Chaos and Order - A Multiverse Fanfic

Scabbers scurried over the snow, Crookshanks pouncing as he chased him.

Behind the two animals, the boys ran, their feet leaving half-a-foot-deep impressions now that they weren’t on the snow-cleared trail.

Not far behind them were the girls, Hermione screaming for Crookshanks to let the rat go.

The sun had almost set behind the horizon.

It was time for the students to return to the castle.

Yet, with every passing moment, all of them kept distancing themselves from the castle more and more.

Just as the twilight’s golden hue gave way to the purple of the night, and just as Ron, taking large steps, rushed past Crookshanks and grabbed a tired Scabbers, they arrived near a leafless, massive tree.

Harry, Black, and Draco panted for breath, disbelieving how much stamina Ron possessed.

Between them, Crookshanks was still hissing menacingly toward Scabbers.

"You monster!" Ron snapped back, going completely red. "Have you lost it or what?!"

"Leave him alone!" Hermione shouted from behind the boys. "He didn’t mean harm!"

Ron was about to retort when he heard a strange growl behind him.

Harry, Black, Draco, and the girls heard it, too, and their eyes landed on the slope that ran down near the tree.

A big, black dog, baring its large fangs, came growling up the slope and stood only a few feet away from Ron, eyeing the boy hatefully with madness in its eyes.

"Uncle Black?!" Ron said, puzzled. He looked back toward Black. "I thought Lupin told you to keep him chained in the dormitory..."

Harry, Black, and Draco were thinking the same thing, wondering how Uncle Black had left the castle and come here, when... it happened—in a flash!

Uncle Black lunged at Ron in one great swoop and plunged his fangs deep into Ron’s arm.

Ron let out a scream as he fell, Uncle Black landing next to him. Even as he shouted, grabbing Scabbers tightly with his left hand involuntarily, the huge dog dragged the boy over the snow easily and took him toward the tree.

The sight was not only baffling but utterly unbelievable.

This was Uncle Black they were seeing—the same dog who had gained a reputation for its quietness—the same dog who had spent months in their dormitory, never barking out of place.

When the shock receded and anger surfaced, the boys lunged forward, forgetting all about panting. Behind them, the girls shared a terrified glance and rushed forward. But what happened next clearly told them that they had acted... too little too late.

Crookshanks, who had been resting near the three boys before, suddenly appeared under the tree, his paw landing on a wooden knot.

And just as the dog went under the tree, disappearing into a black hole with Ron, the cat lifted its paw and disappeared along with them.

The moment that happened, the entire tree shook, as if it had come alive.

"Get back!" Hermione shouted. "It’s Whomping Willow!"

The boys didn’t need Hermione to howl it out, though.

The massive tree lifted all its branches together, whipping them like hair, and brought them down on the boys.

A muffled BOOM rang out.

The boys threw themselves in all directions, surviving the blow, but, in the next moment, all the snow slid off the slope, making them lose their footing.

The Whomping Willow attacked, fiercer than ever!

Draco activated Acute Perception, but instantly realized that if he Disapparated now, he would certainly experience splinching. He was already out of breath. Not to mention, he wouldn’t be able to focus properly. Not when he couldn’t take Harry and Black with him.

The same was true for Black and Harry, who failed to focus on defending themselves in fear that the Whomping Willow might get one of them anyway.

They tried to get up, but their feet slipped on the unstable snow.

Large, waist-sized branches appeared over their heads.

Wind swooshed in their ears before the blow hit them.

Then, just as they raised their hands to take it head-on, a rumble echoed in their minds, along with a cry... seemingly coming from miles away.

"Immobulus!"

The massive tree and all its branches lost their momentum.

The branches, about to shatter the boys’ skulls, stopped mere inches over their heads, lowering frame by frame.

Darcie lowered her wand hand and walked past Hermione, who had gained long fur on her body, and Daphne, who had taken out the Grimoire, and approached the boys.

Neither Hermione nor Daphne nor the boys believed they could have stopped the tree’s attacks.

They had learned the Spell and had extensively practiced it in the Workshops.

That’s exactly why they knew how impossible it was to immobilize the entire tree as a whole with this Charm.

But none of them had the time to marvel at Darcie’s magical might.

Uncle Black had gone mad and dragged Ron to God knew where!

So, giving Darcie a small nod, the boys hurried toward the hole under the tree and descended, the girls following them soon after.

Before the Whomping Willow could gain its momentum, another figure appeared only seconds later.

It was Lupin, carrying the Marauder’s Map in his hands.

He stopped under the tree, looked around, and then hurriedly descended as well.

But Lupin hadn’t been alone in keeping an eye on the shocking fight between the animals, the students, and the tree.

When he had gone, one more figure appeared on the scene.

And this one had no business to be outside the castle at this hour.

It was Filch, the caretaker, carrying a lantern in one hand and... a wand in the other.

With a maniacal grin on his face, he strutted toward the hole, too, his tongue slithering out of his mouth, licking his lips.

Then, just as he disappeared under the tree, the Whomping Willow brushed off the Spell, thrashing all its branches in madness before coming to a rest.

However, this was only the beginning of the play, and the boys, the girls, the animals, Lupin, and Filch weren’t the only characters involved in it.

Just as the boys and the girls rushed through the tunnel leading to Hogsmeade, four more figures appeared... not near Whomping Willow, but outside the Shrieking Shack.

The Contestants had finally joined the fray!

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