The Whomping Willow

Arthur felt some disappointment when the summer holidays came to an end too quickly for him.

He was obviously looking forward to going to Hogwarts, but the whole month he spent at Merlon Manor had to be one of the best times of his life. He had never felt this much fun, acceptance and freedom before.

On their last evening before going to Hogwarts, Martha had conjured up a truly sumptuous and beyond delicious dinner full of Arthur's favourite foods, including what has to be the best rice pudding he had ever eaten.

Jack and Kevin both ended the evening with a display of Filibuster fireworks in the garden, filling up the night with red and blue stars that bounced off of the ground and trees for half an hour. Everyone then went to bed after one last mug of hot chocolate.

The next morning proved to be rather chaotic as everyone packed, with the help of Martha and Ben. And there was the fact that they were gonna be late.

Everyone was in such a rush that they'd have to have slices of buttered toast hanging from their mouths. By the time Ben packed Mary's trunk in the Ford Anglia, after she mentioned that she forgot her diary, they were all ready to go.

Arthur couldn't understand how eight people, six large trunks, two owls and a rat could fit into the car, being small. That was until Ben informed him that Gideon Weasley had actually magically expanded aspects of the car, including the boot so that more stuff can be put in.

Once all of them were in the car, Martha glanced into the back seat where all the boys were sitting side by side. She and Mary were in the front seat, which was stretched, resembling a park bench.

Ben started up the engine and drove down the pathway leading out of the forest. Arthur turned back to have one last look at the manor until it was out of sight.

Things were tense as they were indeed getting late. Ben would look at his watch every once in a while, hoping they'd get there in time.

Eventually, they reached King's Cross station at quarter to eleven. Ben rushed across the road to get trolleys for their trunks and all of them hurried into the station.

The tricky thing about getting to platform nine and three quarters is that it isn't visible to Muggles. You had to walk through a solid barrier that divided platforms nine and ten. It didn't even hurt to do so, though it had to be done carefully in order to avoid getting attention from the Muggles for vanishing in front of their eyes.

"Okay, Sam, you first." Martha said, looking up at the clock anxiously as they only had five minutes left before the Hogwarts Express would leave for Hogwarts. Sam went forward and vanished, followed by Ben and then the twins.

"I'll go take Mary through and then you two come right after us." Martha said to Arthur and David before grabbing Mary's hand and disappeared through the barrier.

Arthur just had to make sure that Athena's cage was safely wedged on top of his trunk and pushed his trolley to face the barrier. Taking a few deep breaths, he and David prepared themselves to go through once more and broke into a run and-

CRASH

Both of their trolleys hit the barrier and bounced backwards. All of their stuff was scattered all over and Athena's cage bounced onto the floor, making her shriek indignantly. The two were also knocked off of their feet.

This all made people around them stare with a nearby guard yelling "What in blazes d'you think you're doing?"

"Lost control of the trolley." Arthur gasped, his ribs feeling sore as he got up. David went and picked Athena up, who caused a scene, making people question about animal cruelty.

"What the hell? Why can't we get through?" Arthur questioned.

"I have no idea! We're gonna miss the train, too. The gateway has never sealed itself before."

Arthur looked up at the huge clock and felt a pit in his stomach seeing that ten seconds were left until the Hogwarts Express went off to Hogwarts.

He pressed against the barrier as hard as he could, eventually seeing that it was pointless.

"It's gone." David said, making Arthur look up at the clock and see that it was now eleven o'clock. "I just realised, what if mum and dad can't get back through?"

"I don't know. But I think we should just wait by the car, we're attracting too much attention." Arthur replied, pointing to Athena, who continued screeching, still making people watch them as they walked past. David's eyes then widened in realisation.

"We can use the car to get to Hogwarts!"

"Are you mad? Gideon would get into trouble if anyone sees us use the car to fly to school. And we could get expelled." Arthur snapped at him, not liking the idea.

"Look, we're stuck and we have to get to school, right? And besides, there's a law that in particular circumstances, underage wizards can use magic. I forgot where I learned that, but it's real." David reasoned with him. Arthur thought it through and realised that he can't think of any other way to get to Hogwarts. Of course, he didn't really like the idea.

