By the time they reached the scene though, she could see Sarah, and a large dark Dryad, but no one else.

"Sarah!" she called.

Sarah was standing looking seriously stunned next to a tree. Her robes had been caught in the tree but she had pulled them loose ripping them some.

She turned her head as Kat entered, "Oh my gods!"

"The weirdest thing just happened. Mahou was acting strange and talking to the trees and then all of sudden she changed.... one second weird little Irish kid with pointy ears.. next minute .... tree. This tree." she indicated the tree she was standing by.

"Can we go back to school now ......ppplllease?"

She didn't know whether turning into a tree was something that happened with any regularity in the Forbidden Forest and she wasn't that keen to find out.

She then saw Nimue enter close behind Kat and figured she'd caught the gist of what had happened.

Nimue had heard most of it though the circumstances of the transformation were unclear. She came up beside Kat and bowed her head formally to acknowledge the presence of the large dark Dryad that was with them.

Nimue figured that Sarah likely didn't know what she was looking at and thought it was just another tree.

The Spirit stood stock still. Its eyes glowed deep red. Unless you were aware it was there you may just think it was a very large, very old knarled tree-shaped coincidentally somewhat like a man.

However when it's head moved and its eyes glowed it was obviously this was no tree. It looked down at Nimue and took one slow, heavy step forward.

Then it bowed to her!

Nimue had not quite expected that! She looked at her companions briefly and bid them remain both silent and still.

"Lord of the Green" her voice was strong but without aggression, "I do humbly apologise for our trespass upon your domain."

She was having to take a great deal on trust here - that she might find the right words with which to convince the Forest to release them. That the authority of her lineage would speak through her despite her youth and inexperience.

"The one whom you have taken onto the forest is young in spirit and has not yet mastered her words and emotions. She has yet to find her place in the kingdoms of man or fey. She is of both realms and of neither. She came here seeking refuge when in truth she had not been cast out. She is of my House and I am charged by our customs for her safety. We would, if you would permit it, pass from beneath these eaves and only return by your leave."

Mahou was a tree. Big deal. She didn't mind. She thought it was interesting, though scary at the same time. She wanted to find a forest that would welcome her.. *something* that would welcome her.

She watched at the spirit bowed. She was angry. What in the world did she have that Mahou didn't that would cause the very SPIRIT of the forest to bow to her? Mahou thought she was closer to anything green than this.. this.. human. She knew that this state of mind was something her mother tried to squash out of her, but it was hard to do, considering the time she spent with the elves in Ireland.

~Why did I get punished for the ways Da taught me.. an' this.. *human* gets a bow from th' spirit of the forbidden forest?~ she thought to herself, her tone in her mind very angry. ~She may be this all-powerful prefect.. this human tha' e'eryone seems ta respect.. e'en.. e'en Severus.. but.. I be an elf!~ She quivered.

The tree quivered. Mahou could only watch, though, and listen. She was a tree.. and this was a lesson that would stick with her.. for all of her days. Needless to say.. this half-elf was thinking she wouldn't be speaking for a while..

The Lord of the Forest Listened. Not moving.

When Nimue finished talking it remained very still, for what seemed like a long time.

"Teach her" Without a movement from him the Tree slowly changed back into Mahou. "She is in your care now Lady. Teach her the ways of the green. Teach her to Listen."

His body started to slowly sink into the grown.

"I have been awaked by the stirring of a great Evil, an Ancient Evil. Be warned. The Affairs of the flesh are of no concern of Ours. But a time may come when we shall speak again" Then he was gone.

And where was Marvo while all this was going on? He was standing in the clearing next to Kat. Looking in the opposite direction to the Lord of the Woods.

Looking at the Large Black scuttering things surrounding them "Far too m..many legs!"

And where was Andy while all this was going on? He was standing next to Marvo petrified as well!

Why did Mahou turn into a tree? Why did a Spirit bow to Nimue? Why were there giant spiders surrounding them? And how the hell did he get himself into this?

So many questions unanswered. He was speechless. ...and a little confused.

Nimue remained silent for a few moments and waited for Mahou to acknowledge them. She was pondering the words of the Spirit of the Forest. She would need to advise Dumbledore.

Mahou was turned back into her half-elf self. She fell to the ground, her whole body quaking. She was not a happy creature of the forest. She was not all for playing her pipes and dancing merrily in a clearing.

She had been bested in the Green by.. by a human! Gripping the ground beneath her in fisted hands, she pulled away some loose dirt, clutching it.. but it had betrayed her, she felt. The Green had chosen a HUMAN over her! She may be half human.. but at least she still had some better qualities. She couldn't move. She didn't care that the spiders were surrounding her, even if she knew they were there.. she didn't care about anything at that moment.. not even her life.

To be bested by a mere human at anything to do with nature.. Mahou could hardly stand it. She couldn't stand it. She just stayed where she was, her hands in fists, her whole world crashing down around her.

She didn't belong with the elves.. she didn't want to belong with the humans. She had belonged when she was a tree, and she longed for that now. To watch the world pass you by in swoops and whirls. To not feel time.. or pain.. or love.. or anything but the wind in the leaves. She wanted to be a stone.. or a tree.. anything but what she was..

