Bradin walked down to the willow. His third stop on his walk around the grounds. Not including the common room of course. He spotted Ella sat on a branch and approached her. "Now then stranger. How have you been?" he asked ignoring his freezing cold body and the goosebumps on his body and the fact that he was dying.

Preston watched carefully as a girl ran after Ringo, and he wondered why she would be running after a raccoon that was heading for a tree that looked like it could smash her into tiny pieces if she got hit. A tear fell from his cheek as he watched Ringo disappear around the tree. He feared the worst, that he would never see Ringo again.

And then...she was walking back towards Preston with Ringo in her arms. As she got closer he realized that it was Maddie. He hadn't seen Maddie since his tripping incident at the ice cream shop. "Th-th-thank you." Preston told Maddie as he scooped Ringo up in his arms and held him close to his chest. He was careful to not squeeze him too tight like his father had told him.

"Y-y-yes i-i-it's me." He said nodding his head as he stroked Ringo's head affectionately. He was happy that Ringo was safe and out of harms way. Well at least for the time being. He wasn't sure what he would do if something happened to Ringo, he was Preston's best friend!

OMFG. OMGOMGOMGOGOMG.

The tree is so SCARY! O____________o

It was totally going to attack him any second. And as one of the branches twitched, Jimbo SCREAMED. LOUDLY. Like, very loud.
Turning around, he ran and RAN...and ended up running right into a boy who had apparently been watching him with amusement.

Oh, well, that's nice isn't it? Not helping, but just watching. Not that Jimbo wouldn't have done the same thing.

Actually, Jimbo probably would have gotten the Willow even MORE mad just so he could have more laughs.

"Yes, well... Your best friends will always have that effect on you." Monique said to him.

"Oh. Bonjour." she said to the girl as if she just now noticed her. Which, of course, wasn't the case.

Jermaine then got two eyerolls. One for kissing the hand of the girl talking to them, and one for his comment to her. Yes, she did know what he meant by that. She choose however not to comment on it. Now was not the time for them to recap their relationship.

Ginny had wandered near The Whomping Willow. It was a very big tree and dangerous one too! She had seen someone she knew, and that was Katie. "Hey Katie!", she called out from a distance away.

"Gin-" Katie said as she doged one of the branches "How are you?" Katie asked as she made her way to Ginny, making sure she didnt get hit by a branch.

Ella looked up at hearing someone confront her. Well, well, well.. the person she had been internally dying to meet after so long.. Bradin. A smile appeared on her face, and she scooted over on the branch if he wanted to sit with her. "I've been.. wonderful. You?" she asked, glad to see him.

"I'm pretty good and you?", she said to Katie as she made her way closer towards her. She had to dodge a few branches to get to her.

Rae didn't know what to think of the foreigners, they were... Different. Jermaine introduced himself and the girl with him, Monique, then.... Kissed her hand? Why on earth would he do that? She had the most confused expression on her face. Was this normal in France? "Err.." Maybe Rae should just ignore it since he asked a question. "It will attack... Everyone. I'm pretty sure the tree sees everyone as a guest here." That made sense right? Yeah, this guy wouldn't make it long if he didn't know what he was doing, which he didn't seem to know. Fortunately no one died last year, which is a good thing! An improvement at Hogwarts. It wouldn't be good if one of the foreigners died that weren't apart of the competition.

Bonjour? What did that mean? Monique told her something she didn't understand... Maybe she said something too fast and Rae misunderstood? "Er.. Hi." She didn't know what to say, mainly because she had no idea what the older foreigner said. Embarrassing.

To be honest Trix wasn't entirely sure why she was stood in front of the Whomping Willow. It wasn't like she could miss such a tree was it? In fact she couldn't miss ANY tree. Yet the 16 year old still decided that she should stroll around the grounds and the Whomping Willow was where she had stopped.

The Blonde took one glance up at the twisted branches before her attention was more focused on what was going on around the tree. Well a tree wasn't the most fascinating of subjects anyway, even if it did move and look rather imposing or threatening. But there wasn't alot going on around here anyway. Just a few students here and there, the firsties probably feeling a little anxious to be stood in the Willow's presence. Who wouldn't be? One swipe and that thing could knock you out.

*Sigh*

Small groups of students always caught his attention. Raiden wasn't sure if this was because of the high chance of rule-breaking, or simply because they just seemed out of place sometimes, but seeing two or three or four people gathered in one place always caught his attention.

So when the prefect saw the few students lingering near the willow as he'd been making his way across the grounds, he'd immediately paid attention.

