Sulk... Sulk. GLARE. Sulk... Sulk...

Ugh. Why was he here again? OHRIGHT. His mother hated him. And why was he on the grounds? Well, he was just wandering. Getting used to the place, since he'd be stuck here for the next ETERNITY. Sigh.

Well. This was an odd tree. Quite ugly, too. Looked a bit dead, in his opinion. Milton eyed it from a distance, squinting a little bit, before deciding to get closer. It could provide a little shade. Or something.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Taryn spoke, stepping up to the boy and taking his arm, pulling him back lightly. She didn't usually manhandle random people, but at least she'd met this one once before.

"Wouldn't want to get hit by a branch, it might scar up your pretty face." Lulz. It was obvious, even though she hadn't been in the best of moods when they'd met, that he was well aware of his good looks.

Taryn was aware too, so no point in pretending it wasn't true.

Normally, if someone attempted to keep Milton from doing something, he would do it anyway. And normally, if someone touched Milton without his permission, he would hex their hands off. But in this case, he did neither of those things. Because somewhere in the back of his mind, he recognized that voice.

When he was pulled back, Milton turned to see the girl he met in the Leaky Cauldron over the summer. Oh, dear. What was her name? She was still pretty, which was a plus.

"I don't know whether to be confused as to why a tree would hit me... or pleased because you find me attractive." Milton raised an eyebrow and smirked just a teeny bit. But he was also a tad confused about the tree thing.

Taryn let go of him as soon as she got him to move with her. Maybe she should have let him figure it out on his own, but she would have felt guilty if she'd let him get thwacked by the tree.

"It's the Whomping Willow." She informed. Shouldn't he KNOW this? Hmm? "It... whomps." WELL, it was having a bit of a fit at the moment because he had gotten too close. "I think you're the first Ravenclaw I've met who didn't know about the Whomping Willow." Ravenclaws, by default, knew everything. "Anyway, I'm doubting that a trip to the Hospital is on your list of things to accomplish in your first week at Hogwarts." Nah. Nope. It certainly wasn't on Taryn's list.

Not that she had a list.

"Well of course I find you attractive, I'm not blind." But she WAS an appreciator of good looking people, belonging to that category herself and all.

Whomp-what? She said that like he was supposed to know what she was talking about. But clearly, he did not. It whomps. Obviously. Milton turned around to see the tree twitching and flailing its branches about. Ah. Whomping Willow. It made sense.

Milton narrowed his eyes slightly. First Ravenclaw she met who didn't know anything about the tree? "What's that supposed to mean?" Were Ravenclaws, like, plant-lovers or something? Milton didn't know. In fact, Milton didn't know anything about these House thingies. Or anything about Hogwarts in general, other than he didn't like it.

And a trip to the hospital wing was definitely not on his list. "Ah. In that case... Thanks." It probably didn't sound sincere though. Maybe if he got knocked out by a mental tree, he could get sent home...?

"Brilliant." Smirk. "You're not so bad yourself." And by that, he meant that she was quite attractive. Like him.

Where was Mittens? Where had her little kitty gone?

Mittens was enjoying the open area at Addies new home. There was plenty of space to run around. Right now the cat was running towards that big tree!

Addie finally spotted her naughty little cat. "Mittens come back here right now!" Why was her cat so naughty. Thats when she saw where Mittens was headed. The Whomping Willow. Addie had heard from her dad that you could get hurt by going close to it. But Addie had to, she would not just let Mittens get hurt. Addie knew she had to save her little kitty. Luckily, or hopefully her small 4'4" body would help her get her cat safer.

Addie slowly bean to inch closer to her cat.

"It's been my experience that Ravenclaws know everything." Taryn replied simply. If Milton had ever met Aspen, he'd understand. Actually, come to think of it, Taryn would have thought that Milton would have been sorted into Slytherin and not Ravenclaw.

