Thinking about the possibility of cultivating a new type of magical herb, Robert felt a surge of anticipation.
Currently, the herbs he cultivated included Margaret, Goldfish Vine, and Luminous Mushroom. The first two provided rewards that enhanced his magic strength and magical perception, indirectly boosting his magical potential. As for the Luminous Mushroom, it improved his understanding of the Lumos spell, making his cultivation more efficient.
However, in terms of direct magical power, the benefits from these plants were still quite limited. After all, no matter how exceptional one's talent was, time and effort were still required to convert potential into true strength.
If Robert had no external pressures, it wouldn't have been an issue. He could continue slowly cultivating these herbs and steadily accumulate magical talent to an extraordinary level. A bit of magic research, combined with that talent, would surely allow his power to improve by leaps and bounds.
But according to the memories he retained, Anton Dolohov would break out of prison in just a few years. The Sprout family harbored a deep and lasting hatred for Dolohov. That beast wasn't just a wanted criminal—he was Professor Sprout's obsession. Robert had made up his mind long ago—he had to kill Dolohov.
Dolohov's power, however, was anything but ordinary. He had fought countless battles and honed his skills through blood and fire. To defeat someone like him in just a few short years was an impossible goal without an edge.
His current plants wouldn't be nearly enough.
So a new idea formed in Robert's mind."This time, I need to find a magical herb that directly benefits combat."With this thought, Robert made his way toward Professor Sprout's office.
As soon as he entered, he was greeted by her cheerful voice.
"Robert, there you are! Child, today we Hufflepuffs held a special celebration banquet—both for winning this week's Lumos final test and for maintaining first place in the House Cup for over a month. I thought you'd attend, but it seems you ran off again to who knows where."
Robert offered an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, Aunt. I went to do some cultivation research."
Professor Sprout sighed, but her expression was more amused than upset—as if she had already expected his response.
"All right, all right. I should've guessed as much. Still, you've been working so hard. You ought to take a break once in a while."
Robert grinned but quickly steered the conversation back to his main reason for coming.
Professor Sprout wasn't at all surprised when he asked about cultivating a new herb. She knew her nephew far too well. His passion for plant cultivation was something practically etched into his very bones.
In fact, when she saw that the Luminous Mushrooms had matured, she had already guessed that he would soon be looking for his next challenge.
However, her expression grew slightly troubled.
"Robert, wanting to cultivate new plants is fine—you can use any seeds or materials I have here. But you're aware that several upper-year Hufflepuffs are currently preparing to publish their Herbology papers. On top of that, many professional Herbologists have applied to use the Hogwarts Greenhouse, some of whom have been on the waiting list for two or three years."
She looked at him seriously.
"If you want to experiment with new plants while continuing to grow Luminous Mushrooms, even I would have trouble arranging that much space."
Robert's heart sank. He understood well how scarce and valuable the Hogwarts Greenhouse plots were.
If he weren't Professor Sprout's nephew, he never would've been given access to such a generously sized experimental plot as a first-year student. Asking for more—even with her as the Head of Hufflepuff—wouldn't be reasonable.
He could consider uprooting the Luminous Mushrooms to free up space for the new plants. But he quickly dismissed that thought. The mushrooms' reward was too important.
Lumos accelerated the growth of many other herbs. Giving that up wasn't an option.
This was a difficult situation.
Just as he was pondering the dilemma, Professor Sprout's eyes twinkled.
"It's hard to arrange more experimental soil plots right now," she said thoughtfully. "But Robert, not all herbs need soil to grow."
Robert blinked.
"You mean... hydroponics?"
Professor Sprout nodded with a warm smile and waved her wand. A tall, human-sized water tank appeared in front of him, crystal clear and shimmering with magical light.
"That's right. Many magical herbs grow naturally underwater. Some even thrive better in aquatic environments than they do in soil."
"This is a major branch in Herbology. You should give it a try."
Then she waved her wand again. More and more water tanks appeared, floating gently in the air.
She led Robert through a small door at the back of the Greenhouse, into another section he had never seen before.
To his surprise, this area was only slightly smaller than the soil plot zones outside. Dozens of water tanks were neatly stacked along the walls and across the open space.
Professor Sprout arranged several large tanks in one section and turned to him with a grin.
"This is Hogwarts' aquatic herb cultivation shed. Except for a few herbs that can only grow in the Black Lake, most aquatic plants can be cultivated here."
"I've already reserved a space for you."
Warmth bloomed in Robert's chest. It was clear she had prepared all this for him in advance, waiting for the day he'd need it.
Professor Sprout began introducing him to various aquatic herbs stored in the nearby tanks.
"This one is Gillyweed. When consumed, it allows the user to grow gills, fins, and webbed fingers and toes. Even someone who can't swim will move underwater like a fish after taking it."
"This is a very rare herb."
Robert immediately recognized it. In the original timeline, Harry Potter had used Gillyweed during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, allowing him to dive into the Black Lake to rescue hostages from the merpeople.
That Gillyweed had reportedly been stolen from Snape's potion stores. For a Potions Master to keep it, it had to be truly valuable.
Robert glanced at the status info now appearing before his eyes:[Upon mature cultivation, reward: Underwater Movement Ability (Silver Level), extremely small amount of Mermish understanding (Black Iron Level)]A Silver Level reward! That was rare.
But Robert knew herbs of that caliber wouldn't be easy to grow.
Even so, the reward didn't appeal to him much in his current situation. He wasn't training to swim—he was preparing for war.
So, he turned his attention to the other aquatic herbs.
Professor Sprout continued her detailed introductions, and Robert checked the reward info for each plant.
Still, none of them offered combat-related boosts.
Until his eyes landed on a particular tank near the corner of the room—one that was covered entirely with a pitch-black cloth, preventing any light from entering.
Curiosity piqued, he asked, "Aunt, what's in this one?"
Professor Sprout frowned slightly.
"That... is a magical herb called Piranha Weed. It was cultivated years ago by an advanced Herbology student."
She explained its unique nature.
"Its requirements for magical perception are low, but its environmental conditions are ridiculously strict. It must be kept in absolute darkness, or it will wither immediately. On top of that, it requires daily pruning—not with magic or scissors, but by hand."
"And it's covered in dense, razor-like thorns. Every time someone tries to trim it, their hands get scratched up. It's painful—not dangerous, just irritating."
"Because of that, the student gave up midway. No one's tried to grow it since."
As she spoke, a new set of rewards appeared before Robert's eyes:[Planting Piranha Weed, reward: Weak Water Affinity Increase (Black Iron Level)]
[Cultivating Piranha Weed to maturity, reward upgraded to: Slight Water Affinity Increase (Bronze Level), extremely small amplification of cutting spells (Black Iron Level)]Robert's eyes sharpened.
At last—a combat-related benefit. Even if small, an amplification of cutting spells could mean the difference between life and death in a real duel.
He knew immediately: this was the one.
For more chapters
patreon.com/Ben479