The Forbidden Forest that students were allowed to have competitions in. If this was not one of the biggest contradictions in this medieval castle.

Aiden would have asked about it but he was here to win. Winners did not ask unnecessary questions. It was clear that whatever the rules here were, they were being bent for this purpose and he was prepared to meet whatever challenge came to him. Dark forest? Bring it on.

The Ilvermorny student headed into the trees, not fazed by the drop in temperature or the ominous feeling that crept over him. Back in the US, they had already been warned about the dangers and he had heard his fair share of rumours since coming here. Whatever happened, happened--as long as he won.

If worse came to worst he would cast a warming charm, no big deal.

Are you brave enough to delve further among the trees? Are you brave enough to even face the cold that might distract you from thinking straight? The outlines of the trees and shrubs of the forest cast creepy and gloomy shadows. An owl or two hooted breaking the silence. Did that startle you? Or perhaps did that SNAP! of a twig under your foot did.

Whatever the case, that sudden and blood curdling scream is sure to get the job done. It penetrated the air and it was enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

Which direction did that come from?

“AAAAAAAAHHHHH!”

Dare you go investigate deeper in the Forest?

What...the hell.....was THAT? Who or what in the world? Were they trying to skin a cat? Did they stick a First Year in here and show 'em one of those giant spiders this place was known for keeping hidden deep in the forest? He did not know. One thing was certain, it was that Aiden Jones was going to keep walking.

The scream sounded like it was coming from that direction and so that was the direction he would make his way, going ever deeper into the trees.

Was he scared? Not yet. He did not see the need to be afraid because he did not know what he was up against and was far too concerned with whatever poor thing was in agony. It was obvious whoever it was would be needing his help which meant he could not stand paralyzed by the entrance, waiting for someone else to spring into action. That was not practical and it was not how you saved lives.

Hands buried deep inside his pockets and his stride no more than a casual gait, this Pukwudgie fellow kept on trotting.

While casual he was sure to keep one hand on his wand. There was no telling when casual could turn into crucial and to be entirely honest he did not cross that large ocean just to die. His parents had every intention of seeing him at the end of the year and he did have a summer plan or two that he could not wait to see come to fruition.

Just had to win this thing first. Dare he investigate? Of course, it was not as if he had a choice. This was the point of coming to the forest in the first place.

Deeper into the forest you go and your brave trek pays off. Ahead of you, you see a young boy with long black hair that covers one of his eyes. His eyes were wide and there were whimpers emitting from him. As you watch, he covers his face though the whimpers continue.

The cause of his terror?

There was a hooded figure closing in on the boy. What was this?

Did you hear that rattling as it drew breath?

Not much to see in this place, was there?

Trees, rocks, twigs, the occasional shadow dweller moving out of the way just as he walked by. It made him wonder why anyone would need to be told this place was off limits in the first place. It was not as if there was anything in here worth seeing. No matter how far he walked, it was just screams and the smell of damp soil that stained the inside of his nostrils. Without a doubt he would still be smelling this a week from now. It almost reminded him of the farm but with less sun.

Everything here was under less sun.

And while he was on the subject, correct him if he was wrong but...wasn't that...one of those dark, dementor things?

Aiden stopped a few feet shy of the creature and the whimpering little boy. His first impulse was to run over, grab him and ensure he was alright but common sense told him this was not the best option. Competition or not, there was only one way to deal with a dementor.

The chill of the forest and the ever dropping temperature suddenly made sense.

Seeing as he did not know how to fit a soul back into a body after it was sucked, he was left with very little options. Wand drawn, the boy planted his feet more firmly into the ground and tried to think of his happiest memory; running wild through the cornfields with his siblings, not a care in the world. Barefoot, tumbling, covered in mud. "Expecto Patronum!"

A burst of silvery blue light burst forth from his wand. He had not managed to conjure a corporeal patronus as it was still a difficult thing to do, but the bright silvery blue light shot forward. Hopefully it would be enough because he was not about to throw himself in front of that kid. No thank you.