"You're welcome." She replied with a shrug, even though she was pretty sure that he wasn't all that thankful at all. It didn't matter, Taryn had saved him a nice knot on the head. Good dead for the day?

Not so bad? "Oh come on, is that the best you can do? I was under the impression that you were some sort of smooth talker." Yes, she was sure that he was, he seemed the type.

Hearing another voice, Taryn glanced away from the Ravenclaw boy to spot a girl and her cat. A girl and her cat that were getting too close to the Whomping Willow.

Since when had Taryn become the Whomping Willow monitor?

"Be careful!" She called out in concern. It was obvious that the tree was still annoyed by Milton's earlier presence, she really didn't want to see someone get hurt...

Though if you got too close to the silly thing, you probably would deserve what you got, huh?

YEEEEEEEEEEES!!! THE WHOMPING WILLOW!!!

Sophie wasn't even skipping anymore, she was ruuunniiiiiiiiiiing towards the mighty tree! She would have given it a big bear hug if she knew it wouldn't hit her. But it would, so she stood a bunch of feet away from the Willow, with a HUUGE smile on her face!

"Hello, mighty Willow!! I missed you!" Sophie jumped and waved at the tree. It was her friend and she spoke to it. Her mum and professor Bentley spoke to plants, so it was NOT weird!

She threw her arms up in the air and froze. No Full Body Bind Curse was cast on her, she was just contemplating the beautiful and lovely hitting tree.

SO beautiful...

Milton stared at her for a moment. "No one in the world can possibly know everything. So, your 'experience' is wrong." So there. House division was just stupid in his opinion. It made people assume things, like that Ravenclaw's were brilliant. Milton was brilliant in his opinion, yes. But logically speaking, not really. He didn't know everything like this girl assumed he might.

Yep. Okay. Not feeling himself today.

His smooth-talker self. Which, now that he thought about it, was REALLY weird. Because he was always like that. Until recently. This needed to change. Milton had never been like this before! Stuck! Milton pursed his lips... Furrowed his brow... And sighed. "I'm not doing so hot today." That was a FIRST. And hopefully a last.

Hogwaaaaaaaaaaarts. It was amazing so far. Theo hadn't explored much yet, but there was one place that was on his list.

Yes. He was going to meet Sophie today. At the Whomping Willow.

MEEEEEEEP. He had been planning this for a while now, but now that he was here, Theodore was terrified. He saw it from a distance and stopped dead in his tracks. It was big. The boy's eyes scanned for his friend.

THERE SHE WAS.
"SOPHIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE." He shouted. "I.... CANNOT COME ANY CLOSER." His little legs wouldn't let him.

Would very much like rescuing, please.

Maxwell walked to the whomping willow, he and the old tree hadn't been too friendly last term so he was going to take Kurumi's advise. He bowed to the tree and took a seat a few feet from it's roots, reading a very large green book.

Zack since his first year at Hogwarts had a feeling to look at the Whomping Willow tree, he seemed to strange to him all the time he looked at it. It was a tree he always wanted to know more about.

He sat at a safe distance from the tree on the ground. He lay his bag on the right side of him and started admiring it. He had no class for a while so now he could spend his time here. Later he would go the common room to read.

Hey My name is Angie Grandz.Can i sit her she laughed and she smiled.

Zack looked up as he heard someone talk. He saw a girl he didn't think they'd meet before. He smiled at her and said "Hey" he said and moved to remove his bag and make place for her. "Yeah, sure you can" he said and smiled back

How are you she asked with a smile.Would you like a cookie i made your house crest she smiled.so what classes are you taking.

Sophie was still staring at the tree when she heard her name being shouted. She turned around on her spot to seeeeeee...

"THEODORE! HAAAAAI!!" She jumped again and waved at him too. "Come over here to take a better look at it!" That distance was still safe, so yeah! But he didn't seem to move... "Come on, Theodore, it won't kill you!" It could hit you here and there, but no killing, teehee!