"Okay. But can you fly it?"

"Yeah, let's go because we can still be able to follow the Hogwarts Express if we hurry."

They wheeled their trolleys out of the station and back to the side road where the Ford Anglia was parked. David unlocked the cavernous book with a series of taps with his wand. The two then heaved their trunks in, put Athena on the back seat and both sat in the front.

"Make sure no one's watching." David told Arthur as he started the ignition with another tap of his wand. Arthur stuck his head out of the window, seeing traffic carry on along the main road and that their street was empty.

"We're good to go." He informed David, who pressed a small silver button on the dashboard. This caused the car and themselves to vanish, looking like they weren't even there. Arthur looked at his hands and at the car and was all see through.

"Hang on." David's voice then said to his right. They started hovering off of the ground and rose past the dirty buildings on either side until the whole of London lay below them, smokey and glittery, within seconds.

But then there was a popping noise and Arthur, David and the car reappeared.

"Bloody hell! This thing's faulty!" David snapped as he jabbed at the Invisibility Booster. The two boys pummelling it until the car vanished and then flickered back again.

"That's it! Hang on!" David then yelled, slamming his foot onto the accelerator, making them shoot straight at low and woolly clouds, making everything dull and foggy.

"We're gonna have to see the train to know which way to go. Dip back down, quickly." Arthur said.

They dropped back underneath the clouds and looked all around in their seats, squinting throughout the city-

"There it is! Over there!" Arthur then yelled, seeing the Hogwarts Express streaking along below them as though it were a scarlet string or a snake.

"It's due north." David said as he checked the compass on the dashboard. "Alright, we'll check on it every half an hour. Now, hang on again…." They shot back up into the clouds.

A minute passed until they burst into a blaze of sunlight. It really felt like they were in another world, seeing the car skim over a sea of fluffy clouds and surrounded by a bright, endless blue sky under the blinding white sun.

"I guess all we have to worry about are aeroplanes." Arthur said, honestly in awe of the situation they're currently in. The two friends then looked at each other before they laughed.

For the next few hours, the two enjoyed travelling through and past swirls and mounds of snowy clouds in a car that housed hot sunlight, having a pack of toffees in the glove compartment.

Naturally, they made regular checks on the train as they headed further and further north, dipping beneath the clouds to see different views. London would be far behind them, now replaced with neat green fields that gave way in turn to wide, purplish moors, villages with churches that look like toys from high up, and a great city full of cars that looked a lot like multi coloured grains of salt.

However several more hours later, the fun started wearing off on the uneventful journey.

Having all those toffees made the two boys thirsty and they had nothing to drink. They also had to pull off their jackets and have to deal with their shirts sticking to the seats because of the sweat.

Arthur no longer looked at the clouds to see what shape they're in and instead would think with longing about the train far below, where he'd get ice cold pumpkin juice from a trolley pushed by a plump witch.

During this time, he was thinking of ideas about why they didn't get onto platform nine and three quarters. He was struggling with the idea that it randomly just sealed itself when he remembered what Jack told him about house elves when Arthur was taken to Merlon Manor. He said that they have powerful magic. And considering what Dobby did so far to try and keep Arthur away from Hogwarts, perhaps he was able to seal the gateway to and from the platform. He even told David this and he groaned at the possibility.

"I just hope we get there soon." David said hours later when the sun started to lower into the floor of clouds, staining it all in a deep pink. "Time for another check up."

It was still right below them, winding past a snow capped mountain. It now looked darker underneath the clouds.

David put his foot on the accelerator and drove upwards once more, though when he did, the engine whined, making him and Arthur look at each other nervously.

"I'm sure it's just tired. It's never travelled this much at once before…." David chuckled nervously, patting the car.

As the whining grew louder and louder, they tried pretending to not notice as the sky became darker. Stars started blooming in the blackness. Because of this, it got colder and so Arthur put his jacket back on. He then saw the way the windscreen wipers were waving feebly, as though the car was protesting.

