A/N: This is my story about Willow, the Whomping Willow of Hogwarts. A few years old, I wrote this when I was still active on the Mugglenet Fan Forums and published on Harrypotterfanfiction. I now bring it to you. Enjoy.

Each leaf holds a different memory.

I've seen many things in my life, some of which I am not proud. I had seen life and death, love and hate at my feet. I have seen tears and heard love, felt pain and sensed joy. Only the darker of which I may have helped create.

I am the Whomping Willow of Hogwarts, and this is my story.

Heat and dirt, I am alive. Once again I live. I have heard conversation of which made me shudder. Many rumours of where I'll be planted have confused me so. Was I to live in a sandy desert, or in the snowy arctic? Was I to be sent in space or live under the water?

I am important, that I do know. Maybe I would be used to save lives or help others. Ha, a likely story. All I do is ward off others and hurt those who trespass. I am to have one goal in life, and it is one I rarely enjoy. Protect and Kill.

I have only one weakness, and it is one many do not know. I have a sore knot, one that paralyzes me with pain. I can hardly move for a full minute, and by then, I would have failed. I can only hope and pray that my master does not see.

Full Moon. Very beautiful. It shines out like a beacon in the dark, midnight sky. Not one star shines. Too many clouds cover them, shielding them from sight. Only the full moon's radiance can shine through the cloudy barrier and cast it's light on Hogwarts grounds.

It is my fifth since I have been planted, and I've grown used to the go on's here at Hogwarts. Most of the younger of the children gawp in awe at me, but some of the older ones enjoy to... test my reflexes. It was only after I nearly 'smacked' a child's eye out that they stopped toying with me.

There is only one child who is allowed past me, and it is only once a month. He is the reason I am here. He is my master.

He comes with a woman, but she does not come past me. Only in the morning she can, but only to fetch my master. He is always looking beaten up after the woman comes for him, but I know she does not do it.

I have reason to suspect that my master is a werewolf. I hear his terrible howls of pain and his low, echoing moans. It chills me to the center of my trunk, but I know I can not help him. How could I? I can only protect. Protect and Kill.

I am a bad tree.

Master was able to make it into the tunnel under me in time, but he was not able to make it into his safe point. He transformed in the tunnel.

When Master's howling stopped, he tried to escape, but I managed to keep him in the tunnel. He scratched and bit at my branches, but I did not let him escape. I could not let him down. I was a good tree, a good tree.

How wrong I was.

After an hour after Master transformed, pain paralyzed me. My sore knot, my weak knot, had been jabbed at. I froze up in pain, hoping Master wouldn't notice. He didn't.

It was a Human who passed by me. A Human that wasn't Master's friends. Master's friends usually turned into animals, but this one was still human. He slipped between my roots and into the tunnel.

It wasn't even five complete seconds until I heard yelling, but it wasn't inside of the tunnel. No, it was silent in the tunnel.

In the distance, a figure of a boy was running at me. As the boy drew closer, I noticed two things. The boy was one of Master's friends, the Stag. The other thing was a howl. My Master's howl. My Master noticed the boy in the tunnel.

The Stag Boy was yelling for a boy named 'Snape', yelling at him to get out. I heard another howl and the Snape Boy screamed.

Stag Boy was running faster now. The pain from my sore knot was fading. I could move a bit. The Stag Boy was becoming a possible threat. He could tell Master about my disobedience and how I let Snape Boy in the tunnel with him.

I would have to kill Stag Boy.

I started to swing at Stag Boy just as he lunged at the tunnel. He was close. He made it into the hole just in time. By then, I could only listen to what was going on.

I heard shouting, barks, growls and howling inside the tunnel. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't reach in and pull out Stag Boy and Snape Boy. I couldn't shout to anyone, saying that my Master is in danger. I couldn't do anything, but wait.

Once again, a throbbing pain exploded inside of me. I heard struggling by my roots.

"What are you doing, Potter." Snape Boy hissed, panting slightly.

