Epic rewards? And three at once?!
Even after living two lifetimes and witnessing countless grand events, Robert still felt his mind go blank with disbelief. He had spent years planting magical trees before—practically becoming a top-tier Herbology workhorse. To push even a single ability to the epic level normally took years of painstaking effort. But now? If he successfully planted the Whomping Willow, and once it matured, he would be granted three epic-tier rewards in one go.
The difference was staggering—almost unimaginable.
And these rewards weren't just grand in name—they were extremely practical. Battle Instinct, Reaction Speed, and Magic Strength—each of them would significantly enhance Robert's combat effectiveness. On top of that, one of the rewards from the Whomping Willow was an unknown ancient magic.
This marked the second time Robert encountered a reward linked to ancient magic—the first being during his cultivation of the Elber Tree. Though the effects of the ancient magic were still a mystery, anything tied to such arcane power was undoubtedly immensely powerful.
Robert took a deep breath, eyes burning with restrained excitement.
If he could just plant the Whomping Willow, he would rise in power instantly. No, not to the level of Dumbledore or Voldemort—that was still far off. But within the magical world, he'd certainly rank among the most formidable wizards alive. Fighting a group of elite Aurors? Going head-to-head with core Death Eaters? That would all be within reach.
But Robert hadn't forgotten.
There were still around four and a half years until Antonin Dolohov escaped from prison—the Death Eater whose hands were soaked in the Sprout Family's blood, the one Professor Sprout loathed with every fiber of her being.
Robert would kill him.
But Dolohov wasn't easy prey.
This was a man whose name struck fear into the hearts of countless wizards. Among the original Order of the Phoenix, Dolohov had taken down at least two or three members whose names never made it to the headlines. In the later Order, his encounters with members like Tonks and Lupin were frequent—and often, the results were grim. Even Mad-Eye Moody, one of the fiercest duelists of his time, found himself at a disadvantage when facing Dolohov one-on-one.
After bloody battles with poachers and intense field training under Snape, Robert had come to understand—truly understand—how powerful a wizard could be. Snape, for instance, was terrifyingly strong. He could crush most Dark wizards with ease. Even professors like McGonagall and Flitwick might not match him in a duel to the death.
And yet, whenever Snape mentioned Dolohov, his expression turned grave—somber, wary.
If Snape, with his immense power and ruthless cunning, showed such caution toward Dolohov… then taking down Dolohov might be an even more difficult task than defeating Snape himself.
At present, Robert couldn't even beat Snape when the man wasn't going all out. The gap was overwhelming. Words failed to describe how vast it truly was.
But if the Whomping Willow could be successfully planted, if Robert could earn those legendary-tier rewards, then…
He'd stand a chance.
Still, Robert was under no illusions. Completing a task that even a Herbology master like Professor Sprout couldn't finish would be immensely difficult. It might very well be just as hard as taking down Dolohov.
But just a moment later, Robert's thoughts calmed.
No anxiety. No frustration. No despair.
"Any difficult problem," he reminded himself, "can be broken down into several simpler sub-problems. Broken down level by level, until they become manageable."
He didn't need to solve the entire Whomping Willow issue in one shot. That was about as unrealistic as proving Goldbach's Conjecture or the Riemann Hypothesis in a single evening.
The correct approach was to tackle sub-projects first—gradually piecing together the path to the final goal.
This, in fact, was exactly what Professor Sprout had outlined in her recent letter. She had listed several Herbology projects for Robert to try over the next one or two years. Though many had already been conquered by other Herbologists, successfully reproducing them would still be a tremendous boost to Robert's foundational knowledge.
His eyes scanned the parchment, reading the list:
"Light-Eating Vine."
"Shadow Thorns."
Both were aggressive, vine-like magical plants with qualities similar to the Whomping Willow's branches.
But then—
"Devil's Snare."
Robert's eyes widened.
He hadn't expected Devil's Snare, that menacing plant from the Philosopher's Stone trials, to be part of the Whomping Willow cultivation sub-projects.
No wonder Professor Sprout could grow such a large quantity with ease.
