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

The Pruning Charm advanced to Gold Tier. This was also Ciel's second Gold-Tier spell.

And with the miraculous effect of Sectumsempra on improving the Pruning Charm, Ciel even felt that perhaps the Pruning Charm could advance to Platinum Tier almost simultaneously with the Lumos Charm!

In this way, it was actually the first spell Ciel had learned—the Soil-Loosening Charm—that was falling behind in progress. So far, it was still some distance from Gold Tier.

"I'll need to pay more attention to the Soil-Loosening Charm later. After all, this spell is related to the step of planting Guardian Tree seeds into soil. Only by reaching Gold Tier can it avoid holding back the Guardian Tree cultivation."

Thoughts flashed through his mind. However, Ciel soon focused his attention on the newly advanced Pruning Charm.

"Perfect, there are no classes this morning. Let me test whether the advanced Pruning Charm has any new qualitative properties."

Then Ciel walked through the corridors of Hogwarts Castle toward the greenhouse. Along the way, he encountered quite a few students with dark circles under their eyes, obviously too excited to sleep well last night.

Even Cedric, a third-year student who had experienced several Halloweens at the castle, looked tired as he discussed tonight's Halloween feast with friends gathered around him.

"I heard the kitchens specially developed Halloween-themed feast dishes. I bet they'll be fantastic. And the costume I'm going to wear—you'll never guess it in a million years..."

At this moment, Cedric saw Ciel and quickly waved to this ace of Hufflepuff Quidditch.

"Ciel, first-years don't have classes this morning. Where are you heading?"

Ciel smiled. "I'm going to check on the greenhouse."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ciel walked away. Cedric watched his retreating figure with admiration and emotion.

"Even at a time like this, he's still going to the greenhouse. So dedicated."

Ciel, walking along the path, didn't think it was anything special. Working an extra shift on Halloween eve? In his previous life, that would be like working the day before a major holiday. Wasn't that perfectly normal?

In his opinion, these young wizards were too well protected. If they had experienced work schedule adjustments, how could they make such a big fuss?

Ciel shook his head. Soon, he arrived at the greenhouse.

With Halloween approaching, even the greenhouse was decorated with pumpkins and bats. However, the entire greenhouse was empty now. This was perfect for Ciel to test his advanced Pruning Charm.

"Arbor Siccus!"

A sharp magical force burst forth. It immediately left deep marks on a thick tree trunk. Then, a milk-like viscous liquid flowed from the trunk, falling into a special container below the tree.

Seeing this scene, Ciel's eyes showed delight. This tree was a Kara Tree that Professor Sprout had previously cultivated for the Halloween feast. This magical plant's stem continuously produced this milky white viscous liquid. This was an ingredient used in many classic desserts in the wizarding world.

If too much accumulated, it would actually inhibit its growth. Therefore, Kara Trees needed their trunks cut with the Pruning Charm daily during growth to let the viscous liquid flow out.

However, Kara Tree trunks were extremely tough. Ordinary Pruning Charms could hardly cut through them. Ciel had tried before. Even with his Silver-Tier Pruning Charm, he could only leave scratches on the Kara Tree bark. To reach the point where liquid flowed out required repeating it five or six times.

But after the Pruning Charm advanced to Gold Tier, one cutting attempt was probably equivalent to casting it over ten times before!

Feeling this improvement, Ciel showed satisfaction. He knew that the magical herbs he had previously planted—Goldfish Vines, Lumos Shrooms, etc.—were either fungi or small shrubs. So the Pruning Charm could easily trim them.

But the more powerful magical plants tended toward tree forms. And many had magical resistance. If the Pruning Charm mastery wasn't sufficient, just caring for one tree would probably consume countless hours.

The greatly increased cutting power after the Pruning Charm's advancement would be very useful for Ciel's future cultivation of more powerful magical plants.

Then he continued experimenting. His satisfaction grew even more.

"The cutting success rate has also increased significantly. Previously, with the Silver-Tier Pruning Charm, the cutting success rate of plant parts was at most less than ten percent. Now, just after advancing, it's about twelve percent. This will increase my final harvest considerably."

However, immediately after, Ciel frowned slightly. Perhaps because this advancement was mainly brought about by practicing Sectumsempra, Ciel always felt that the advanced Pruning Charm seemed to have some other special effects that hadn't been revealed yet.

Although the Pruning Charm's advancement performance already satisfied him greatly, not figuring out this special effect made him feel something was still missing.

