The Attacking Foliage

Lucius Malfoy stood before his large crystal ball cackling in an utterly ridiculous manner. Lucius and the winged Kreacher stood by the glowing orb and watched as a picture of the motley crew of the Yellow Brick Road skipping played out before them. He snapped his fingers at Kreacher who then handed the Wicked Witch his wand.

“So! The lively little bunch won’t heed my warning, eh? When I get my ruby scar, my power will be the greatest in Oz! Nobody will think to throw apples at me then!” He scowled at the memory as he concentrated, waving his wand over the crystal orb before him.

*****

Now tired of their seemingly endless skipping, the group was now slowly trudging down the road. The forest had finally begun thinning and they could see daylight. Tin Man Snape scowled at the first sight of blue sky and mumbled something about how sunlight glares off of his chest and into his eyes.

“Honestly, Lion. I was only saying that it would make much more sense for you to live in a house,” commented Scaregnome Hermione.

“Why? You think I can’t protect myself? I’m a lion with sharp claws and teeth and things! I’m a dangerous beast!”

“Well, obviously you can protect yourself since you have been living in the wilderness all this time, and you’re still alive. I was merely remarking upon the fact that since living in the wilderness scares you, you should live inside a house.”

“I am perfectly happy living in the forest, Scaregnome! Thank you!”

Their bickering continued until the group heard Padfoot barking up ahead. Rounding the corner, they saw Padfoot only yards from the end of the forest. From there on out was only miles and miles of grassy knolls.

The sunlight was bright and warm. Harry squinted, looking down their path. He could just barely make out a building of some sort. All he could tell for sure was that it was emerald green.

“Is that the Emerald City?”

“Indeed, it is,” Tin Man Snape answered.

Padfoot barked and wagged his tail. Harry, Padfoot, Scaregnome Hermione, and Cowardly Lion Ron all had a sudden burst of energy and began happily running down the road. Tin Man Snape huffed and stayed where he was. He raised his arms then dropped them back at his sides with a loud clank. Hoping they would soon tire out, he jogged creakily behind them.

The group continued to run along until they all noticed the sudden movement of the clouds, crossing in front of the sun and blocking out the daylight. The group slowed, and a chilling wind swept across them. The air became moist, and the sudden smell of impending rain filled their nostrils.

With loud clanking footsteps, Tin Man Snape finally caught up with the group. “Odd change in the weather,” he remarked.

“You know,” Scaregnome Hermione began, “I’ve been hung up outside on that post for an awfully long time, and the weather never changes this drastically unless...”

“Unless what?” Harry urged her on.

“Unless the Wicked Witch is up to something,” Cowardly Lion Ron finished.

Just then, they heard the muffled sounds of slithering, which seemed to be coming from underground. Padfoot began barking. As the sounds grew louder and the ground began trembling underneath their feet and paws, dark tendrils and sprigs of ivy began pushing up from the soft soil and dewy grass on either side of the Yellow Brick Road.

Harry recognized it immediately as Devil’s Snare, but without his wand, he was helpless to stop it. The tendrils grew out further and longer, waving menacingly at them. With nowhere to go, the group began running down the road in a futile attempt to reach the Emerald City before the Devil’s Snare plucked them one by one off the ground.

Unfortunately, one stray tendril began squirming its way onto the road. Looking over his shoulder to make sure everyone was keeping up, Harry tripped over the plant, falling to his hands and knees. Before he could get up, another tendril darted out and curled around his ankle. It swiftly flung him into the air before curling around his body and squeezing.

Seeing this, the Cowardly Lion sped up to help Harry. Harry reached out for him, but Cowardly Lion Ron could do nothing but paw frantically at his arms.

“Damnit! Why did I have to be born without thumbs?” he cried.

Tin Man Snape began hacking at the base of the tendril with his axe. Scaregnome Hermione grabbed both of Harry’s hands, but her lightweight, straw body was easily pulled into the air with him. Cowardly Lion Ron threw both his arms around her legs in an attempt to hold her down. Unfortunately, even his added weight did little to deter the tremendous plant.

The tendril around Harry’s chest was tightening, and he was having trouble breathing. His grip on the Scaregnome’s hands was loosening, and he felt he would lose consciousness any moment. The last thing he remembered was Cowardly Lion Ron’s cries for help echoing in his mind.

*****

Harry opened his eyes to see his new group of friends huddled around, looking down at him worriedly. A warm breeze brushed his face.

“Oh, Harry! Are you all right?” Scaregnome Hermione asked.

“I... I think so.” Padfoot nuzzled his face with his wet nose, and Harry sat up slowly. Glancing around, it looked as if nothing had ever happened. It was warm, the sun was shining, and the grassy knolls were bare of any monstrous plants. “What happened?”

“It was horrible, Harry! There were these giant plants,” Cowardly Lion Ron began to explain while gesturing wildly with his paws, “and you got snatched up by one of them!”

“Yes, I remember that. I meant, what happened after I lost consciousness?”

“It seems the Lion’s feeble attempts at calling for help actually worked,” Tin Man Snape answered.

Ignoring the snide remark, Cowardly Lion Ron continued, “Alba Dumbledore appeared out of nowhere and began shooting these balls of fire out of a scepter. The plant thing just dropped you, and all of it got sucked back up into the ground. It was wicked!”

Harry’s ribs were extremely sore, but the dizziness had cleared, and he was able to stand.

“Are you okay to continue?” Scaregnome Hermione asked.

“Of course,” he answered, offering his arm. She took it, and Cowardly Lion Ron took the other. Smiling the three began skipping towards the Emerald City. Unfortunately, only after two skips, Harry tripped over his own feet, bringing down the other two with him. Tin Man Snape snorted behind them.

Harry stood up shakily, embarrassed and still in a bit of pain from the Devil’s Snare’s grip. “Maybe we should walk the rest of the way,” he suggested. The other two nodded in agreement.

*****

After watching the events transpire in his crystal orb, Lucius howled in anger. He quickly grabbed his broom and jumped onto the sill of his high castle tower window.

He mounted the broom. “To the Emerald City!” he yelled before flying off.

TBC