Jesús had to hand it to himself; he had previously doubted his time-management capabilities when it came to potion-making, but he was particularly quick-footed and efficient that night. He supposed it mostly had to do with his use of the Feather-light Charm earlier. Or, and he was certain this also played a large role, it might have been due to his anxiety over the possibility of not completing the challenge on time. Either way, he'd gotten the task done in less time than he had originally thought he would, and for that, he was content.
As the Whomping Willow's temper tantrum became more destructive and erratic, Jesús reminded himself that he was still on the clock and needed to find a way to get closer to the tree. Considering how irate the tree had become in such a short period of time, the sixth year figured that he needed to err on the side of caution. How would his body fare after a hit from one of those heavy branches? The Girding Potion would give him more endurance but just how much physical damage would he be able to tolerate before he ultimately collapsed? This brought him to also wonder, and not for the first time that night, if a Ministry official was trailing behind somewhere. If they were there to monitor them in the Dark Forest with dementors running loose (he still could not actually believe this was approved considering just how violent and unruly those dark creatures are,) then it only made sense that they would also be somewhere close just in case.
He wouldn't put it past Hawkeyes Hawthorn to let them suffer through the challenge without that backup, though.
If there was one thing that Jesús could be absolutely sure about, it was that the tree was overly dramatic. He also briefly wondered if the Whomping Willow ever tuckered itself out from all of that swinging. Shaking his head, he chastised himself for getting side-tracked. Jesús watched how the tree swung wide and slammed another branch on the ground, leaving bits of broken icicles and vials in its wake. Luckily, he was far enough away to not actually feel the impact of that attack, but still close enough to witness just how powerful the tree could be when pushed too far. With a loud sigh, he debated over which spell to use. Anything too aggressive or invasive would probably backfire, and Jesús was absolutely sure he didn't want to see how fast and hard the tree could slam its branches.
Immobilizing the tree was his best option. How long the tree would stop moving was another question entirely. His hope was that the combination of his lighter body and increased endurance would give him enough edge to make a quick dash for the base of the tree. The note specifically instructed him to get to the passageway and he refused to waste any more time than he had already. A thought crossed his mind as he began moving closer again. How accurate were the trees attacks? Jesús knew that it would sense his presence, but if he moved quick enough to dodge the branch how much time would pass between the tree slamming another branch in his direction? This worried him greatly, and the sixth year sported a frown as he decided just what he needed to do.
With his wand in hand, Jesús cast the Silver Shield Spell (this was an added precaution, as he was sure the armour he'd cast earlier would not hold out while he ran and searched for the passageway.) "Fianto Duri!" he said quickly, strengthening the shield. Again, he wasn't entirely sure just how hard the tree would be able to hit him before it was too late, but Jesús instently felt relieved knowing that he had some form of defense. The sixth year did a silent countdown before running towards the base of the tree. He was pleasantly surprised at just how much faster he was able to run (and then immediately berated himself for not running sooner.) His body felt incredibly light, and while he wasn't athletic, he was certainly nimble (something that had gotten him out of plenty of unsavory situations.) Using this to his advantage, Jesús ran a little faster and dodged (and just barely, at that) another attack.
Once the tree lifted the branch again, Jesús had his wand ready and pointed it at the Whomping Willow. "Aresto Momentum," he said loudly, making sure to keep moving (he didn't know exactly how much the tree would slow down, or for how long the spell would work.) Not missing a beat, he shouted "Immobulus!" The Freezing Charm wasn't anything too complicated, and he assumed that the Whomping Willow would be immobilized without fail (especially considering that the tree was much more sentient than other plants.) His eyes darted around for the passageway, and he hoped to find it as he didn't know exactly how long the charm would last on a tree of that size.
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Coming soon. |