[W.Willow] The Calm before the Storm

[isabel]

Isabel always found this particular tree interesting, not because it was extreamly hostile and violent towards people, but because of the History behind it. The whole place had a History, every wall had more than one secret to find, but the tree was a key part in the whole of Hogwarts exsistance. Isabel knew what the tunnel underneath the tree lead too, but it wasnt the only way into the Shrieking Shack. You would probably be wondering how she knew this, but being someone, or rather, who she was, who liked to study in places undisturbed had tried pretty much everywhere. The forest was a no go, that place gave Isabel the heeby jeebies. Though the shrieking shack, sure wasnt quiet, but it was lonely, which in her mind. Made a perfect study place!

Upon first glance to one like Isabel, what did you see? A brain? Books? Or just another Ravenclaw? It was tiresome how people saw the House Expectations in her and not the person. It was like sticking a label that said oranges on a tin of apple slices. It wasnt right and sometimes it was totally misleading. Sure, Isabel Valenti was a brain, but she was also a person and even she didnt know everything. When stuck on something, who do people turn to, Ravenclaws. It wasnt their fault that they were labelled oranges instead of what they actually are, was it?

So as Isabel took a seat, quite a distance away might she add, from the seemingly calm Whomping Willow Tree, she thought about this and found herself smirking at the fact oranges and apples kept coming to her mind. She didnt have any of her books with her today, only herself and her eyes. She was thinking about how people mis labelled both things and people, she just couldnt get her head around it. Slytherins werent labelled anymore, thats because most act like Gryffindors, infact she was sure that only Erys and Ricky stuck to the Slytherin criteria. So why did the Claws always get labelled with the orange label and not the apple one?

There she goes again...
Comparing Oranges and Apples.

[Girty Hubbles]

“No! Why should I go it is your bloody shoe…why is it by the lake anyway?”
“I fell asleep in the common room and someone stole it and wrote little ransom notes.”
“Just the one shoe…”
“No both. The other is by the Whomping Willow.”

It was at the mention of that particular tree did Girty bang her head on the table that was in front of her. She could not believe that Dan had managed to sleep through a group of giggling Hufflepuff’s and on top of that not notice they were stealing his shoes and then have the check to ask her to go and get them. However he had that look on his face that showed that there was no point in arguing with him and with a small scowl Girty stood up and was about to walk out of the office when she turned back to her older brother.

“It was not just your shoes they got Dan.”

With a cheeky smile Girty traced circles out around her eyes to replicate the black permanent marker that seemed to have found its way onto Dan’s face. Slamming the door closed to the sound of Dan’s swearing the Hufflepuff found herself laughing all the way to the castle grounds with the great mental image of Dan walking through the corridors with no shoes on and a face like a doodle board.

The decision now was which shoe to rescue first, Girty guessed the one by the lake was more vulnerable to student attack and would most likely be easier to find however when passing Girty happened to look over at the willow and noticed that there was someone sitting by it. Maybe it was the culprits of the crime, she would most defiantly have to congratulate them…but as she grew closer she could not recognise them and if there was a Hufflepuff Girty did not know then something was wrong.

“Excuse me?” She questioned rather sheepishly “Have you seen a shoe anywhere?”

[isabel]

"A what?"

Isabel turned around at the sound of a voice. She was almost sure the girl asked Izzy if she had seen a shoe. Looking down at the other girls feet, both her shoes were on so, what on earth could she mean? Was Isabel in the wrong place at the wrong time or was there really a missing shoe? The blonde had a sceptical look on her face as though expecting the Hufflepuff to smile and say something like April Fools! even though it wasnt April, it was the middle of November.

"Did you just ask me if I had seen a shoe?"

She needed to ask because her mind could not think of anything else that girl might have asked. Pushing herself off the grass, Isabel looked around the ground as though expecting to see something shoe like, except there wasnt anything to be found. Why would a shoe be by the willow tree? She couldnt stop the smile that spread upon her face, it had to be the most ridiculous question Isabel had ever been asked in her life. She turned around to look at the tree, which was swinging a little more violently than a moment ago, maybe it didnt like the company.

It was then, when she spotted it. On one of the branches near the top, the willow tree had coiled its branch around a shoe. This was enough to make Isabel laugh. The willow tree had stolen someones shoe. What a theif! She turned back to the girl and pointing to the top of the tree.

"I dont suppose thats the shoe you're looking for..." She smiled, "Is it?"

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty looked at the girl with a small smile on her face as she watched her stand up from the grass. She seemed a bit perplexed by the question poised towards her. Admittedly it was a very strange question, if Girty had been asked that same question she most likely would have acted in the same way but it seemed obvious to her what she had asked that the Ravenclaw’s bemusement was a light form of entertainment for the Hufflepuff.

“Er…yes I did ask if you had seen a shoe. I am guessing correctly that you do know what a shoe is?”

Girty was only teasing playfully knowing all to well that for most Ravenclaw’s that their pride was held in their knowledge and if anyone even dared to question it they would take offence. Not that Girty meant to cause anyone offence, she never did but sometimes ended up doing so by not thinking about what she was about to say.
Following the girls gaze Girty looked at the tree noticing it was becoming a little more animated but that may have just been the wind making it seem like it. In truth at all her time at Hogwarts Girty had never seen the Whomping Willow in action, she had heard tales from other students and of course new the many links it had to the tale of Harry Potter but that was it sometimes she doubted it really was magical.

“Yes…yes that would be his shoe…how the hell did they get it up there?”

Once again Miss Hubbles was talking to herself although she was directing it at someone else. She was saying things and asking questions that clearly the Ravenclaw would not know the answer too but there she was asking it anyway. After a moment of thought and a few very odd noises that Girty subconsciously made when thinking a smile filled the Hufflepuff’s face and she turned to look at the Ravenclaw before walking off towards the tree.