Once she realised he was actually paralyzed not moving much, she rushed towards him and pulled him by his hand back to where she was before.

"Looooook how beautiful it is!!" Sophie said still holding his hand firmly so he wouldn't run away and gesturing towards the Willow like she was presenting it to an audience. "Hey, mr Willow! This is my friend Theodore! Theodore, meet the mighty Willow!" The tree was waving its own branches around, GREETING THEM!

SEE! It was her FRIIIEEEND!

Nope. Wasn't going anywhere. Sophie's encouragement was doing NOTHING to help him. Nope, he turned on his heel to run away but she was soon there, grabbing his hand.

PERSONAL SPACE BREACH.

"Noooooooooooo........" He held out his other hand in reach for the castle. In reach for saving. He felt like he was about to go on a roller coaster ride.
Which was stupid cos he wasn't actually going to RIDE this tree... Right?

His eyes were shut when they stopped, "Can't see." And now all he could hear was her introducing him to the tree. To the TREE.

This was all very bizarre. He opened his eyes slowly and flinched whenever it moved.

"It's very beautiful. CANWEGONOW?" Please. At least another 30 yards away.

Zack looked away from the Whomping Willow at her as she started to talk to him. "Oh" he said with surprise as she offered him a cookie and said "I'm good thanks." he said he looked at the cookie and saw the gryffindor crest made on it. "Yeah, sure" he said and quickly grabbed one. They were yummy. "Thanks" he said again. "They're good, can i have one more?" he asked finishing his first. He was a bit hungry, but he didn't seem to notice until now. "I'm taking Charms, Herbology" Well he couldn't remember all his subjects names what a shame he thought and smiled at her. "What are you taking? i mean classes" he corrected later.

Take the whole box they are yours she smiled.Well thats great and she smiled.i'm taking charms,Herbology.

A big smile grew on Zack's face as she offered him the whole box, he didn't feel like taking it all. "No, no, it's alright. I'm fine, thanks." He said and took one more from the box. "Maybe we could share" he offered and took the box from her and lay it between them. "Where did you get them from, they're really good." he said munching the cookie. "Oh, great" he said as she told about her classes. "We're in the same classes then" he said smiling.

Well sounds good she smiled.I made them myself she said with a smile.yes we are maybe we can hang out more she smiled.

Taryn grinned. "You're right." How would anyone live a life if they actually knew everything? But, the fact still remained that if anyone anywhere could possibly know everything, it would be a Ravenclaw.

Huh. Interesting. "It doesn't seem that's something easy to admit." So why did he admit it to her? Could it be possible that maybe he trusted her a bit? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm? "Well, why not? Is it because you're now stuck at Hogwarts? It's not so bad here, remember?" She nudged him lightly, "I'm here."

Obviously that made everything better, right?!

Milton smirked. "I'm always right." There. A little bit of the real Milton was finally shining through. Embrace it.

"It's really not," Milton said with a slight grimace. Merlin, what was wrong with him? He was letting someone through to him. And that wasn't NORMAL. He wasn't trying though; this girl was just smarter than most. Or something.

What did she mean, it wasn't so bad- ... Oh. Right. Milton smirked a little bit, remembering their conversation at the Leaky Cauldron. She was there. "So you are. And suddenly my day is so much better." Milton winked. "As your probably did when you saw me standing here." She had approached him, after all. Even if it was to safe his life... But look! Smooth talking was coming back now. Slowly, but surely.

Ah... the old whomping willow...

Jonathan and Aurora's usual hangout... Here they would scheme, have fun, and poison each other... Well, Jonathan would get poisoned. It's been a year and a half since Jonathan had been here, he kind of missed it. Jonathan and Aurora never exactly agreed to meet each other here again... But he thought he'd come by anyway, and just sit and hang out.

The boy plopped down and took out a bag of munchies.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY, MUNCHIES!!!!!!!

Jonathan should be doing homework, but he decided not to. Besides who needs homework anyway???