"Tom? Where have the two dies vanished to, anyway?" he called out to the Heir of Slytherin, who was leaning casually against a tree, enjoying the afternoon sun.

  Tom now looked around as well but could not spot either of them. "Luna!" he shouted into the silence of the forest. But nothing. No answer. Now a little unsettled after all, he began to push deeper into the undergrowth. They had to be somewhere around here. Dippet had followed him with a basket full of mushrooms. They had been on the move for some time now, both repeatedly calling out loudly for the young teacher and Luna, but neither of them responded....

  "Strange," Dippet whispered.

  "I mean, they couldn't have walked that far off....", he looked over at Tom, at a loss.

  Luna and Menie remained still in the undergrowth. The footsteps came closer and closer - but then stopped all of a sudden.Feverishly, Luna tried to recognize someone within the shelter of the trees.

  "Hello! Is anyone there?", the young teacher called out into the dense green of the forest... but nothing. No answer - not a single sound could be heard.

  Anxious, Menie stood up with her wand drawn; she motioned for Luna to be very quiet now. Whoever was hiding there behind the trees had something other than gathering mushrooms or berries in mind. That much was certain.

  Luna had now also stood up quietly and followed her sister without making a sound. Attentively, her gaze glided along the trees standing close together. At some point, Luna's gaze caught on a tree. A star had been carved into its bark. She tilted her head, wondering who, so far off in the depths of the forest, would come up with such an idea.

  "Luna!", Menie’s low whisper snapped her out of her thoughts.

  "I can't see anything or anyone. Maybe it was just an animal - yes, it was surely just an animal," she tried to reassure herself.

  "Yes, perhaps," Luna replied thoughtfully, as a strange feeling of being watched came over her.

  "What is it?" Menie breathed to her, fearful.

  "I think someone is watching us," her eyes darted around, searching.

  But whoever was here - lurking in the protection of the evergreen, behind one of the trees - remained invisible...

  In the meantime, Dippet had conjured a Patronus to speed up the search. But even that remained without success. The two remained missing, as if the forest itself had swallowed them and would never release them again.

  Along the dense trees, a tree with a carved star caught Tom's eye. "Strange," it crossed his mind. The things simple-minded people came up with.

  Dippet looked around in all directions with eagle eyes. Again and again, he called out the names of the two young women. But as before, there was no answer. Only the soft rustling of the smaller forest dwellers in the old leaves could be heard every now and then.The whole thing was becoming increasingly eerie to the Director.

  "Tom!", he whispered, almost fearfully. "What if the two of them have been kidnapped?"

  "Sir, we are completely alone out here... if one disregards the inhabitants of the forest for a moment...."

  His voice sounded calm. Yet, a growing unease was spreading within him as well. What if another wizard was prowling around here away from the woods? It would not be a great problem to kidnap two slender, young witches....For a terrifying moment, the thought occurred to him that perhaps Grindelwald might be up to no mischief here.... however, he dismissed the thought as quickly as it had come. The possibility seemed too absurd to him.

  "Come along, Tom!", the Director, who had already walked on, called out to him.One st time, Tom let his gaze glide over the carved star before hurrying after the Director....

  Timidly, Luna let her hand glide over the carved star. For a while, they had remained still - listening into the hidden depths of the forest. Suddenly, a dull sound rang out, not far from them in the thicket. Abruptly, Menie and Luna had turned in the direction of the noise....

  But everywhere only trees - nothing - not even an animal was to be seen....

  "Strange," Menie whispered softly. "I could have sworn that someone scurried past behind the trees there...."

  Luna, who had stepped close behind her, nodded. "I saw it, too......"