The silvery light was simply not just a distraction to the dementor. Its hooded face turned towards you before gliding away hurriedly. It could not bear to stand all the happiness the Patronus represented. Would this be the last you see of it?

Your attention turns to the young boy. Looking closer, you realise he could not be more than a dozen years old. You will also realise that he had passed out from the terror he had just experienced.

Help him. Surely he needs to be comforted in some way?

What could you possibly do?

He was not going to lie, for a brief second Aiden thought that his patronus would not work and he and the boy would be done for. Sure he may have been able to run if worse came to worst but he could not stomach the thought of leaving that little boy there, crying and screaming the way he was. It was simply not in his nature.

Luckily it glided off and he could take this boy....or not. It was a not. The Pukwudgie boy walked over to the boy that had collapsed there on the forest floor. This was just his luck. Stick him with some kid whose parents obviously didn't care enough about then have the kid pass out.

If they had told him there would be a dementor here today, Aiden would have brought along some chocolate. As it stood, he was not in the habit of randomly carrying around sweets in his pocket in the same way he did not take smelling salt or other forms of quick waker uppers with him. Not to mention the prior would not wake up an unconscious person even if he did have it. One might argue that one should be prepared for everything but in all his research he had not heard anything about dementors residing in this forest. Acromantulas he was ready for. Thestrals he was prepared to appease. The heard of hippogriffs were noted; not dementors.

Frustrated at his own inability to do very much for the boy, while at the same time being satisfied he was out and could not whine or cry or scream and make this competition harder for him, Aiden cast a quick feather light charm on the boy then scooped him up.

No way around it, he would have to get him out of the forest then figure his next move. The entrance was....that way if he remembered correctly.

It worked. You have the boy in your arms, the dementor has been driven away. Congratulations on making it thus far. But there’s another challenge on your hands as you’re about to find out.

The boy stirs in your arms then he looks up at you with slightly unfocused eyes. “Who are you? Where are you taking me? What happened?’’

The boy clutches at you for dear life as though expecting the dementor to return.

So much for keeping him knocked out for this whole thing. Aiden looked down at the boy when he stirred. Don't get him wrong, he was happy the boy was not gone for good but at the same time if he began screaming they were going to be in a whole lot of trouble. That dementor may have had a friend and he was not sure he could hold off a hoard of them. Actually, he was certain he could no hold off a hoard of them.

"Name's Aiden. I don't know why you decided to be in the one forest with the word forbidden in it but there was a dementor and I saved you. Now I am going to get you out of here before he returns with his friends because I'm not about that kind of life."

He continued walking, trying to keep his steps as quiet as he possibly could. "You do not remember how you got in here in the first place?"

While he walked he kept his ears peeled for any signs that his challenge was not yet over. He knew that at any moment something could happen and he wanted to be prepared. "Just relax. I have you now and am going to make sure we get out of here safe. You just have to keep quiet so you don't wake up the monsters. Have to be super quiet."

The boy frowned. “I’m not sure how I got here but I don’t want to be here. What’s a demin… thing? Is it always invisible? I just felt something there but when I looked, I saw nothing.’’ He shivered from the cold and the ordeal. “I’ve never been so sad.’’ Big blue eyes welled up with tears.

“Do you think it’ll come back? If it does, you’ll save me again, right?’’

Another hoot of an owl can be heard and leaves rustled which was enough to give both of you the creeps.

Be cautious as you proceed.

A no-maj. Of all the little boys in the world, the Professors and both Headmistresses decided to break the statute of secrecy and bring them one that was not supposed to know this place existed in the first place. If he was not so focused on getting them out of there and on how much worse this just became, Aiden may have laughed from the sheer absurdity of it all.

Trying to remain focused, Aiden shook his head and instead offered the boy a smile while he kept walking. "Don't worry about it, I've got you now and we are gonna make it out of here."

He reminded him of his younger brother Samwell and it made him all the more determined to save him. Being a no-maj there was little chance some accidental magic would kick in to save the day. This would be left up to him.

"Don't worry about it. No matter what pops out, I will make sure we get out of here safe and sound. I can tell you a little secret, I am actually a superhero in disguise." Had to establish some competence and credibility, no need to have the boy ask how he planned to save him. "So how about we think of some happy thoughts and when we get out of here, I will personally get you a large bar of chocolate. You like chocolate, right?"

