Two days later.
Outside Hagrid's hut.
Robert stood on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, wand in hand.
He was repeatedly casting the Soil Loosening Spell on the forest floor.
On his system panel, a golden light was gradually enveloping the words Soil Loosening Spell.
Then—
As if water finally filled a channel—
The last glimmer of golden light sealed the spell completely.
[Soil Loosening Spell (Gold-tier)] promoted!
Robert let out a long breath.
His eyes sparkled with satisfaction.
Now, his Soil Loosening Spell, Pruning Charm, and Lumos had all reached Gold-tier.
The latter two were even approaching Platinum-tier.
These Charms were crucial for cultivating magical plants.
With this progress, he no longer had to worry about any shortcomings in spell mastery while planting the Guardian Tree.
Only one thing remained:
He needed his Magic Perception Enhancement to also reach Gold-tier.
Once that happened, he could plant the Guardian Tree and progress to the next stage.
After that, everything would become much easier.
All he'd need to do was brew the Sacred Tree Potion.
While it wasn't a 100% guarantee, Robert felt confident—at least seventy to eighty percent sure—that he could succeed.
When the Guardian Tree was cultivated in large numbers,
it would become the second magical plant after the Piranha Algae to provide Gold-tier rewards in bulk.
A single large-scale planting would bring in a windfall.
It would likely propel Robert's mastery of Defense Against the Dark Arts straight to Gold-tier, or perhaps even Platinum-tier.
He might even develop resistance to the Dark Arts.
That would give him much more confidence in confronting dangers in the future.
Additionally, planting the Guardian Tree would be a landmark accomplishment in Herbology,
one that might allow him to request more experimental plots in the Greenhouse.
Just thinking about it filled him with excitement.
His gaze returned to the Soil Loosening Spell.
He wondered what had changed now that it was Gold-tier.
Would it be more efficient for his planting?
Curious, Robert raised his wand again.
"Terra-Laus!"
A brownish-yellow light shot out and sank into the ground ahead.
The soil came to life.
The hardened clumps loosened instantly,
and stones were turned up from beneath.
Both the spell's range and depth had greatly increased.
But what truly surprised Robert—
When he pressed his finger into the freshly loosened earth,
he noticed the lower layers still subtly wriggling.
Even after some time, the soil stayed loose and well-aerated.
This meant he wouldn't need to cast the spell every day anymore.
That alone would save him a huge amount of time and energy.
But more importantly—
The active soil would distribute nutrients and moisture more evenly.
If one part lacked nutrients, the soil's movement would deliver what was needed.
Every root would be nourished properly.
As the saying goes:
"To raise a flower, first raise the roots."
With a healthy root system, the plant would naturally thrive.
Robert estimated that this promotion might boost magical plant growth by at least 10%.
Which also meant more rewards from each plant.
Over time, that would be a substantial profit.
He checked the time.
Noticing the hour hand had passed a particular mark,
he smiled with relief.
"Finally...
The punishment is over."
"Seven full days—
I couldn't go to the Greenhouse or even the Potions classroom."
"Heaven knows how I endured it."
"Thankfully, that torment has ended."
"I need to work—badly!"
Just as he turned toward the Greenhouse, he ran into Hagrid.
"Robert!" Hagrid called, waving his big hand.
"Still practicing Charms?"
"Stop right now, lad! Today's not for practicing!"
Robert paused, puzzled.
"Is something special about today?"
Hagrid blinked in surprise.
"Don't tell me you forgot—you're on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team!"
"The season starts today!"
"It's Gryffindor versus Slytherin—the opening match!"
"Everyone's going to watch, probably the whole day!"
"I thought you knew!"
In a flurry, Hagrid dug into his oversized coat and handed Robert a set of essentials:
a monocular telescope, a warm blanket, and a pair of earplugs to muffle the crowd noise.
"This'll be your first Quidditch match."
"You can't miss it!"
Just then, an owl flew by and dropped a letter from Professor Sprout.