He sounded both scared and angry, a common combination I've noticed with many of the male students.

"Saving your greasy head, Snape." Stag Boy coughed.

"I didn't need saving," Snape boy said, standing up.

"If you didn't need saving, why were you almost killed?"

"You mean killed by your friend, Potter?" Snape Boy yelled.

Stag Boy's face paled.

"I know it was Lupin. And soon the whole school will know. Say good-bye to your half-breed friend, Potter."

"You- No, Snape- you can't"

"Watch me." Snape Boy spat and ran back to the castle.

"You can't! Snape!" Stag Boy ran after Snape Boy.

I was a bad tree.

Today, Master was going away. Today his school life ended, and I was no longer needed. I was sad. Not many werewolves came to Hogwarts.

Children were running all around, playing, crying, and saying their good-byes. Would Master come and say good-bye? No, no, he wouldn't. No one says good-bye to a tree, especially a tree that tries to kill others.

Most of the children have gone now, only a few remain. They were the older ones, the ones who would miss Hogwarts the most. They were the outcasts, the loners, the ones who had no true home to go to.

Snape Boy was one of the first ones I recognised. He never told other students about Master, so I'm grateful. Snape Boy was a sensitive boy. Sometimes when the moon wasn't full, he walked across the grounds, crying and cursing slightly. Sometimes he would talk to me, but at a safe distance of course.

other student I recognised was Big-Eyes Girl. Her eyes always seemed as if they were popping out at you. Big-Eyes Girl was usually happy, but an outcast. She enjoyed to dance and cast spells, but she tended to do them when it was snowing hard. But she didn't care. She loved it. She looked dreamily at me and smiled. She loved to dance through my branches. She enjoys the challenge, I think. She stood next to a boy with bright white hair. She was happy. She found her other half.

The third student I noticed was Master. Master was here! Was Master really going to say good bye? Master walked over to me, making sure that I wasn't about to hit him. Silly Master; I only hit him when he needs it.

Master was closer now, standing by the base of my roots. The other students that were here were watching him with wide eyes. Big-Eyes Girl's looked the same. Master smiled up at me and whispered only two words. "Thank you." They were all the words that needed to be said.

Suddenly, I brought down my largest branch. All of the students gasped and Master flinched. Silly humans, I wasn't going to hurt Master. I was giving him a flower. It was cream coloured and vaugely resembled a hibiscus. (My great aunt was part Hibiscus.)

Master opened his eyes, astonished that he wasn't dead. He looked at my branch and laughed. He plucked off an ivory flower and smiled up at me. I straightened my trunk and brought down a smaller branch to move him along. He still had many things to accomplish in his life, and he had to go do them. Standing around wasn't going to do him any good.

Master left with his friends, whose astonished faces I could make out in the distance. All the other students left, except for one. Snape Boy.

I shot out one of my whip-like branches and dragged him over. I brought down one of my branches and stopped it before Snape Boy, whose face was paler than ever. He smiled. I was giving him a flower. My best flower. Just for him.

It's been too long. Much, much to long. For over Twenty years I've lived on Hogwarts grounds, and not once has a werewolf student ever had the need for me. There was some potion made a few years back that made a werewolf safe, so no one came here for a safe harbor. But, then, I have more alone time for myself. Children know better than to mess with a Whomping Willow.

Ahh, life is good. I do have an occasional visitor, and he lives here now too. Snape Boy. Well, he isn't much of a boy anymore, but a man now. But calling him Snape Man was too much of a change. He's always Snape Boy to me.

He still talks to me from time to time, but not much. He mostly complains about "That Potter Kid." I always think he's talking about Stag Boy, but Snape Boy was talking about Stag Boy's Son. I've seen him a few times, but we've never been alone together. I've named him Stag Son for now. He will earn his name in time. They usually do.

Snape Boy always leaves a couple of things for me to have. Like once, he left a potion bottle. It wasn't filled with anything, but it was beautiful. It was a deep purple with little flowers carved in it. I buried it next to my largest root. There it wouldn't get hurt.

