"Professor! The Whomping Willow hasn't calmed down—it's getting more agitated! It looks like it's about to tear itself out of the ground!"
Everyone turned toward the Whomping Willow at the shout, only to see the tree violently twisting its massive body, actually trying to uproot itself.
"What on earth is going on?" Minerva McGonagall stared wide-eyed. The Whomping Willow was indeed a magical plant, but that didn't mean it could move freely like a living creature. For the past twenty years, it had remained firmly rooted in the soil.
Its roots ran deep underground—if fully pulled out, they would be nearly two-thirds the length of its trunk.
"Wow… now that has real Ent vibes," Chu Yang remarked appreciatively, clearly intending to watch the spectacle a bit longer—until Hermione Granger and Harry Potter grabbed him from either side and started dragging him away.
Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom charged ahead to clear a path.
The two of them were like a pair of bumbling generals—screaming while frantically shoving people aside.
Everyone fled in panic. McGonagall and Rolanda Hooch raised their wands, standing firmly between the students and the Whomping Willow, prepared to burn down the tree that had stood at Hogwarts for decades.
The Willow's roots burst through the soil, tearing apart the lush green lawn. Cracks like spiderwebs spread across the ground.
The next instant, the Whomping Willow toppled forward like a patient whose lower body had given out—boom!—dust billowing everywhere.
Seeing this, the students slowed and turned back to look.
McGonagall let out a long breath, her body still trembling slightly, yet she forced a composed smile and quipped, "See that? That's what happens when you try to run before you've learned how to walk. Best case, you fall flat—nothing more."
Even at a moment like this, the Deputy Headmistress still found time to educate.
Then—
"AAAAAH!"
Screams erupted again.
McGonagall turned back in shock. The Whomping Willow hadn't gone dormant at all—it was crawling like an animal!
Its thick root-branches spread out like a spider's eight legs, lifting its massive body as it scuttled forward at terrifying speed.
In a blink, it bypassed McGonagall and Madam Hooch and charged straight toward the students, raging like a maddened bull.
McGonagall whipped out her wand and cast a fire spell, trying to burn it down. But the Whomping Willow's speed far exceeded her expectations—the flames only scorched part of its branches.
"Wait."
Chu Yang shook off Harry's and Hermione's grip. He sensed something deeply wrong about the Whomping Willow's behavior.
It was clearly charging in his direction—though whether it was targeting him or Harry was uncertain.
"Chu Yang, run!" Hermione cried, tugging desperately at his clothes.
Chu Yang shook his head. "No—we have to split up. Harry and I. That Whomping Willow is coming for us!"
Hermione turned—and saw the Whomping Willow indeed barreling straight toward them.
"What are you standing there for? Get on your broom and fly the other way—don't head toward the crowd!" Chu Yang shoved the broom into Harry's hands. He didn't need it—at his speed, the Whomping Willow wouldn't catch him in ten lifetimes.
If Chu Yang were alone, he wouldn't need to run at all. Whether Wood Release or pure physical combat, he could deal with the Whomping Willow easily.
But in broad daylight, under so many eyes, he couldn't use such abnormal power. Otherwise, the next day the Ministry of Magic would either haul him off for experiments—or toss him straight into Azkaban.
"I should've brought my wand… why does Charms start tomorrow?!" He cursed inwardly. With a wand as cover, he could at least use part of his Wood Release. Regret flared, and he silently swore to fix this bad habit.
After venting internally, Chu Yang exploded forward in a sprint.
"Chu Yang—what about you?!" Harry tried to grab him, but missed. Gritting his teeth, he mounted the broom and shot into the air.
"Damn it—I shouldn't have waited for you!" Hermione snapped, then bolted. Her short legs pumped like they were wound up with a spring.
After only a few steps, she realized something was wrong.
There was no pursuit behind her.
Her heart sank—not with relief, but dread.
When she turned back, the Whomping Willow had indeed changed direction, charging after Chu Yang alone.
"Hermione—it's targeting Chu Yang!" Harry shouted from the air, filled with regret.
It was his fault. He hadn't listened, chased the Golden Snitch, and triggered the Whomping Willow's rampage.
Worse—Chu Yang had given him his broom.
If anything happened to Chu Yang, Harry knew he'd carry that guilt for the rest of his life.
To protect the others, Chu Yang led the Whomping Willow toward the Forbidden Forest, where there were fewer people—and, frankly, it was the only direction he could go.
The Willow's massive body plowed through the land like a mechanical tiller, leaving devastation wherever it passed.
After running a while, with no one in sight behind him, Chu Yang finally stopped.
Annoyed beyond patience, he clenched his fist and turned, ready to punch it.
To his surprise, the moment he stopped, the Whomping Willow stopped too—sliding forward on momentum until it came to rest right in front of him.
Then… it went quiet.
Its branches slowly drooped, swaying gently around Chu Yang—almost like it was acting cute.
Chu Yang stared at the colossal tree in front of him, utterly bewildered.
What now?
Seeing no reaction from him, the Whomping Willow extended a branch and gently rubbed against the back of his hand.
"Don't tell me…"
Chu Yang's eyes widened. He grabbed a branch and infused it with magic.
Magic rich with overwhelming natural life force surged into the Willow's enormous trunk. Instantly, all its branches began to writhe in excited motion.
"So it really was my magic that drew it here," Chu Yang muttered. He thought it through—it must have been the magic he leaked while flying that caused some unknown reaction.
Judging by its behavior, it wasn't harmful at all—quite the opposite. The Whomping Willow had always possessed instincts beyond ordinary plants, and now it seemed to be developing even greater intelligence.
Under the influence of his special magic, it was evolving—moving closer to becoming a true living being.
"If this keeps up… am I going to turn into a druid?" Chu Yang was stunned. This was a path he'd never even considered.
The Whomping Willow, meanwhile, had no such thoughts. It kept rubbing against him enthusiastically, like a cat or dog begging its owner for food.
The kid's hungry—time for more magic.
With both soul and physique reinforcing him, Chu Yang's magic reserves were absurdly vast. On this front, he held nothing back, increasing the output without hesitation.
The Whomping Willow began to glow with a vivid, life-symbolizing green light. Even its branches started shedding firefly-like green motes.
It was growing.
Its height surged from three stories to five—and kept climbing.
As dusk approached, the Willow was bathed in warm golden-red sunlight, merging with the green radiance. It looked like an ancient god awakening from slumber.
(End of Chapter)