Stay-Bad-Baddies

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Harry huffed, kicking the stones at his feet as he walked up to the forbidden forest’s entrance. Hermione and Ron lagged behind him, making their own quiet conversation; they’d say it out right a million times over, that they were getting just as tired of Snape that Harry was. This was, what? The fourth time this week that they’ve been sent here for some random task. At least they weren’t sent to the forest for good cause, they were sent for a special herb that was best cultivated in the Forbidden Forest. But as they approached the edge of the looming wood, Hermione recalled an interaction between herself and Snape.

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Hermione walked over to the gloom-struck professor with curiosity beneath her overall annoyance toward the terror of a teacher. “You wished to speak with me, Professor?” She hummed politely once she stood before him. “Ms.Granger, are you aware of what the main ingredient of an Exstimulo Potion is?” He slowly paced back toward his desk, nimble fingers gliding over the cover of a dust-coated book laying at the edge. “Um, yes Professor, it’s Bitterroot.” 

She looked confused now, perhaps he needed someone to fetch another jar? Maybe he wanted someone as careful and intelligent as her to make a potion with it! “If you are aware of what it is, then you know what it looks like. I know that you and those cheeky goblin kin you call friends have a lot of free time at this nearing break, so you three will go harvest the bitterroot tomorrow morning.” The tone in his voice left no room for arguments, only leaving Hermione to clench her jaw and accept it. 

She hesitated before speaking, “… Alright, Professor, where can we actually find Bitterroot?” Snape sighed, like she had asked the stupidest, the most obvious question that even a baby could answer. “Clearly, Ms.Granger, you haven’t researched this school’s history, ” He reapproached the girl. “The Forbidden Forest is used to cultivate herbs that would be difficult to grow in our greenhouses. So you will go, collect the flowers and come back. Understood?” Harry and Ron had approached by now, wondering why their friend was taking too long to walk with them. 

They stood, gaping at Snape. However once over the shock, Harry piped up “But Professor, the forest is just for detention, isn’t it?!” Snape narrowed his eyes at Harry. “I will take 50 points from Gryffindor lest you fail to gather the necessary pieces of flora.” Ron immediately sprung forward, dragging himself between Hermione and Harry, “We’ll do it sir! Guys…” Ron turned toward his friends while pulling them in the direction of the door. “Cmon, Mcgonagall said that she would fail me if we make Gryffindor lose more than 20 points this week!” The three of them looked between each other before coming to a unanimous agreement.

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“This is a load of tosh!” Harry whined, kicking a small pile of leaves to the side. He was supposed to hang out with Ginny today! Ron shook his head, coming up behind Harry and putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “This was for the best, mate. Ginny would be on your case the entire day anyway,” Ron lowered his voice and whispered to Harry, “Besides, I think Aunt Flo paid a visit and she ain’t leaving for a while…” He patted the now concerned boy’s shoulder before walking ahead of him and examining the bottom of a random tree. Hermione was far ahead of them, but she suddenly came to a stop, looking at something in front of her. 

Ron and Harry approached from behind her, perplexed. “Hermione? What’s wrong? What are yo……” Harry’s voice trailed off, looking ahead aswell. They had unknowingly come to a large clearing in the forest, where a large willow tree grew. Ron immediately turned to try and run, thinking that this was another Whomping Willow, only for Hermione to grab the back of his collar before he could make a break for it. Hermione, ever curious, pulled Ron along with her as she approached the tree, wanting to circle it, maybe to see if she could find any Bitterroot. But there was none. Was this tree here just for decoration? 

As the three started to move away from the tree, the wind picked up, giant spider threads plucked, the sound eerily similar to a guitar. A voice echoed, “You need to look over here,” The trio looking around frantically, trying to find the source. “You know you want to.” The voice coo’d smoothly. They finally found their gaze back at the willow, where the trunk’s shape began to change, reminiscent of a woman. The weeping branches becoming hair, the mid-hanging branches becoming arms, and roots forming side shifted legs. “Whoa… who are you?” Harry asked slowly, only for Ron to pipe up with, “I know you! I know I do! The prefects told us about a magic willow in the forest that can grant your wishes,” The tree woman smiled down at him as he continued, “That’s you right!?”.

“I can grant you what you need,” Her large form leaned toward the kids, “Which might be what you want.”. The strumming became louder as she breathed in deeply, her mouth opening, “Well that’s a bit confusing innit?” Harry muttered, only for Hermione to slap her hand over his mouth. “Is she gonna sing? The prefects didn’t say anything about th-” Hermione then slapped her other hand onto Ron’s mouth, a look of pure awe painted on her face as the giant woman sang,

“My roots reach down, My branches rise”

She gestured as she sang, weepy leaves stringing in the wind,

“From sky to ground, My wooden eyes have gazed upon desire,”

One of her branches pointing at Hermione.

“Hope,”

Pointing at Harry.

“And greed.”

Pointing at Ron, which he was clearly offended at.

“But to each soul who walks this way, a tree disclaimer i must say,”

Her body straighted, 

“I give not what you want, but what you need!”

Her arms reached out at her sides, stretching to a dying flower,

“For the greenery has always seen the reason and the rhyme,”

The dying flower immediately began to sprout, began to spread again, revealing a healthy bundle of Bitterroot.

“And I’ve had nothing but time, since I was a ‘seed’.”

