章 128: Chapter 128: Flames of Hope and Bouncing Bulbs
The No. 7 greenhouse was filled with bouncing bulbs.
Under the watchful eye of Professor Sprout, Ino drew out his elder wand.
"Incendio!"
A fist-sized ball of fire, representing hope and redemption, ignited and floated at the tip of the wand.
Before he could react, an interesting scene unfolded: the previously boisterous bouncing bulbs suddenly quieted down.
Next, these magical plants, as if possessed with consciousness, began to move towards the fire in an orderly fashion without any command.
It was like tadpoles seeking their mother or ants moving their nest—something inexplicable.
In just a short while, all the bouncing bulbs in the greenhouse gathered at his feet.
"Remarkable magic!" Professor Sprout, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. She first observed the floating flame, then crouched down and lightly touched the bouncing bulbs with her wand.
After a while, Professor Sprout stood up and sighed, "Ino, study herbology diligently! I believe we might see another master of herbology in the future."
This was a high compliment.
In the wizarding world, no matter the subject, being recognized as a master was a mark of respect wherever one went, and this respect was not confined to the British Isles.
"Thank you for your praise; it makes me a bit uneasy," Ino responded, aware of the weight of being called a master.
"There's no need to feel uneasy! Your fire spell is remarkable; the bouncing bulbs have already undergone a change, albeit a subtle one!" Professor Sprout explained seriously.
"Moreover, I feel this isn't an isolated incident. This magical fire might genuinely alter the properties of many plants—Devil's Snare, Mimbulus mimbletonia, Umbrella Flowers..."
"Well, we'll discuss this later. For now, let's replant these energetic little fellows back into their pots."
As she spoke, Professor Sprout crouched down to start grabbing the bouncing bulbs. Seeing the professor get to work, Ino rolled up his sleeves and began helping.
...
Half an hour later.
After completely dealing with all the bouncing bulbs, the No. 7 greenhouse returned to its usual tranquility.
"Professor, may I ask you a question? It's about that plant-sensing magic we just saw. I wanted to ask last time."
After hesitating for a moment, Ino voiced his query.
"Why not? This isn't the closed-off Middle Ages anymore. Since the founding of Hogwarts, such outdated practices have long been abolished," Professor Sprout explained, somewhat surprised.
"And my duty is to teach you as much knowledge as possible. As long as you're willing to learn, feel free to come to me."
"That's great! I've been wanting to learn that spell for a long time," Ino said happily, relieved to have a responsible professor.
"However, this is a modified spell of mine, so before learning it, you'll need to master the Scarpin Unction spell. Follow me!"
With that, Professor Sprout led the way out of the No. 7 greenhouse.
...
Herbology Office.
Perhaps to better care for the magical plants in the greenhouse, Professor Sprout had chosen to place her office in a room not far from it.
The office had a large desk with a matching chair, a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, and a wooden sofa. Besides these, there was no other furniture in the room.
Despite the lack of many furnishings, the office didn't feel empty at all. It felt like a small garden, fresh and pleasant, thanks to the numerous plant pots decorating the room.
In the room, Professor Sprout searched the bookshelf for a while before pulling out a yellowed notebook.
"This is it. Inside is the record of my modified Scarpin Unction spell. You can take it back and study it on your own first. Ask me if there's anything you don't understand. This spell isn't dangerous!"
Upon hearing this, Ino stood up and accepted the notebook with both hands.
"Thank you, Professor. I'll study it diligently and take good care of this notebook."
Professor Sprout nodded slightly in approval.
"Ino, if you don't mind, you can visit the No. 7 greenhouse more often. I'd like to study the altered bouncing bulbs."
After a brief consideration, Ino agreed, "No problem. I'll visit the greenhouse on weekend afternoons to check on these little fellows."
It was only fair to repay kindness, especially since this wasn't anything like a rare treasure, and he had no reason to refuse.
After all, many wizards privately modified spells; others would likely just believe it was an improved fire spell, nothing more.
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