It had taken her the entirety of the time between task one and now to calm herself down. Were it not for the few choice words coming from the more surprising of locations and people, Valerie would have likely bowed out of the competition. Blasted her way out was more like it. Yet here she was. Standing on the pathway with her combat boots making a soft crunching noise in the snow. While it had proved superfluous in the first task, the sixteen year old repeated the step and whispered Quietus to herself while pointing her cherry wood wand at her feet before proceeding further.

The cold? It hardly bothered her anyway. For reasons she refused to let her mind wander to as they had put her at risk the last task and been nothing but unwanted distractions. Which had only seem to increase since the last task. Distractions.

Shaking her head and freeing herself from these as much as she could, Valerie found herself at the end of the path in front of a stone. The warning nearly elicited a light laugh from her. Did she really have any choice but to proceed? Tightening her grip around her wand a bit more, her light eyes fell upon the Whomping Willow. Something she knew very little about and perhaps it would have been more in her favor to have paid more attention during History of Magic when they had studied Hogwarts over her years at Ilvermorny. What she could recall in the moment was sufficient enough for her to switch her wand to her other hand so she could perform a swift twist and tap movement to her other. "Prehenso," she whispered, her gentle tone escaping her lips in s subtle white mist as her hot breath mixed with the freezing temperature outside.

Moving closer still, she took note of the icicles and was momentarily reminded of everlasting ones. They had been everywhere over the holiday break and prior (hung on the banisters and tapertries all at Hogwarts. However, knowing the manner in which this particular breed of tree could come to life, they did not look the sort to bring holiday cheer but more so a weapon for the tree to use against her. The thought only made her lips curl into a snarl as she continued to approach.