It all made sense now—they were byproducts of her long-term research on the Whomping Willow.
Robert quickly dove into the introductory materials she'd attached. He lost all sense of time, completely absorbed in reading.
The sky gradually darkened.
Candlelight flickered to life across the library.
Only when a soft voice called his name did Robert snap back to reality. He looked up.
Professor Sprout stood beside him, her face gentle and slightly helpless.
"Robert," she said with a sigh, "you child. It's Christmas. And you're spending the whole day in the library again?"
Robert smiled. "Aunt. You're done with work?"
At that, Professor Sprout rubbed her forehead with a tired groan.
"Yes. Finally. It was a disaster."
"Our house was okay, but those little Gryffindors partied way too late last night. The Hogwarts Express was delayed three times. Professor McGonagall had to call students out of their dorms one by one."
"Some caught colds, some had fevers, and some suddenly didn't want to go home at all…"
"But in the end," she added with relief, "everyone made it on the train safely."
After a long sigh and a bit more venting, her face brightened again.
"Now it's our turn to go home."
"Robert, this will be your first Christmas back at the Sprout family estate."
Robert nodded. He packed up his things for the two-week holiday and, just before six in the evening, followed his aunt to the fireplace.
The flames blazed green with Floo Powder magic.
Four months had passed since they'd last been here.
Returning now, Robert barely recognized the place.
But not because it was messy.
On the contrary—everything was clean, organized, and perfectly maintained. Warmth radiated from the hearth, candles lit the space brightly, and the scent of freshly cooked dishes filled the air.
Robert was stunned.
Professor Sprout smiled, pleased.
She called out, "Lis."
With a soft pop, a creature appeared—large-headed, bat-like ears, and wearing tattered clothing.
A House-elf.
"Greetings, Master. Greetings, Young Master," Lis said with a bow.
Only then did Robert fully process what he was seeing.
"A House-elf?!"
Professor Sprout chuckled. "Our family always had one. I let it go to manage your home when you were born, and I didn't really need one afterward."
"But since you're back now, the house should be properly taken care of."
"I hired Lis shortly after you started at Hogwarts."
Robert nodded, feeling strangely emotional.
In his previous life, he had been more like a servant to his mentor—perhaps not unlike a House-elf himself.
Yet now, in this life, he was being served by one?
Too decadent.
Still, he didn't reject it. He knew talent alone wasn't enough for success. This level of "decadence" was earned.
Later, Robert and Professor Sprout sat down for dinner. Normally, Robert didn't eat much in the evening. But this time, he slowed down, accompanying his aunt and reminiscing about the past.
Professor Sprout drank cup after cup of butterbeer. Robert considered stopping her—but then decided against it. Maybe it was better to let her relax.
Eventually, she slumped over, dazed and sleepy.
"Lis," Robert said gently, "take Aunt to rest. She's exhausted."
Lis nodded. But before leaving, she looked up.
"Young Master," she asked timidly. "Do you need anything? When would you like your bath and incense prepared for sleep?"
Robert blinked.
"Sleep? Uh… I'm not sure. Maybe in… three days?"
Lis hesitated. "Three hours?"
"No," Robert replied firmly. "Three days. It's the holidays, after all. I want to relax—by working."
He turned to leave. "I'm going to the greenhouse. Take care of Aunt. Don't disturb me."
After Robert left, Lis stood frozen for a long time.
Why… did the Young Master seem more like a House-elf than she did?
And then a chill crept into her thoughts.
What if the Young Master was too hardworking?
Would she… lose her job?
While Lis questioned her own existence, Robert reached the Sprout Family Greenhouse.
He took a deep breath and opened the door.
A sea of blooming margaret flowers greeted him—bright, sun-colored, and dazzling.
But Robert's eyes focused not on the petals—but on the glowing orbs floating above them.
Reward light orbs. Dozens. Hundreds.
"Half a year of waiting," Robert whispered.
"Time to harvest."
"Without Water Enhancement, my weakness in Magic Strength has always held me back. But now…"
"Silver-level?"
"Gold-level?"
"…or maybe… even a chance at Platinum?"
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