It was dark out when it happened. I was gently swaying, watching a bird fly around, waiting for it to come closer and land on me. It was just in reach to slap it out of the air when something hard and metalic crashed into me. Pain over flooded my senses, and I could barely move from the pain. The metal attacker missed my sore knot by a long shot. Obviously it didn't know a thing about Whomping Willows.

I heard screaming from Metal (which I've now called it) and if I had a mouth, I would have smirked. Metal knew that its life was at an end here.

Today, I believed that I was visited by an angel. What really happened was that I was cursed with a demon. Lockhart was what Sprouts called him. I've given him a name also. It seems to be a habit of mine now. Well, I named Lockhart, Incubus. Nightmare. It fits him well.

I had the unfortunate experience of meeting him the morning after Metal attacked me. He was trying to tell Sprouts how to heal me, when Sprouts has know how to do for a long time. She's known me for a little more than twenty years and has healed my broken branches numerous times.

"Now, Madam Sprout," Incubus would say. "You need to gently slather this paste across each injur- Ouch!"

That was when I slapped him across the hand. He was rubbing the wrong paste on me and in a harsh manner also.

"Maybe I should do it, Professor. Willow here is nervous around strangers," Sprouts said, managing to hide her smirk.

I would be rewarded because of the slap.

"Of course, Madam Sprout. I should have remembered that Whomping Willows do not enjoy the company of strangers. But do not fear, Whompy, I won't be much of a stranger after today."

Whompy was a stupid name. I slapped his other hand. Spouts smiled up at me.

"Maybe you should go now, Professor. I don't want to keep you from your class."

"It is okay, Madam Sprout. I do not have a class to teach yet. But I do suggest you 't you have a class to teach?"

Sprouts looked surprised. "Why, yes, I do!" She exclaimed.

"Then you may want to hurry. I hear that young Potter is in your class. You don't want him flying into the Greenhouse now, do we?" Incubus joked, but Sprouts glared at him.

"I'm sure Potter will be patient," She grumbled, but Incubus ignored her.

"And his Weasley friend, he looked like he would do the same! Maybe even knock over all the plants!" Incubus was still laughing, thinking Sprouts thought of him funny.

She didn't. Sprouts hated it when people insulted her students, even the bad ones. She loved them all like she loves her plants. She thinks of them as her own children, since she doesn't have any of her own.

"I think we are done here, Lockhart," Sprouts growled and stomped away, bandages and pastes in her arms.

Incubus shrugged and followed her, still smiling his huge, perfect my arse. If I had one, that is.

Master was back.

I could hardly believe it, but it was him! It was really him! I saw him come from the town the students visit! He's come back!

He visited me the night he came back. He looks old, but it's only been about twenty years. His voice is hoarser, less jubilant. His hair was still the same oaken brown, but with strands of pale birch. Why does my master look this way? Has he taken less care of himself? He just needs some mothering.

I gently lifted one of my smaller, whip-like branches and smoothed down his hair. He laughed. It was the only thing that hadn't changed. It was still deep and hearty, unlike his voice, which sounded as if it was dying. He wasn't dying, was he?

I had no flowers to offer; only falling leaves. I felt sad at first, but then remembered something.

I, shamelessly, managed to pull off his necklace before he left Hogwarts! (I could have been the perfect pickpocket if I had a human body.) I wanted to keep something to remember him by. It was gold and had a lion on it, a lion for Gryffindor, his House.

I dug a small hole, about half a meter deep, by my largest root. There in the same spot, wrapped in a crushed flower, was his lost necklace. I pulled it out with one of my slimmest branches, and placed it in Master's hand.

Master's eyes were wet. He was crying. Did he not like my gift? Was he going to cut me down? Did he hate me? I didn't want Master to hate me!

But no. Master looked up at me, a huge, watery smile on his face. He took only two large steps and wrapped his arms around my trunk. He was hugging me. Master liked my gift!

