Hogwarts Emerald

A few days after New Year's, Eda and the others were preparing to return to Hogwarts. On the evening before their departure, Mrs. Weasley was visibly downcast. Not even the twins' jokes could bring a smile to her face. 

They returned to school via the Knight Bus. The twins were thrilled about the experience, their excitement fueled by an endless curiosity for anything new. 

The triple-decker, bright purple bus didn't drive so much as it "leapt" along the roads.

That's right—leapt.

The driver seemed barely familiar with the steering wheel, constantly veering the bus onto pedestrian walkways. Were it not for the way lampposts, parked cars, and entire rows of houses leapt out of the way, the Knight Bus would have long since been a total wreck.

Between fireplace travel that felt like being spun in a washing machine and the thrill-ride terror of the Knight Bus, did the wizarding world have no transportation methods that weren't utterly nerve-wracking?

The constant sounds of retching and the lingering stench inside the bus made Eda's journey unbearable.

Everything around her seemed to spin at dizzying speeds, and she felt like her brain had turned to mush. If they didn't arrive soon, she was certain she'd be the next one to succumb to motion sickness.

With her eyes closed, Eda tried her best to endure until the bus finally reached the snow-covered streets of Hogsmeade. The bus wobbled to a halt at the gates of Hogwarts.

While the Weasley boys unloaded their trunks, Eda stepped off the bus and immediately took in deep gulps of fresh air, desperate to rid herself of the nauseating smell inside. 

The path leading to the castle was icy, and Eda had to rely on George to steady her. She was still so dizzy that she worried she might slip and fall into a snowbank.

"Haah~"

Once she returned to her dormitory, she lay down for quite some time before the spinning sensation finally faded.

The day after their return, classes had not yet resumed. After lunch, Eda and the twins headed outside the castle to check on the Whomping Willow.

The Whomping Willow stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, its temperament as volatile as ever. Anything that ventured too close to it would be mercilessly battered by its thick, powerful branches until it either fled beyond its reach or was utterly destroyed.

The Marauder's Map marked numerous secret passages, and after figuring out how to use it, the twins had explored nearly all of them. Some passages were known to Filch, while others were not. However, there was one passage they had yet to investigate: the one beneath the Whomping Willow.

Eda and the twins stood just outside the Willow's attack range.

This wasn't their first attempt to approach it.

During their initial visits, the Whomping Willow had tried to lash out at them with its branches. Over time, as their visits became more frequent, the tree had grown somewhat indifferent to these troublesome children's presence—so long as they stayed at a safe distance.

"The map shows the passage is right beneath the Whomping Willow," Fred said, gazing at the volatile tree in front of them. Although the map clearly indicated the passage's location, it didn't provide an entry method like it did for the one beneath the One-Eyed Witch.

"Maybe we're just too far away for the method to appear," Eda suggested, crossing her arms while lightly tapping her left arm with her right index finger. "The One-Eyed Witch passage also required us to get closer before the instructions showed up."

George let out a sigh. "The problem is, how do we get closer…" He cautiously stepped forward, only for the Whomping Willow to spring to life. A massive branch lashed out at him, forcing him to retreat quickly.

The branch smashed into the ground, sending snow, dirt, and fragments of stone flying.

Eda raised her wand to shield them from the debris. George shrugged at Fred and Eda as if to say, See what I mean?

From a safe distance, the Whomping Willow looked peaceful and unassuming, its massive joints appearing almost tranquil. But the moment they tried to approach, the onslaught of branches began like a relentless storm. Unable to get any closer, Eda and the twins could only gaze at the tree in frustration.

The three of them huddled together to examine the Marauder's Map more closely.

The passage beneath the Whomping Willow was clearly marked, but its destination extended beyond the map's boundaries, leaving them unsure of where it led.

Unlike the One-Eyed Witch passage, no bubble text appeared to provide further clues.

"Are we going to leave empty-handed again today?" Eda asked, frustration clear in her voice. If she could, she'd love nothing more than to set the tree ablaze.

Fred picked up a stone and hurled it forcefully at the Whomping Willow. "When you were looking for the Shrieking Shack, you could've also looked for any weaknesses this tree might have..."

"I did look—and I found something..."

The Whomping Willow's branches swayed in the wind, almost as if mocking them: So what if you know? Come closer!

"What is it?" George asked eagerly.

"Hurry up and tell us!"

Eda sighed. "Some Whomping Willows have a knot on their trunk. If you press it, the tree will stop moving. But… whether this particular tree has such a knot—and if it does, where it is—we have no idea."

"How about we bring Garlon or Scabbers over to test it?" Fred proposed, an idea forming in his mind.

"Can you communicate with a dog or a rat?" Eda asked flatly.

Fred shook his head; he had no such ability. Lowering his head again, he continued pondering for a solution.

The only way to stop the Whomping Willow was to press its knot, but locating the knot required getting close to the tree. And before you could find and press it, there was a good chance you'd be battered to death by its branches. The very existence of this tree was truly infuriating.

Eda paced back and forth, her head lowered, as she mentally simulated different strategies. Fred's idea, though a bit harebrained, had indeed sparked some inspiration.

Pulling out her wand, she cast a Transfiguration spell, turning a rock on the ground into a rat. She then used her wand to control the rat and sent it scurrying toward the Whomping Willow.

As the rat entered the tree's range, its thick branches lashed out. Eda deftly maneuvered the rat to dodge the first branch, only for another to follow immediately after.

Fred and George, seeing what Eda was attempting, watched with bated breath.

Their eyes were glued to the rat carrying all their hopes, and they called out to warn Eda of incoming branches.

The rat, dodging the relentless barrage of branches from the Whomping Willow, finally broke through the tree's defenses and reached its base.

Eda carefully controlled the rat, guiding it to touch the knot on the tree. The enraged Whomping Willow thrashed wildly, its branches flailing and cutting through the air with a whoosh sound, even though it could no longer reach its target.

It was the dead of winter, with cold winds and snow blanketing the ground, but sweat beaded on Eda's forehead. Controlling the rat to evade all those attacks was no easy task.

"Eh?"

Suddenly, the Whomping Willow froze, as if it had turned to stone.

It seemed the knot had been successfully pressed.

"Hell Yeah!!"

Eda and the twins exchanged glances, their faces lighting up, and the three dashed forward, stopping only when they reached the trunk.

Between the roots, a large hole had appeared. Fred and George drew their wands and climbed in first. After confirming the location of the knot for future reference, Eda followed them. Sliding down the sloped tunnel, she landed in a very narrow passage.

The twins were waiting for her, bent over due to the low ceiling. The faint glow of their wands illuminated the passage, and in unison, they grinned and said, "Welcome, welcome to the Kingdom of the Tree Hollow!"

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