Professor Sprout stared at Char, her mind a complete blank. It took a long, silent moment for her to process what he had just said. Her thoughts were in turmoil. The cultivation of Shadowthorns, a topic that had stumped herbalists for generations, forcing them to rely on the difficult Disillusionment Charm… and Char had just quietly invented a new method? If it were anyone else, she would have suspected them of being a charlatan trying to defraud her for research funding.
A moment later, the confusion vanished, replaced by a surge of pure, unadulterated energy, as if she'd just drunk a shot of pure adrenaline. The gloom and frustration from the morning's meeting were swept away, replaced by a fiery excitement.
"Come," she said, her voice trembling with barely suppressed glee. "Take me to the small greenhouse! Now!"
When they arrived, her eyes immediately locked onto Shadow. With her master herbalist's gaze, she could instantly see that it was a successfully cultivated Shadowthorn, and its traits were obviously far superior to any ordinary specimen.
"This… this can be considered a new, better variety of Shadowthorn, can't it?" she whispered, feeling as if she were in a dream. For an ordinary herbalist, creating even one new subspecies of a magical plant was the achievement of a lifetime. Char had been at Hogwarts for just over a semester, and how many new varieties had he already brought into being? The Blood Jade, the Piranha Algae, and now this… that made three. If he continued at this pace… The thought alone made the corners of her mouth curl into a wide, irrepressible grin. This made her happier than any personal achievement ever could.
After finally regaining some semblance of composure, her professional curiosity took over. "Char," she asked, her voice full of wonder, "how did you do it? Is there some special method?"
He just shook his head. "Nothing that special. I just remembered that the Disillusionment Charm makes you invisible, and an Invisibility Cloak also makes you invisible. So, I thought, maybe the cloak could be used as a substitute."
Professor Sprout frowned. "Is that all? Herbalists thought of that idea a long time ago. They tried it with the best invisibility cloaks they could find, but none of them worked."
"Perhaps the cloaks they used weren't good enough," Char said quietly. "For example, they didn't use the one that has been in the Potter family for nearly a thousand years, the one that has maintained its super-strong magic and is almost undetectable by any counter-curse."
As he spoke, he demonstrated, placing the cloak over another Shadowthorn root. When Professor Sprout saw with her own eyes that it had passed the most difficult cultivation threshold, she gasped. It's possible? The only reason that long-rejected theory didn't work was because no one had a cloak of high enough quality?
"So, this method doesn't really have any practical value," Char said, a little embarrassed.
But before he could finish, she cut him off, her face deadly serious. "Genius. Char, you are a true genius of herbology. Only a genius could come up with such an extraordinary idea. Only a genius dares to challenge accepted common sense and create new possibilities. Practical value? That is something for the vulgar to consider. A genius only needs to create. Your feat is groundbreaking!"
Char was a little taken aback. "But… anyone could reproduce it, as long as they could borrow this cloak."
A look of immense pride filled her face. "Then why haven't they? Don't you think they would want to? Connections, Char, are also a form of strength. Only a genius like you could borrow this cloak and think to use it for this purpose." Her eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands together. "Yes! I've already thought of the title for the new paper: A Subversive Method to Bypass the Disillusionment Charm Requirement for Shadowthorn Cultivation. Another top publication, guaranteed!"
Char's head spun. This is the power of a master herbalist? She can just decide to publish in a top journal? He wished he'd had an aunt like this in his previous life; he wouldn't have had to work so hard just to get by. He had once envied the academic titans. In this life, he was one.
Professor Sprout sighed. "It's a pity Christmas and New Year's have already passed. All the awards for the Herbology Association were given out last year. If this paper had been published then, you might have had a chance to compete for the Young Herbalists Award." She sounded genuinely regretful.
Char didn't know much about it. "But I've already received the second-class medal. Is the Youth Award that important?"
"There's no comparison," she said seriously. "The second-class medal is a great honor, but the Young Herbalist Award comes with practical benefits. For centuries, the association has given treasures from its collection to the winners to encourage them. Things like rare alchemical items, priceless potions… and if the results are truly outstanding, they might even offer seeds of certain ancient plants as an incentive. Some of these seeds are as old as the Whomping Willow!"
At the mention of the Whomping Willow, Char's eyes lit up. It was an epic-level plant, the highest-level specimen he currently possessed besides the World Tree root. If there was a chance to get more items of a similar level, he couldn't pass it up.
"I thought you were still some distance away from that award," Professor Sprout lamented, "so I didn't plan for it. If I had known, we would have published both papers in the same year. Most herbalists who hope to win the award have to publish at least two top journal articles in the same year to even be considered." She looked genuinely upset with herself for the oversight.
But after a moment's thought, Char pointed to the Devil's Snare he had already planted. "Aunt, do you think this Devil's Snare could also be published in a top journal?"
She stopped short. "What? The Devil's Snare?" She had been so focused on the Shadowthorn that she hadn't paid it any attention. Now, she looked closer, and her eyes went wide. She went numb. "This… this is…" It was still in the early stages, but she could see it instantly. It was another modified subspecies.
She looked at him, her expression one of utter shock. "Char, don't tell me you created this method as well?"