He heard the owl. It was hard to ignore the ominous sound and the sinking feeling that tried to creep up on him. For the sake of the little guy, he would have to remain calm. "What is the funnest thing you have ever done?" He would just distract him from the terror and hope to get them out soon.

Your reassuring words lift the boy’s spirits slightly. “Thank you, Aiden.’’ He clings to you, more in gratitude rather than fear. “A Superhero? WOW! That’s awesome! Do you have superpowers like Thor? Or like Spiderman?’’ The little fellow was thinking this would explain why the scary, invisible monster has disappeared. Aiden had made it run away. “Chocolate! I love chocolate. I’ll keep my thoughts on that.’’ What was the funniest thing he did? “Me and my older cousin once played a trick on her sister. We added water to some brownies which made them turn hard. When she bit one, the expression on her face had us laughing.’’ The boy laughed at the memory. “She kept all her teeth which was a good thing.’’

He was still smiling when he thought of something.

“Will I remember what happened just now? I really don’t want to.’’

If nothing else, at least his words appeared to be working on the boy. He did not need him freaking out and he did not need to make a bigger mess than there already was.

"Yes, I happen to be a superhero like they are. I don't have a hammer like Thor," Bless his little brother for not shutting up about old superheroes, "but I have something just as good. In fact it got rid of that invisible monster and it will do it again so you have nothing to worry about."

Truth be told, he did not find the little boy's story very funny and felt it a shame that was the best his life had to offer. Nonetheless, Aiden laughed with him, pretending he found the story in good humour.

"That sounds like something my younger siblings would do to me. It's lucky she kept her teeth."

On the next question, Aiden did his best to offer a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it, buddy. Remember that thing I have that happens to be better than Thor's hammer? It can help you not remember the bad things too. Once we get out of here, I'll get you that chocolate and something to help you forget, scout's honour." Were he not carrying the boy, Aiden would have raised his right hand to solidify the promise but his would would have to be enough.

Further and further he walked, and while he did he tried to keep his eyes and ears peeled. With him under the featherlight charm, it would be easy to carry him with one hand and immediately draw his wand should a dementor or anything else show up. He was prepared for anything else that may appear before he could hit the exit.

The boy grinned. “What is it that you have? It must be powerful to get rid of the monster.’’ He shrugged. “She even found it funny after a while too. Being younger is fun.’’ He was more interested in the that thing you spoke of. “I can tell you’re honest. I hope we’re almost out of here.’’

Actually, you both were still a great deal of a way from exiting. It’s a longer journey than it seemed, isn’t it? Didn’t realise you had trekked so far into the Forest?

You did.

“Aiden? I’m still scared. That thing that came after me… I’ve never been so scared. I don’t want to keep thinking about it but I can’t help it. I want it all to go away. I want it out of my head. You’re a Superhero. Do something! Pleasepleaseplease?’’

It was amazing how demanding the boy sounded.

"You bet your lucky dollar it is." He replied, grinning down at the boy little in his arms. "Sometimes I wish I was still young like you but it is fun to be older too. Lots of things you can do."

Aiden looked around as he walked, trying to determine if they really were almost out of the forest but he quickly came to the conclusion that they were not. "Yeah...yeah we are definitely almost out of here." He lied with a grand spanking smile. "Just beyond those trees and a couple feet more."

Why would he tell such a blatant but comforting lie? Because it was comforting and apparently he would not remember within the next few minutes.

What did he do in a situation like this? It was not like he had not already cast agic as this child, the featherlight charm nicely in place and it was normal was it not? You did not leave muggles remembering all the magical things they saw. There was a spell for that, if he was correct and if it meant he would not have to listen to the little boy whine then he was all for it.

"Alright alright, take it easy, I can take care of it but you have to remember to stay still or I might miss and it won't work."

Fair warning. He would not listen to whining after that point. "Here we go." Aiden took a deep breath and concentrated on his immediate intent then lifted his wand. He only had one shot of this. If it went wrong, the kid could be severely damaged. No pressure or anything.

