"Old and Valuable" Whomping Willow - But Why?

[Cathy Drolet]

No: HPFGUIDX 109705

> DuffyPoo:
> Yes, I did say that Snape only says old, as that is the quote from 
my book, a Canadian HB edition which is supposed to be exactly the 
same as the British edition.  I just this minute checked, and my PB 
edition says the same thing.  

Geoff:
UK editions for reference....

'"I noticed in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems 
to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow," Snape went 
on..'

(COS "The Whomping Willow" p.63 UK edition)

'Snape looked as though Christmas had been cancelled. He cleared his 
throat and said, "Professor Dumbledore, these boys have flouted the 
Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious 
damage to an old and valuable tree...."'

(ibid. p.64)


DuffyPoo again:
There you have it.  I only looked at the first reference of Snape to the tree, not the second one Geoff posted above.  24-25 years is old, I supposed, but maybe not in the life of a tree.  As to why HP thought it was 'ancient', I have no clue.


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