forest

[alt_macnair]

After one of yesterday's lessons, I overheard a fifth year lassie from Ravenclaw wonder aloud if I ever slept at the castle. Truth of fact I always sleep at the castle. I've got a set of quarters as plush as any man could ever need, with a nice fire in the grate and a good pillow. It can take a long time, years even, to find a good pillow.

But the forest needs more managing than one man, our Mr Lupin, can handle. As much as we do to keep students from wanderin into the forest, the forest must also be prevented from wanderin into Hogwarts. Every week I check for tracks, and look carefully to see that creatures aren't making their nests too close to the school. Usually they have a mind not to, but some of them are drawn to humans, be it for ill or good. Webs are the real bother, cos it takes a good study to tell if they're spun by common arachnids or something more sinister. And the tracks of some larger creatures can look a bit alike, especially in thick mud. Lupin's a good help on that count, got that nose of his.

Still, I can't help but curse the daft fool who decided to call the forest Forbidden. That's a sweet and sure way to make the youngin's long to take a wander in it.

Yet if there was ever a time it was forbidden, it's now. Deep into winter with no touch of spring, you can bet a pretty galleon that there're some beasties who are raging for a good meal. So mind your heels and steer clear, yeah?


Weasley If any student of my house needs a word, I'll be popping into the common room for a bit after supper.

Comments

[alt_percy]

I would appreciate the chance to speak with you then, sir. Thank you.

[alt_megan]

Ooooh, have you seen anything dangerous near the school? Do they ever come sniffing at the door? I thought I hear something at a window last week. But Daphne said it was just the wind. But it sounded like something horrible. With a big mouth.

[alt_macnair]

At what door? The castle has many.

[alt_megan]

Any door.

Have you?

[alt_macnair]

Naught more than a clabbert or a couple of gnomes. Maybe a niffler. At doors, anyway. Can't be sure about windows.

[alt_megan]

Perhaps I can simply stay away from the windows. At night. But there can't be anything very bad. Can there? Or else it would have got in already.

[alt_macnair]

Don't worry so much.

[alt_megan]

I thought you were trying to get people to worry. About things in the forest. Dangerous things. If you don't worry, you can't watch out for them. And someone told me a story about ghosts in the forest. Not ordinary ghosts. Those aren't scary at all. They're just strange when they walk through walls. But not scary.

But these other ghosts? In the forest?
They were ghosts that creep under your skin and drink your blood!
And then they look out through your eyes!
And people can see them looking!



But I'll try? If you really think so?

[alt_macnair]

Worrying doesn't help you to watch, only watching helps you watch. If you see or hear something you tell me or another professor, as you just did.

[alt_megan]

Oh.

I will.

[alt_sally_anne]

Maybe it's bats.

[alt_seamus]

Maybe its vampire bats.

[alt_megan]

Oh! Do you think so?

[alt_macnair]

They live in the Americas, Mr Finnegan.

[alt_seamus]

Professor Lockhart told us that sometimes hags use bats instead of owls to deliver their post. They could use a vampire bat coudnt they?

[alt_macnair]

Vampire bats are usually wee things, so I can't see them delivering post very far. You're best off talking to Professor Lockhart about the habits of hags, though, since hags are beings and not beasts.

[alt_megan]

Oh, do you think so?

[alt_padma]

Are you winding us up, Professor? Only its hard to tell and Jones is such a fraidy-cat and we're revising and poor Megan keeps checking over my shoulder and it's very des disconsert nerve-racking.

[alt_macnair]

I don't usually wind up students.

[alt_padma]

Oh.

Thank you, sir.

Does that mean there really are things that can come in at the windows?

[alt_lupin]

Ah, the old question - where do the teachers sleep. In a cupboard? In the staffroom? In pods under the lake? I remember, when we were at school, being quite sure that our transfiguration professor slept in her classroom. Of course, we were sort of right there.

[alt_macnair]

'Course, now I realise that professors didn't announce where they slept for a reason. Don't think I'd much like having my boisterous Gryffindors in shouting range of where I rest my head.

[alt_sally_anne]

If it were called the Forest of Boring Non-Magic Bunnies but I weren't allowed inside I'd still want to go in and see it sir.

But I'd want to go for a walk inside if it weren't forbidden too. I like forests.

And I'm not going in, don't worry, I know it's not allowed and there are things that can hurt me and I won't go in unless I can get a teacher to because of that.

[alt_macnair]

Oh, you again. Yes, I reckon you would still want to go in, no matter the name.