The forest breathed dampness and cold. Though it was mid-March, it felt as if winter was trying to take back its ground. The branches above were so tightly tangled that they blocked out the sky, and daylight barely filtered through the thick canopy. The Forbidden Forest had never been a pleasant place, but today, without Hagrid, or at least Harry and Ron, it felt far more threatening.
This time, Hermione couldn't ask them for help. Terry Foster had put a Non-Disclosure Charm on everything related to his release. And it was for quicksol slime, needed to make the Eye of Chronos work, that she was now heading into the most dangerous part of the forest.
Hermione walked along a barely visible path, gripping her wand tightly in her right hand. The Green Cloak was slung over her left shoulder. She moved forward with determination, trying not to show how much the anxiety was eating at her. Beside her, Miranda of Ravenclaw walked with far less resolve, constantly glancing around and nervously twisting a strand of her dark, wavy hair.
"This is madness," Miranda muttered, casting a glance at the thickening shadows. "Didn't Terry Foster know this slime can only be found in the deepest parts of the Forbidden Forest?"
"I'm sure he knew perfectly well," Hermione replied, focusing on something that had flashed ahead. "He just seems to think we can handle it."
"He thinks you can handle it," Miranda shot back. "He doesn't need me to open the Vault of Time." She glanced around again, clearly unsettled.
Hermione didn't answer. Instead, she sharply raised her free hand and listened.
"Did you see something?" Miranda whispered, her voice tight with anxiety.
"Quiet," Hermione whispered back. "I think I heard something. And… I can't shake the feeling that someone's watching us."
Miranda tightened her grip on her wand and began scanning the darkness between the trees, pointing it into the shadows. She had been feeling it too for the past few minutes, that heavy, sticky sense of someone's presence, she had just been afraid to admit it to herself.
"Do you think it's an animal?" she whispered.
"I wish it was," Hermione muttered.
Miranda looked at her, startled, and Hermione went on quickly, "With an animal, we might stand a chance. But if it's a wizard… someone from the League of Light, for example…"
She didn't need to finish. A year ago, Hermione had already been caught in a trap set by the cunning Thomas Nightshade, right here in the Forbidden Forest. And that was what troubled her most about this venture.
They quickened their pace, as if hoping to slip away from an unseen enemy. The forest grew harsher: massive roots pushed up from the ground like tentacles, and the bushes tangled into an impenetrable wall. Miranda caught her foot on a snag of wood and nearly fell.
"Careful," Hermione said. Her voice sounded tight.
Then, without warning, a crack of breaking branches came from the bushes. Hermione froze. Miranda went pale and clapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming.
"Isn't that a verdilisk?" she breathed, backing away.
"No," Hermione whispered. "Too loud. Verdilisks are very stealthy."
She tried to make out where the noise was coming from, but the shadows around them seemed to come alive. Then, without warning, something dark and massive burst from a thick bush ahead: a Black Gnashhound, a wolf-like creature with glossy black fur and red eyes. It was about the size of a large dog, but its jaws, lined with sharp fangs, were clearly meant for far deadlier purposes.
"Hermione!" Miranda shrieked, jabbing her wand at the creature. "L-Lumos!" she blurted, the first spell that came to mind. "Expelliarmus! Orchideous!" she went on, in a panic, running through anything she could remember.
"Stupefy!" Hermione snapped. She had fought for her life last year, and that experience kicked in at once.
A flash of red light hit the Gnashhound. It stumbled and shook its head, as if trying to shake off an annoying fly. Hermione felt a surge of fear: these creatures were almost immune to simple spells, and she hadn't mastered the more advanced ones yet.
"Run!" Miranda shouted. But as if it understood, the Gnashhound made a huge leap and cut off their retreat.
Hermione jumped aside, narrowly dodging a swipe of its clawed paw. Miranda faltered, tripped, and fell to the ground, pressing herself against a tree root. The creature lunged at her.
"Incarcerous!" Hermione shouted, flicking her wand.
Magical ropes wrapped around the Gnashhound, knocking it off its feet. It roared. Muscles bulged and rippled under its hide, and within seconds the spell gave way. The torn strands of magic dropped to the ground.
"Miranda, go!" Hermione shouted, backing away. She tried to draw the creature's attention to herself, pulling open the Green Cloak with one hand.
'I should've put it on a long time ago,' flashed through her mind. 'It's not like I'd turn into a verdilisk that quickly.'
The image of Lady Blackstone still hung in Hermione's mind. That was what had stopped her from putting the cloak on earlier. She had put it off until the last moment. Now it was too late. The creature crouched, ready to spring, and…
Something huge crashed down from above straight onto the Gnashhound. Hermione and Miranda barely managed to jump aside as a heavy mass of branches, vines, and something like thick webbing slammed to the ground beside them.
It was a giant spider.
