In Char's line of sight, a reward with a characteristic he had never seen before appeared on the Devil's Snare.
Cultivate the Devil's Snare to maturity to receive the reward:
Binding/Control Charm Chain Count +1 (Silver Rank)
Char examined this "Chain Count +1" reward, and a bold conjecture surfaced in his mind.
In his previous life, he had played a derivative game based on the Harry Potter universe. The protagonist in that game wielded magic so evil that even Voldemort would be shocked. Spells like Avada Kedavra could chain between targets—striking enemies like bolts of lightning.
Could this reward for the Devil's Snare be something similar?
Just imagining the possibility made Char's breathing quicken.
If true, this reward would be extraordinary.
At present, the only binding/control charm he had was Incarcerous. Though it could be cast wandlessly and non-verbally, making it powerful for one-on-one combat, its usefulness dropped significantly in chaotic, multi-target battles.
He recalled how, during his fight with the poachers, this limitation had been painfully clear.
But if Incarcerous could chain—striking a second target once the first was hit—then it would double its utility.
That would be a qualitative transformation.
Had he possessed this chained version of Incarcerous before, perhaps Hagrid wouldn't have been injured, and they could've neutralized the poachers swiftly.
Moreover, this reward was Silver rank, which increased the chain count by one.
What if it could be upgraded?
If he reached Epic or even Legendary rank, could he cast one Levicorpus and lift all enemies into the air simultaneously?
Just the thought filled him with anticipation.
If this was used wisely, it would become a powerful trump card in battle.
With that in mind, Char decided he would prioritize cultivating the Devil's Snare.
But then, another reward associated with the Devil's Snare appeared—and this one made him pause.
It was a unique reward with both potential benefits and risks:
[Fire-Fearing Skin]
Char guessed that this came from the plant's natural traits. Devil's Snare was known to fear fire, but it had extraordinary resistance to physical attacks—blades, swords, and even brute force.
Once entangled, if someone panicked and forgot to use fire or bright light to escape, they'd be in serious trouble. Even a half-giant like Hagrid would struggle to break free by force alone.
So this Fire-Fearing Skin enhancement was a double-edged sword.
On the positive side, Char's already high physical defense—thanks to his physique—would become nearly impenetrable. He'd be almost immune to non-magical physical attacks.
But if it made him vulnerable to fire, then it might not be worth the tradeoff.
Then, his gaze suddenly sharpened.
He remembered his Legendary-rank heat resistance ability—one he had possessed even before entering Hogwarts.
"My heat resistance is Legendary rank," he mused.
"That means my fire resistance is already near its peak.
Could this new fire weakness even affect me at all? Probably not. It'll be neutralized outright."
That changed everything.
The Fire-Fearing Skin reward, then, would be all benefit and no downside—a powerful bonus to his defense.
All hesitation vanished.
Char instantly decided: He would cultivate the Devil's Snare without delay.
Throwing on some clothes, he strode out of the bathroom, heading straight back to the Greenhouse.
Inside the manor, Lis, the house-elf, was joyfully preparing his bed. But she froze upon seeing him walk away.
"Young Master?"
"Aren't you sleeping? You haven't rested for three days!"
Char's eyes gleamed with excitement as he replied without stopping:
"Just three days. No sleep."
"At my age, how can I rest when there's work to be done?"
Lis stared blankly as he disappeared down the hallway.
Then, tears streamed down her cheeks.
"How fortunate! How fortunate!" she sobbed.
"How can Lis be so lucky to serve such a noble and diligent Young Master?
If the Young Master doesn't sleep, then Lis won't sleep either!
Lis will clean the house ten more times tonight!"
Meanwhile, Char had already returned to the Greenhouse.
This time, he brought out the Devil's Snare rootlet given to him by Professor Sprout in her letter.
He didn't rush the process.
Thanks to Professor Snape's strict tutelage in Potion-making, Char had developed a habit: never start with flashy techniques. Instead, observe carefully, and understand the object thoroughly.
So he now observed the Devil's Snare rootlet closely.
