The Wizarding World Geocache Series
"Upon the signature of the International Statute of Secrecy in 1689, wizards went into hiding for good. It was natural, perhaps, that they formed their own small communities within a community."
— The secrecy surrounding the wizarding world
The Wizarding World, also referred to as the magical community, is the society in which wizards and witches live and interact, separate from non-wizarding society. The two communities are kept separate through the use of charms, spells, and secrecy. Wizards and witches are forbidden to reveal anything about magic to Muggle society due to the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, but that does not mean that the two worlds live entirely apart.
Welcome to Hogwarts School of WItchcraft and Wizardry and Surrounding Grounds
"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.
"That tree did more damage to us than we --" Ron Weasley
— Regarding the temperament of the Whomping Willow
The Whomping Willow is a very hostile tree, with club-like branches and can move, planted in the middle of Hogwart school grounds. A secret passage beneath the willow's roots leads into the Shrieking Shack.
The Whomping Willow shares characteristics with the traditional British trysting tree. While the base of the Whomping Willow itself is not a meeting place in the same way as a trysting tree, both are distinctive or prominent trees used by people for meeting up for a specific (often secret and/or forbidden) purpose. Use extreme caution when approaching the Whomping Willow!