I patted Master gently on his head with one of my branches, happy that he was happy. I noticed something at the castle. Dumbles was at his window. He was smiling. Dumbles was happy too!

I'm a good tree.

Tonight was a busy night.

Ratty and Paddy were back! They dragged along Red, but I reluctantly let them through. Maybe Red was going to become an animal too! Funny that they chose a Full Moon to do it. Maybe Red was a new werewolf.

Fly Boy and Bushy tried to follow, but I stopped them. They were not allowed to pass through. They couldn't help their friend through his transformation. Maybe new werewolves couldn't take the potion before their first transformation.

Fly Boy and Bushy kept trying to pass by me, but I couldn't let them. I'm a good tree, I can't let them pass.

Bushy was smart though. She grabbed my branch and dropped into the hole with Fly Boy. I couldn't believe it. They beat me. Two Third Years beat me! I wasn't a good tree. I should have tried harder. But he was Stag boy's Son! I couldn't have killed him! I couldn't do that!

Am I going soft? Was I getting old? What was going on?

Master was running at me. Master saw what happened! Master was going to get mad at me! I was a bad tree. Bad Tree! Poor Master, having to get rid of me. Would he be mad? Sad ?

Whatever he would have been, I don't know. Master just slipped through the hole, ignoring me completely. Was he going to help with Red's transformation?

Snape Boy followed Masters path. I couldn't let Snape Boy past me. The last time he did, he almost died! I started to wave my branches at Snape Boy, covering the hole the best I could. Snape Boy pulled out his wand and aimed it at me. He meant business. He cast a spell that paralyzed me, but without pain. It was a new feeling. I became mobile again after Snape Boy went through the hole with a silvery cloak.

WHAT HAPPENED? I just let three Humans through! Three humans were going to die tonight! BAD TREE! BAD!

Dumbles was missing at the school. I heard the students talk about it. Toad had taken his place. But the castle didn't like it. It tried to foil her plans. And the students helped. Fly Boy, Bushy, and Red had came up with a group of other students to fight against Toad and her rules. I was happy. Fly Boy was turning into his father. Stag Boy would be proud of Fly Boy. Rebels, they are. Or were.

There was screaming from the school. My trunk tensed. I was prepared for fighting. I knew that there would be something happening with Toad in charge. A revolution or battle of some kind. Something. But something happened that I didn't expect. The Twins were flying away, a long chain hanging between them. Where were they going?

Cheering and laughing came from the school entrance. Everyone was excited to see the Twins leave. But why? The Twins were funny. Did they prank the whole school, making everyone hate them? I knew they sometimes went over the edge, making pranks meaner than intended, but what did they do to make everyone hate them?

Shouts intertwined with the cheering. Toad was shouting at Cat Man to 'get them'. But why? She hates them. The cheering and laughter suddenly made sense. They were escaping. They were running away. They were leaving Toad!

I was excited and ecstatic. They were leaving this prison! This joke! They would get to live their life! I shook with excitement. I picked up a small rock and threw it into the lake. Squid came up to the surface. I thumped the ground five times in our special language. (Well, we were bored.) The message meant, 'Excitement'.

Squid shot up a jet of water fifty feet in the air, which the horse men knew was good news. (We all were bored that day.) They shot arrows into the air with sparks trailing behind them.

I threw my leaves into the air, where they glowed and flew off into the night sky.

Only a few students saw this spectacle. The others were paying attention to Toad. But I didn't care. This was only the beginning of a good thing.

Fighting. Fighting all around. What was going on, I did not know.

The night was peaceful at first, nothing out of the ordinary. Dumbles took one of his evening strolls with Fly Boy and nothing else.

It was only ten minutes after when a bright light came from the tallest tower. The light was green and looked tremendous against the dark, midnight sky. The light formed itself into a skull and a snake.

An unusual form for a firework to make, but then, those Twins are unusual. A new design, perhaps?

Screaming. Why was there screaming? It was only a firework. Did someone get burnt?

