Pausing for a moment, Evelyn decidedly put her wand away, since she had a feeling she wouldn't really be needing it for this task, but still kept her alert up. Just in case she really did need it. Who knew what was around any corner. Maybe some angry number things from Arithmancy class escaped and were following her...just bidding their time until-

STRIKE!

*shudder*

Nooo not gunna happen. Holding the bag of runes close, the Slytherin slowed down her walked, breathing quietly and looking for any way out. The Professor did say that there were only doors in here right? And...something about the whomping willow? Why would she mention the whomping willow?!

Brittny looked down to see words appear on the floor. "Okay this is just getting werid.". She said out loud not bothering to think it. who was going to hear anyway. "I...Like...The... Dawn" She repeated the words slowly trying to decipher there meaning. While she as thinking she heard her name been called out and she totally wasnt expecting that. She thought everyone was seprated. A little screm of terror escaped her lips until she realied who had been calling her. She'd know that voice anywhere "Fee!!!." Brittany said relieved. "Oh my gosh I thought i would die alone in here."!!! Now aleast i have somebody to die with me She then turned back to the ground. we have to pick which rune to use to get through the door. I was going with DAGAZ since it deals with days." Brittany said looking at her friend. "What do you think?" She asked fee

Hehehe.

Destiny, as she searched for a door, wondered if that cookie actually hit Evelyn. Well, she'd have to wait to find out, and if their were crumbs on her friend's head, then she would know the answer to that. Of course she would deny throwing a cookie..don't want Evelyn all angry and stuff.

She continued to walk when all of a sudden..

..BAM!

A few willow branches came down, followed by a door and some words on the floor.
[/rhyming skillz]

Bending down, ignoring the VERY scary willow, Destiny read the words. My place comes last.

Well, that was pretty easy! The answer to that was Hufflepuff, since they were going to be in last place for the House Cup..but there were no Hufflepuff runes in her bag, so it had to be either Jera or Dagaz. Meh. Digging in her bag, she found the rune she was looking for and held it up to the keyhole.

Jera. Representing the last month of the year.

Fee patted Britt's back.
"We're not going to die no worries", she tried to comfort her," and i am with you here. Nothing is going to happen to us."

Fee thought about everything she knew about Dagaz.

"I think so,too.That only makes sense. Lets try it."

Not again!

What was with all the professors and these mazes this term? Had all the professors plotted together just to think of ways to torture the students this year or what. And WHY did they have to be near the whomping willow for this lesson? Seriously, it was like these professors were getting some sort of thrill out of putting the students in danger this term.

Gathering her things she threw them back in her bag before putting it over her shoulder. She then grabbed the bag of runes and turned to head to the right. Walking along she suddenly remembered the cookie she had hidden... in Evan's hood. Oops, it was still there. Oh well, he would have something to snack on if he got hungry in while in the maze.

Where was he anyway? Hopefully that stupid tree doesn't try attacking him.

Brittany gave fee weak smile. Brittany +Closed in spaces = Disaters!. She took a deep breath and reached into the bag the professor had provided for them and pulled out the dagaz symbol. "Here goes nothing." she mumbled as she placed DAGAZ symbol on the ground next to the words. she didnt really know where to put it. It was a tree and a door for goodness sake it wasnt like they had hands. She hoped the willow didnt get too mad if she answered wrong

Salander continued to feel the walls for anything to get him out of the dead end when he thought he heard a peculiar creaking sound and Is that a breeze?...

*CRAAASSSH!!!*

"WHOAH!" he yelped as the force of the crashing branch threw him off his feet. He stared wide-eyed at the gigantic willow branch as it rose up for another strike Its out for revenge! And I'm trapped like a lab rat. Just my luck! he thought as the lad scrambled to get out of the way. He could hear more creaking as the breeze picked up from all the branches trying to get a whack at him when he saw...

A door...

"THE DOOR!"

He rushed towards it and tried to push it open. Stuck! "Open!Open!Open!" he bellowed ramming his shoulder against the door repeatedly in panic. He looked back at the branches seemingly doing the slow-motion of inevitable kid-crushing and instinctively grabbed his wand. In his haste he dropped it and fell to his knees, groping to get it back when he saw The Riddle scrawled onto the floor.

"Wha?....'I am linked to both sun and earth" he read in confusion, then stared back at the branches, His foot accidentally kicking the runes bag that has fallen when he was thrown off his feet He suddenly remembered what the Professor had said about the runes getting to open the doors. Rummaging through the bag he read the riddle again then pulled out-- the DAGAZ Rune.