It looked even more terrifying than the Gnashhound. The beast snarled, trying to bite its new enemy, but the spider was faster. It drove its venomous fangs into the creature at once, then, with chilling efficiency, its hairy legs working rapidly, began wrapping it in webbing.
Hermione and Miranda, stiff with fear, slowly backing away, watched as the creature handled its prey. All the while, it never took its huge, gleaming eyes off them.
"We're done for…" Miranda managed to choke out. Her legs were giving way, her vision blurring. She was already starting to topple sideways when a strong hand caught her, steadying her. Miranda turned, then immediately tried to pull free.
A verdilisk stood beside her. Or Hermione? Or was it a verdilisk after all?
Her friend's features were beginning to blur, and in their place the form of a verdilisk was coming through more and more clearly. It was obvious: Hermione had made her choice. She had put on the Green Cloak.
The spider, which had already taken a couple of steps towards them, froze. It studied the new opponent for a moment with its faceted eyes, then gave a low, displeased sound, seized its prey, and quickly disappeared into the tangle of branches.
Miranda swallowed hard.
"That was close…" she breathed, still unable to believe she was safe.
"Yes," Hermione replied absently. She stood motionless, and there was something in her voice that showed she was still adjusting to her new state.
As soon as the cloak slid over her shoulders, the world changed at once. The forest became different, sharper, clearer, as if someone had applied a filter and stripped away everything unnecessary. She felt her skin being covered with something invisible, like a thin layer of scales. Her hearing sharpened: she could pick up the rustle of leaves, the distant crack of a branch under some animal's paw, the whisper of the wind somewhere a mile away. And the smells… Hermione had never imagined how saturated the forest was with them, and how many of them practically screamed danger.
'Danger… but not for me!' the thought flared up, triumphant.
'This cloak is incredible,' she thought in awe, as the world seemed to open up before her. 'I can see, hear, feel everything. And most importantly, now they all fear me. Why did I wait so long to put it on?'
She looked at Miranda, still supporting her with one hand. Miranda looked so weak, so vulnerable… and there was something irritating about that weakness.
"I think you'd better go back to Hogwarts. As soon as possible," Hermione said, her voice suddenly firm.
"Alone?" Miranda exclaimed, staring at her in shock.
"I need to get to the marshes. From the smell, they're close. And you won't make it there without the cloak, other verdilisks will spot you. You can't stay here either. It's getting late." She spoke easily, without hesitation. "I'll be back as soon as I get the slime."
"I'm not going anywhere alone," Miranda whispered, panic in her eyes. "I'd rather go with you. Even to the marshes."
Hermione hesitated.
'Should I just leave her here?' The thought came suddenly, cold and contemptuous. 'Such a weak, clingy creature'.
But another rose at once, far more familiar.
'It's Miranda. My friend. Alone in a darkening forest, with no protection. She chose to come with me, despite the terror the Forbidden Forest filled her with. No. I can't leave her. She needs help.'
Hermione looked around and spotted a small hollow between the roots of a tree.
"Hide there," she said. "I'll put a Distraction Charm on you. It might help. At least a little."
A minute later, after promising to be back as soon as she could, Hermione, in the form of a verdilisk, ran towards the marshes. She knew she was making more noise than such a creature should, but there was no time for stealth. Leaving Miranda alone for long, even under a Distraction Charm, was too dangerous.
The marshes met her with suffocating mist and a ringing silence. It wasn't as dark here as in the dense forest, but the place was bleak: sparse trees with crooked trunks stood like sentries guarding their ground, and the few patches of land were dotted with thin blades of grass and covered in patches of moss. The ground underfoot was soft and waterlogged, and with every step Hermione felt herself sinking deeper into the foul-smelling muck.
Here, she forced herself to move more carefully. The cloak helped her blend into her surroundings, making her look like one of the most dangerous creatures in this place. Even so, Hermione didn't feel confident. Her heart suddenly started pounding so loudly it felt as if anyone could hear it. She stopped at the edge of a small clearing, ringed by gnarled roots and patches of grass, and had barely caught her breath when something large came out of the mist.
It was a verdilisk. A real verdilisk. The living embodiment of the marsh's danger. Its massive, toad-like head with bulging yellow eyes turned straight towards her. Its scaled body moved slowly, almost lazily, yet carried the certainty of a predator.
Hermione froze, unable to move. All her confidence was gone. It was one thing to imagine a verdilisk, and quite another to see one right in front of her.
'What do I do? What do I do?' pounded in her head. No other thoughts could break through that silent scream.
The verdilisk froze as well, staring at her with wary interest. Its huge eyes seemed to bore right through her, studying the unwelcome intruder.
Then it moved.
It turned in place and lowered its head almost to the ground.
'Now it's going to spring and tear me apart', the thought flashed through Hermione's mind. She had already accepted it. Fear locked her in place, and although her mind was screaming run, her body simply wouldn't obey.
