25 Chapter 7 - Walking Willows (1/2)

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Malfoy woke up with a start and sat up in his bed. His arm was in a sling due to the incident with Buckbeak. However, it was worn only for looks to exaggerate his injury.

”The hell is going on outside,” he thought glumly and walked to the window, only for him to frown.

He rubbed his eyes, feeling like he must have seen wrong due to being tired, before looking again. His face turned pale as he looked at the school grounds...

Or what's left of it anyway...

The once green grass was now all burned to a crisp, deep crater-like holes were everywhere, there were noticeable frost marks that made a stark contrast to the burnt grounds and lighting kept striking down onto the field every ten or so seconds, creating the sound that woke Malfoy up.

He stood there blank-faced before falling to the ground with a thud, fainting.

...

”Is it over Nyx?” Vincent asked, safely in his hut. He looked just as bad as the grounds outside, clothes singed with a large hole at the chest and his hair spiking up with bits of frost in it.  Nyx gave an 'O' shaped sign with her hands, signaling the coast was clear.

Vincent took a peek out the door and made a complicated expression as he looked at the ruined school grounds. He carefully walked towards a few twigs and started rummaging through it before finding a small red gem. He repeated this action of his, collecting a yellow, white and finally light blue gem, all cracked, and pocketed it.

”Maybe no one would know it was me...?” Vincent thought hopefully before feeling a large chilling pressure standing behind him.

”Vincent, Wong,” the two words were spoken slow, steady, and full of power. Vincent stood as straight as a pole as he turned stiffly to see Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, and many other teachers, all glaring at him.

”Morning Professors,” Vincent weakly smiled, ”nice morning isn't it?”

”Oh yes, what a wonderful day to wake up,” McGonagall said with a noticeable stain in her voice, ”Nice grey clouds that rain thunder, snow in September, grounds that looked like demons themselves have walked upon and craters that seem...I don't even know how to describe it, but yes, ignore all that and it is indeed a 'nice morning' isn't it Mr. Wong?”

A lightning bolt struck a distant tree, making collapse. McGonagall glared at the sky before muttering a spell that was fired into the air. Soon, the clouds started to disperse, revealing the bright blue skies that were hidden behind.

”Uhh, it could be worse,” Vincent immediately regretted his words as he felt the gazes of everyone present on him. McGonagall went completely silent and turned to Snape who glanced back with an equally blank expression.

”Severus, I would like to issue the punishment if you don't mind,” Professor McGonagall said to Snape who nodded in agreement.

”Do as you wish,” Snape then grabbed the back of Vincent's cuff and lifted him. He then began walking towards the castle, ”first a meeting with the Headmaster is in order.”

”Ow, Professor, my neck hurts,” Vincent said as he was dragged off, ”ahh, you're choking me, I'm going to die, Professor, you can put me down now, I can walk my self you know. I appreciate the lift, but there's no need to strain yourself...”

All the teachers sighed while Flitwick looked gleeful.

”Alright pay up everyone,” All the teachers looked at him, ”Vincent caused trouble on the first week back, now pay up.”

McGonagall and several other teachers glared at Flitwick before passing over several galleons to the now happy man. If Vincent knew that someone had bet on him causing trouble in the first week, he'd probably cry.

...

”So...”

Vincent looked at Professor Dumbledore who looked back with an amused expression on his face.

”So...Vincent, would you mind explaining the events leading up to this...disaster?” Dumbledore leaned back in his chair while Fawkes the Pheonix squawked.

Vincent scratched his head, ”Well...”

...

((...One Hour Ago...))

Vincent stood at the school fields with a complicated expression on his face as he looked down at his hut from afar. Vincent had gotten up early so he could exercise using the method Snape had only for him to stop dumbfounded at the sight before him.

”What did I do?” Vincent muttered, feeling miserable, ”Why can't anything go right for me?”

Around Vincent's hut stood five root-like figures that resembled a person walking aimlessly around, each one of a different color.

One had hot red leaves and dark brown roots that had ash-like dust flickering out of it. One was an icy blue color with frost spreading across the grounds as it walked. Another had bright yellow branches and leaves that seemed to fill the air with a faint spark, charring the ground it stepped on. Then there was a pure white root figure that seemed normal at a glance, but if one looked closer they would see that the area around it was pushed down somewhat by a force of some kind. Finally, there was the most normal-looking of the bunch, having the usual color palette of a plant, brown roots, and green leaves. This one had no features that could be seen with the naked eye, but Vincent felt like it was just as dangerous as the others.