He lunged for the keyhole and shoved the Dagaz rune through it, looking back frightfully at the branches who he thought seemed to be gathering momentum for a great big wallop that will turn him into cookie crumble. "Come on work! Wooork." he mumbled pitifully.

Displeaaaaaased. The Whomping Willow was displeaaaaaased. This kid did not seem to like it. WELL. It didn't like this kid either.

But of course, it couldn't leave the kid alooooo0000ooonee. It had to help. Much as the tree did not want to, a few branches came down gentlyyyyy. The door that popped up behind them had a keyhole that peeped out through their midst, this keyhole being the same shape as the runes in the rune bags the students had been provided - each rune in the bag could fit into it and serve as a key.

The following word appeared on the floor...

Fruits.

Jera or Dagaz? Take your pick. The Whomping Willow doesn't like to waaaaiiiiiiitttt!

PRETTY RED! SWEET RED! The tree liked this kid. Branches came down, but not in a harmful manner. The door that popped up behind them had a keyhole that peeped out through their midst, this keyhole being the same shape as the runes in the rune bags the students had been provided - each rune in the bag could fit into it and serve as a key.

The following words appeared on the floor...

The full moon and I.

Jera or Dagaz? Take your pick. The Whomping Willow doesn't like to waaaaiiiiiiitttt!

O____________o

The Willow eyed this kid, it diiiiiiddddd. It LIKED the big talk. BIIIIGGG talk. But it didn't like being threatened, no siiireeee.

Branches came down, not hitting the kid or anything but swaaayyiiiiinnggg rather threateningly. The door that popped up behind them had a keyhole that peeped out through their midst, this keyhole being the same shape as the runes in the rune bags the students had been provided - each rune in the bag could fit into it and serve as a key.

The following words appeared on the floor...

I stand for the light.

Jera or Dagaz? Take your pick. The Whomping Willow doesn't like to waaaaiiiiiiitttt!

PRETTY GREEN! Hugs for the PRETTY GREEN! But the tree knew it wasn't supposed to huuuug anyone. It would just wait for the PRETTY GREEN to head into a right tunnel or corner so it could heeelpppppppp her.

AAAAAAAAAHHHH! Niiiiiiiiiice GREEN KID! Green kid seemed happy, too! To have found a friend apparently. WillowTHEMAN would help this one, it would. So branches came down, but not in a harmful manner. They swaaayyyed gently, and the door that popped up behind them had a keyhole that peeped out through their midst, this keyhole being the same shape as the runes in the rune bags the students had been provided - each rune in the bag could fit into it and serve as a key.

The following words appeared on the floor...

My polarity cannot be described in a single word.

Jera or Dagaz? Take your pick. The Whomping Willow doesn't like to waaaaiiiiiiitttt!

Small BLUUUUUEEE one! Branches lowered themselves gentlyyyyy in front of the kid. The door that popped up behind them had a keyhole that peeped out through their midst, this keyhole being the same shape as the runes in the rune bags the students had been provided - each rune in the bag could fit into it and serve as a key.

The following words appeared on the floor...

Dawns can be false.

Jera or Dagaz? Take your pick. The Whomping Willow doesn't like to waaaaiiiiiiitttt!

OOOOOOOOOHH! Happy yellow kid! The tree liked her, it diiiiid. Branches came down slooowwwllyyy, their manner completely nonthreatening. The door that popped up behind them had a keyhole that peeped out through their midst, this keyhole being the same shape as the runes in the rune bags the students had been provided - each rune in the bag could fit into it and serve as a key.

The following words appeared on the floor...

My gemstone and I like nature.

Jera or Dagaz? Take your pick. The Whomping Willow doesn't like to waaaaiiiiiiitttt!

OOOOOOH. SINGING kiiiid! The light and sunshine that streamed into the roofless enclosure were suddenly blocked out, as branches gently and slowly lowered themselves into it. The door that popped up behind them had a keyhole that peeped out through their midst, this keyhole being the same shape as the runes in the rune bags the students had been provided - each rune in the bag could fit into it and serve as a key.

The following words appeared on the floor...

The present is to reap.

Jera or Dagaz? Take your pick. The Whomping Willow doesn't like to waaaaiiiiiiitttt!

OOOOHHH! NIIIICE red kid! One of the branches reached out and veryyyy gentlyyyyyyy patted the kid on the back. Then the branches rose upppp into the air and disappeared out of sight, leaving an entrance in place of the door that had popped up earlier.

UNHAPPY RED KID! WillowTHEMAN staaaaaaaaaaaaaared at her. It didn't like unhappy kids, nooooo. But it gently lowered some branches in front of her all the same. The door that popped up behind them had a keyhole that peeped out through their midst, this keyhole being the same shape as the runes in the rune bags the students had been provided - each rune in the bag could fit into it and serve as a key.

