So. This was the tree, then?

Maddox had heard about it, and it looked as ominous as he expected it to be. A tree that attacks anything that comes close was something he was automatically intrigued by, but not enough to put his life in danger. He stood back at enough of a distance that he could look at the tree and not get whomped by it. As he looked at the tree he could feel that it was looking back at him—how a tree could look, he didn't know, but he knew it was true nonetheless. He noticed certain twitches in it that weren't the wind. Like it was prepared.

Good thing he'd brought a rock with him. He wanted to see it move for real. He pitched back, holding the rock as far as he could, and threw the rock towards the tree as hard and high as he could. Hopefully it would reach up high towards the branches so the tree would react to it.

Alaric had been wandering near the grounds when the sound of something sailing through the air caught his attention. As he rounded the corner, he saw Maddox standing there, eyes fixed on the Whomping Willow, which was now thrashing its branches in response to the rock he’d just thrown.

Alaric stopped a short distance away, his hands slipping into his robe pockets as he took in the scene. “You know,” he began, his tone light but carrying a note of caution, “that tree’s not exactly known for its forgiving nature.” His gray eyes, bright with curiosity, shifted between Maddox and the furious branches. “One wrong step, and it might decide you’re more interesting than the rock.”

He offered a small, easy smile. “But I’ve got to admit—it was a pretty good throw.” He glanced at the Willow again, watching its limbs whip through the air. “What made you want to test it out?” There was no judgment in his voice, only genuine interest. “Adjusting to Hogwarts' excitement, are you?”

Maddox's eyes were fixed on the Whomping Willow, examining how it reacted, so he didn't notice when Alaric sidled up next to him. When he spoke Maddox flicked his eyes away towards his housemate. He didn't have many thoughts on him—hadn't really interacted with him much before they started living in the same room. He and Calliope seemed to be getting friendly, though. So maybe they would be seeing more of each other.

He gave Alaric a quick once over with his eyes before looking back to the tree. "Neither am I," Maddox responded. He didn't think he was known for many things, but forgiveness and niceties were definitely not among them. The way Alaric described the Willow, it made Maddox think that he and the tree were kindred spirits, in a way. He wouldn't lash out against everyone who came close, but, you know. Details.

Shrugging in response to his question, Maddox just said, "Curious." He tended to act on anything that interested him, really. And yes, you could say he was adjusting to the excitement. Not to his own, really, just other people's. He didn't get excited about much, and entering a new different place with more people than usual wasn't something he thought of as exciting. Dreadful, really. But there were certain things about the school he was excited about, like Divination class, or all the weird beings and places in and around the castle. Such as the Whomping Willow. But he wasn't going to detail all that aloud. So he just said, "In a way." He looked back to Alaric. "You?"

Alaric noticed Maddox’s quick glance before his eyes returned to the Willow, the other boy’s expression as unreadable as the tree’s gnarled bark. Maddox’s short responses didn’t bother him—if anything, they intrigued him. Some people opened up like books; others were puzzles missing half their pieces. Maddox, it seemed, was the latter.

“Fair enough,” Alaric said with a small nod, the corners of his mouth twitching in a faint smile. “Curiosity does tend to lead us to interesting places.” His gaze shifted to the Willow, watching the way its branches settled back into a slow, ominous sway.

At Maddox’s question, Alaric’s grin widened just a fraction, more thoughtful than mischievous. “Me? I think I’ve been adjusting in stages,” he admitted, his tone casual. “First to the castle itself—it’s like stepping into one of those storybooks my grandmother used to read. Then to the people.” He paused for a moment, weighing his words. “It’s exciting. But it can also feel... a bit overwhelming sometimes.” He gave a small shrug, as if brushing the thought away.

His gray eyes returned to Maddox. “But places like this? They remind me why I wanted to come here in the first place.” He motioned vaguely toward the Willow, though he stayed firmly out of range. “A school with a giant tree that tries to knock your head off? That’s got to be worth sticking around for, don’t you think?”

He gave Maddox a curious look. “Is this the kind of place you imagined when you thought about Hogwarts?”

Interesting places, indeed. Curiosity tended to be the reason Maddox got up to half the things he did, and it always landed him somewhere unexpected. He gave the smallest chuckle in response.

He listened to Alaric as he chatted, not necessarily relating to everything he was saying. Maddox knew the kinds of storybooks he was talking about, but he hadn't quite compared the two. He was never really interested in those books, anyway. But on the topic of some of it being overwhelming...he could relate to that. The way Alaric said it, though, seemed like there was something else to it. Which, to be fair, Maddox also had more of a reason for why he got overwhelmed—what with the whole thing about being able to hear and feel people's thoughts? But he wasn't going to run around telling everyone that. So as much as he wanted to question Alaric about what he meant, he didn't want to be questioned back. Wasn't gonna go on a deep dive into his head, either. Privacy and all. So instead he studied Alaric's demeanor. "Hm," he said when he couldn't glean anything, "Agreed."

Maddox hadn't necessarily wanted to come to Hogwarts, per se, but he wasn't against it, either. He knew he needed to go to school, didn't really feel one way or the other about where, and this was the best, closest one. Jane had gone here, too, when she was younger, so he figured it was best to go somewhere he would know a thing or two about before he headed off. But there was a lot more here that he liked than he'd been anticipating, he had to admit. He nodded. "And secret passageways. Giant spiders in the woods. Ghosts." All things that kept Maddox intrigued about the place. And more, of course.

"I never thought about it." Truthfully, he hadn't. He wasn't one to build something up in his head only for the real thing to be lackluster. He only took the words of Jane, or things he read, as what he could expect when he got here. And all of that was fairly accurate so far. He would figure out for himself whether the place was as grand and enchanting as others had made it out to be. "Not one for expectations."