But instead of attacking, the verdilisk slowly lifted its head and began to coil and sway. Its tail moved in rhythm, tracing intricate circles, and its scales glinted in the soft light. Hermione watched, her confusion growing. The verdilisk kept moving, showing no sign of aggression.
"What is it…" she whispered under her breath, feeling fear give way to confusion.
Then it hit her. It was a mating dance. The verdilisk had taken her for a female. Hermione felt her face 'flush,' not literally, of course, but the sensation was there, even though the Cloak had changed more than just her appearance.
'Seriously? You picked me?' she thought, a hint of hysteria creeping in. She was shaking with tension, and at the same time she wanted to laugh. And cry. 'Brilliant. Just brilliant!'
But this was hardly the moment for a breakdown. The verdilisk, still performing its mating dance, was slowly closing in on his chosen mate, moving with unsettling grace. Hermione frantically ran through the lines from the section 'Verdilisk Behaviour and Mating Rituals' in the guide to marsh-dwelling magical creatures she had stubbornly read before the mission. 'If the female is not interested, she must assert dominance and reject the male,' a line from the book surfaced in her memory.
"All right, Hermione… you can do this," she whispered to herself, trying to ignore the tremor in her knees.
She lowered her head, copying the male's gesture, then snapped it up and let out a low, vibrating sound. It rose from somewhere deep in her chest, rolled through her altered vocal cords, and still came out quiet and uncertain.
The verdilisk froze. He looked… surprised?
Not waiting for any reaction, Hermione took a few steps forward, imitating the heavy gait of a female. Then she snapped her head up again and let out a low, rough hiss, as if saying, 'I'm not interested. Go away.'
The verdilisk did not move. Its curved tail held in a tense arc, caught mid-dance. It stared at her without blinking, carefully assessing her reaction. It seemed unable to tell what exactly this female in front of him was doing.
Hermione hadn't expected to reproduce the ritual perfectly. She was simply praying to herself that the persistent male would take her actions the right way and wouldn't try to 'clarify' her intentions.
At last, the verdilisk let out a low, dull growl, more like a disappointed grumble. It stepped back. Then another step. And finally, it turned lazily and slipped into the mist, throwing her one last, irritated look.
It took Hermione a moment to realise she could breathe again. She dropped heavily into a crouch, trying to steady her racing heart.
"Not bad," she whispered to herself, trying to pull herself together.
As soon as her breathing evened out, Hermione began scanning the area carefully. She remembered: quicksols leave traces on leaves and on blades of grass hanging over the water. Running her gaze over the bushes and nearby hummocks, she finally spotted a faint silvery sheen on several broad marsh leaves, just as Terry Foster had described.
Hermione carefully moved closer to the leaves and pulled a glass vial from under her cloak. Moving quickly but with extreme care, she began collecting the slime. Time mattered, and so did silence. She kept glancing around, aware that every human movement looked suspicious in a verdilisk's body. Any real one nearby might notice and attack.
The first vial filled to the brim. She sealed it carefully and moved on to the next. Then the third. When that one was full too, Hermione finally let her shoulders ease a little.
She had done it.
The way back to Miranda felt shorter. The farther she moved from the marshes, the stronger that strange confidence returned, a sense of superiority over everything around her.
When she reached the hiding place, she saw Miranda peering out from under the tree roots, frightened. At the sight of the verdilisk's silhouette, she went pale, and for a moment panic flashed across her face.
Hermione watched her, watched her friend's face twist more and more with fear, and suddenly caught herself thinking that she… liked it. Liked seeing this weak, pathetic creature tremble before her, before her power.
'Stop. What am I thinking?' she cried out to herself. 'I can't think like this. It's the cloak. it's doing this'.
She gave a sharp shake of her head, forcing herself to focus. Then she raised her hands in a calming gesture.
"It's me. Hermione," she rasped in a low voice.
Miranda let out a shaky breath.
"For a moment, I thought you were a real verdilisk. The way you were looking at me…" Then she pointed anxiously towards the thicket. "There's something there. I heard rustling."
"There was," Hermione said firmly. Her heightened hearing caught the predator's retreating steps. It was running fast. Verdilisks here were clearly feared. "Come on. I want to take this cloak off. It's trying to talk me out of it."
"Talk you out of it?" Miranda echoed, crawling out from under the tree. "How?"
"It's telling me not to take it off," Hermione growled, her voice clipped. "Saying I'm better with it. That everyone's afraid of me. That everything's under control." She gave a sharp shake of her head, as if trying to shake it off. "My thoughts are getting muddled. Hurry!"
The girls hurried away, almost running. After several tense minutes, when the verdilisk's instincts told her the danger was behind them, Hermione stopped, tore off the cloak, and turned to Miranda.
"Well?" she asked anxiously, breathing hard. "Am I normal again?"
Miranda caught her breath and looked at her closely. Doubt showed on her face.
"But you… you really took it off, right?" she asked quietly.