Chapter 26: Thornicus!
Under Hermione's astonished gaze, the grass on the lawn in front of Artel began to grow wildly, transforming into a species of barbed thorns. These thorns expanded for more than ten meters before halting their growth, but they continued to crawl and writhe on the ground, as if reaching for something.
What was most astonishing was the intermittent green light flashing from these vines, giving them an eerie appearance.
"These vines can entangle enemies and inject a paralyzing toxin, rendering the opponent unable to control their body. Simultaneously, they absorb the opponent's vitality to replenish the wizard," Artel explained to Hermione. "Furthermore, these vines possess magical protection, making them impervious to ordinary spells and weapons. In short, it's a formidable magic."
"But this magic has a limitation."
Artel glanced at Hermione but didn't immediately elaborate. Hermione, being her clever self, pondered for a moment and then huffed with a touch of tsundere attitude, "I see, this magic requires the cooperation of plants!"
"Yes, this magic relies on the presence of plants. While any plants can be used, there are places where no plants are present at all."
Artel nodded, unsurprised by Hermione's astuteness.
"But there's a solution to that, think about it."
Furrowing her brows in thought, Hermione eventually looked at Artel with uncertainty. "Transfiguration?"
"Exactly!"
Artel extended his wand, and before Hermione's eyes, a small pebble in front of him transformed into grass. Then, a flash from his wand turned the grass into thorny vines that began to grow rapidly.
"In areas devoid of plants, Transfiguration can work wonders. Let's give it a try. The spell is 'Thornicus!,' and pay attention..."
Listening carefully, Hermione retrieved her wand and made several attempts before successfully casting the spell. However, her magical power was limited, allowing her to transform only a thorny vine and have it spread to a length of about five meters.
"That's impressive. Neville would have taken a year to grow grass by an inch."
"Don't mock people behind their backs," Hermione retorted, playfully glaring at Artel.
"Did you mention that the wizard who created this spell is named Saruman? I don't recall ever hearing that name. Maybe I should search for it in the library."
With a wave of Artel's wand, all the thorns and vines transformed back into grass. The two of them lay on the grass, chatting leisurely. Hermione felt it was a delightful way to spend her time, so she decided to take Artel to the library later.
After dinner in the Great Hall, Artel bid farewell to Hermione and returned to his dormitory.
Malfoy and the others were engaged in cheerful conversation in the dormitory, but when Artel entered, the room fell silent. Malfoy appeared to have something to discuss, so he exchanged glances with his two younger companions, and the trio discreetly exited the dormitory, heading to the common room for a private conversation.
The following morning, Artel woke up feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep. After getting dressed and freshening up, he took out his wand, cast a spell on Goyle, and left the dormitory.
Malfoy and Crabbe watched Artel leave, a mixture of fear and uncertainty in their eyes. Once he had departed, they hurried to Goyle's bed and began to shake him vigorously.
Goyle slowly stretched and woke up from his coma.
"Good morning, Malfoy, Crabbe," he greeted with a yawn.
Malfoy looked at Goyle with a mixture of relief and fear. "Oh my God, I thought you wouldn't wake up!"
He proceeded to explain what had happened, his voice trembling slightly. "Did you know that Artel cast a spell on you last night? He said you were purring too loudly, and he took out his wand and cast a spell on you, and then you were silent."
Crabbe nodded vigorously, adding, "Yeah, it's like you were suddenly frozen, no movement at all. We were terrified but didn't dare to wake anyone else up."
Goyle, now fully awake, tried to sense if anything unusual had happened to him, but he felt perfectly fine. "But I don't feel anything strange."
Malfoy, still visibly shaken, suggested, "Maybe it was a silent spell. I've heard my father mention those before."
This explanation seemed to ease Malfoy's anxiety, though he was still angry. He vented his frustration by shouting, "How dare he cast a spell on his classmates at school! Dumbledore only mentioned him yesterday! I'm going to tell my father, he's the school manager, and I'll ask Dumbledore to expel him!"
Crabbe cautioned him, "Don't forget about the Dementor that night! If you provoke him..."
Malfoy's face froze at the reminder. He recalled the terrifying experience with the Dementor and decided against pursuing any action against Artel. He muttered quietly, "Forget it, a noble Malfoy doesn't bother with such matters. Let's pack up and head to the Great Hall for breakfast. We have a spell class this morning!"
Meanwhile, Artel was enjoying his breakfast in the Great Hall when Hermione approached once again. Compared to the previous day, Hermione appeared calmer today, though she couldn't hide her disdainful look when she glanced at Pansy.
Pansy, who had been humiliated by Hermione, seethed with anger, but she dared not retaliate, especially after Artel's unsettling display the day before.
Pansy couldn't help but feel a strange jealousy toward Hermione, believing that she should be the one sitting next to Artel, given their shared status as Slytherins. After all, Artel was a little snake, and so was she.
Artel, on the other hand, paid no attention to Pansy's jealousy or Hermione's presence. He calmly continued his meal, unfazed by the dynamics around him.
After breakfast, Artel and Hermione arrived early at the Charms classroom, where Professor Flitwick, a short and gray-haired old man of goblin blood, prepared to teach them.
In this first spell class, Flitwick began with some theoretical explanations. He also introduced a very basic spell: the wand lighting spell.
The incantation for this spell was "Lumos," and Artel and the other students eagerly awaited the practical part of the lesson.
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