~*I cannae.. believe it..*~ she said to herself in Elfin. She knew the other trees knew what she was feeling. She felt betrayed by the Green. ~*A human.. bested me.. in.. in.. no...*~ She slammed her fist into the earth roughly, loose stones cutting her in small places, tears of hurt and anger spilling from her eyes. ~*Humans should no' be me own problem, either.. I shoulda been able ta go ta th' school fer elves! But I had ta come here.. where Ma went..*~ Her voice was soft, and her emotions loud.

Nimue was not at all sure what was wrong with Mahou. She seemed rather upset about something speaking in the tongue of her father's people.

Therefore, she waited patiently while the girl emoted and also looked to Kat, Andy and Marvo re how to deal with the threat of the spiders. Well actually Kat and Andy - Marvo would be terrified she knew. They had to get out of the Forest before anything else happened! Mahou could deal with her anger/ frustration later back at the castle.

Kat looked at Marvo. She too had spotted the spiders. She remembered the last time they had encountered them in this forest and shivered. Marvo had nearly died. In fact Niki's brother had died... She pushed it to the back of her mind.

She glanced across at Andy and noticed the same look on his face. She silently grumbled and turned to Nimue.

"I think it is down to you and me. You take Mahou, and I will handle these two. If we follow the direction that Nathaniel and Raphael went then we should catch up with them. All we need to do is run out of here."

She gritted her teeth. "How about Tarantallegra, Rictusempra and Jelly Legs? Should distract them enough for us to run. Can you help Mahou up?"

She looked concerned at Mahou, then turned her attention to Marvo and Andy.

"Now boys," she said slipping in-between them both and linking her arms through theirs. "All you have to do is hold onto me and we will get passed these guys. Just think of nice little fluffy kittens... that is all they are. ok?"

She held her wand in her hand. Pointing it, with a little difficulty due to Andy's arm restricting her movement somewhat, at the spider that stood in the direction that Nathaniel had gone with Raphael.

Nimue nodded at Kat, it seemed the best plan. She put her arm around Mahou to bring her back to her feet. "Come on Mahou - we have to escape from these creatures!"

Andy had gone blank. He didn't even realise that Kat was standing right beside him. All he was thinking about was the possibility that he would be on the front page of the Daily Prophet the next morning.

'Snap out of it Andy! They can't hurt you. You are brave and cunning and smart. You can beat them. They are nothing but spiders. You are a future Auror!' he thought to himself.

Finally, Andy snapped out of it. He came back to reality and saw Kat standing next to him. "I'm alright Kat," he said. "Let's get out of here."

Mahou moved very slowly, deliberately. She moved her head to look at Nimue, her eyes narrow; angry. Standing, Mahou shrugged off the friendly arm, her demeanour cold. Something was a bit different about the half-elf. Her manner was different.. almost.. superior.

She looked at the spiders, her anger too great.. her feeling of betrayal to grand.. to feel fear. Elves were better than humans, that's the way it was. That's the way it always will be.

~*Spiders,*~ Mahou scoffed, glancing sidelong at Nimue, her gaze almost belittling. She switched to English. "And how, do ye think, we do tha'? Cast some spell on them?" She smirked, no more tears flowing from her eyes.

Nimue was surprised by Mahou's tone of voice and the way she shrugged off her arm. She looked over and caught Sarah's eye.

Sarah looked at her in a way that indicated she had no idea what was up with Mahou but please could they just go. Sarah was anxious about Nathaniel and Raphael.

"All we need do is distract them I will not call upon the Green again this night - we have been charged to leave and leave we shall." Nimue's voice indicated she was 'all business' now. Other matters could be sorted out later.

Nimue wished that she hadn't been so concerned to spare Mahou the further humiliation of losing Gryffindor more House points and they had just alerted a teacher to the situation.

"Kat, we're ready. Let's just do this now shall we!" she called. She gave Sarah another nod. If Mahou refused to move, they'd just drag her with them.

Kat nodded and flicked her wand at the first spider. "TARANTALLEGRA!"

The spider started to dance uncontrollably. It was so confused by it's own legs that it was no longer concentrating on the group of students.

She pointed her wand at another one of the spiders and performed a simple jelly legs spell. It too started to worry about the strange sensations it felt rather than the students.

"That's our cue," Kat announced. "Follow me." She grabbed Andy's hand in case he was still bewildered, and then she hurried, with Marvo still held in one arm, through the spiders.

Nimue and Sarah took Mahou by the arms and also rushed forward through the spiders with Kat, Marvo and Andy.

Very quickly they joined Nathaniel and Raphael. Sarah let go of Mahou's arm leaving her with Nimue rushed up to the two boys flinging her arms around the two of them. "I'm so glad you're both safe!"

"We're getting out of here." said Nimue to the boys, "All of us." She turned back to Kat, "Same again?"

Nathaniel put his arm around Sarah, and the three of them held each other for a long moment. "We're fine." he reassured her softly. "But so much for the quiet get-away, huh?"