"Obliviate."

He knew Aiden could take care of this. He nodded and stayed very still. “Before you do, I don’t think I told you my name. It’s Chester.’’ Now he was ready. Chester watched, intrigued. He waited for something exciting to happen but he was disappointed.

“I can still remember,’’ he said quietly.

Surely you don’t want to fail him. Better to try that spell again.

"That," He said, masking his own disappointment at the failed spell with a smile, "is perfectly okay, Chester, because I can try again. It can be a little bit tricky but just for you, I'll try extra hard." Growing up with three younger siblings, it had not taken long for Aiden to learn that the best way to deal with these types of situation was to reassure. It was over the moment they started panicking.

Focusing once more on the wand movement and the intended outcome, Aiden took aim once more.

A part of him was relieved that even while the spell had not worked, it had not messed with the boy's brain either. It was a good sign to say the least.

"Obliviate!" He tried, the conviction strong in his voice and his full focus set on the task at hand. Hopefully it worked this time. He did not know if he could keep a reassuring disposition for too long if he kept failing. Chester would surely think him a fraud.

Chester was reassured by your words and he nodded. He also remained quite still once more. He was more than ready for this to be over. The boy was intrigued by the wand. This was where his focus was upon. He watched it move as he heard the funny word.

It was like someone had taken an eraser and scrubbed the monster experience out of his head. His eyes unfocused for a few moments before he grinned up at you. “I remember you promised me chocolate but I don’t know what for!’’

Are you going to keep your promise?

If you are, you might need to continue your journey out of the Forest.

Aiden watched the boy, waiting for any signs that he may need to yet again offer some reassurance then cast the Memory Charm AGAIN. The way his eyes lost focused was the first good sign. Something had certainly happened. With any luck it was the boy's memory going out the door and not some other important brain function.

The faintest grimace appeared on his face when the boy asked about the chocolate. He remembered that....? But not everything else....? What an arbitrary piece of information to hold on to. If nothing else, it spoke to a somewhat botched memory charm. While it worked, it did not seem to work entirely.

The boy willed himself to focus on the task at hand. He would berate himself for this slight shortcoming once they were no longer in this creepy forest but for now, he put on his widest smile. "You bet I did. Once we get out of here, I will have the hugest bar of chocolate you have ever since. Buddy are you gonna love it." It would be regular chocolate made bigger with a charm but the boy did not need to know that. The important thing was that he got him out, so on and on he walked.

His resolve to leave was so strong that he put aside all frightful noises around them. The crunching of twigs beneath his feet did not bother him. All of his thoughts were focused on finding the exit.

It should have been somewhere around here, yeah?

“I can’t wait!’’

The exit is straight ahead of you. All you need to do is take a few more paces with the now bouncing Chester at your side. He is quite excited for that chocolate, you see.

Go ahead.

Exit the Forest.

There it was! The edge of the forest! Aiden did not think he would be so eager to see it but there it was. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Look, we made it."

With the last few steps taken, Aiden lowered Chester back to his feet. The featherlight charm would have to wear off on its own because he had already obliviated him and did not need him to see his wand or his magic now that that problem was taken care of. The sooner he could palm him off to an official the better things would be.

"I'll see who I have to talk to to get you the chocolate." He said, looking around at the open space.

It was over. What did he do now?

Congratulations, you have completed the challenge.

The moment you step out of the Forest and set Chester down, he becomes a dummy. That’s right. He was nothing but a dummy all along. You hear footsteps behind you and turn to see a squat, middle aged woman walking towards you. She’s a Ministry official and was Disillusioned the entire time while following your progress throughout the challenge.

She smiled at you then she directed her wand to dummy Chester. “Congratulations on completing the first task, Mr Jones. I hope you didn’t get too attached to Chester.’’ She held out a pen which had run out of ink. “This will take you back to the Stands where I’m sure your schoolmates are eagerly awaiting you.’’

When you touch the pen, it will whisk you away.

OOC: You are now free to read the Viewing Area and the other competitors’ threads.