In Professor Flitwick's office, Robert arrived to find the professor beaming with excitement.
As soon as Robert entered, Professor Flitwick stood up, practically glowing with anticipation. He seemed eager to share some good news.
"Robert," he called warmly.
"Earlier, I only had the chance to tell you that your exclusive spell had been completed," he continued. "But you must not yet understand just how magical this new spell truly is."
Professor Flitwick's eyes sparkled with the thrill of discovery. "I incorporated the Muggle concept of spectrum that you mentioned in your spell ideas," he explained, "and the result caused Lumos to react in the most incredible way."
Without waiting for a response, he gestured animatedly. "Let me demonstrate!"
Standing confidently, he lifted his wand. "Now, pay close attention. This is no ordinary Lumos. Both the incantation and casting motion have changed."
With practiced finesse, Professor Flitwick drew a circle in the air with his wand. That was where the traditional Lumos gesture would end. But just as the circle completed, his wrist made a sudden, precise flick upward. The wand's tip twitched, releasing an icy-blue glow.
"Lumos—Freques!" he chanted.
The tip of his wand shimmered with an unusual hue—a bright, ice-blue light, different from the typical white of Lumos. His face lit up like a child who'd just discovered a new toy.
"Do you see?" he exclaimed, voice high with delight. "That little wrist flick, combined with a fine-tuned pulse of magical energy, creates endless variations. It all depends on how you end the motion."
He waved his wand again, and the light at the tip shifted—first to green, then pink, then golden. At last, the wand emitted a successful Lumos with no visible light at all.
"A Lumos without any light!" he declared. "Isn't that fascinating?"
"Robert, this is a genius idea!"
Robert's eyes widened as he watched the shifting lights. He was truly impressed. It was one thing to imagine the spell conceptually, but seeing it realized was another matter entirely.
As expected from a spell master like Flitwick. To have taken a simple idea and refined it into such an advanced magical technique in just a week—Robert was filled with admiration.
Soon, under Professor Flitwick's patient guidance, Robert began practicing the spell himself.
Since the spell was built upon the framework of Lumos, and Robert already had near-gold-level proficiency in that spell, he adapted to the variant quickly. Before long, shimmering lights in different colors bloomed from his wand as well.
As he succeeded in the casting, his system panel updated:
[Lumos Variant (To be named)]
A faint golden glow appeared behind the silver background of the spell name. The new variant was immediately recognized to be on the same level as his original Lumos spell.
Robert grinned.
He had assumed he would have to level the new spell up again from scratch, but now it seemed that wouldn't be necessary. A pleasant surprise indeed.
As Robert admired his progress, Professor Flitwick brought up an important point.
"Now comes the most fun part—you get to name your exclusive spell," he said cheerfully. "Shall we call it 'Robert's Lumos'? Or perhaps 'Sprout Lumos'? What do you think?"
Robert looked thoughtful.
"You're right. It should have a name. Otherwise, it's troublesome to keep calling it a 'variant.'" He paused. "Since this spell introduces the concept of frequency, why not call it the Frequency Light Spell?"
He glanced at the professor with a respectful smile. "But I believe the full name should be... Filius Frequency Light Spell."
Professor Flitwick blinked in surprise. "What? No, no, I couldn't accept that," he said, flustered. "This is your spell. I only refined the idea you brought forward. Naming it after me would be improper."
But Robert shook his head firmly.
"I merely offered an idea based on Muggle science—a basic concept of frequency and light spectrum. Without your deep magical knowledge and skill, Professor, that idea would've stayed an idea forever."
"The real work? That was all you. If I insist on naming it without recognizing your contribution, I'd just be plagiarizing your academic achievement."
Robert's words were sincere and unwavering.
Professor Flitwick didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"It's just a little spell," he said modestly. "It's not like I lack academic achievements!"
Then, smiling with playful compromise, he added, "Alright then—how about this: Filius-Sprout Frequency Light Spell. If we're going to credit me, then we must also credit you. Otherwise, I'll withdraw my contribution entirely!"
Robert's eyes flickered with emotion.
Letting the name "Sprout"—his aunt's surname—be part of the spell? It actually felt better than using his own name. He imagined how happy she would be upon hearing it.
With a small nod, he agreed.
Bidding farewell to Professor Flitwick, Robert hurried toward the Greenhouse, eager to test the spell's effect on plant growth.
Inside the greenhouse, Robert wasted no time in setting up his first experiment—with Luminous Mushrooms.
He prepared multiple test tubes, ensuring all other conditions were uniform: identical soil, environment, and mycelium from the same growth stage. The only variable? The light spell.
One group of Luminous Mushrooms was exposed to the original Lumos. Another to the Frequency Light Spell, with its color gradually shifting toward red. The third group received light that shifted toward purple.
Though not a perfect scientific setup, Robert believed it would still give him preliminary insights.
Soon, however, his excitement gave way to disappointment.
It became clear that the mushrooms under the standard Lumos exhibited the most active and healthy mycelium. In contrast, the ones exposed to red or purple Frequency Light Spell showed signs of decline.
In the most extreme cases, the glowing reward spheres—indicators of healthy magical growth—disappeared entirely. That meant the mycelium in those test tubes had gone inactive.
Robert shook his head, making a mental note."The Frequency Light Spell does not promote the growth of Luminous Mushrooms. They thrive on the original Lumos frequency. Any significant deviation appears to hinder growth—and in extreme cases, can kill the fungi."But the disappointment was short-lived.
He'd only been testing a theory, after all. In any academic pursuit, especially magical research, failure was more common than success. Robert knew better than to dwell on it.
Besides, he still had several magical herbs yet to test.
A turning point might be just around the corner.
He moved on to the next specimen—the Goldfish Vine.
Repeating the same procedure, he exposed the new plant samples to different Frequency Light Spells.
This time, his eyes lit up.
One of the vines, illuminated by a soft blue-purple variation of the spell, appeared unusually vibrant. Its tendrils pulsed with a healthy glow, and small, shimmering orbs hovered around the base of the plant.
It wasn't conclusive evidence just yet, but it was certainly promising.
Robert leaned in, eyes focused, a small smile curling on his lips.
Perhaps, he thought, the true value of the Filius-Sprout Frequency Light Spell wasn't in general growth promotion—but in matching specific frequencies to individual magical plants.
He straightened, already thinking of new experimental designs.
The journey of magical botany, it seemed, had only just begun.
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