Well, fuck. Couldn't whatever was turning Gerard into a murderous maniac have at least turned him into a stupid murderous maniac? Nate had always found it so much easier to deal with people trying to kill him when they didn't actually know the best ways to do exactly that.
And then there was William, shouting about the willow — the Whomping Willow? Did he want them to take cover inside it? Well, it would probably be one of the safest locations, admittedly — no thinking creature would want to get within ten feet of those branches — but what if murderous-maniac-Gerard knew the secret to calming it? And even if he didn't, wouldn't that leave him rampaging the grounds of Hogwarts while the rest of the castle partied on, unaware?
Of course, they didn't seem to have many better options. Maybe they could throw spells from a location of safety. "How are you going to get down?" he called, wondering how the hell William was going to leave the tree without getting attacked.
Maybe he could distract Gerard. He'd already been splashed with mud, he might as well. "Gerard?" he called, edging away from the tree and William. "Man, if you keep on going like this, you're never going to hear my news about Peaches and Byron..."