He felt like crying.

”No time for tears,” Vincent said to himself, ”I need to get rid of them before someone sees.”

Especially Snape, Vincent did not want to go through another scolding. He carefully approached the green one as it looked the most normal. Only once he reached the twenty-meter mark did it react, turning sharply. Vincent looked at what looks like it's head which started splitting open into a horrific smile, making Vincent's eyes go wide.

”Crap!” Vincent watched as it lifted it's head and made a horrific screech as it rushed at him.

Vincent ran back, rolling underneath a swing of its arm, and kicked the willow man, smashing through it's supposed stomach. Vincent felt relieved before feeling his leg being grabbed and seeing the smile of the willow. The damage that Vincent had inflicted also started to close up.

”Oh come on-!” Vincent complained as he was thrown across the field, hard.

Fortunately, the ground wasn't hard so Vincent didn't receive too big an injury as he tumbled across the grass. He groaned as he got up and looked at the willow man which seemed to have returned to its vegetable-like state.

”Only attacks once I'm in range, got it,” Vincent noted while scratching his head. He dusted himself before looking up with determination, ”it doesn't seem very durable, let's try this again.”

Vincent pulled out two silver knives and approached the willow again. When he stepped into the twenty-meter range, the willow once again came at him with that hellish smile.

Vincent took a deep breath before slashing off its outstretched arm. He kicked it's legs out from underneath it before going for its legs with the knives, only for him to feel something grab and pull him to the ground. He struggled to turn his head and found that the cut off limb had attached itself to the ground and grabbed onto his shirt.

He slashed at it, setting himself free and stood up to find that the willow had gotten back up and made a grab for him again.

”Just die already!” Vincent thought as he slashed right through the place where a person's chest would have been.

He got ready for another attack only to realize that it stopped.

”What the?” Vincent muttered. He stayed in a position ready to counterattack for a while, making sure it stopped moving before he started to observed the willow. He checked the slash on its chest and noticed something glowing at the center. He broke it open further to spot a green orb-like gem, now cracked due to his strike.

”So this is its heart or something?” Vincent thought as he pocketed the cracked gem, ”Now this is something to look into later. At least it'll be easier since I now know how to destroy them.”

He was wrong.

(...Back to Present...)

”So you destroyed one,” Dumbledore said thoughtfully, ”but how did the school grounds end up in such a way?”

”Each Walking Willow,” Vincent paused, ”I think I'll call them that. Well, each one had a different ability. Red had fire, yellow lighting, blue ice, and then there was the most troublesome one, white.”

”Go on,” Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with interest.

”It had a strange ability to 'push' anything away without touching it,” Vincent paused, ”story will be too long if I go into detail so here's the short version.”

”Fought the White Willow, forced me into the range of Red Willow. White Willow caught up to me and forced me into the range of Blue Willow. At this point, Red Willow started fighting White Willow while I fought the Blue Willow. Red Willow was sent flying into the range of Yellow Willow. At this point, I escaped but only barely as you can see.” Vincent said as he indicated to his wrecked state.

For the first time in a long while, Dumbledore showed a slightly dumbfounded expression at the somewhat unbelievable sequence of events, ”Did it really happen like that?”

”Exactly like that. I escaped into my hut when they all started going at each other. So they kept on fighting for a full hour,” Vincent explained miserably, ”blowing up a good chunk of the school grounds before they collapsed from all the damage. At some point, they must have all entered each other's detection range and done a free-for-all.”

”That's some...ordeal you've gone through,” Dumbledore said with a rare tone of disbelief in his voice. Even for a wizard as powerful as he, felt that the story was somewhat unbelievable, ”may I see these gems?”

Vincent handed Dumbledore a green gem which had a slight glow to it, it's cracked surface visible.

Dumbledore looked at it for a good while before getting a needle and cut his finger slightly. He then placed the gem over it and raised an eyebrow. He watched in amazement as the wound closed back up without so much as a scratch.

”Regenerative properties,” Dumbledore muttered.

”A rare item indeed,” Dumbledore said as he passed the gem back to Vincent who looked at it, ”useless to wizards who can heal themselves, but...”

”Another tool that Muggles can use,” Vincent finished as he picked it up, ”I seem to be finding stuff like this everywhere.”

”Could be fate,” Dumbledore began before Vincent interrupted.

”With all due respect Professor,” Vincent said with a conflicted expression, ”I don't like to put my faith in fate.”