The first ting in climbing any tree was to get a good footing and there seemed to be a few low branches just the perfect reach for Girty but as she got closer they seemed to get higher and higher up until she was standing right underneath it. Feeling slightly perplexed Girty took a few steps backwards before bursting out into a sprint and launching herself forward, arms outstretched and took hold of the lowest branch. He feet where dangling high above the ground but she knew it would be just like mounting a boom and with a few swings and a the usage of her upper arm strength she had mounted the first branch…well she had until it threw her off and sending her with a bump onto the grass not too far from the Ravenclaw.

“The bloody bugger!”

[isabel]

"Well I wouldnt be much of a Ravenclaw if I didnt know what a shoe is. Though I must add it was a very strange question, certainly not one I get every day"

Isabel gave a little chuckle and ran her hands through he wavy hair. It was a strange question and it wasnt one she came across very often, in fact she had never come across it in her life. The fact of the matter was, there was a shoe, and it was missing. Well Isabel wasnt going around handing out flyers with a missing shoe ad, and a reward of ten galleons or something.

Izzy kept her eyes on the tree and the shoe, and by the way it was moving Isabel could swear it was mocking them, nearly laughing as though to say, Ner ner ner ner ner, Ive got the shoe, whatcha gonna do about it! Which of course was absurd, a tree couldnt mock anyone, though it was certainly giving that impression as the tree leant the branch with the shoe on close to them, and pulled it back violently and rather fast anytime she went to get close to it.

"Im going to be called a loon for this im sure," Isabel laughed, "But it seems our whomping willow tree is a shoe theif"

When Girty began to walk off towards the tree, all Isabel could think was, shes mad. The tree seemed to be playing games with them, as though it was enjoying the fact that it had the shoe, and Girty clearly wanted the shoe back. Isabel pondered on this for a moment before watching the girl taking a running leap onto the tree, Isabel flailed her arms in the air like she was cheering on Ravenclaw in a quidditch match yelling "YEAAHH!"

Though, the tree seemed to let her on for a moment before throwing her off and making her land at the feet of Isabel. Which of course made Isabel laugh and look back at the tree which seemed to be shuddering, almost like it was laughing. Ridiculous Isabel, tree's do not laugh. Though of course, it didnt stop Isabel laughing.

"I think it really likes that shoe," Isabel laughed.

[Girty Hubbles]

Pushing herself off the floor brushing off the leaves and blades of grass that seemed to have stuck to her like a magnate Girty could only frown as she looked back up at the shoe as the braches of the tree waved around. She had just lost her balance, that was all…she had lost her balance and then a very very strong gust of wind came and…and…ok so not even Girty Hubbles could come up with anything more feasible then a moving tree. With a small sigh the Hufflepuff turned to look at the Ravenclaw who seemed to be finding the whole situation rather amusing.

Yet again Girty could not help but think that had it been her watching someone getting beaten up by a tree in pure determination to get a shoe that was not even her own she would be laughing rather hard as well. But seeing as it was her getting thrown across the castle grounds and Dan’s shoe the situation needed to be sorted out.

“Yes it is very protective over the shoe.” Girty put her hands on her hips and looked at the tree in defiance as it seemed to shake its branches at her in jest. “It is almost like someone had put it up to it.”

Her head dropt slightly and a small smile crept its way across her face as it dawned on her what she had just said. The mere thought that someone had planned stealing Dan’s shoe in the first place was stupid enough as it was (defiantly if it was not her) and then to be able to talk to a tree...

“It is a tree! Who talks to tree’s other then drunks and hippies!”

Girty continued her thoughts out loud and she reached down lifting up the ends of her trousers to reveal a pair of rather long socks (which naturally had the Hufflepuff logo on them) and slowly Girty pulled out her wand. If the willow was not going to let her climb it then force was going to have to be used.
With a flick of her wrist the shoe began to move slowly towards them, it took a simply summoning charm and that was it for the…shoe to get stopped by another branch. Trying the same spell over and over again the distance the shoe moved got shorter and shorter and the more braches appeared around it.

“hum…” Girty lowered her wand and tapped it on her chin “That does not seem to be working either.”

[isabel]

Isabel knew Girty was a renowned Quidditch Player and being thrown of the branch of a tree must have been somewhat painful to her image, so Isabel decided this little escapade she was confine to herself and her journal. It was a day she did not think she would want to forget. Though the hufflepuff looked at Isabel, and all Izzy could do was give a sweet and innocent smile. The whole thing was rather funny and Isabel was sure if the tables were turned, Girty would be laughing at her.

She had, however, figured out this shoe did not belong to Girty, so whoever it belonged to must have meant something to her or she wouldnt be out here being thrown across the grounds rather mercylessly for she simple fact of getting a shoe. Isabel knew she wouldnt do it, then again Isabel was sure she would prefer to watch the owner try and get it, rather than herself.

"Maybe someone did," Isabel laughed at the concept of students putting the tree upto taking a shoe hostage, "So who does this shoe belong to then?"

Isabel laughed at her next outburst, she would be surprised how many people talk to trees. Just like walls, trees couldnt answer back and were stuck in place so they made good things to tell secrets to if you didnt have anyone else to talk to. Besides, how was a tree supposed to answer back?

Isabel watched as the shoe kept getting caught. The summoning spell wouldnt work but Isabel knew that, she knew the spell to stop the tree from moving but she was having too much fun watching the Hufflepuff try and get the shoe. It seemed rather pointless as she tree seemed not to want to let it go. Isabel laughed and walked so she was on level with the hufflepuff.

"Try the Immobulus charm," Isabel told her, "That tends to stop it from moving. Least long enough for you to get the shoe back"