No. It was worse. Much in masks were running around the grounds, shooting spells at the castle. The people in the masks were in the castle too! Cursing at students! What was going on? Where were the people coming from?

I was scared. No, worse than scared. I was terrified. The masked people steered cleared of me, so I couldn't help. I felt useless. I was just a lawn ornament now. A decoration. Nothing more... and I couldn't do anything, but watch...

I was positively shaken. I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe it. There was no way. Just no way.

I just saw Snape Boy, my Snape Boy, do something completely horrific. I- I wish I didn't see it, wish I could deny it, deny it all! But I can't. I know I can't. I can't lie. I could never lie.

I'm horrible at lying! I could say that I didn't see Snape Boy kill Dumbles, but I wouldn't believe it.

Why, Snape Boy. Why?

I saw Dumbles' body, his lifeless body, fall from the tallest tower. He didn't glide, he didn't flutter, his body just plunged straight down, and he landed on his head. It was sickening, the sound that I heard. I heard a soft crack, and thumps of loose meat hit the ground. It was his body. Dumbles body. It was his that made such a gruesome sound. How could someone so pure, so loving, make such a cruel sound?

I wanted to cry. I wanted to shout to the heavens, asking why? Why did Snape Boy, my own Snape Boy, do this to Dumbles? I loved them both. Snape Boy felt like my son, my friend, while Dumbles seemed like a father. He arranged me to come to Hogwarts. Without him, I would be somewhere else, somewhere where I wouldn't be treated as nicely.

I felt betrayed. I wanted to know the answers, but I knew that no one would tell me. I was but a tree. A tree that kills.

For the first time ever, I shed tears. Water fell from my flowers petals. It was a sight no one saw, and would never believe. Because trees don't cry. They don't feel. I just Protect. Protect... and Kill.

The winds are is different now. The peaceful, jubilant feeling that used to be in the air is gone now. Replaced by pain, blood, suffering, torture. Hogwarts, the last safe haven, is now Hell on Earth.

Not that it isn't worse in other places. I've heard rumors that Muggleborns are being killed, taken prisoner, tortured everywhere. It is painful to hear. So many Muggleborns were nice and sweet. They were the ones that were constantly in awe of Hogwarts and myself.

Snape Boy, no, no, Snape is Headmaster here. He is the one who encourages such horror, such pain and misery. I can't believe I gave him a flower. He doesn't deserve it. He hasn't even apologised to me, begged for my forgiveness. He doesn't care for me. He must feel foolish, believing I had feelings. I know I do.

I'm only a tree, a simple tree! I have no feelings! I cannot speak these so called 'feelings', I cannot form these feelings except into pain. My life, no, my existence, is only a lie. I cannot feel, I cannot laugh, but I can cry. I can die.

I can die.

Those words bring reality crashing down around me. I knew that I could die, but I never thought it actually happening. It will happen, and soon! Snape Bo- Snape has no need of me; he just needs to cut me down! I won't stop him, I need to die. I can't bear the memories I've have, I can't control them.

No , no, not memories, trees don't remember things. We are shallow, thinking of only simple things. Like Grow. Grow. Grow. and Drink. Drink. Drink. We aren't that complex! We are all the same!

But, then, why can I think? Why do I feel things? Am I different? Am I a freak? Am I a mutant? What is wrong with me?

Snape came today. He came with a gift. He thought that a simple gift would make up for what he's done. He was sadly mistaken. It was some potion in a plain vial. He placed it on my largest root and stepped back. It is amazing I even let him approach. He is Headmaster, and I can't really hurt the master of the land I live in. Shame.

I smashed the vial. I smashed it to bits. The liquid seeped into my roots immediately, and hot, flashing pain exploded in my mind. It lasted only a few seconds, but I was ready to kill Snape.

He looked up at me.

"I'm sorry, but I think you may like the outcome," he said and walked the outcome?

Pain was the outcome! That dirty, rotten scoundrel! Why, if I was human, I'd-

"What would you do, Willow?" I heard Snape's voice say.

