Whomping Willow


This is the first chapter in the Harry Potter series named after a magical plant. The Whomping Willow is an ancient, very valuable, and very vicious tree planted in the Hogwarts grounds. Harry and Ron Weasley first encountered the Whomping Willow when Ron smashed his father's flying Ford Anglia into the tree, which then started to "hit," "smash," "attack," "pummel," "punch," "pound," "lash out," "pound," and "wallop" the two boys and the car with a "hail of blows from knuckle-like twigs" and "vicious uppercuts" from "branches as thick as a battering ram." Ouch. (CS5).The next year Harry's Nimbus 2000 broomstick was blown into the tree and was smashed to bits (PA9).