Harry Potter: Don't Touch the Badger's Plants

When Ciel walked into the Charms classroom, he was momentarily stunned by the transformation before him.

The original classroom could typically accommodate students from only two Houses at once, but today it had been dramatically expanded with an Undetectable Extension Charm. The space was now five or six times larger than before, complete with designated seating areas for all four Houses, a raised platform for spell demonstrations, and even a dedicated judges' panel for the professors.

From this grand setup alone, it was clear that the faculty placed tremendous importance on this Lumos Charm final examination.

Though there were still twenty minutes before the official start time, nearly all the students had already arrived. Ciel took his seat in the Hufflepuff section and immediately sensed the thick tension permeating the air. The badgers around him were clearly overwhelmed by such a formal occasion.

When they spotted Ciel, the Hufflepuffs seemed to find their anchor of confidence.

"Ciel, what should we do?" one whispered anxiously. "Today seems so formal. Do we each have to cast spells on that high platform in front of everyone? Just thinking about it makes my legs weak."

Ciel smiled helplessly at their obvious pre-exam anxiety. How could he comfort them?

After a moment, his gaze fell upon Hermione in the Gryffindor section, and inspiration struck.

"I've heard of a saying," Ciel told the nervous badgers. "Praying to the study god can help you absorb some of their academic aura. You'll pass every exam and perform beyond expectations. Do you want to try?"

The Hufflepuffs' eyes immediately lit up. One by one, their gazes turned toward Hermione as they began praying in hushed voices.

"Oh, Hermione, please bless us to perform exceptionally."

Remarkably, their tension did seem to ease considerably with these prayers.

"Hermione's protection is working?" one whispered.

"Praise Hermione!" another added.

Over in the Gryffindor section, Hermione felt the weight of all those stares and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Did I put my robes on backwards today? Why are the Hufflepuffs constantly looking at me?

Fortunately, the professors' arrival drew everyone's attention away from her predicament.

All four House Heads had come, along with several other faculty members who were free to observe. The scene was already quite impressive, but when a tall figure with a flowing white beard entered the classroom, every student gasped in disbelief.

"Headmaster Dumbledore?!"

Dumbledore smiled warmly and waved to the assembled students.

"When I heard last week that there would be such an exciting examination today, I decided I simply had to attend," he said, his eyes twinkling with genuine delight. "Children gathered together, showcasing their efforts and progress—for an old man like me, there's no better medicine than this youthful energy."

He paused, letting his words sink in. "So as Headmaster, I proposed to the four House Heads that besides Professor Flitwick's promised custom spell and House Cup points, I should also provide some interesting rewards."

The students' breathing quickened with anticipation. This was the mysterious reward from all the rumors! They had debated intensely about what it might be, but no one had guessed that Dumbledore himself would be providing it.

Everyone's desire intensified dramatically. A reward from the most powerful wizard of the century would surely be extraordinary.

Dumbledore didn't keep them in suspense. He withdrew a shiny silver object from his robes—something that resembled a lighter. With a gentle press and an accompanying click, every light in the classroom, including the glow from students' still-maintained Lumos Charms, was suddenly drawn into a swirling vortex, converging into a small orb of light that was absorbed by the silver device.

Then Dumbledore clicked it again, and the captured light flowed back out, returning to its original sources.

"This is a little invention I'm quite proud of," Dumbledore said with evident satisfaction. "I call it a Deluminator. I'm extremely fond of it—many professors have wanted it from me, but I've never given it to anyone. However, this time, I'm offering it as the reward for first place in this examination."

The classroom erupted in excited chatter.

"That's incredible!"

"If I had a Deluminator, I could control all the lights in the dormitory!"

"Dumbledore's own invention—if I took that home for my parents to see, they'd be absolutely thrilled!"

Ciel's mind replayed the scene of the Lumos Charms being absorbed by the Deluminator, and his eyes blazed with intense desire. What a wonderful device!

Currently, he only cultivated Goldfish Vines and Lumos Shrooms, plus he had to make time for Quidditch practice and trimming discarded broomsticks. He could barely spare any additional time to plant and care for new magical herbs.

Providing Lumos illumination to the mushrooms had to be done at night, and each session consumed most of his evening. But with the Deluminator, Ciel could use fragmented time throughout the day to store enough Lumos Charms in the device, then release them all at once during his nighttime cultivation sessions.

That would free up enormous amounts of time—enough to cultivate an entirely new type of plant!

This realization made Ciel even more determined to secure first place in the examination.

After the commotion died down, Dumbledore took his seat at the judges' panel.

"Let's dispense with formalities and begin directly," he announced. "As for the order, how about we follow the sequence of the Sorting Ceremony?"

His gaze turned toward the Hufflepuff section with a gentle smile.

"Hannah Abbott? Would you be willing to go first?"

Hannah's face crumpled with the expression of someone who wanted to cry. This cursed surname! Being first alphabetically was always a burden.

She stood stiffly from her seat as the Hufflepuffs around her immediately burst into enthusiastic applause and encouragement.

"Hannah, you can do it!"

"You're the best!"

"The study god is watching you!"

Hearing this, Hannah glanced towards Hermione's direction. Seeing that Hermione was also applauding for her, Hannah's nervousness subsided slightly. Only then did she slowly walk toward the stage, though her body was clearly trembling.

Seeing Hannah so nervous, some unprepared students felt a wave of relief. Among the Gryffindors, both Harry and Ron relaxed considerably.

Harry had been too exhausted from recent Quidditch training, falling asleep immediately upon returning to the dormitory with no time to practice the Lumos Charm. Ron simply didn't get along with Hermione and refused to ask for her guidance, preferring to play Wizard's Chess instead.

The two boys exchanged glances, finding comfort in Hannah's obvious anxiety. No matter how unprepared they were, surely they'd perform better than someone this nervous, right?

But the next moment completely shattered their assumptions.

Hannah, having reached the stage, took a deep breath and summoned her courage. She was the first to represent Hufflepuff—she had to perform well. She wanted to earn points for her House, and Hermione, who had guided her so patiently these past days, was watching from below. Even if she was clumsy, she hoped to perform in a way that would make Hermione proud.

Hannah raised her wand with newfound determination.

"Lumos!"

Brilliant, stable light blazed forth—brighter and more controlled than anything she'd achieved in practice. Hannah felt a wonderful sensation, as if she'd tapped into something deeper than mere technique.

Whether it was the professors at the judges' panel or the students from all four Houses, everyone was stunned by what they witnessed. The Lumos Charm Hannah had just cast was simply exceptional.

From Ciel's perspective, Hannah's spell had clearly reached Bronze Tier in the system's evaluation—a remarkable achievement for someone who had struggled with basic magic just weeks ago.

The professors showed expressions of genuine surprise. Professor Sprout beamed with joy, standing to applaud her student enthusiastically. Even Dumbledore cast a warm, appreciative gaze upon the young Hufflepuff.

"Hannah Abbott has given us a wonderful beginning," Dumbledore announced. "Her progress is truly remarkable. For this excellent demonstration, I award Hufflepuff House three points!"

Hannah's cheeks flushed completely red as she returned to her seat amid thunderous applause from her fellow badgers, her mind filled with a single triumphant thought: I earned points for Hufflepuff!

Meanwhile, Harry and Ron stared at each other in blank shock, only one realization echoing in their minds:

"This is... playing badger to eating tiger?"

"We're completely done for! We won't end up in last place, will we?!"

(End of Chapter)

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