"Come on, let big brother taker you to see some little goldfish," William said softly, coating his palms with sticky potion and extending his hands slowly, feigning a vulnerable demeanor.
This was a trick he learned from old Newt Scamander during Christmas—how to handle ferocious magical creatures.
Channeling Newt's demeanor, William mimicked the posture of a socially awkward child.
The three Bowtruckles tilted their heads, seemingly pondering what "little goldfish" meant.
William continued extending his hand, trying to ease their guard. "I'm really just a lonely kid who gets bullied at school. I adore little creatures like you," he said, putting on his best pitiful expression.
Just as his hand was about to touch one of the Bowtruckles, faint rustling noises came from the dense foliage of the Whomping Willow.
Layers of leaves parted, revealing a swarm—easily over a hundred Bowtruckles—staring down at William.
Every single one of them was on high alert, wielding long, sharp spears fashioned from bamboo. The spears, pointed and thin like arrows, were all aimed directly at William.
"William, maybe we can check out this passage another time," Cedric said as he clambered out of the tunnel, covered in dirt. As he looked up, he froze, startled by the scene.
"What in Merlin's name—"
His voice startled the Bowtruckles, causing several of them to drop their spears. Cedric instinctively ducked, losing his footing and tumbling back into the tunnel.
The ground became littered with a forest of sharp bamboo skewers.
"What's going on, Cedric?" Fred's voice called out.
"We're surrounded!" Cedric shouted back.
"By who? Professors? Aurors?"
"Bowtruckles!"
"..."
"Stay calm!" William raised both hands to show he meant no harm.
He suddenly felt a tug on his wrist and looked up to find three Bowtruckles hanging off his sleeve buttons, swinging like tiny acrobats. The thread snapped, and the three Bowtruckles fell.
Quickly, William caught them in his right hand.
The Bowtruckles licked the potion from his palm, then scrambled up his lapel and jumped into his coat pocket.
William smiled. Success.
Just then, a loud "putt-putt-putt" noise, like a runaway kart on the verge of exploding, reached them.
William looked up.
A battered old Ford Anglia streaked across the sky, trailing thick smoke from its engine. The plume looked like it belonged to Lovegood's towering chimney at home.
Mr. Weasley's beloved car was completely out of control, heading straight for the Black Lake.
On the lake, a group of first-year students were rowing their little boats toward Hogwarts. They all looked up in unison, their faces a mix of shock and confusion.
The car hit the water with a loud splash, creating waves that rippled outward. It skidded across the surface like a skipping stone, barreling toward the small fleet of student boats.
Hagrid, who was escorting the first-years, bellowed furiously. Standing on one of the boats, he leapt into the air like a mythic hero, launching himself at the car. With a thunderous knee strike, he dented the car door so severely that Ron was nearly squashed inside.
Hagrid grabbed the car, forcibly turning it away from the boats. His feet dug into the boat beneath him, pushing it backward. But the momentum was too great; the boat flipped over, and Hagrid plunged into the lake.
Water sprayed everywhere, drenching the nearby first-years. It was as if a torrential downpour had suddenly erupted over them.
Anne, quick to react, pulled a pink umbrella from her ring, opened it, and held it above herself to stay dry. Ginny and Luna huddled behind her for cover.
Anne patted their hands reassuringly, sighed like an old soul, and then drew her wand. Aiming it at Hagrid, she cast, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
The spell hit its mark, and Hagrid floated up from the water. Under Anne's careful control, he was gently set down on one of the overturned boats.
All around, students burst into applause. Anne blinked her emerald-green eyes, folded her umbrella, and gave a graceful curtsey, her smile refined.
Dominating Hogwarts from Year One!
Meanwhile, the car had taken off again, rising into the air. It zipped past the greenhouses, over the vegetable garden, and out across the dark lawn, showing no signs of slowing.
Crash!
A windmill atop Hagrid's hut was knocked clean off by the car. It plummeted to the ground with a resounding thud, narrowly missing Fang, who snarled furiously at the fleeing vehicle. He had finally identified the culprit behind Fluffy's smashed shed.
"Oh, Merlin!" Fred gasped, having just climbed out of the tunnel. His mouth hung open in disbelief.
"I'm dreaming, right? This is just a third-level dream. I'll wake up any second now," Fred muttered, looking utterly dazed.
"I'm going to kill Ron!" George fumed, shaking his fist. "I swear, if I could go back in time, I'd show Mum and Dad this memory before they decided to have a sixth child!"
The car hurtled toward the Whomping Willow.
"Run!" Cedric shouted, grabbing William and the twins and pulling them away.
"Sonorus!" William cast a voice-amplifying charm on himself. "Ron! Harry! Hit the brakes!"
Inside the car, Ron was paralyzed with fear, while Harry scrambled to stop the vehicle.
Unfortunately, he stomped on the gas instead. The car accelerated, its engine sparking and crackling ominously as water seeped in.
"Idiot!" William roared, his voice echoing across Hogwarts.
Finally snapping out of his daze, Ron fumbled for his wand and shouted at the dashboard, "Stop! Stop!"
But the car didn't stop. It barreled forward, closing in on the Whomping Willow.
"Jump!" William shouted.
At the same time, he and the others aimed their wands at the car, casting slowing spells.
Harry didn't hesitate. He released Hedwig from her cage, flung open the car door, and yelled, "We're jumping, Ron!"
"You're insane!" Ron shouted back.
"The car's about to crash into the tree! Staying here is suicide!" Harry retorted.
He wasn't wrong. The car, weighing nearly a ton and traveling at over 180 mph, was on a collision course for a catastrophic impact.
Dragging Ron with him, Harry leapt from the car.
William transformed mid-spell, morphing into a mighty Steller's sea eagle. With a swift, arrow-like dive, he snatched Harry and Ron out of midair with his sharp talons.
Hedwig circled him, chirping affectionately.
The three Bowtruckles clung to William's talons, dangling upside-down and staring curiously at Harry and Ron.
The two boys coughed and gasped for air, staring in awe at the majestic eagle that had saved them.
"Where did this bird come from?" Ron murmured.
"It's huge!" Harry added, still dazed.
William descended gracefully, depositing Harry and Ron onto the ground.
Cedric whistled, grinning at the twins. "Told you William wasn't lying."
Fred and George nodded fervently.
"Respect!" Fred said.
"Total respect!" George added.
"The bird…"
"Really is enormous!"