I'd... wait, how did he know what I thought? Was it something in the potion? Or am I just hearing things?

"Good night, Willow," Snape called, his voice caught in the slight wind.

I think it was the potion.

It all happened so quickly. I never would have seen it coming. Well, I did, but not so soon. Not here.

War was upon us, here, at Hogwarts! Spells, curses, and jinxes, flying through the air, all so suddenly! There was no warning, no sign. It just happened.

But this battle, it's different from the last time. This time, I can participate. I've been swinging my branches, bringing them down hard on those who were following the orders of Voldemort. I knew who the enemy was. They had an aura around them, letting everyone know that they were evil.

I've killed two already, injured five. I've noticed old faces everywhere. It's like one huge reunion. I've seen Lucius, Dolohov, Bellatrix, Kingsley, the Twins, and even Percy. The sheer number of people here was amazing. All of the past students that I've known were here. It was scary. People were dying here. Here at Hogwarts. Hogwarts was not supposed to be used for war. It was a school. A place for learning.

Not a graveyard. I immediately felt sick. I was disgusted at myself. I've killed two people. People who had lives, thoughts, feelings. I had no right to end it. No authority to say who lives and who dies. I straightened my trunk. I wasn't going to do this. Not anymore. This wasn't my war. Not my battle. I would have to wait and see who wins.

I regret my decision. I regret it horribly. I should have known better. This was my land, my home. I had a right to defend it. It was my fault. My fault he died. I didn't want Master to die.

I saw it all. It still plays like a Muggle film in my mind. I saw Dolohov. I saw Master. So many times Dolohov ran under me, so many times could I have ended his life, protect my masters life. But I didn't. I didn't.

Master and Dolohov were fighting. The battle looked beautiful. It was as if they were dancing. But Master was disarmed. A stray spell shot his wand out of his hand. Dolohov took advantage and shouted the curse that would end Master's life.

Master didn't make a sound. The spell just hit him in the chest and Master fell. He fell though, as if it was in slow motion. It wasn't like Dumbles fall, no, it was much more graceful, more beautiful. The light in his eyes wavered, and left, leaving only a hollow shell.

He hit the hard ground on his shoulder, and bounced a bit. Watching it was disturbing. Too disturbing. I, I knew I would remember this for as long as I lived.

Then, hatred, anger, sadness, and misery overwhelmed me. I raised my branches to the sky, and an unearthly, terrifying sound was emitted from me. I didn't know I could make such a sound. I brought down my heaviest branches, and smashed three of the Death bringers instantly. I shot out all of my whip-like branches and dragged Dolohov over to me. I had him around his neck, and his body was flailing. I brought down my branch on his head, and he moved no more.

I was happy, morbidly happy, but then, I was disgusted once more. What was I doing? I was killing people again! My anger, my temper, I killed people because of it!

And Master, my Master. It has to be a dream. It needs to be a dream! But, trees do not dream. We never sleep.

Oh, I am a Weeping Willow now. A Weeping Willow. I wept for those who died. I wept for those who've been killed. I wept for my Master. My dead , I cried. But no one no one notices a crying tree.

The fighting, it was still around me. I could see every single dead body on the grounds. It was horrible. I don't want more to die. Blood already stains my wood, wood I want burned.

Snape, Snape is coming. What is Snape doing? Many times he's told me he is good, not a villain, but I still don't trust him. Watching Dumbles fall from that tower still sends shivers up my trunk.

"Hello Willow," Snape said as he drew closer.

"Snape," I said icily.

"Well, Willow. I must go past you today."

"Why?"

"I, Willow, I must speak to the Dark Lord," Snape said, staring up at me.

"Why, Snape? You said you were one of the good guys, why are you talking to Voldemort?"

Snape flinched at his masters name."I told you, Willow, I am a double spy." Snape thought, not wanting to say it allowed, in case prying ears were around.

"Double spy my arse!"

"You don't have an arse," Snape said, rolling his eyes.

"Still, you killed Dumbles!"