"It's okay, not far, now." David whispered to the car.

When they got back down underneath the clouds later, they had to squint to look for any landmark they knew through the darkness.

"There! Straight ahead!" Arthur shouted so loud that David and Athena jumped.

On the dark horizon, silhouetted high on a cliff over a lake, stood the many towers and turrets of Hogwarts castle.

But then the car started shuddering and losing speed.

"No, no, no, no… please… we're nearly there." David begged, giving the steering wheel a little shake.

The engine then groaned, narrow jets of steam issuing from under the bonnet. Arthur gripped onto his seat tightly as they flew down towards the lake.

The car then gave a really nasty wobble. Glancing out his window, Arthur looked at the smooth, black, glassy surface of the lake a mile under them. David's knuckles whitened on the steering wheel as the car wobbled again.

"Just a little further." David muttered, seeing that they were over the lake and the castle was right ahead so he put his foot down.

What he got in response was a loud clunk and a splutter before the engine died out completely.

"Oh no…." David said into the dark silence.

The nose of the car had dropped, making them fall and gathered speed, heading right at the castle wall.

"NOOOO!" David then yelled as Arthur was silent with fear. David swung the steering wheel around, allowing them to miss the dark stone wall by inches with the car turning in a huge arc, soaring above the dark greenhouses, then the vegetable patch and then above the black lawns, progressively losing height.

David ended up letting go of the steering wheel and pulled out his wand from his back pocket.

"STOP! STOP!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, whacking the dashboard and the windscreen as they still plummeted. Arthur looked out and his eyes widened in even more fear.

"MIND THAT TREE!" He bellowed attempting to reach the steering wheel but-

CRUNCH

There was an ear splitting bang and crunch of metal on wood as they hit the thick tree trunk and dropped to the ground with a jolt that sent a shock up their bodies.

Steam billowed out from under the crumpled bonnet, poor Athena screeched in terror, Arthur's knee was starting to hurt so much thanks to it hitting the dashboard harder than normal and David groaned in misery.

"Are you okay?" Arthur asked urgently through his pain.

"My wand." David replied in despair. Arthur looked and saw that it had snapped, almost in two with the tip dangling limply and held on by just a few splinters.

"Just be thankful your neck wasn't broken." Arthur tried to assure him and before David could reply back to him, something hit Arthur's side of the car, for a split second, he thought it was a charging bull as he lurched sideways into David right as an equally heavy blow hit the roof.

"What was that?!"

The two looked and saw a branch as thick as a python smash into the windscreen. It was the tree that was attacking them. Various trunks and branches pummelled every inch of the car. It seemed that the car eventually had enough as the engine had restarted, much to the boys' relief.

"Reverse!" Arthur yelled and the car had shot backwards as the tree was still trying to hit them, which they knew because they could hear the roots creaking as though it was trying to rip itself up and lash out at them as they sped out of reach. The car then stopped once it was away from the tree.

"Thank you so much, car." David said gratefully.

It seemed that the car was now fed up and reached the end of its tether.

With two clunks, the doors flew open and their seats tipped sideways so suddenly that the two boys got thrown out and were sprawled on the damp grass. Then there were loud thuds, which Arthur knew meant that the car was ejecting all of their luggage from the boot and Athena's cage flew through the air and burst open. The barn owl rose out and with a loud, angry screech flew off towards the castle without a backwards look. Arthur will have to try and make up to her later on.

After that, now dented, scratched and steaming, the car just went off on its own into the darkness, its rear lights blazing with clear fury. David looked over at Arthur with concern and fear.

"Mum and dad will kill me." He said as he grabbed Scabbers.

"And there's Gideon…." Arthur reminded him as he was the one who enchanted the car. David's eyes widened and he moaned.

"Why did we have to hit a tree that can hit back?" David then complained, looking over at the ancient looking willow tree, which was still flailing branches.

"Let's just get up to the school…." Arthur said, now fed up with life at the moment.