Alaric tilted his head slightly as he listened to Maddox. The chuckle and measured responses hinted at layers beneath the surface, but Maddox wasn’t offering much of a roadmap to explore them. That was fine. Alaric enjoyed a good puzzle—and a fellow Slytherin was bound to have some intriguing ones.

He raised an eyebrow at the mention of giant spiders, ghosts, and secret passageways. “Sounds like you’ve got your priorities in order,” Alaric said with a soft laugh. “The dangerous and the mysterious—definitely the best parts of the place.” He glanced at the Whomping Willow, its branches twitching as though considering another violent outburst. “Though the tree might argue it’s the main attraction.”

Maddox’s mention of not being one for expectations made Alaric pause. “No expectations, huh?” he repeated, considering the idea. “That’s... probably smart. Keeps you from being disappointed when something doesn’t live up to the stories.” He smiled faintly. “Though I guess that means when things do surprise you, it’s all the better.”

After a beat, he added, “I think I’m the opposite. I like imagining things, building them up in my head. It makes me more determined to make the best parts real.” His tone was thoughtful, almost confessional, before he shrugged and let his grin return. “Doesn’t always work out, of course. But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?”

He studied Maddox for a moment, curious about what made the other boy tick. “So, what’s your next curiosity project? Something else dangerous? Or have you already mapped out all the secret passageways?” He kept his tone light, with just enough interest to suggest he wasn’t entirely joking.

Maddox also examined the tree, but more so because there had to be something else to it. Why would the school allow there to be a violent tree on the grounds? Sure, it protects the castle, but if that was the full truth they could just start it up when there was danger. To have it going 24/7...it seemed like it was protecting something. He wasn't going to go charging in without a plan, but...well, he would figure something out. Eventually. "Jury's still out on that one." If he was right, and there was something more to the tree? Well, that would give it some points.

He listened while Alaric talked. He was right—when things surprised Maddox, it was an even better experience for him. It wasn't an extremely regular occurrence, mind, but it had been happening more often here at the castle. So it was going well for the moment. He didn't quite grasp Alaric's point of view on things, but if it made sense to him, that was fine. "If that works for you, then stick with it." From the brief interactions Maddox had had with Alaric, he seemed like the type of person to make things happen. Energetic and gung-ho, maybe a little excitable, but it made sense that he tried to bring his ideas to life. "Interested to see how you make your dreams reality." Maddox gave him an appraising smile, like he knew something Alaric didn't.

A little chuckle escaped him as Alaric asked his question. He thought about it for a moment, humming. "Short term, Gregory the Smarmy." Maddox was still trying to figure out how to get past him. He knew there was a passageway there, but was still trying to figure out how to get him to move so he could get in. "Long term..." he pointed his chin towards the Willow, "getting up close. Extra-long term..." He looked out towards the Forbidden Forest. He was gonna explore it, one day. But he knew with all the dangerous creatures out there he couldn't go anytime soon, and definitely not alone.

Alaric’s eyebrows rose slightly at Maddox’s cryptic response about the tree. “The jury’s out, is it?” he repeated, a spark of intrigue flashing in his gray eyes. “You think it’s hiding something, don’t you?” He glanced at the Whomping Willow, its branches twitching ominously as though it could sense their scrutiny. “Now you’ve got me curious.”

Maddox’s comment about making dreams reality caught him off guard for a moment. Alaric tilted his head, a faint grin spreading across his face at the appraising look. “Interested to see, are you?” he said lightly, though the remark lingered in his mind. “Guess I’ll have to make sure it’s worth watching, then.”

When Maddox chuckled and brought up Gregory the Smarmy, Alaric let out a laugh. “Gregory? That slimy git guarding the passageway?” he asked, shaking his head. “I swear, he’s probably more stubborn than the Willow. Any luck getting past him yet, or is he still telling you to come back later?” His tone was teasing but not unkind, with genuine curiosity about Maddox’s plan.

As Maddox pointed toward the Willow and then the Forbidden Forest, Alaric followed his gaze. He took in the swaying branches and the shadowy tree line in the distance. “Ambitious goals,” he said with an approving nod. “I respect that.” His smile turned a little sharper. “If you ever need a hand with your adventures, let me know. It seems like the sort of thing that might be more fun with a partner and a bit safer too.”

He gave Maddox a pointed look, his grin suggesting he wasn’t entirely joking about tagging along. “Can’t let you hog all the excitement.”

Maddox studied Alaric, a mischievous smile playing at his lips. A good deduction. "Well, it makes sense, when you think about it. But it's just a hunch." Maddox could feel himself starting to open up a bit. Alright, alright, you've got him slightly invested in the conversation. Slightly. So, kudos. "Don't know what it could be."

And then something about the way Alaric was looking at him, his response about being worth watching, it was...hm. Maddox pushed that thought aside, his smile wavering just a bit. "Interested enough," he said, shrugging the feeling off, "I'll be watching either way." Not that he was always watching Alaric. He's just very observant.

"Yeah, him," Maddox said with a laugh and a nod, "No luck as of yet. But if he's, you know, smarmy, maybe you just...charm the snot out of him?" Maddox hadn't tried yet for obvious reasons. "Not much of a charmer," he said of himself, "so maybe I brew some Unctuous Unction? Not sure it'd work on a statue, though." Ugh, there he went talking again. It was only about things that he was passionate about, okay? He'll be back to his regularly scheduled muteness soon.

Maddox gave him another discerning look and shrugged teasingly. "Maybe. If I think you're up for it." He returned Alaric's smile slightly, just a hint of it. He could see a future where they work together. Might have to consult the cards, just to be sure.