SOUP - May 2022

Over the course of all my years at Hogwarts, I have heard so many things said about the Forbidden Forest. Is it truly as frightening as some have made it out to be? Or, is it utterly exhilarating and adrenaline-inducing? I won't even try to pretend as if I have never stepped a single toe into the Dark forest. I know that our readers are much smarter than that would imply. However, I'm not here to talk about my own adventures or lack thereof. I want to talk about some of those 'things' that I mentioned above. Let's call them quotes, for simplicity's sake?

"'The Forbidden Forest looked as though it had been enchanted, each tree smattered with silver, and Hagrid's cabin looked like an iced cake." - J.K. Rowling

Talk about a beautiful piece of prose. Who wouldn't want to go frolicking around in a forest such as this? It's full of temptation and happiness and glee. There's apparently one, giant party going on at Hagrid's and we've all been invited... I hope. Cake, decorations, lots of cute and cuddly animals (we will all just ignore that massive acromantula and its children, yeah?).

"You have no business here, centaur. This is a Ministry matter. [A centaur takes out an arrow and places in on his bow] Lower your weapons. I warn you! Under the law, as creatures of near-human intelligence-- [The centaur fires its arrow] Protego! [makes a shield and the arrow falls on the ground] How dare you! Filthy halfbreed! Incarcerous!" - Dolores Umbridge

Now we move on to one that takes place in the actual forest itself. To quote a Muggle musician... "It's going down for real." I've left in the stage actions, if you will, to better delineate the severity of the words themselves. Here we find the unfortunate haughtiness of one ~~Dolores Umbridge~~ slimy toad toward her betters. I may have a fondness for several of the more villainess people around me, but I draw the line at enjoying her form of pure evil. This quotation almost suggests that the Ministry of Magic owns the Dark forest itself. That a centaur, someone who lives in that very forest, has no business anywhere near Ms. Umbridge. I don't know about y'all, but I will not be respecting her authority as I don't believe she has earned it - not a single day in her life.

"The first years, please note... that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden to all students." - Albus Dumbledore

Let's finish up with one that any alumnus of Hogwarts has heard from our Headmaster or Headmistress when we first began. Yes, we get it. It's called the "Forbidden Forest" for a reason. It's 'in the name itself'. But, is it just me or is a statement like that simply calling for young children to go out and explore it? Just like when we were told to 'not touch that cake', or 'don't you dare get on that broom', 'don't sneak out of your dormitory after curfew'. The sense of being forbidden or illegal just makes it all the more enticing, doesn't it? Maybe you have a hell of a lot more willpower than I do, but suffice it to say I've done all of that and perhaps a bit more in my short lifetime.

I'm off to grab just one more piece of cake from the kitchens. No, it's not past curfew. I'm afraid you're quite mistaken. Oh, look! There's a shiny SOUP thread in our Common Room where each of you can come and talk about things that you have or haven't done or seen both in and around the Forbidden Forest. Why not grab a cup of cocoa and check it out? -dashes down the dark corridor