As one of Hogwarts' prized possessions, the Whomping Willow had lived a life of luxury and privilege since it was planted on the school grounds.
The soil surrounding it? Handpicked silt from the depths of the Black Lake, retrieved by the merpeople at Dumbledore's personal request, rich with organic matter.
Its fertilizer? Only the freshest and most potent Welsh Green dragon dung, barely days old when applied.
Its grooming? Performed by dozens of dedicated house-elves who meticulously trimmed and shaped its branches.
Even the pests on its bark were removed by Bowtruckles, ensuring no harm came to its splendor.
But today—someone dared to harm it?
And not just harm it, but ram a car into it?
The Whomping Willow was beyond furious. It had always harbored a natural mistrust of wizards, but never in its wildest imaginings did it think they could be so barbaric.
In a frenzy, it began lashing out, its branches as thick as pythons whipping through the air with terrifying speed.
One massive branch lifted high, forming a green arc against the sky, before slamming down with a thunderous crash that splintered the stones beneath it.
Dust rose into the air, and the ground trembled with the force.
"Move back!" William waved his hand, signaling everyone to retreat further.
Harry and Ron were pale as sheets. Ron, especially, looked as though his soul had left his body, he had just moments ago been contemplating staying inside the car!
However, Mr. Weasley's beloved car wasn't one to go down without a fight.
After losing a few headlights, shattering several windows, and enduring a series of blows, the car managed to escape through a series of erratic, serpentine maneuvers.
It even ejected Harry and Ron's luggage, scattering it across the ground, before, with a series of angry sputters and steam bursts, it disappeared into the shadowy Forbidden Forest, its taillights flashing indignantly.
Ron, stunned, let out a hoarse, heart-wrenching scream and collapsed into the dust.
"Come back!" Ron cried. "Dad's going to kill me!"
"Whether Mr. Weasley kills you or not, I don't know," Cedric said, picking up some broken branches from the ground, "but Professor Sprout might just beat him to it."
Cedric looked simultaneously devastated and… oddly elated.
Seeing the Whomping Willow lose so many branches had clearly caused him immense pain—so much that his grin nearly stretched to the back of his head.
No life-risking stunts required, and he still got tree branches? This trip was absolutely worth it.
"Let's go. The Welcoming Feast is about to start, and being late would be a disaster," William said, transforming once again into his animagus form.
A rope dangled from his talons, and everyone grabbed hold as he spread his wings and flew toward the castle.
As for letting someone ride on him? What a joke! William hadn't worked so hard to master Animagus transformations just to become someone's mount.
Well, maybe there were exceptions, depending on who was asking.
When William finally landed at the castle gates, Hermione and Cho were waiting for them.
"What happened just now?" Hermione asked, walking over.
Everyone had heard the shout of "IDIOTS!" echo across the grounds.
"First-years are all talking about how you nearly crashed into them, knocked Hagrid into the lake, and are about to be expelled," Cho added, frowning.
Harry's face turned a deep shade of red, far removed from the confidence he'd felt when first driving the car.
He had hoped Cho would see him as William had been last year.
Soaring confidently over the Black Lake like William, leading students with style and ease.
Instead, she'd seen him nearly collide with first-years and now on the brink of expulsion.
"And that's not all," Fred chimed in. "They also rammed into the Whomping Willow."
"And broke Dad's car," George added with a shrug.
Hermione and Cho were speechless.
"Why were you driving a car in the first place?!" Hermione asked sharply, her tone almost as stern as Professor McGonagall's.
"Spare us the lecture," Ron said irritably. "Let's just get to the Great Hall before I miss the Sorting Ceremony."
"Sorting Ceremony? I don't think you'll be seeing that anytime soon," came a silky, greasy voice from the main doors.
Snape strode forward, his black robes billowing in the cool breeze. Thin and sallow-skinned, his hooked nose and oily black hair only added to his sinister aura.
Clearly, none of the shampoo William had given him had been used. Perhaps next time, he thought, he'd send some herbal supplements instead.
What was that? Why would a single man have nutritional deficiencies?
Well, wasn't it because he was single that he was nutritionally deficient? That was just common sense!
Right now, Professor Snape wore an unsettling smile.
"I seem to recall your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office?" he said, fixing his cold gaze on Ron. "Oh dear… his own son…"
"And where is the car?" Snape drawled lazily. "Dumbledore has asked me to secure it to prevent further harm to our students."
"It… it hit…" Harry mumbled.
"Hit what?" Snape's expression darkened, as though he couldn't believe his ears.
"The Whomping Willow," Ron blurted out.
"You'd better go check on it, Professor," William said calmly. "The damage is… a bit severe."
Snape's face paled. He hurried off but stopped after a few steps, spinning around to bark, "Wait in my office! I'll make sure Dumbledore expels you both! Professor Sprout might not even let you live until then!"
Harry and Ron didn't dare look up, shuffling toward the castle steps with their heads hung low.
William and the others followed behind.
Professor McGonagall emerged from the Great Hall, her expression stern as she spotted the group.
"Hurry up and get inside. The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin," she snapped.
Harry and Ron's faces lit up with hope, but McGonagall quickly crushed it.
"Not you two! Get to Professor Snape's office immediately! Be thankful term hasn't started yet, or I'd have deducted 200 points each!"
Dejected, Harry and Ron slouched off toward the dungeons.
"William, stay here for a moment. I need to speak with you," McGonagall said, her tone softening slightly.
Cedric and the others headed into the Great Hall, with Hermione lingering at the back, casting a worried glance toward William.
He winked at her reassuringly.
"Here is your schedule," McGonagall said, handing him a sheet of parchment.
"Are you sure about taking so many classes? There are significant time conflicts."
"Absolutely. I've discussed this with Professor Dumbledore, haven't I?"
"We did talk. I even considered requesting a Time-Turner for you. You certainly does qualify."
William shook his head. He had no interest in using such a device.
Professor Tywin's tragic experience with it was a cautionary tale.
One misstep, and lives could be lost.
Besides, William didn't need a Time-Turner. The Ravenclaw ring had already granted him plenty of time.
To him, time was the cheapest commodity of all.