Mahou was dragged along, her anger not melting away, but blazing hotter. Yanking away roughly, she moved on her own, her movements still graceful and fluid through her anger.

~*No' call upon th' Green again, hm*~ Mahou muttered to herself. ~*Wha' makes ye so special ta call upon it in th' first place... human...*~ Her voice was barely a whisper, but her tone resonated through the forests. The dryads stirred, the nymphs bubbled. They felt the anger, but could not ease it. They were forbidden.

"Let's hurry up an' get out o' here," she half-snarled. She would have to contemplate and write a letter home later. Or.. a letter.. to him. That cheered her a little, but not enough to be seen as cheerful.

Nimue was glad to see that Mahou was now moving under her own steam. It would make the next part of the journey a lot easier.

"Indeed, we will Mahou." she said kindly. She was aware of the other girl's anger but had no idea it was directed towards her. She would not have been able to comprehend it as so even if Mahou had expressed it outwardly.

Kat noticed the attitude that Mahou was resonating. So long as she continued to move out of the forest then Kat reasoned there was no point in saying anything yet.

She looked across at Nimue. "Yes, same again."

She turned to Raphael and Nathaniel and explained what they were doing. "A few simple spells just to distract them long enough for us to get out of here."

She pointed her wand in the direction of the spider that was between them and the way out of the forest.

"TARANTALLEGRA!" It did the same as the other spiders had done. It became confused over the fact that it seemed to be dancing.

"Come on!" She called to the others.

Nimue had no intention of dragging Mahou out. She hoped the girl would be sensible enough to follow Kat's lead but flashed a look at Sarah and the boys just in case. "Come on...all of us now!"

Mahou didn't even look at Nimue in their retreat. She just picked up her red fox and followed everyone else. There was time to sort things out in the safety of the dorm. And there would be a lot of sorting to do..

As the group made their way past the spiders they did their merry dance.

Fortunately Kat had hit the Lead spider with her spell and the others didn't know what to do, being young and inexperienced. But then a change seemed to come over them. The ones dancing stopped.

But they did not attack. Instead they all, in unison moved off in the same direction. Something had called them. And they had to obey.

*********

Marvo allowed himself to be dragged along by Kat. Mumbling something about 'too many legs' Once they were clear of the Spiders he slumped tot he ground and looked up.

"I'm quite useless aren't I? Is everyone okay?"

Once out of the woods and with Marvo slumped to the ground, Sarah nodded to him that she was indeed OK.

She wandered over to Mahou, "Hey, kid you still look a little grumpy though I'd probably be grumpy if some entorwhateverthatwas turned me into a tree. Lucky old Nimmy came along huh?"

Sarah naturally was oblivious to any idea that Mahou might have a problem with Nimue over the matter of the Forest Lord.

Mahou didn't answer anyone. She sat down heavily on the ground, shivering a little from the chill wind that picked up. She was still wearing her outfit from Quidditch.. to make her look more 'sporty'.

'Lucky old Nimmy came along'? Mahou snapped her head up to look at Sarah, her lime eyes blazing. "Lucky.." she seethed. "Lucky..?" She stood swiftly, her hands balled into fists. She glared something fierce and suddenly calmed that the voice of Dumbledore, knowing that he most likely saw that.

Turning away, she picked up her fox again, shivering from the cold and from her anger. Humans.. besting her.. saving her.. she would have been just fine. Her father could have come and gotten her if they had sent for him. At least then she would have been saved by elves.

She stood there... brooding... thinking...

Nimue nodded to Marvo that she was fine. She also couldn't help but notice Mahou's attitude though couldn't understand it. They had all emerged safely and surely that was the point.

As in the past the students had worked as a team. Noting that Sarah was seeking to engage Mahou in conversation, Nimue wandered to where Nathaniel and Raphael were.

"You two alright as well. That was intense. You weren't there when the being spoke to me but he spoke of an ancient evil being stirred up. It seems to be quite important."

Nathaniel blinked slowly at Nimue, and glanced at Raphael. "I'm fine. No worries on my score. Thanks for the help with the spiders."

He glanced at Raphael again. - Blink.

The skeletal horse. Blink.

The apple tree with its poisoned, rotting crop. Blink.

All gone again. Shudder.

Raphael glanced at Nimue, and then again at Nathaniel, as the other shuddered slowly. But he, too, forced a reply to Nimue from deep in him. Effort was what it took. "The spirit of the forest," Raphael muttered to Nathaniel.

But the burning in his eyes and his mouth.

The ash.

Ancient eyes meeting ancient stares of woodland malice.

Anger.

Nathaniel, standing close by, thinking thoughts.

And inside Raphael, something was pushing him on, away from Nathaniel that was where he wanted to go: something had stirred in him. He could feel the globular, sickly feeling of nausea as washing forces crashed in him. And sense, and thought.

Spiders. That was his thought, his hunger, unsatiated by the panic in the woods. Spiders. Something to find, to wrench apart with claws. Feast not on blood but on experience.

What was happening to him?