Upon seeing the rewards offered by the Piranha Plants, Robert's eyes lit up.
The Water Affinity reward alone was incredibly promising. Based on the name, it would likely improve his adaptability in water. It might not be as potent as the Gillyweed effect—allowing one to move freely underwater—but if Robert could stack it to higher levels, it should drastically extend how long he could stay submerged.
Given his Legendary-Level vitality, he might even be able to free-dive into the Black Lake without much issue.
And the Black Lake wasn't just a murky body of water. It was a treasure trove of magical and medicinal flora and fauna. Besides the giant squid and merpeople, it harbored rare aquatic herbs, some so valuable that even veteran Herbologists and Potions Masters competed fiercely for them.
If Robert could accumulate Water Affinity bonuses, his future explorations of the lake might yield incredible gains.
Even more exciting than Water Affinity, however, was another reward the Piranha Plants offered—Cutting Charm Bonus.
This was the kind of combat-related enhancement Robert had long hoped for.
He recalled the Half-Blood Prince's old Potions textbook. Among its many annotations was the dark spell Sectumsempra. If this Cutting Charm Bonus could enhance spells like that, it had enormous potential.
If Robert could master Sectumsempra, and eventually elevate both the spell and the bonus to Legendary Level, the combination might rival even Mythical Level powers.
With that kind of strength, he could potentially kill Dolohov.
And if the Cutting Charm Bonus applied to simpler spells like the Pruning Charm, it could benefit his herbology skills too.
Robert's eyes burned with determination.
This plant could help him both in battle and in his studies.
As for the difficulty of cultivating Piranha Plants? For Robert, it wasn't a concern.
They required pitch-black environments, total darkness.
Luckily, he had just harvested the Night Vision ability from cultivating Luminous Mushrooms.
For Robert, the dark posed no threat.
And the Piranha Plants' sharp spines?
Meaningless in the face of his Legendary-Level vitality.
With unwavering conviction, he turned to Professor Sprout.
"Aunt," he said. "I want to plant this."
But Professor Sprout's face changed. For the first time, she rejected his request.
"No," she said firmly. "You can plant anything else—anything—but not the Piranha Plant."
Fear flickered in her eyes.
She seemed to be remembering something—some past incident.
"There was a student once," she said quietly. "He insisted on cultivating them. And from the moment he began, his hands were covered in tiny cuts. Every single day."
"Madam Pomfrey would heal him, but the next time he reached into the tank, the wounds would reopen."
"According to him, just putting his hand in the water brought bone-deep dread. He couldn't sleep. Nightmares. Dreams of being chewed apart by the plants."
"He lost nearly twenty pounds during that time."
She paused, clearly imagining such a thing happening to Robert.
"You are the last of the Sprout family bloodline," she said solemnly. "I have to be responsible for you."
Robert fell silent.
Among all the aquatic plants he'd reviewed, the Piranha Plant offered by far the best rewards for his goals. Choosing another would mean far less efficiency.
After a few moments of thought, he looked back up at her.
"Aunt," he said again, this time more firmly. "I still want to try."
Her face filled with anxiety.
But Robert continued. "Exactly because I'm the only Sprout left—and because you've given me so much—I need to be worthy of it."
"My parents are gone. Their deaths weren't natural. Their killers are still out there."
"I need to become strong. Constantly. Comfort will only make me forget that."
"A bit of pain, on the other hand—it'll remind me why I fight."
He added reassuringly, "I'll be careful. If it becomes too much, I'll stop."
Sprout's expression shifted multiple times—worry, reluctance, pride, fear. Finally, she sighed deeply.
"You've always had your own ideas," she muttered.
From a sealed, light-blocking bag, she pulled out something and handed it to Robert.
"These are the seeds," she said.
"Once you scatter them into the water, they'll grow thin fronds covered in sharp, serrated edges."
"Some will be strong, some will be weak. You'll need to reach in, identify the underdeveloped ones, and remove them before they stunt the rest."
"The strong fronds have to be gently guided to the tank walls to continue growing."
"You'll need to do this regularly."
"And one more thing," she said, her tone turning almost playful. "They like to play hide-and-seek. With your fingers."
Robert blinked. "What?"
"They respond to warmth and movement. Sometimes they'll hide. You'll have to reach in and coax them out."
Sprout studied his face. "Are you sure you still want to go through with this?"
Without hesitation, Robert nodded.
Resigned, Professor Sprout placed the tank into a fully sealed setup covered in thick black cloth, leaving only a few gaps where Robert could reach in. She explained all the precautions in detail. Once satisfied that he understood, she gave the final nod.
"Be careful," she said softly.
Robert accepted the seed bag with care.
Then, slipping between the black cloth and the tank, he entered total darkness.
It was pitch-black.
Not a glimmer of light.
His hand reached forward to the access hole.
Operating blind in the tank, sowing seeds and removing fronds, was clearly what had driven the previous student to madness. The dark was already unnerving—but then to plunge one's hand into a watery unknown, knowing you could be scratched at any moment...
No wonder the student had nightmares.
But Robert was different.
His Gold-Level Night Vision allowed him to see clearly even in near-absolute darkness.
In his eyes, the tank wasn't pitch-black—it might as well have been broad daylight.
With no hesitation, he took a handful of seeds and dropped them into the water.
Something incredible happened.
The seeds bloomed—rapidly.
Long fronds shot outward, curling and spreading. The edges were lined with countless small serrated spikes, reminiscent of a piranha's teeth.
Some fronds looked healthy—thick and vibrant.
Others were pale and limp.
Those would need to be removed quickly, or they would interfere with the others.
Robert also noticed that the healthy fronds were drifting, searching for tank walls to attach to.
All of this would require hands-on work.
And that meant putting his hand into what amounted to a nest of sharp needles.
But his expression didn't change.
Without flinching, Robert plunged his hand into the water.
The instant his skin brushed the fronds, they twitched.
The serrated spines snapped inward.
They scratched at his skin like tiny razors.
But Robert's skin—tempered by Legendary vitality—didn't break.
The sensation was odd. Tingling. Almost... pleasant?
Like tiny fish nibbling at his hand.
"Hissss..." he let out a soft gasp—not of pain, but surprise.
Professor Sprout stiffened.
"Robert?" she called, alarmed. "Does it hurt? You don't have to do it!"
But Robert made another small noise—this time a chuckle.
"Aunt," he said, laughing.
"This doesn't hurt."
"It's... kind of enjoyable, actually. Tingly and numb. Like a magical fish spa."
"These Piranha Plants give excellent massages."
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