Chapter 43: Am I a Druid?

"Professor! The Whomping Willow hasn't calmed down; it's getting more agitated! It looks like it's about to burst out of the ground!"

Following the voice, everyone looked toward the Whomping Willow, only to find that the tree was indeed violently twisting its body, attempting to break through the soil!

"What is going on?" Professor McGonagall's eyes widened. Although the Whomping Willow was a magical plant, that didn't mean it could move like a living creature; for the past twenty years, it had remained firmly rooted in the ground.

The roots of the Whomping Willow were buried deep; if fully uprooted, they would extend even longer than two-thirds of the tree's height.

"Holy cow, it's got that Ent vibe going on!" Chu Yang marveled, intending to admire the willow's majesty for a bit longer, but Hermione and Harry grabbed him by his left and right arms and started hauling him away.

Ron and Neville were clearing the path ahead.

The two of them were much like the dim-witted guards from *Journey to the West*, screaming while frantically scrambling to carve out a path.

Everyone was fleeing in panic. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick drew their wands, standing firmly between the students and the Whomping Willow, prepared to burn the tree that had accompanied Hogwarts for many years.

The roots of the Whomping Willow continuously broke through the surface, tearing up the lush green grass, leaving the once-level ground covered in spiderweb-like cracks.

In the next second, as if it were a patient with paralyzed lower limbs, the Whomping Willow collapsed straight onto the ground with a thunderous crash, sending dust flying everywhere!

Seeing this, the students stopped in their tracks and looked back.

Professor McGonagall let out a long sigh of relief. Though her body was still trembling slightly, she feigned composure and teased, "See? That is the result of trying to run before you can walk. Aside from making people trip, there will be no better outcome!"

As expected of the Deputy Headmistress—even at a moment like this, she could think of lecturing the students!

"AAAAAAAH!"

The students screamed again!

Professor McGonagall turned around to find that the fallen Whomping Willow had not completely lost its vitality; instead, it was crawling like an animal!

Its thick, root-like branches acted like the eight legs of a spider, propping up its massive body as it crawled at high speed.

In the blink of an eye, the Whomping Willow bypassed Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, charging straight toward the students like a raging bull.

Professor McGonagall brandished her wand and cast a Fire-Making Spell in an attempt to burn the tree, but the speed at which the Whomping Willow crawled far exceeded her expectations; the flames only managed to singe a few branches.

"Wait a minute." Chu Yang broke free from Harry and Hermione's grip; he sensed that the state of this Whomping Willow was very strange.

It was clearly heading in his direction, but he wasn't sure if it was targeting him or Harry.

"Chu Yang, run, quickly!" Hermione pulled at Chu Yang's clothes anxiously.

Chu Yang explained, "No! Harry and I have to split up from you guys and run. That Whomping Willow is coming for us!"

Hermione turned her head and realized the Whomping Willow was indeed charging toward them.

"What are you standing there for! Get on your brooms and fly in the opposite direction! Don't go toward the crowds!" Chu Yang handed a broomstick to Harry. He didn't need one; with his speed, the Whomping Willow wouldn't be able to catch him in its next lifetime.

If Chu Yang were alone here, he wouldn't need to run at all; whether using Wood Style or Taijutsu, he could easily deal with the Whomping Willow.

In public, Chu Yang couldn't use such extraordinary powers, otherwise, the Ministry of Magic would be bringing him in for research or throwing him straight into Azkaban by tomorrow.

"I should have kept my wand on me. Why is Charms class not until tomorrow?!" If he had a wand to use as a cover, he could use a portion of his Wood Style power. He felt a bit of regret and secretly vowed to break this bad habit.

After venting his frustration, Chu Yang lunged forward!

"Chu Yang, what about you?" Harry tried to grab him, but he didn't react in time. Gritting his teeth, he mounted his broom and flew into the air.

"Damn it, I shouldn't have waited for you guys here!" A furious Hermione turned and ran, her short legs moving like clockwork.

After running only a few steps, Hermione felt no movement behind her. She didn't feel relieved; instead, her heart sank, because this meant Chu Yang was absolutely right.

When she looked back, the Whomping Willow had indeed changed direction and was sprinting toward Chu Yang alone!

"Hermione, its target is Chu Yang!"

Flying mid-air, Harry was filled with regret!

It was because he hadn't listened to advice and chased the Golden Snitch into this area that caused the Whomping Willow's riot!

More importantly, Chu Yang had given him his broom!

If anything happened to Chu Yang, Harry felt he would be guilty for the rest of his life!

To protect the safety of the other students, Chu Yang led the Whomping Willow toward the Forbidden Forest, where there were fewer people, and it was the only direction he could run.

The massive body of the Whomping Willow was like a plow; wherever it charged, the ground was left riddled with holes and devoid of grass.

They ran like this for a while until the people behind were no longer in sight.

Having lost his patience long ago, Chu Yang stopped immediately, clenched his fists, and turned around, preparing to land a punch on it.

To Chu Yang's surprise, once he stopped, the Whomping Willow also stopped, sliding toward him with its momentum.

Then, it became quiet and stopped moving erratically. The branches on its trunk slowly draped around Chu Yang, swaying gently, as if it were acting spoiled?

Chu Yang looked at the behemoth before him with a bewildered expression...

What kind of drama was this?

Seeing that Chu Yang wasn't reacting, the Whomping Willow extended a branch toward him, rubbing it against the back of his hand.

"Could it be..."

Chu Yang's eyes widened. He grabbed a branch and infused it with magic.

The magic, containing vast natural life force, entered the massive trunk of the Whomping Willow, and all its branches began to dance excitedly in an instant.

"It really did chase me because of my magic!" Chu Yang thought. It was likely that the magic leaking from him while flying had caused an unknown influence on the tree.

Judging from its behavior, it seemed to be a very beneficial influence. The original Whomping Willow possessed certain instincts that other plants lacked, but the current one seemed to possess a higher intelligence.

Due to the influence of the special magic, it was evolving toward becoming a "living creature"!

"If this continues, am I going to become a Druid?" Chu Yang was stunned; this was a path he had never considered.

The Whomping Willow wasn't thinking that far ahead; it just kept rubbing against Chu Yang, much like a cat or a dog trying to please its master in hopes of getting more food.

*The kid is hungry, give it some magic to eat!*

Based on the dual influence of his soul and physique, Chu Yang's magic reserves were already absurdly high. In this regard, he was not stingy and increased his magic output.

The entire Whomping Willow began to emit a green light symbolizing life; even its branches began to overflow with green specks of light, like fireflies.

The Whomping Willow was growing bit by bit, its height breaking through from the level of a three-story building to a five-story building, and it continued to grow.

As dusk approached, the entire Whomping Willow was bathed in a warm, golden-red glow that merged with the green light, looking like a reviving ancient god.