Dumbledore looked directly at Vincent and nodded, ”Well, now let's get back to the issue at hand,” Dumbledore put his hands together, ”why didn't you use the rods? I'm pretty sure that they would have the necessary power to negate the magic in those willows.”

”When I thought to use them, it was too late, all of them had gathered to fight each other, throwing all sorts of crap to the point where getting close would be suicide,” Vincent grumbled, ”and to be completely honest, I was curious as to what they could do, since I created them and all.”

Dumbledore gave a knowing look, ”Well, I think we're about done here. Professor McGonagall will inform you when your punishment is decided upon.”

”Yes, sir,” when Vincent reached the door, Dumbledore called for him again.

”How's Harry by the way?” Vincent turned around with a raised eyebrow, ”Not getting into any trouble is he?”

”Harry is doing well,” Vincent answered, ”although, he is a little on edge because of Sirius Black, going to Divination classes didn't help either.”

Vincent then paused as a sudden thought came to him, he looked Dumbledore and asked, ”Did Sirius Black graduate from Hogwarts?”

”Yes, yes he did,” Dumbledore's eyes looked sad.

”When was it?”

”1978,” Dumbledore answered before raising an eyebrow, ”curious aren't we?”

Vincent shrugged, ”Just had a theory on why people think Black is after Harry.”

”And you don't?” Dumbledore asked with interest.

”Something doesn't add up for me and I don't like to judge people I haven't met,” Vincent said as he opened the door, ”but regardless, if his plans involve harming anyone of my friends, he won't get away with it.”

...

”Wheres Vincent?” Ron asked as he chomped down on his bacon, ”Haven't seen him this morning.”

It was Thursday morning, two whole days since the incident and the schoolyards were still in the middle of being repaired. The news was spread to every inch of the school and it's been mentioned in nearly every student's conversation.

”Professor McGonagall had issued his punishment,” Hermione said as she sat down next to them. She sighed, ”honestly, he's done this two years in a row now...”

”And we're preparing for a third spectacular display of the Mad Chef!” Fred interrupted Hermione as he came around with George and Lee Jorden.

”And a forth!” George continued.

”And a fifth—”

”And a six—wait, we won't be around by then will we?” George took on a thoughtful look, ”or maybe Vincent will move on from the good ol' school grounds.”

Fred sighed, ”Hogwarts is finished—”

”—he'll burn it to the ground—”

”—blow it up—”

”Or both!” They both said together, making others wonder whether or not they rehearsed it beforehand.

”You guys know he wouldn't do that!” Hermione argued before her voice turned into a whisper, ”Maybe?”

”So what's Vincent's punishment anyway?” Harry asked.

”Arnya told me that he's cleaning the second floor,” Hermione said as she placed some eggs on her plate.

”Which part?” Ron asked casually as he stuffed another serving of bacon on his plate.

”All of it.”

Ron choked on his food while everyone else stared wide-eyed with their mouths hanging open in shock.

”Are you kidding?!” Harry said wide-eyed, ”the second floors huge and it has Myrtle in it!”

”He did blow up the school grounds,” Hermione said.

”Who's side are you on Hermione?!” Ron asked as the bell rang, ”Well, we've got Defence Against the Dark Arts now, let's hurry up and get some seats, maybe Vincent will be there.”

The classroom was empty when they got there so people chatted and got their books and parchment out ready for class to start. After some time, the door opened and a tired-looking Vincent wobbled in the classroom with Arnya wheeling behind.

”Vincent, Arnya!” Hermione called out from the front seat, ”Over here!”

Arnya wheeled herself next to Hermione's table while Vincent sat next to her.

”Did you finish cleaning the second floor?” Ron asked from the seat behind.

Vincent responded by smacking his head against the table, exhausted. Everyone stared at him.

”He's just tired,” Arnya said as everyone looked at him with pity.

”Did anything happen while cleaning?” Hermione asked Arnya who looked thoughtful.

”Not much, oh, I made friends with a ghost called Myrtle,” Arnya said, ”heard some interesting stories of her adventures traveling through the school pipes. Mostly of things she overheard for the pipes leading to the boy's toilets.”

All the boys that heard that felt chills hearing that someone could be eavesdropping on them in the toilet.

”Is...that so,” Hermione said slowly before hearing the door open.

Lupin had finally arrived. Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had had a few square meals.

”Good afternoon,” he said, ”would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands.”

”Everyone seems excited,” Vincent noted the curiosity in the student's faces.

”Apart from Lockhart's class with pixies (Nyx hissed at the name) this is our first practical lesson,” Hermione explained the curious looks in the class.