He hesitated for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "Would An Improved Cultivation Method for Devil's Snare Based on the Divine Edge Shadowless Curse be a good title, Aunt?"
She took a deep breath, but before she could speak, he mentioned the Blood Jade. "And in the near future, I should be able to cultivate Blood Jade in large quantities. We could publish that one as well. Three papers. Is that enough to compete for this year's Young Herbalists Award, Aunt?"
Professor Sprout hadn't even finished exhaling her last breath before she was sucking in another. Her face suddenly turned beet red. Without another word, she spun around and left. A moment later, she returned, thrust a handful of Shadowthorn roots into Char's hands, then turned and hurried away again, her face still flushed.
Char was about to follow when he heard a loud, booming laugh from outside the greenhouse, a sound completely at odds with his aunt's usual gentle demeanor. It was followed by a series of excited, almost manic shouts.
"My Char is a legend! Who stands at the peak of herbology? When you see my Char, all others are empty! Now that he has emerged, we will crush all our enemies in the world of herbology! Hehehe!"
Char swallowed hard, a flicker of genuine concern in his eyes. Auntie's mental state… is it really okay?
Not long after, as Professor Sprout kicked open the door to his office, the same thought crossed Dumbledore's mind. "Pomona, have you been taking strange herbs? Are you quite alright?"
She beamed at him, her smile unnervingly bright. "Alright? Why wouldn't I be? I feel great! Never been better!"
Dumbledore's worry deepened. Just that morning, she had been the angriest person at the meeting. Now she was positively glowing. "Pomona," he said, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead, "calm down. Regarding Char's right to use the greenhouse, I will not let the so-called review—"
She cut him off with a laugh. "The review? Let them review. They can review all they want. That's not what I came to talk to you about."
Dumbledore was completely confused. He watched as she took out a piece of Devil's Snare and, with a flick of her wand, sent it wrapping around the corner of his walnut desk. The next moment, with a sharp crack, the corner of the desk was snapped clean off.
He stared, dumbfounded. The Devil's Snare she had set up to protect the Philosopher's Stone wasn't nearly this powerful.
"Dumbledore," she said, her voice cold as ice, "I plan to replace all the Devil's Snares in my level with this new type. I will also be coating them with a fire-resistant liquid. And venom."
A shiver ran down Dumbledore's spine. "Pomona, isn't that a bit… excessive?"
The next moment, she pulled a bowl of what looked like brussels sprouts from her robes and slammed it on his desk. "#￥%#!" she roared, her voice a furious torrent of what he could only assume were ancient herbalist curses. "Char is the shining star of the Sprout family! Some people want to cause trouble for my Char? Then I will let them know what real trouble is! When you make me angry, you will regret it!"
Dumbledore shuddered, a secret groan echoing in his heart. So this is what they mean when they say not to mess with Hufflepuffs. When they go mad, no one is safe!
"Alright, Pomona," he said quickly. "Do as you say. Just… control its strength a little. Don't actually kill whoever is trying to get through the second level."
Back in the greenhouse, Char had shaken off his worry. He knew his aunt was a master herbalist; she wouldn't lose her mind over something so small. He looked at the handful of Shadowthorn roots, his eyes burning with a fiery determination. He would plant all of them. With the excellent conditions here, he could probably harvest them before the start of his second year. Dozens of gold-level reward light balls! The thought alone made his heart race.
But even with the Invisibility Cloak, preparing so many roots would be a big job. He glanced at the time. "Class is about to start. What is it now… Transfiguration?"
An idea sparked. He still had so many unanswered questions from his recent breakthrough. He decided to put off planting. The roots could wait; they wouldn't mature for half a year anyway. But improving his Transfiguration skill would bring immediate benefits. His face full of anticipation, he hurried toward the Transfiguration classroom.
He wasn't the only one there early. Hermione was already at her desk, her eyes full of a fierce, competitive spirit. Ever since Char had surpassed her in the last class, she had redoubled her efforts, even cutting back on the trio's discussions about the Philosopher's Stone. She had one goal: Hermione Granger was never second best. She would defend her position as the top Transfiguration student in her year. Clutching the densely packed notes she had prepared, she waited for the bell, confident she would reclaim her title.
Five minutes later, the bell rang. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "Good. I assigned you some reading last time. Now is the routine question-and-answer period. Does anyone have any questions?"
Hermione and Char's hands shot up almost simultaneously. But Char was faster.
Professor McGonagall nodded to him. "Professor," he asked, his voice full of genuine curiosity, "I recently observed a phenomenon where magical powers of different properties collided at a microscopic level, producing a reaction that generated a new type of magic power. I would like to ask some questions about this."
As his voice echoed through the room, a sudden, profound silence fell. The other students looked at each other, shivering. The pressure from the top student was terrifying.
Hermione's mouth fell open, her expression one of utter confusion. This was completely beyond her. Last time, she had at least been able to follow the general topic of their discussion. But this… she couldn't understand a single word.
The moment Professor McGonagall heard the question, she stared at Char, her eyes wide, a brilliant, astonished light bursting from them.
"What?!"
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