In The Shadow of Our Choices

Chapter 31 - A Test of Strength

Elizabeth

Elizabeth followed the men to where the Forbidden Forest was closest to Hogsmeade. They stood at the edge of the trees for a long minute, debating, before moving off down one of the winding paths. The night was dark, and the further into the forest they went, the blacker it got. The men eventually lit their wands, leaving themselves blind to everything in the shadows around them. Elizabeth risked moving in, following closer, so that she could hear them. Her heart was racing and her hands were shaking. Why was she doing this again?

"S' a good thing that the Rookwood gang's goons have gone away, innit? More 'unting grounds for us, eh?"

"Aye, but I don't much fancy whatever they're up to now."

"New leader, new ideas," the first man said with a shrug. "Might mean more business for us if they're pullin' out of the poachin' game."

Elizabeth's heart raced as she realized the implications of their conversation.

"Could be, could be," the second man replied. "But I 'eard they're gearin' up for somethin' big."

The first man snorted. "Don't rightly know about that. I 'eard -"

Snap.

Something under her foot gave way. Elizabeth froze, she turned her head away from the light, shutting her eyes, praying the green of the cloak would blend into the darkness.

"Who's there?" one of the men called.

It's just a creature. Please think it's just a creature.

The men started walking back along the path towards her.

"We can see ye."

Elizabeth sighed and turned back to the men, drawing her wand. She should have thought to use a disillusionment charm.

"Hello gentlemen," she said, keeping her voice steady. "You were saying something about the Rookwood gang?"

"Who are ye?" the first man asked.

The second man grabbed the first's arm.

"It's that girl! From last year!"

The first man sent a spell flying towards her without warning. Elizabeth blocked it with a flick of her wand. She returned with a disarming spell that the second poacher blocked. In quick succession, Elizabeth hit the first man with two spells - Diffindo slashed into his arm as he nearly dodged it, then Confringo sent him flying backwards into a tree. He slumped to the ground, unconscious. While she was dealing with him, the second man caught her in the side with a spell that opened a deep gash, pain searing through her. Elizabeth gasped and doubled over for a split second. Then, with a growl, she swished her wand up, lifting the man into the air and slamming him down into the ground. He crumpled onto the forest path and didn't move. With his wand now extinguished, everything was plunged into darkness.

Elizabeth didn't check on the men. Pain was spreading from the gash in her side. She stepped off the path, into the woods, in case they weren't actually down and out. She tried to ignore her roiling stomach and the shaking of her hands that had nothing to do with the injury.

"Point me," she said, muttering to her wand.

It spun to point north on the palm of her hand, and Elizabeth felt for the direction. It would be shorter to get back to Hogwarts by heading south from where they were, rather than backtracking to Hogsmeade, and she wanted to be away from those men when they woke up. If they woke up. The trees were close together here, and it was pitch black. She tried to feel her way in the dark, but she wasn't making very good time. Elizabeth lit her wand.