with all of this.

hagrid's hut > forbidden forest.

oh my god, can we just go?

gryffindor robes.

Xed Uxie spooked.duke

 

[Uxie]

hagrid's hut

think happy thoughts

hufflepuff robes

ignatius, archard, daniella

spooked.duke Xed natasha.

eliza

the destined

eliza wouldn't have expected anything less than his stunt with the bucket from archard, though ignatius' more than scathing retaliatory words made her jump slightly. the last time she'd seen him this worked up... at the painting. she watched them quietly, her eyes wide with concern as her grip on her lantern tightened. daniella muttered what sounded like vaguely a curse word next to her, and eliza bit her lip. should she say something to intervene? she wasn't sure anything she said would be able to defuse the situation. it honestly sounded like they were both working through some issues, and she might only make matters worse.

daniella beat her to it. "you boys can just stay here and argue till daylight, but i'd like to just get detention over with so i can go to bed and not have to be around this anymore." eliza agreed wholeheartedly, though she did nothing to express her echoing of dani's sentiments. the gryffindor pushed past archard, her shoulder shoving him aside in a clear show of frustration. it was off to a horrible start if all of them were this agitated already. the forest and its suffocating sense of dread would only take advantage of it. she knew more than anyone how the shadows would twist in ways it wasn't supposed to when you weren't looking, and the thought of it seemed to cool the air around her by 10 degrees. eliza shivered sub-consciously.

"come on, eliza." the other girl's voice rang through her head, breaking eliza out of her half-trance and causing her to jolt in surprise. she'd found herself staring at the forest again, whether it was in fear or a morbid sense of curiosity was becoming terrifyingly difficult to distinguish. was it weird that it reminded her vaguely of home? in the worst way possible, of course.

there was a nice feeling of glee at being addressed directly, even if her words were more of an order than a suggestion. "oh... yes!" she called back, hurrying to follow her pace. she paused as she passed ignatius, reaching down to gently pick up the bucket with her free hand. the combined weight of the two items she was carrying was a little much for the poor girl, but not bad enough that she couldn't manage. eliza would just be a bit of a slowpoke, but it wasn't like she had any plans on sprinting when she'd barely be able to see the ground in front of her.

overtaking archard and finally reaching daniella, she shot an apprehensive but kind half-smile at the two boys as she glanced back. "we should stay together as much as possible." eliza suggested softly, before turning back to dani and giving her an encouraging smile as she nodded towards the forest, gesturing that she'd follow the gryffindor in. she wouldn't move otherwise, really; a quartet being reduced to a duo entering a spooky forest was the opposite of a comforting thought. she hoped the boys wouldn't be far behind.

♡coded by uxie♡