She plucked the flowers, allowing the wind to blow them toward the children, who frantically began to collect.

“Oh, you might believe you know your truth, but ‘truth’ can oft be lies,

For you might just be surprised by what you need!”

She shook her body, starting from her roots, all the way to the top of her head. Once she did, the center of the Horrifying, Dangerous Forbidden Forest, was filled with the strum of a guitar and the soft glowing shine of lightning-bugs.

“What you need, Lalala la,

What you need, Oh you might just be surprised by what you need,

What you need, Lalala la,

What you need,”

The strumming had died down to a quiet hum, the bugs fled back to the safety of branches, and the children were huddled at the base of the wooden woman, moved to near tears.

“Oh, you might just be surprised… by what you need.”

She was finished with her soothing song, leaning down toward the children, her arms curling around them slightly. “Um.. magic tree…? Can you help us?” Hermione finally uttered out, gazing into her wood eyes, the woman’s neck creaking as she nodded. “Yes, whatever you need!” Her hands ushered the wizards- in -training back slightly, “Is that what you want?”. In a flash of light, sprouting from a pillar of pure brightness was a wooden altar. “Step up onto the altar, and I shall give you what you need.” 

The children huddled together slightly, beginning their conflicted conversation. “C’mon guys! You step onto the thing that grants wishes and you make your wish! Let’s go, it's easy!” Ron huffed, only for Harry to speak out, “Nothing here is that easy! She was talking about wants… and needs…?”. Hermione nodded in agreement slowly, “We want Bitterroot because we need to keep our house points, but we need Bitterroot because we… want… to keep… our house points… what?!”. Hermione slapped her forehead while grumbling, this was very confusing. While Hermione and Ron tried to figure out a loophole to actually get their Bitterroot, which they both wanted and needed, Harry had stepped on the altar. “Granted.” The soft voice purred, a bright light flashing around the boy. The two remaining turned around to see that Harry was gone.

“...Where did Harry go?”

The two kids were silent before they immediately started shrieking, running around trying to find Harry. The two eventually found themselves back at the tree’s altar, Ron banging his fists on the roots while Hermione pacing. “What are we gonna do?!” Ron wailed, “What are we going to do?! What are we going to tell Professor Snape?!”. The leaves rustled around them, the altar shone again, where Harry reappeared. “OH! Harry there you are! We were so worried.” Hermione sighed with a hand splayed over her heart, as if to calm the racing beats from the shock. 

Harry hadn’t said anything, only walking back to the base of the woman. “Did your friends say ‘Snape’, child? As in… ‘Severus Snape’?” She looked prepared to start weeping right there on the spot. “Yes they must’ve, why? Do you know him?” Harry tilted his head as Ron and Hermione walked up, now interested in the teacher’s mention. “Oh, yes. Yes, I do… Well, did. But I haven't seen him in many a year.” Her face was turned away from them now, beads of sap running from her eyes as she inhaled sharply. “What did you see, child? I gave you what you needed, but was it?” Ron gaped, muttering under his breath “are we just going to brush over the Snape thing?” Hermione shushed him quickly though.

Harry looked at his friends, looked back at the woman. “I know who did it,” Three looked at Harry, clearly confused, so he continued. “I know who did this to you, who cursed you” Gasps rang out, the wooden woman dropping down to look in his eyes. “Do you? Do you really?! Can I fix this?! Please tell me I can!” She looked so excited, yet so nervous. Ron shook his head slightly, “Wait, so no more wish tree?” The hopefully de-treed woman cheered, her bark creaking as she twisted and bent in odd ways, “Oh yes, yes! No more tree! No more birds defecating on my branches! No more centaurs using me to scratch where they can't reach! Oh glorious day!” The kids wore looks of minor disgust on their faces, making her pause. “You try being a tree for two decades, see how you like it! Oh, Harry, please tell me that there's a cure.” 

Harry toed the ground for a second before nodding, if the woman could jump, she'd be in the air right now from pure joy. “The only problem is, only a powerful wizard can reverse it.” The wooden woman’s face fell, only to pick back up. “Then bring Severus! Or Minerva! Or that crazy old bag Albus! I'm not picky.” Hermione's jaw dropped, she spoke up, “Wait, you know them quite personally, huh? How?” Just as she was about to answer, a swarm of lightning bugs flew from her mouth, stopping her from saying anything. “UGH gross!” Ron reeled back only for Harry to smack his shoulder, “Like you haven't thrown up slugs?” Ron began muttering about “we don't have to go there”. 

“It's the curse,” She managed to sigh out, “It stops me from saying anything about people that could help cure me, nothing personal anyway.” Hermione scanned her face before the realization dawned on her. “You're the teacher that went missing! There are paintings of you, but they don't move or talk so that meant you weren't dead!” Sap began to leak from her eyes again, “I may not be able to tell you my more personal relationships, but I can tell you my name,” She leaned down to the kids once more. “My name is (Name) (Last name).” (Name) smiled down at them, “In exchange for helping me, I will give you more Bitterroot than you could ever want; more than you could ever need. Just bring my Severus back to me.”  The kids agreed, running back off to the exit of the clearing, Harry slowing to a stop at the edge. “We’ll come back for you. I promise.” And he continued running.

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a/n- *ALARMINGLY BIG GASP* I did it!!!!

please give me input on anything that I could improve on <3

should I write more for this in the future or is that a no-go?

LOVE YALL