He had wanted to do something, really. There was just so much happening at once. Despite his troubles in school, he'd always prided himself on at least being able to think on his feet. He was quickly finding that he was out of his depth here though. He urged the others to get back to the castle. "Stay together, if any of you can throw up sparks or smoke or anything into the air just so teachers know where you are. But mostly, just keep moving." There was already one of his friends unaccounted for. He hoped no one else would get lost. He knew he should just go back to the castle. Despite Dani's impressive shield and Roze's... [i]passion[/i], there was no way the magic of a few first years could do any real damage. At best they might be able to use it to stay out of harm's way.

As Moirah filled him in on all the details, it became clear she was the only one really seeing this the same way he was. Still, she didn't seem to know any better than he did what the best course of action was. The chaos continued, but luckily for the first years, Richard was clearly competent enough to watch out for them while continuing his own battle. The stone platform beneath them served as enough of an obstacle to render the vines useless while the fire convinced more of the remaining students to flee to the castle. 

There were only a few students remaining. Some grandstanding Gryffindor kids, some like Roze still trying to fight back, but most seemed to be like Nolan in that they wanted to flee but couldn't leave the others behind. The growing fire and Dani's urging helped them realize that they had no choice but to leave the forest. And yet, Caelum was still missing. A tugging on his sleeve pulled his eyes away from the approaching flames. Dani again. She directed his attention to Dan who was trying his best to drag the groundskeeper to safety. Nolan's stomach tightened as he realized what he had to do. As much as he hated it, he couldn't help Caelum. This was something he could do. 

"I got 'em, Dani. You keep helping everyone else. Let's get out of here."

He ran to the other first year boy, who was struggling with Cassandra's weight. Nolan noticed with some anxiety that the spot he appeared to be dragging her from was already engulfed in flames. Luckily the the battle had moved deeper into the forest. Nolan reached the other boy and quickly pocketed his wand. "The fires growing. We all have to get out of here." Some smoke reached him as he picked up the groundskeeper's legs and he began to cough. While there was good distance between them and the approaching fire, the smoke was spreading. He took comfort in the fact that someone in the castle had to have noticed by now. 

With the two boys facing each other, the middle of Cassandra's body unsupported, and Dan walking backwards, Nolan knew this wasn't the best or most efficient way to move her. But they were in a hurry, and between the efforts of the two boys they were leaving the growing fire behind, so this was good enough. They could put her down and rearrange themselves once they were out of the forest. Nolan looked behind him, and his stomach tightened once more as he thought about Caelum and possibly other students stuck in that mess of flaming trees with adults firing off curses. "Stay safe," he mumbled.