Gryffindors were all caught up in the ruckus of Harry and Malfoy's flying chase, completely oblivious to what Dudley and Hermione were doing. The Slytherins, on the other hand, noticed, but they wisely looked the other way.
We dare not speak.We dare not ask.We know nothing.
And so, the two of them successfully made their way across the lawn and trotted down the path to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
All the while, Hermione's heart was thumping like a drum. As a studious goodie-two-shoes, skipping class was strictly forbidden.
But it was so thrilling, so much fun!
Hermione's face was flushed and rosy, like a ripe red apple.
Flying lessons were dreadfully boring when you couldn't actually fly, so she figured it was the perfect chance to explore a bit. She'd been at Hogwarts for a while now, but it felt like she was always cooped up in the dormitory, the classroom, or the library. It was high time she truly saw this magical place.
During the daytime, the Forbidden Forest was merely a bit shadowy.
Hogwarts, nestled in the Scottish Highlands, has a temperate climate, and its forests are full of oak, maple, and beech trees. The thick, dark canopy could feel oppressive to some.
But not to Dudley.
Where he came from, the mountains were endless, and forests were a common sight.
To him, the Forbidden Forest was just a big wood. The real magic, of course, lay in the creatures and plants that called it home.
"Wow!" Just a few steps into the forest's edge, and Hermione was completely enchanted.
The sun filtered through the leaves and branches, casting dappled patches of green and gold on the forest floor. As the breeze stirred, the light danced and shimmered, creating a beautiful, harmonious scene.
Even Hermione's slightly frazzled nerves began to calm.
As Hermione soaked in the scenery, Dudley was secretly watching her. He could tell she'd been a bit down lately, and it wasn't just the frustration of not being able to fly. There was something else on her mind, but since she wasn't saying anything, he didn't want to pry. He hoped this little trip to the Forbidden Forest would cheer her up.
He'd noticed a stubborn streak in her, much like his own.
And Harry, too. Though, perhaps Harry had simply picked up his mannerisms over time.
Do stubborn people just naturally gravitate toward each other?
Heh. It sounded like something out of a Muggle comic book.
Hermione skipped ahead, her curiosity piqued by everything around her.
In that moment, she wasn't Miss "Know-It-All" Gryffindor; she was just a lively, ordinary girl.
"Over here! Dudley! Hurry!"
Hermione was standing at the base of a massive oak tree, so old and wide it would take four or five people to hug it. She waved Dudley over and pointed to a branch high above.
"Look up there!"
Sunlight streamed through the leaves, illuminating the tree's bark and making its patterns stand out. Following Hermione's finger, Dudley spotted a small plant with five yellow petals tucked between the trunk and a branch.
St. John's Wort. It was a fairly rare herb. Legend has it that the plant was marked with the devil's power, and rubbing the veins of its leaves would produce a blood-like sap. It was used to treat anemia and certain Muggle ailments, but its main use in the wizarding world was for treating stab wounds and magical curses.
Hermione chattered away like a songbird, explaining the herb's uses to Dudley.
He just smiled patiently and listened, not needing to say a word. He'd recognized the plant right away.
After she finished her explanation, Dudley shimmied up the branch, pulled a small trowel from his satchel, and carefully dug up the herb, placing it in a pre-prepared bottle.
"That was brilliant!"
Hermione's knowledge was top-notch, but her practical skills weren't quite there. She knew she couldn't have handled it as expertly as Dudley did.
Thinking about how Dudley, with his huge hands, had so delicately pinched the plant with just two fingers, she couldn't help but giggle.
Her silvery laughter echoed through the forest, revealing a flash of her bright, white teeth.
"Hermione, you have a beautiful smile. You should do it more often."
Dudley's straightforward compliment made Hermione blush, and she playfully punched his arm to hide her shyness.
The Forbidden Forest truly was a natural apothecary, and they were only on the edge of it. Dudley had already gathered a surprising number of potion ingredients. While none of them were especially rare, there was certainly a lot to be found. Every few steps, he'd spot another plant.
He collected plenty of mistletoe, houttuynia, dittany, and rue, even taking the whole root of the latter, as he planned to try growing some himself.
They even found a Leaping Toadstool, which is a bit of a strange beast—part fungus, part creature. It was a rather ugly, slimy-looking mushroom, but it had great medicinal value, so Dudley carefully collected it.
Just a warning: its juice can cause a nasty rash, so you must always use dragon-hide gloves when handling it.
After Dudley had safely put away the toadstool, he noticed Hermione standing in front of a different type of mushroom, one that glowed with a faint, greenish light.
It seemed even Miss "Know-It-All" had her stumped moments.
"That's a 'Woomi' mushroom," Dudley explained. "We don't study those until fourth-year Herbology. They're technically a fungus, like other mushrooms, but Herbology doesn't have a separate class for magical fungi."
"The cap is very sensitive," he continued. "If you poke it, it will spray a paralyzing spore. It's used to make Paralysis Potion."
In theory, the Woomi mushroom is rarer than the Leaping Toadstool, but most wizards only care about its spores.
"The mushroom itself can be used to make strength-enhancing potions," Dudley added.
"Unfortunately, most wizards aren't very interested in those."
For wizards, more physical strength is pretty pointless. They'd much rather have a Mild Magic-Enhancing Potion or a stronger one.
But it was exactly what Dudley needed. So, with even more care, he harvested it.
The little girl gathering mushrooms, with a basket so big...
Feeling a great mood, Dudley started humming to himself and eagerly led Hermione deeper into the woods, scavenging for more ingredients.
They explored a small section of the forest until they looked up and saw the moon hanging in the branches.
Oh, blast!
Dudley's eyes widened.
We missed dinner!
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