"He wanted me to!" Snape growled.

"Fine, whatever 'floats your boat'."

"Have you been listening to the students conversations again, Willow?" Snape asked, a small hint of a smile on his pale face.

"It's not my fault."

"Well, then, good bye Willow. Let us hope the Dark Lord doesn't kill me," Snape said as he crawled through the hole.

"Hope he does," I thought, one last time.

I looked down at the hole, and was amazed. There, sitting on my largest root, was a perfectly preserved flower. Snape Boy's flower. He had it all this time. He must have really cared for it. Not a single petal was bruised or looked dead. It was still beautiful.

I picked it up gently, looking over it. I heard commotion in front of me. The battles were still ensuing, but Fly Boy, Bushy, and Red were running straight at me. I couldn't let them through. Voldemort was there. I couldn't let them through. I swung out my branches and began protecting the hole. They thwarted me again.

Red managed to fly a twig, a simple twig, into my sore knot. Fly Boy and Bushy congratulated Red for causing me this pain. They ran towards me and jumped into the hole. They were off to see Voldemort.

Another pain shot through me. My sore knot wasn't hit. It wasn't touched. The pain was in my mind. It felt as if someone was tearing it apart! I felt as if I was losing something, someone.

A name floated into my mind.

Snape Boy.

Where was Snape? Was he fine?

Suddenly, a vision formed.

I was in some house. A dirty, broken house. Snape was there, but so was Fly Boy. What was Fly Boy doing. What was wrong with Snape?

Another vision formed, this of a large snake biting Snape. Snape!

Snape was dead. My Snape, Snape Boy was gone. And I didn't even forgive him. I hoped for his death!

Maybe it was true, that Snape was good, that Dumbles wanted Snape to kill him for some I should have forgiven him, when he was alive.

I forgive you, Snape Boy.

The War has long been over, and the Good has prevailed.

Voldemort was killed and all wrong was set right again.

I still do mourn for my lost Master, and for Snape Boy, but I know, I just know, that they are in a better place, where pain is not allowed, werewolves never transform, and were everyone is accepted, whoever they are.

Heaven. For all of my lost children, Masters, and Fathers. For all of my friends and my friend's friends. For those who wronged and regret. For those who still hold compassion for Light, and not the dark.

Master's son visits sometimes. He wears the lion necklace I gave back to his father. Master's son is proud of his father, but sad also. He talks to me, like others before him, but he does not know I listen. I do not speak, not anymore. I've tried, but Snape Boy's potion only worked for us both. No one else thinks of it. Not even Bushy, who is pretty brilliant herself.

Hogwarts is still my home, and will forever be. I enjoy watching the children grow up, but it saddens me also. Friends I have made are growing up, and nearly none of them visit. Many times I have thought of not getting too close to the students, but I always forget when a crying child runs from the castle, and nearly into me.

I allow the children to get close to me. I only fight when they try to get to the hidden hole, now covered in weeds and grass. The hole has been forgotten, but my past experiences have made me paranoid.

I admit, I've gone soft, but I think of it as compassion. I think of myself as a Grandmother Willow. There to comfort and listen, never to judge.

I like my life, I enjoy it. I believe that there is good in everyone now, seeing so many people change. Ferret Boy has changed for the better, a bit nicer and kinder, but still rude. I've seen him walk the grounds of Hogwarts, making sure everything is well. He glances at me sometimes, and a small smile forms on his lips. He saw me fight before, and has admired me for it.

His son is a kind, caring boy, who seems to ignore Houses and is friends with Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, even a few Ravenclaws. He doesn't believe in blood types and thinks of everyone as equals. And if he didn't, he would have no right. His mother was a Muggle.

The Houses have nearly merged together, but for how long, I do not know. I just know that things do not last forever, and that winds changes course to often. Soon, a sour breeze will pass by and bonds of trust and friendship will be put to the test.

I am the Whomping Willow of Hogwarts. The Grandmother Willow.

The winds have been changing, and I've been changing with it.

Fin