There was the Beauxbatons boy who'd come to their table during the feast, and Monique. Their conversation and antics weren't of Raiden's interest; they, after all, probably weren't planning on doing something stupid. The younger students queued nearby offered more chance for that, and Raiden sent a glance in their direction as he passed them.

The... Trixie, wasn't it? He'd met this one. With a quick look up at the tree, he approached and touched her elbow.

"A little too close," he murmured, giving her a gentle tug. "It's a bit preoccupied with them, but if it notices you it'll swing."

Tricky business, the willow. Heh.

What were those students...........

Woah!

Trix felt a tug on her arm and turned to see that the Slytherin prefect, Raiden yes, was stood there suddenly.

*Blink*

"Not scared of a little danger" she grinned back at his response. Though she'd rather not be squashed by a giant moving branch to be honest. Seeing herself through to 7th year would be marvelous.

The Blonde took a glance up at his head quickly. There had been rumours, or at least she had heard some, about Cat ears and Raiden or something along those lines. Slightly random but actually kinda funny. She had cats herself of course. But to see them on a human, well, it was fascinating. But it would be slightly strange just to ask to see them....

*Snort*

She... did she want the tree to thwack her? Raiden quirked an eyebrow and let his hand fall away from her elbow.

"Danger is one thing, me having to carry you up to the hospital if the tree cracks your skull is quite another," he murmured, a crooked grin on his lips. "Not enough danger for you with the Triwizard Tournament here this year?"

The tree seemed twitchy. What with the idiotball over there now being farther away, the tree was more likely to notice both of them standing just within reach.

...was she laughing at him? Confused, his eyes flicked upward, and one hand touched the back of his head.

"...what?"

Bradin sat on the branch beside Ella and smiled at her. She had such a cute smile. But he was taken and didn't have very long left so he wanted to make the most of the time he did have left with Enya. "I've been better. When you're life's com......" he cut himself off. He was sure Ella didn't wanna hear his life story. He didn't want to scare her either. That was not on his planner.

Trix raised an eyebrow back as the prefect let go of her arm. She wouldn't let the tree get her anyway. Well she'd try to steer clear of the branches. Whether she was fast enough was a different matter.

"I think I've been to the hospital wing enough times last term....." she smirked slightly. But still, danger could be exciting right? Not that she wanted to be in danger, she thought quite the opposite. "Oh I've already entered that" she declared confidently, however she wasn't certain. It had taken quite a bit of courage to even just step over the line, let alone throw her name into the Goblet. But many had done it and you just had to wait and see whether your name came out or not. "What about you though? Did you enter?" she asked.

Oh jeez he had noticed she was kinda staring and giggling at his head.

Trix snapped out of it and moved her eyeline back down. "Nothing" she said innocently. "I've just heard...Things... In the Common Room" she continued.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ella asked him with concern in her eyes. "You still didn't tell me what was up with your arms," she pointed out. No, he sure didn't look fine to her. She suppressed the strain of her wanting to give him a hug; to comfort him somehow. She knew she shouldn't.. that day at Madame Malkins was enough to explain her that.

"Not really no. This term may be my last term here and I'll be lucky if I get through the entire term. The reason why is the same reason why my arms are in such a state" said Bradin. He really didn't want to recall it again but after saying what he'd just said he had to. He wasn't exactly tanned like usual. In fact he was extremely pale. His skin was as white as snow.

Oh no.

That didn't sound very happy at all.

"What?" Ella asked, sitting up straight and looking him in the eye now. "What are you talking about?" She didn't know what to say. "Is there.. anything I can do about it?" If there was, Ella would definitely do it. But she had a feeling she was helpless. Even though she still didn't know the situation. No, this was not good..

Bradin smiled half-heartedly.

He'd forgotten how sweet she was. She'd helped him forget about the whole thing in Diagon Alley.

"Not unless you know a way to cheat death. I'm cursed and the person that's cursed me is slowly killing me. But I have this burn on my arm and I have to keep that arm away from my throat, otherwise I die an instant death. I almost died in the summer and last term. Once bitten, twice shy, third time lucky" he said. He didn't wanna die but he couldn't cheat death either.

"I think we've all been to the hospital wing enough times," he said with a smirk. "Doesn't stop us from ending up back there sometimes, does it."

Casting a glance back at the tree, he stuffed his hands into his pockets. Easy enough to get out of the way, he figured. And if Trixie was aware that she was in a bad spot, then who was he to tell her to move? If she got whomped... well it would be her own fault, but he'd take her to the hospital wing anyway.