The following words appeared on the floor...

The farmer and I share a connection.

Jera or Dagaz? Take your pick. The Whomping Willow doesn't like to waaaaiiiiiiitttt!

OOOH! GOOD kid! One of the branches reached out and veryyy gentlyyyy patted the red kid on the back. Then it drew back, and all the branches rose into the air and disappeared out of sight so that light and air once again streamed freeeely into the roofless enclosure.

The door that had been blocked by the branches was now open for the NICE RED kiiiid to go throuuuuuuuuuughh.

OOOH! AAAAH! Correcttttt KID! One of the branches reached out and veryyyy gentlyyyy patted the kid on the back. Then all the branches rose into the air and disappeared, allowing light to stream freely into the roofless enclosure once more.

The door that had been blocked by the branches was now open for the RED KIIIDDD to go throuuuuuugh.

If trees could have blinked, the Whomping Willow would have done so. Did this kid not know that magic would not work? The tree decided it should heeelpppppp her!

Branches lowered themselves gentlyyyy in front of the kid. The door that popped up behind them had a keyhole that peeped out through their midst, this keyhole being the same shape as the runes in the rune bags the students had been provided - each rune in the bag could fit into it and serve as a key.

The following words appeared on the floor...

I like mornings.

Jera or Dagaz? Take your pick. The Whomping Willow doesn't like to waaaaiiiiiiitttt!

The GREEN KID was not happy. WillowTHEMAN staaaaaaaared at her as she continued to walk on. Then the light streaming into the roofless enclosure was blocked out for a moment, as branches gentlyyyy lowered themselves in front of the GREEEEN KID. The door that popped up behind them had a keyhole that peeped out through their midst, this keyhole being the same shape as the runes in the rune bags the students had been provided - each rune in the bag could fit into it and serve as a key.

The following words appeared on the floor...

You are protected by the power of the light.

Jera or Dagaz? Take your pick. The Whomping Willow doesn't like to waaaaiiiiiiitttt!

The tree waiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiteedddddd....

Nooo. NOOOOOOOOOOOO. The tree sniffed. It liked this GREEN KID. It wanted to let her throuuuuuughh. So because the Whomping Willow did like having NICE favourites, it decided to give her a new riddle and not make her find another door. Favouritism? YESSSSSSSS.

The words on the floor faded, to be replaced by new ones.

I leave darkness behind.

Jera or Dagaz? The Whomping Willow waaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiited!

ANGRY GREEN KID. WillowTHEMAN staaaaaaaaaared at her. Did she not know it liked happy children? It liked chocolate too, but only a few students had ever given it that.

Meaaaaan children.

All the same, it ought to help her. So branches gentlyyyy lowered themselves in front of the kid. The door that popped up behind them had a keyhole that peeped out through their midst, this keyhole being the same shape as the runes in the rune bags the students had been provided - each rune in the bag could fit into it and serve as a key.

The following words appeared on the floor...

The Spruce tree corresponds to me.

Jera or Dagaz? Take your pick. The Whomping Willow doesn't like to waaaaiiiiiiitttt!

NOOOOO. The YELLOWW kid had to put the rune into the keyhole! But the tree decided that was okay. The kid looked niiiice and maybe she would give it chocolate, later on.

SooooOOOOooo.

The branches rose up and disappeared out of sight, letting light stream freely into the roofless enclosure once more. The door that had earlier been blocked by them was now opennnn.

The bad kid had answered incorrectly. If trees could have cackled, the Whomping Willow would have done so. Unfortunately, it could not. Maybe it could swaaaat at this kid?

But it couldn't. The Willow frowned a tree!frown and then the door that the BAD green kid had been trying to open, disappeared. CLAPCLAP!Happy Willow! But it couldn't leave the kid like thiiiis - even though it wanted to - so a few more branches slowwwwlyyy lowered themselves in front of the kid. The door that popped up behind them had a keyhole that peeped out through their midst, this keyhole being the same shape as the runes in the rune bags the students had been provided - each rune in the bag could fit into it and serve as a key.

The following words appeared on the floor...

The year is I.

Jera or Dagaz? Take your pick. The Whomping Willow isn't going to waiiiit much longgerrr!

Simon was a little taken by surprise when he felt the oh so light touch of the tree. Was that a pat on the back? But he quickly recovered happy to see his choice was the right one and he could move on. Replacing the used Jera rune with another from the bag in his hand, the Gryffindor proceeded through the now clear passage and continued through the maze. He navigated the best he could making a couple of turns on both directions.

