Changes: Hogwarts Whomping Willow

Revision as of 20:12, 24 January 2010

"People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it."

— Remus Lupin^[src]

CS C5 — The Flying Ford Anglia crashes onto the Willow.

The Whomping Willow is a very valuable, very violent species of magical plant. Whomping Willows attack anyone and anything that comes within range of its branches. The limbs of the plant function as arms and any damage to them must be treated in much the same way.

The only Whomping Willow mentioned in the series is planted within the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was planted around the year 1971, the same year that Remus Lupin began attending Hogwarts. It was placed to disguise the opening of a secret passage leading from the Hogwarts grounds to the Shrieking Shack in the village of Hogsmeade. This allowed Lupin to travel unnoticed to and from the Shrieking Shack, where he was able to undergo his transformation as a werewolf in privacy. There are two known ways to immobilize the particular Whomping Willow placed at Hogwarts: pressing a particular knot at the base of the tree or using the "Immobulus" spell. The purpose of the tree was kept a secret from everyone but Hogwarts staff and Lupin's three closest friends, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black. In time, Severus Snape also discovered its purpose.

History

When the tree was first planted students would play a game in which they would attempt to get as close to the tree as possible. Students were forbidden from going near the tree after Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye.

In 1992, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley accidentally crashed the Weasleys' Flying Ford Anglia into the tree, seriously damaging it. The tree violently defended itself and nearly killed both boys. The following day, Herbology Professor Pomona Sprout had to bandage some of the tree's limbs to try and repair the damage, possibly assisted (or hindered) by then-Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor Gilderoy Lockhart.

In 1993, Harry Potter's Nimbus 2000 broomstick was destroyed when it fell from the air into the Whomping Willow's branches.

In 1994, Sirius Black, in his animagus form of a large black dog, dragged Ron Weasley into the secret passage beneath the Willow. They were quickly followed by Harry and Hermione, then later by Lupin and Snape.

In 1998, Harry, Ron, and Hermione snuck through the passage under the Willow to the Shrieking Shack during the Battle of Hogwarts. There, they witnessed Snapes's murder by Lord Voldemort and his serpent, Nagini.

Tree — The Willow defending itself violently.

Behind the scenes

In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the Whomping Willow is located in the Training Grounds, whereas in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the tree is on a hill, far from the castle. The cause of this change is probably the new location of Rubeus Hagrid's hut.

In the Chamber of Secrets video game, the Whomping Willow is located within the boundaries of the Forbidden Forest. This is its largest incarnation to date as it appears to be nearly a hundred feet tall. It is the first boss in the game.

Appearances

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 [[File:CS C5.jpg|thumb|left|120px|The [[Flying Ford Anglia]] crashes onto the Willow.]]
-'''The Whomping Willow''' of the [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] grounds is a very valuable, very violent tree which was planted in a solitary location on the school property. Whomping Willows attack anyone and anything that comes within range of its branches. There are two known ways to immobilize the particular Whomping Willow placed at Hogwarts: pressing a particular knot at the base of the tree or using the "Immobulus" spell.
+'''The Whomping Willow''' is a very valuable, very violent species of magical plant. Whomping Willows attack anyone and anything that comes within range of its branches.  The limbs of the plant function as arms and any damage to them must be treated in much the same way.
-It was planted around the year [[1971]], the same year that [[Remus Lupin]] began attending Hogwarts. It was placed so to disguise the opening of a secret passage leading from Hogwarts to the [[Shrieking Shack]] in [[Hogsmeade]]. This allowed Lupin to travel unnoticed to and from the Shrieking Shack, where he was able to undergo his transformation as a [[werewolf]] in privacy. This was kept a secret from everyone but Hogwarts staff and Lupin's three closest friends, [[James Potter I|James Potter]], [[Peter Pettigrew]] and [[Sirius Black]]. In time, [[Severus Snape]] also discovered its purpose.
+The only Whomping Willow mentioned in the series is planted within the grounds of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]].  It was planted around the year [[1971]], the same year that [[Remus Lupin]] began attending Hogwarts. It was placed to disguise the opening of a secret passage leading from the Hogwarts grounds to the [[Shrieking Shack]] in the village of [[Hogsmeade]]. This allowed Lupin to travel unnoticed to and from the Shrieking Shack, where he was able to undergo his transformation as a [[werewolf]] in privacy. There are two known ways to immobilize the particular Whomping Willow placed at Hogwarts: pressing a particular knot at the base of the tree or using the "Immobulus" spell. The purpose of the tree was kept a secret from everyone but Hogwarts staff and Lupin's three closest friends, [[James Potter I|James Potter]], [[Peter Pettigrew]] and [[Sirius Black]]. In time, [[Severus Snape]] also discovered its purpose.
 == History ==
-When the tree was first planted students would play a game in which they would attempt to get as close to the tree as possibly. Students were forbidden from going near the tree after Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye.
+When the tree was first planted students would play a game in which they would attempt to get as close to the tree as possible. Students were forbidden from going near the tree after Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye.
-In [[1992]], [[Harry Potter]] and [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] accidentally crashed a [[Flying Ford Anglia]] into the tree, seriously damaging it. The tree violently defended itself and nearly killed both boys.
+In [[1992]], [[Harry Potter]] and [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] accidentally crashed the [[Weasley Family|Weasleys']] [[Flying Ford Anglia]] into the tree, seriously damaging it. The tree violently defended itself and nearly killed both boys. The following day, [[Herbology]] Professor [[Pomona Sprout]] had to bandage some of the tree's limbs to try and repair the damage, possibly assisted (or hindered) by then-[[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] Professor [[Gilderoy Lockhart]].
 In [[1993]], [[Harry Potter]]'s [[Nimbus 2000]] [[broomstick]] was destroyed when it fell from the air into the Whomping Willow's branches.