As expected from a magical plant with nearly no weaknesses other than fire, the rootlet emitted a strong magical aura, and its vitality was potent.
The quality of the rootlet Sprout had sent was clearly exceptional. His chances of successfully cultivating it were much higher with this one.
He also reviewed what Professor Sprout had told him:
"Devil's Snare is called that—not Devil's Vine—because each rootlet contains special magical nodes."
"If you use the Pruning Charm to create an opening at a magical node, a branch will sprout from that point."
"These new branches will also have magical nodes, though fewer."
"Continue this process until no more magical nodes remain, and the rootlet will grow into a mature Devil's Snare."
"The largest specimen on record once covered nearly two acres!"
The key lay in precise cuts on those magical nodes. If even one usable node was missed or cut improperly, the final growth quality would suffer.
Sprout had especially emphasized:
"Devil's Snare has extremely high resistance to the Pruning Charm.
Only a wizard with very high mastery of it can succeed."
Char reflected on this.
His Pruning Charm was already close to Platinum rank—quite advanced.
It was worth trying now.
After all, the rootlet had many nodes. Failing one or two wouldn't ruin the entire project.
Char unsealed the Devil's Snare rootlet and placed it in a dark, damp corner.
Immediately, the rootlet stirred, becoming more active as the ambient magic intensified.
His Magic Perception, now far sharper than before, quickly locked onto a magical node.
He cast the Pruning Charm.
A sharp, invisible force shot from his wand toward the node.
But then—Char frowned.
The spell failed.
It didn't even create a proper cut—just a faint mark, like trying to slash thick cowhide with a dull blade.
Worse, the node vanished moments later, as the rootlet healed itself.
Char sighed.
"Now I see why Professor Sprout emphasized it so much," he muttered.
"It's not just about spell mastery. My magic power is insufficient.
Just like an old martial arts master—his skill remains, but his strength fades."
Still, he had a solution.
He grabbed a bucket of water and dunked his head in.
Instantly, his Water Enhancement ability activated.
He felt his magic power surge, as if his body had become weightless and limitless.
Empowered, he locked onto another node and cast the Pruning Charm again.
This time, it felt like cutting cowhide with a sharpened blade.
Pfft!
The spell left a deeper incision.
Char sensed the magical reaction—and then shook his head.
"Still a failure," he noted.
"It cut deeper, but still not clean. Not sharp enough. Not fast enough."
Yet, he didn't feel discouraged.
This was just the beginning.
The cultivation of Devil's Snare, like his previous experiments with Whomping Willow, required trial and error—even with his vastly improved skill.
He made a mental estimate.
"If I raise my Pruning Charm to true Platinum rank, and combine it with Water Enhancement, the chance of success will rise dramatically.
Even a 50% success rate would be workable—but it would compromise overall quality."
"Better to wait until I finish harvesting this batch of margaret, and my magic power increases again.
Once that happens, I can begin full cultivation."
He smiled to himself.
"It shouldn't take long. I'll likely reach that stage before the Christmas holiday ends."
For now, the Devil's Snare was on hold.
And the margaret just needed time until its reward spheres maxed out again.
For the moment, aside from practicing Charms, Char felt temporarily free.
Then, he remembered something else:
"Professor Snape's practical combat advice.
I understand the theory, but I still haven't found the knack."
"If I can improve in practical combat over the holiday, then even if Quirrell tries something again after break, I'll be ready."
But there was a problem.
"Where can I find a suitable sparring partner here at home?"
His gaze drifted toward the Greenhouse windows.
Outside, Lis was flitting around the house, busy as ever.
Then, Char's eyes lit up.
House-elves possessed extraordinary magical abilities—wandless, non-verbal, and capable of bypassing magical barriers.
Even Voldemort once underestimated their power and paid the price.
"Aren't they perfect sparring partners?"
Without hesitation, he called out to Lis.
The house-elf appeared with a puzzled look.
"Lis, I need your help… with training!" Char said firmly.
For more chapters
patreon.com/Ben479