It was definitely not the triumphant arrival that the two pondered on during the car ride here. They were stiff, cold and bruised as they seized their trunks and dragged them up the grassy slope to the large oak front doors.

"I'm pretty sure the feast has already started." David said as they dropped their trunks at the foot of the front steps. David then crossed over quietly to look through a window. "Wait, the Sorting's already begun."

Arthur joined him and the two peered in to look at the Great Hall. There were too many hovering candles to count in mid air over four long crowded tables, which made the golden plates and goblets sparkle. Overhead was the bewitched ceiling that always mirrored the sky outside.

Looking past the forest of pointed hats, Arthur saw the line of scared looking first years, Mary being among them, thanks to her silver hair being noticeable. Of course, Professor McGonagall, a witch with her black hair in a tight bun, was placing the famous Sorting Hat on a stool before the newcomers.

This occurred at the start of every school year where the ancient, patched, frayed and dirty hat sorted the new students into each of the four Hogwarts houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin). Arthur remembered putting that hat on a year ago precisely. He still remembered how the hat suggested that he'd be good in Slytherin but he flat out refused to join the same house that Voldemort and Draco were in so he ended up in Gryffindor with David, Chrys and the rest of the Merlons. He also remembered that in the last term, He, David and Chrys helped Gryffindor win the House Championship, beating Slytherin for the first time in seven years.

Arthur watched as a small, mousy haired boy got called forward to place the hat on his head. Arthur looked past him to see Professor Albus Dumbledore, the Hogwarts Headmaster, watching the Sorting from where he sat at the High Table where the staff sat along with him. He still had his long silver beard and half moon glasses that shone in the candlelight.

Several seats along Dumbledore was Gilderoy Lockhart, wearing aquamarine clothes. And at the end was Hagrid, huge and hairy and drinking deeply from his goblet. But then he realised something.

"Where's Snape?"

Professor Severus Snape had to be Arthur's least favourite human being in the world, competing with Draco. Of course, Arthur was also Snape's least favourite student. Snape was nothing but cruel, sadistic and a bully to every student that isn't Slytherin (being Head of that house) while being the teacher of Potions.

"I just hope that he's fired." David said with longing.

"Or maybe he's just left after missing out on the Defence Against the Dark Art job for the umpteenth time." Arthur suggested.

"Or sacked, I mean, the whole school except Slytherin hates him-"

"Or maybe…" A very cold voice said right behind them, leaving them speechless with horror. "...he's waiting to hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train."

Arthur spun around in a blur and there stood, in his black robes rippling in the cold breeze, was Severus Snape. He was a thin man with sallow skin, a hooked nose and black shoulder length, greasy hair. And the smile that was on his face told the two boys that they were in deep trouble.

"Follow me." He ordered them.

Not even considering looking at each other, both Arthur and David followed him up the stairs and into the vast Entrance Hall, which was lit with flaming torches. The delicious waft of food came from the Great Hall, but Snape led them away from all of the warmth and light and down into a narrow stone staircase that led into the dungeons.

"In!" He snapped at them, opening a door halfway down a cold passageway and pointing.

They had entered Snape's office and shivered. The walls were drenched in shadows and were lined with shelves of large glass jars that had various revolting things floating in them. Arthur didn't even want to know what the contents were. There was also a fireplace that was currently dark and empty.

Snape had closed the door and turned to look at them.

"So…" He said softly. "...the train isn't good enough for the famous Arthur Pendergast and his faithful sidekick Merlon. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we, boys?" Arthur was just furious at him as he clearly had a biassed view on him considering how much he hated his father, John Pendergast.

"Not even true, sir." Arthur spat at him, despite knowing that Snape wouldn't listen to what was fact.

"Silence! What have you done with the car?" Snape coldly spat back.

David gulped. Of course, this is the latest instance that Arthur suspected that Snape was able to read minds. Though, a moment later, Snape unrolled today's issue of the Evening Prophet.

"You were seen." Snape then hissed, showing the two the headline: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. He then read aloud. "'Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower… at noon in Norfolk, Mrs Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing… Mr Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police'...six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your family are friends with that Weasley?" He said, looking at David with a smile that grew nastier by the second. "Dear, dear…."