The message read:
"Robert, I understand your eagerness to return to the Greenhouse.
But you must attend the opening Quidditch match.
I expect to see you in the stands.
Otherwise, I will assume your reflection isn't complete, and you'll continue reflecting."
Robert smiled bitterly.
Back in his past life, parents had to drag their kids away from distractions and into their studies.
Now he was practically begging to study, and still being told no.
With a reluctant sigh, he gave in.
"All right, looks like I can't avoid this match."
Still, he didn't actually mind watching.
He recalled how dramatic this match had been in the original story.
The action on the field was intense,
but the drama off the field was just as gripping.
He remembered how Quirrell had tried to jinx Harry's broom in public—
in front of Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall, no less.
Madness.
Then again, Quirrell had always been overconfident.
A Ravenclaw prodigy in his school days—his grades probably even outshone Hermione's.
After taking a teaching post, he stumbled upon traces of Voldemort's soul.
Instead of reporting it, he had the audacity to think he could control it.
That ended exactly how you'd expect:
Voldemort possessed him.
So his foolish attempt at killing Harry on the pitch... it made sense in a twisted way.
Still, Robert didn't plan to interfere.
He'd just watch.
Then, another memory surfaced—
"Wait a minute," Robert murmured.
"Wasn't Snape bitten by the Cerberus around this time?"
"Injured badly, limping for days."
"And because of the Dark Arts on Cerberus' teeth,
he couldn't even use Potions to heal—had to suffer through it."
"No wonder Snape's counter-jinx during the match was weak."
If Robert had never spoken to Snape, he might not have cared.
But over the past few days, Snape had offered him real guidance.
Sure, the man was gruff, arrogant, and perpetually greasy...
But Robert respected him.
And besides, that Half-Blood Prince's textbook had benefited him greatly.
He owed Snape, both emotionally and practically.
He decided to visit.
So Robert asked Hagrid for some supplies:
a few pieces of dragon liver cake, a bag of hot goat's milk, and several sausages.
With them bundled together, he made his way to Snape's office.
Fortunately, most students were already at the Quidditch stands.
No one paid attention to him.
He arrived at the Slytherin Head's office and knocked.
Before he could speak, a voice—surprised and perhaps even pleased—called out.
"Robert Sprout?"
Footsteps followed.
The door opened.
Snape appeared, frowning at the bundle Robert held.
"What's this? A grocery run?"
Robert smiled sheepishly.
"I heard you were injured, Professor.
So I brought some things from Hagrid."
"Dragon liver cake—good for restoring vitality if soaked in goat's milk."
"These sausages, too—rare ingredients, excellent for healing."
Snape snorted.
"Always food with you Hufflepuffs."
"Fine. Don't put it on the floor—table."
Robert set the items down as Snape dragged himself to a chair,
clearly in pain.
His face was pale, his movements stiff.
Robert took note of his condition.
The injury was worse than expected.
The Cerberus wasn't called a 5X-level magical beast for nothing.
Snape noticed Robert staring and growled, "If you've something to say, just say it."
Robert asked carefully, "Professor, even Potions can't heal this?"
Snape shook his head.
"There's Dark Arts residue in the wound."
"Not ordinary Dark Magic—I could deal with that."
"This one drains life force over time. It can't be eliminated, only worn down slowly."
"For some, it could even be fatal."
Then, surprisingly, Snape added with a trace of pride:
"But I'm not some second-rate potion brewer."
"When the corruption weakens, I'll finish it off."
"I'll be fine in about two weeks."
He narrowed his eyes at Robert.
"And then you'll be back to work. Don't even think about slacking."
Robert nodded, then hesitated.
"Wait... two weeks?"
He groaned. "That long before I can return to the Greenhouse?"
But then something clicked.
"You said it drains life force..."
"Could external life force work?"
Snape looked puzzled.
"Yes... in theory, yes."
Robert's mind started racing.
Maybe—just maybe—he had a way to help.
[
For more chapters
patreon.com/Ben479