Kurumi jumped back at bit as something moved and a door suddenly appeared in front of her. These must be the branches of the Whomping Willow...she reached out and playfully hit a few of the leaves before she heard a voice booming from somewhere.

"Full moon and I?" she repeated clutching her bag of runes tighter. What was she supposed to do? She looked at the door and noticed a key hole in the shape of the stones she carried. Ah! She must have to use one of the runes as a key to unlock the door.

She opened her bag and pulled out one of each rune. Which one was she supposed to use? Full moon...full moon...."At the end of each day there is a moon..." she said as thoughts came to her mind. "The moon can change slowly...but when there is a full moon, the night is so much brighter and has a radical change from night without a moon! Dagaz!"

She took out one of her Dagaz runes and put it in the key hole. She stepped back and crossed her fingers. "Please work..."

NIIIICE RED KIIIID.

One of the branches waaaaaved to him from the top of the roofless enclosure as he continued on his path.

OOOOHHH. Pretty red had PETTED it! The tree liked being loved, it diiiiiid. One of the branches reached out and verrrrryy loooooosely curled round the PRETTY RED to give her a gentttllleeee hug. Then, as she put the correct rune into the keyhole, all the branches roooose into the air and disappeared out of sight, letting light stream freely into the roofless enclosure once more.

The door that they had blocked was now open for the PRETTYYY RED to go throuuuuuugh.

As Emmaleigh walked along, she noticed branches coming down to her. Even though they were coming in slowly, she still cowered a little. After all, the whomping Willow was supposed to be mean. But then suddenly, a door appeared, and a riddle was on it. "'My gemstone and I like nature.' Hmm," Em said, " Likes nature?Which rune is your favorite Mr Whomping WIllow? Well, I know Jera's element is earth, and I think it mean's harvest." She fished arround in her bag, looking for the Jera rune. "There it is, now, where do I put it?" she asked. studdying the door, she spotted the key hole, and inserted the rune. "Is that right?" she asked that tree.

Lila didn't want to take too much time and tick off the willow so she decided not to read too much into the words. Dagaz translated to dawn that made it the obvious choice. "Dagaz," Lila said firmly while putting the Dagaz rune into the keyhole.

Did the tree just hug her? Oh well, there had been stranger things to happen at Hogwarts. She should be grateful that it didn't wack her or anything like that. She hugged the branch back gently before noticing that the door before her had vanished and she was now basked in some warm light. "Thank you," she smiled still clutching her bag as she proceeded forward.

Favourite rune? The tree staaaaaaaaaared at YELLOW KID but it did not do anything. The door did disappear, the moment she had put in the rune though. The branches remained there, not rising out of sight because pretty yellow's answer had been incorrect.

The tree didn't like that, noooo. YELLOW KID was niiice to it. It wanted her to get throuuughhh.

Soo branches gentlyyy came down again, this time blocking another door. Letters began to appear on the floor, once again...

The earth is my element.

Jera or Dagaz? The Whomping Willow is waaaaiiiiitinggg!

OOOH. RIIIGHT answer! One of the branches reached out and veryyyy gentttlyyy patted the girl on the back. Then all the branches rose into the air and disappeared out of sight, leaving the door they had been blocking until recently open for the student to go through.

Light began to stream freely into the roofless enclosure once more.

The tree loOOOooooooOOved this PRETTY RED. If only all the students could be half as nice to it as this girl, it wouldn't whomp any of them.

One of the branches waaaaaved to her from the top of the enclosure as she continued on her path.

The door dissapeared, did that mean the answer had been correct? apparently not, *pout* but I thought it had been correct. But, but anonter door appeared, with another riddle. "The earth is my element," she repeated. Well, she knew the answer to this one, since this fact made her choose her answer last time. She fished out another Jera rune, and placed it in the key hole. She was practically bouncing in anticipation!

Kurumi looked over her shoulder and waved back at the tree before continuing through the maze. She wished her cat was with her. Walnut was always so good at finding her way out of places.

Straight *step step step*

Turn left

Straight *step step step step step step step*

Another left

Straight *step step step step step*

It was hard to figure out if she had been in the same spot or not because everything looked the same. She looked down at her bag of runes "I could use some drastic change," she laughed talking to more the Dagaz runes than the Jera ones.

OOOOOOOH! Pretty yellow was CORRECT! One of the branches reached out to give her a verrryyyy gentttttttle pat on the back. Then all the branches rose into the air and disappeared out of sight, allowing light to stream freely into the roofless enclosure once more.

The door that had been blocked by the branches was now open for the YELLOW KIDDD to go throuuuuughhh.

The enclosure suddenly became completely dark. No light. There was the rustle of leaves as a few branches moved, then, and some light began to stream back into the enclosure.