Arthur was worried about what would happen to Gideon Weasley.

"I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow." Snape then went on.

"That tree did more damage to us-" David corrected him.

"Silence!" Snape snapped once more. "Most unfortunately, you are not in my house and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here."

Both boys stared at each other pale as sheets of paper. Arthur no longer felt hungry and was now so queasy in his stomach that he had to avoid looking at a large and slimy something in green liquid on a shelf behind Snape's desk. No doubt Snape went to get McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor house. Knowing her, she's much fairer than Snape while being strict.

Ten minutes had passed when Snape returned, of course, with McGonagall. Arthur may have seen her angry before but this may be the angriest he has ever seen her as her lips were at their thinnest.

She had raised her wand upon entering and both Arthur and David flinched, though she just pointed it at the empty fireplace, flames now erupting.

"Sit." She told them, both backing up into chairs by the fire, which provided warmth. "Explain."

The two went on to explain about what happened with the barrier, taking the car and crashing into the Whomping Willow. Though they didn't tell her about how Dobby the house elf could've sealed the barrier.

"...so since we couldn't get on the train, we had no choice, Professor." David finished off.

"Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe you have an owl?" McGonagall said coldly to Arthur. His eyes widened as he never realised that was an option, though there's still Dobby to consider.

So with that, he finally decided to at least explain how Dobby intercepted his and his friends' letters during the summer and that he would've done the same again if they sent a letter to Hogwarts by owl.

This left a look of thought on McGonagall's face while Snape looked on as though he thought Arthur was just making it all up, though he was telling the truth.

Then there was a knock on the office door. When Snape opened it, he looked happier than ever as Professor Dumbledore stood there.

This left Arthur feeling numb throughout his whole body as Dumbledore looked unusually grave, staring down his very crooked nose at them. There was a long silence until….

"Please explain why you did this."

The fact that he spoke in his calm voice made it worse, as Arthur would've preferred him to yell or shout. He just couldn't look him in the eyes. He then went on to explain everything, even about what he had just told McGonagall about Dobby. He just let it all out, knowing that Dumbledore would know if he was lying, being an all knowing wizard. The whole time, he didn't ask them any questions.

By the time Arthur was finished, he just continued to peer at him and David through his spectacles.

"We'll just go get our stuff." David then said with hopelessness.

"What are you talking about, Merlon?" McGonagall barked at him.

"Are you not going to expel us?" David asked, finally looking up at them. As did Arthur, in particular at Dumbledore.

"Not today, Mr Merlon." Dumbledore said. "But I must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to both your families tonight. I must also warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you."

Hearing this felt like some weight was lifted off Arthur's shoulders, but not all. And Snape looked like Christmas was cancelled for him. He then cleared his throat.

"Professor Dumbledore, these boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree… surely acts of this nature…."

"It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on these boys' punishments, Severus." Dumbledore said calmly. "They are in her house and are therefore her responsibility." He turned to said Professor. "I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I've got to give out a few notices. Come, Severus, there's a delicious looking custard tart I want to sample."

Snape looked at both Arthur and David with pure venom as he swept out of his office with the Headmaster, leaving them by themselves with McGonagall, who still eyed them, though less harshly than before.

"You'd better get along to the hospital wing, Merlon, you're bleeding."

"It's not much." David replied as he wiped the cut over his eyes with his sleeve, seeing that there was little blood. "Professor, the Sorting-"

"The Sorting Ceremony is over. And your sister is in Gryffindor." McGonagall cut him off, knowing what he was going to ask her. He sighed in relief and Arthur made a subtle smirk.

"And speaking of Gryffindor-"

"Professor, the term didn't really start when we took the car. So… Gryffindor shouldn't technically have any points taken from it." Arthur cut her off with some logic. This resulted in her giving him a piercing look, though he was sure she was hiding a smile. At least her mouth looked less thin.

"I will not take any points from Gyffindor. But you will both get detention." She said, which the two accepted, feeling like they deserve that at least.