So for the rest of the time, Ciel kept repeatedly testing the Pruning Charm in the greenhouse, trying to figure out this special effect. But until evening, Ciel still couldn't understand it.

"Maybe this special effect is too weak? Or the conditions to trigger it are too demanding?"

Ciel shook his head and glanced at the sky outside. "It won't be long before dark."

If it were any other time, he wouldn't mind. Working all night was often the case. But today, knowing that Quirrell would cause trouble, Ciel didn't want to risk getting involved in any complications.

Anyway, as long as the Pruning Charm's special effect truly existed, there would always be a time when he figured it out. No need to rush for just one day.

Ciel quickly left the greenhouse and returned to the castle.

The first thing Ciel did upon returning to the castle was ask the little badgers about Hermione's situation. Hannah Abbott, who had already put on rabbit ears, was still full of indignation when discussing this matter.

"Ron Weasley was simply too much! Hermione was clearly teaching him, but he actually said those things about Hermione behind her back. Hermione cried in the girls' bathroom all morning and wouldn't let anyone comfort her. It wasn't until noon that she went to our Hufflepuff common room, and she's still crying there now."

Upon hearing this, Ciel breathed a sigh of relief. Hermione hadn't continued staying in the girls' bathroom but was staying in the Hufflepuff common room. According to the original plot development, she definitely wouldn't encounter the troll. That was enough.

This could be considered Ciel and the little badgers repaying Hermione's favor. As for tonight's troll incident, Ciel had no intention of getting involved. With Dumbledore and the professors there, what could happen?

Let the savior Harry and Ron perform. He was just a little badger who diligently planted trees. What did adventures have to do with little badgers?

Thinking this, Ciel simply returned directly to Hufflepuff's common room. He comfortably settled into a sofa. Not far away, Hermione was also curled up by the fireplace, occasionally sobbing.

Soon, as time passed and the sky darkened, the little badgers gradually left the common room, putting on their costumes to attend the Halloween feast. Only Ciel and Hermione remained in the common room.

Suddenly, Hermione looked up and said gratefully, "Ciel, thank you for staying here with me. I'm much better now. Why don't you go to the Halloween feast? The feast has already started. Such a lively event would be a pity to miss. Once I pull myself together, I'll be there soon too."

Ciel shook his head. Before he could say much, he suddenly heard chaotic footsteps in the corridor. Then the little badgers who had attended the feast came rushing in in panic.

Seeing this scene, Ciel already understood. Just like in the original story, Quirrell had released a troll into the castle during the Halloween feast to divert the Hogwarts professors' attention while investigating the Philosopher's Stone's protections.

However, unlike the original, this time Hermione wasn't caught up in it. Perhaps the formation of the golden trio would be much later than in the original story.

While Ciel was pondering, the little badgers were already discussing the rumors they'd heard about the troll with trembling voices.

"I heard the Weasley twins say on the way that trolls grind people up and eat them!"

"I also heard the Weasley twins say that trolls especially like us young wizards because we usually eat well."

"Wuu wuu wuu, I'm scared. They also said trolls know stealth magic and might sneak into the common room to eat young wizards!"

After hearing these hearsay pieces of information from the little badgers, Hermione shook her head vigorously.

"No, no, no. How can you believe what Fred and George say? They're two pranksters, and there's hardly a true word from their mouths. Trolls are dangerous, but they're not as evil as they claim. They eat everything, omnivorous, but only very few trolls eat people. Trolls don't have any magical abilities either. Their danger mainly comes from their strength and powerful magical resistance."

"But you don't need to worry about any of this," Hermione comforted the little badgers. "There's something in the castle that has a fatal attraction for trolls. It won't bother looking for anything else; it's definitely going after this thing."

The little badgers showed curious expressions, all looking at Hermione.

"Something with fatal attraction for trolls? What is it?"

Hermione's nature flared up again, and she immediately answered, "You'll never guess it's Goldfish Vines. Goldfish Vines are ingredients for memory potions. As everyone knows, trolls are really too stupid. Precisely because of this, they seem to sense that Goldfish Vines are good for them, so mature Goldfish Vines have fatal attraction for trolls."

She continued with confidence, "I remember the Goldfish Vines planted in the castle are about to mature, so the troll should head straight for those Goldfish Vines and won't hurt anyone."

Upon hearing this, the little badgers finally relaxed.

However, in the common room, Ciel, who had originally been nestled in the sofa, suddenly froze.

"What?!"

[Chapter Complete]

***

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