HELLO PRETTY RED! One of the branches waaaaved to PRETTY red again as they lowwwwerrrred themselves to show that they were hiding another door. The words that appeared on the floor this time were...

My place is twice that of my counterpart.

Jera or Dagaz? The Whomping Willow waiiiitteeed for PRETTY RED to decide which rune should fit into the keyhole.

Ok so the Whomping Willow was acting a bit out of the norm for it, or so Simon thought as he walked through the maze. The boy shook his head as he tried to brush the thoughts away and continue on. He had an abjective and that was to find a way out and as he walked, he debated which routes might get him there.

Hmm left this time I think.

Whaaa?

Frowning as it suddenly got really...really dark, she was just about to look up when branches were IN HER WAY!

ACK!

So THIS was why they were warned about the whomping willow. O___O!!! This was the whomping willow? Holy MERLIN! It wasn't whomping her though...

Not that she wanted to be whomped-THINK FAST! Words on the floor. You are protected about the power of light. Huh. Reaching inside the bag, she shifted around, looking for the rune she wanted before pulling it out and-

"DAGAZ RUNE POWER! GO!" She held it up as a shield almost, flinching back away from the branches. She didn't know what to do! Was she supposed to throw the rune at the branches?! WHAT?

"EEEK!" Kurumi almost dropped her bag of runes as everything became too dark to even see her hands in front of her face. But...she thought she saw the tree wave at her before it got dark, so she waved back into the seemingly empty blackness. She moved around a bit before she felt around a bit until she came across another door. Just as she was about to cast Lumos, a small stream of light appeared making it possible for her to read the text. "My place is twice that of my counterpart..." now that certainly sounded familiar! She was glad she had even asked a question about it during class. Without a moment's hesitation, she reached into her bag for yet another Dagaz rune, and gently inserted it into the lock. She decided to tickle some of the limbs of the tree that were hanging next to her.

It seemed like the Willow listened to what Willie was saying, which made the puff grow a little egoistic. He puffed his chest out with pride of what he's done. He just made the Willow scared of him. Oh yeah.

Who's the man now, huh Willow? BOYA.

But then the branches came down towards him. In an instant, he had his wand out, pointed at it threateningly. "Oii, be carefuh," he warned it, eyeing the branch that was swaying. He didn't like things that swayed.

He heard a pop, causing him to turn around. "Ah, thas where the door was." Willie muttered to himself, pocketing his wand and heading towards the door. He looked above the door at the words that were forming and immediately frowned. He hated reading.

"Light? Light? Hm." He didn't really know what to choose, but being himself, he opened his bag, ruffled through it and pulled out a Dagaz. "Well, this came out," he murmured, placing the rune on the keywhole.

The branches were moving again, what did that mean? The moved, and gave Em a little pat on the back. She grinned, as she reached up to give it a little pet. And then she noticed the door had opened. "Yay, Thank you Mr. Whomping Willow!" She walked through, and waved back at it, as she went on her way. "its funny," she thought, "I'm more nervous around other students than I am the whomping willow."

Time to give NICE RED a new doooo0000oooor? The light that raiiined into the enclosure disappeared for a few moments as branches came down once again, a keyhole visible through them.

Letters began to appear on the floor, once again....

Do not be blinded by your personal light.

Jera or Dagaz? The Whomping Willow waiiiiiiiiiteddd!

O_____________o

This GREEN KID, the tree did not understand. It wanted to WHOMP her. But it knew it must not. It had a niiice deal. It couldn't whomp the students. So it just STARED at the strange human child who was holding the rune up and not putting it into the keyhole, and then the tree let its branches riiiise into the air and disappear out of sight.

Light streamed freely into the roofless enclosure once more. The door that had been previously blocked was now open.

Had it SCARED pretty red? NooOOOOoooo. But OOOOHH! Pretty red had fitted in the correct ruuuune. If trees could clap, the Whomping Willow would have done so. CLAPCLAP!Happy Willow.

One of the branches briefly touched PRETTY RED'S shoulder as they rose into the air to disappear once more. As light flooded back into the enclosure, the door that had been blocked only a minute ago swung open.

Few. Now there was light everywhere and she was able to see all around her and she patted the branches that had gently touched her shoulders. What was a relief! Her Japanese tendencies kicking in, she bowed to the place where the door had once been before moving forward and turning an immediate left. Maybe if she kept turning left she would reach an exit. At least, she thought she had read that somewhere...

With a little more confidence, Kurumi began skipping forward hoping that the professor had some more cookies waiting at the end of the maze - whenever it was that she reached the exit that is.