Arthur had hoped that the Dentleys wouldn't be too harsh on him over this as they already knew of his dilemma with Dobby. He knew that David's parents would be very stern and cross with him to a degree.

McGonagall then raised her wand and pointed it at Snape's desk. A large plate of sandwiches, two silver goblets and a whole jug of iced pumpkin juice appeared with a pop.

"You will eat in here and then go straight up to your dormitory. I must also return to the feast." She told them before exiting. After the door closed behind her, the two boys released collective sighs of relief.

"I was scared we'd be in deeper trouble." David said as he grabbed a sandwich.

"Same here." Arthur said before he downed a whole goblet of pumpkin juice, loving the cool feeling he got from drinking it.

"But can you believe our luck?" David questioned through a mouthful of chicken and ham. "Both Jack and Kevin flew that car five to six times yet no Muggle ever saw them." He swallowed before taking another bite. "So do you really think Dobby blocked the barrier?"

"Well, he intercepted all of our letters and used magic in a Muggle area to try and get me expelled. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch for him to do that." Arthur explained before devouring a sandwich.

"Then he'll come up with other methods to try and make you want to leave the school, though that will never happen." David said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

"Which means I'll have to be careful from this point on." Arthur acknowledged.

Once they ate as many sandwiches as they could (as the plate kept refilling itself), they left the office and made their way to Gryffindor Tower, with ease of course.

The entire castle was quiet, which made them think that the feast was over. They made their way past muttering portraits and creaking suits of armour, climbing up narrow flights of stone stairs until they finally reached the passage to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, which was hidden behind a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

Of course, Arthur and David realised that they didn't know the password so they just waited for a Prefect to arrive, which actually didn't turn out to be too long (actually being a few seconds later) as the two heard the sound of running behind them. They turned and saw Chrys rushing towards them.

"There you two are! People were saying that you two were expelled for crashing a flying car." She said to them.

"The only inaccuracy was that we weren't expelled." David said grimly. Chrys then gasped.

"But why would you both fly a car here?" She asked, concerned.

"We'll tell you in the morning, just can you say the password so we can get in and go to bed?" Arthur begged her.

"Wattlebird."

Once the portrait swung open, there was a sudden roar of clapping. It seemed that all of Gryffindor house was wide awake, all packed into the large, circular common room, standing on lopsided tables and the squashy armchairs and couch, waiting for them to arrive.

A flurry of arms reached out of the portrait hole and pulled a stunned Arthur and David inside, leaving Chrys to scramble in after them.

"Brilliant!" Lee Jordan yelled. "Inspired! What an entrance! Flying a car right into the Whomping Willow, people'll be talking about it for years!"

"Good on you." A random fifth year Arthur didn't know or ever spoken to patted him on his back as though he'd run a marathon. Both Jack and Kevin shoved their way to them through the crowd.

"The fact that you two weren't expelled is impressive. We would never pull something like that off." They said. Just then, Sam appeared before them.

"You'd better explain yourselves in the morning because then I'll write to mum and dad the details." He explained with his stern Prefect voice, though he patted their shoulders, pretty much saying 'I'm just glad you're alright'.

Arthur and David eventually managed to get to the other side of the common room (though with their backs still getting slapped in the process) and found peace when walking up the staircase to their dormitory, heading right to the top, reaching the door to said dormitory. It was now labelled 'second years' with a sign.

They had finally entered the familiar circular room with six four poster beds hanging with red velvet and the high and narrow windows. They noticed that their trunks were also brought up for them and placed at the ends of their beds.

They were about to change into their pyjamas and go to sleep when the dormitory door opened up and the other second year Gryffindors, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom and Michael McGonagall entered.

"Unbelievable!" Seamus beamed.

"Cool." Dean said.

"Amazing." Neville said, awestruck.

"You're both mental." Mike said with a grin.

Both Arthur and David looked at each and grinned.

Once more, Arthur explained about things that would make McGonagall sympathetic and understanding, especially when Arthur mentioned Dobby to her.