"I did. Probably not the best idea in the world, but... A lot of people entered." He shrugged. "Chances of me getting picked are slim, and if I do, I figure it's worth trying. For Hogwarts."

...heard things?

"What kind of things?"

Pfft... Try 8 times last term.

She had turned into a clutz and she knew it. But half of those injuries were not her fault. She didn't plan on getting hit in Quidditch or impacting with the wall. And one of them was her fault but it wasn't her that was injured *smirk* "True.... And I don't plan on going again." Stupid tree won't hit her.

Fiiine. She gave in. The 16 year old shuffled a little further away so that she wasn't in the reach of the branches. There. Happy? No more injuries for her. Erm, touch wood.

She grinned as he told her he had entered too. It seemed a lot of people had. All 6th and 7th years of course. But there was still the danger element. She didn't want to get killed but we've all got to take risks once or twice in our lives. This was a risk Trixie was willing to take. "We all have equal chances though" she raised an eyebrow. "You never know, it could be your name that flies out." For Hogwarts? *Snort* That sounded like some speech before going into battle.

*Giggle*

He wasn't going to just let this go was he?

"Lets just say it involves the words cats and ears" Mhmm. He should get it from that surely?

Ah good. She was relenting and stepping back. Raiden grinned and stepped back with her, out of the tree's reach. Which was good, because he was pretty sure it had just noticed that they were barely inside its territory. How creepy it was, with the whole 'knowing you're there and trying to whomp the hell out of you' thing.

"And I'd much prefer it if I didn't have to take you there," he said playfully, eyes on the tree. It was like it was waving. Heh. "Aye, but chance gets smaller, the more people you toss in. If only eight people had gone in, we'd have a ridiculously high chance of getting pulled. But so far I think there's been a bunch of people. Chances are lower with that, you know?"

...she was giggling at him. She was giggling at him and mentioning cat ears. Raiden felt his face turn a bit pink and he looked down at his feet for a moment. Those ears were going to follow him around for the rest of his life.

"Two terms ago. For a few weeks." He managed a wry smile. "And a crup tail. You weren't around to see it, were you."

The Blonde rolled her eyes as he stepped back to. No harm in a little danger but that tree was a little creepy. One big thwack and you'd be unconscious on the floor. Seriously who allowed this tree to be here? Was it like, planted or did they just let Students come within its reach anyway. Even if it could cause you damage. Pfft... Well the latter seemed plausible what with all of this Triwizard business.

Gasp. "But would you if I did get injured?" she smirked slightly. She would bloomin' well hope so. That tree was vicious. Even if he didn't want to, she'd rather go for hospital wing visit number 9 then be left.

"But there's STILL a chance" she replied. He couldn't deny that. Even if a million people put their names in, which would admittingly be impossible but it didn't matter anyway, there would still be the slightest chance your name was pulled out. Couldn't deny fate.

*Giggle!Snort*

Ah so it was true. He DID have cat ears and a Crups tail as well. Interesting. "No I wasn't unfortunately. Shame though, I would have loved to seen it" Hint Hint.

*Whistle*

One eyebrow quirked and Raiden set Trixie with a bemused stare. Would he take her to the hospital wing if the tree whomped her? Really?

"Nah. I think I'd just leave you lay there on the ground. Maybe pull you out of its reach." The light sarcasm in his voice was evident, his tone far from serious. "Maybe."

She was pushing this chance thing a lot. It was actually making Raiden feel a mixture of concern and excitement. The whole 'what if I do get picked' thing was now swirling around in his head.

Daphne Hopton would kill him.

"There's also a chance I'd get struck by lightning right now. It's all a matter of probability. And even then it might not be that. Who even knows how the goblet picks its champions. Could be by random, could be that it somehow knows all your inner workings just by having your name and it could tell you who your birth mother was if you never knew her."

Girls were always so fascinated by the cat ear thing. Raiden choked back a chuckle and tugged on the thin chain hanging around his neck, pulling the ring and pendant from under his shirt.

"I could show you, if you like."

Now it was Jermaine's turn to smile at Monique. Of course they were best frineds who could get each other to do just about anything. "Right, best friends, that would be us," he said.

Oh, and then she rolled her eyes at him not once but twice. "You're so cute when you do that," he whispered to her.

Jermaine smiled at the confused look on the girl's face. Did she not like being kissed on the hand? All girls seemed to like it when he did that. Maybe this one just wasn't used to being treated so nice.

Oh right, the tree. "Well thanks for telling me that. Are there any other things I should be aware of that may attack me as I walk these lovely grounds?"