Chapter 45: Changes, Harvesting Lumos Shrooms

In the Slytherin common room, the magnificent ornate clock struck past midnight. A small golden snake encrusted with gems crawled out from the timepiece and hissed five times, marking the arrival of another Friday. When the first-year Slytherins heard this chime, they almost felt like bursting into tears. "Ten days! Ten whole days!" one student groaned. "Do you know how we've been living these past ten days? Getting up at five every morning, not allowed to eat breakfast until we've practiced the Lumos Charm the required number of times. Not allowed to sleep at night until we've cast it enough times. As for lunch breaks and afternoon tea? Don't even think about it!" "Finally, we've made it to this Friday," another whispered, his voice trembling with exhaustion and anticipation. Thinking about what would happen after dawn today, the young Slytherins' breathing became rapid. Today was the Lumos Charm final examination. Unlike the previous minor tests, it was said that the four House Heads had communicated and unanimously agreed that such activities were highly beneficial for first-year wizards. So they had posted an announcement the previous week: this week's Charms curriculum had been modified. All four Houses would take the Lumos Charm final test together on Friday! There were also rumors circulating that besides Professor Flitwick's promised custom-tailored charm and House Cup points, another mysterious reward had been added. As for what this reward actually was, the four House Heads were being deliberately secretive, only telling the young wizards that it was something they would all covet. These rumors made the four Houses take the Lumos Charm final test even more seriously. Even the proud Gryffindor lions had, for once, swallowed their pride and asked the not-so-popular Hermione for advice on the charm. However, these rumors weren't enough to shake the Slytherins' ambition to sweep the top three positions. After all, they had truly been working desperately hard during this recent period. It had to be acknowledged that Slytherin wizards did tend to have slightly better magical talent on average. In the original story, even Crabbe—that fool—had been able to cast Fiendfyre after learning a few tricks from Death Eaters. Although the cursed fire had gotten out of control and burned him to death, Crabbe's intelligence was often mocked by Ron, who said it was a miracle he could even graduate. For someone with that level of intelligence to master Fiendfyre-level magic was proof enough that the bloodlines of these Slytherin students provided genuine magical advantages. The problem was that Slytherin-born wizards often lived in luxury and rarely had the ruthlessness to push themselves, frequently wasting their talents. But over these ten days, their efforts had been truly commendable. Even Crabbe and Goyle had made significant progress in their Lumos Charm skills. As for Malfoy, his improvement was even more remarkable. Even Snape, observing the young Slytherins at this moment, showed a rare expression of satisfaction. "Very good." Snape clapped his hands lightly, and the students immediately fell silent. He surveyed them with calculating eyes. "Over the past ten days, you've finally started to resemble true Slytherins. Now you're qualified to use any means necessary." Snape then produced bottles of potions that shimmered with mysterious luster. The students' gazes fixed on the vials, their vision seeming to be drawn into the rippling waves of light that reflected their burning anticipation. Snape was very satisfied with their expressions. "This is the potion I promised you—Phosphorescent Draught. After drinking it, your magical power when casting the Lumos Charm will be amplified for six hours. Rest well now, and drink it before the final test at dawn. This time, achieve victory by any means necessary." Snape turned and left the common room, leaving behind a group of smiling serpents. "With our Lumos Charm skills, plus the Professor's potion, we're definitely going to dominate tomorrow morning's final test!" one declared. "All this suffering can't be for nothing. I can't wait to see their jaws drop in shock," another added. Malfoy fantasized about Ciel showing despair and shock after being crushed by him in the final test. Just thinking about it made him feel euphoric. "By the way, what has Ciel Sprout been doing lately?" he asked. A student who had been gathering intelligence immediately replied, "I heard he's still spending every day in the greenhouse. Oh, and he's also been going to the Quidditch pitch lately for training. I heard Harry Potter is the same." Hearing this, Malfoy snorted coldly. Both Harry and Ciel had been exceptionally admitted to their House teams as first-years—an opportunity he hadn't received, which made him quite bitter. "It would be simple for me to join the Quidditch team," he said sourly. "My father could donate a few Nimbus 2000s, and I could immediately get in as Seeker. Hmph, I'll consider it after I get first place in the Lumos Charm final test." Malfoy's confidence was absolute. "Quidditch training is so exhausting, plus Ciel has to tend to plants in the greenhouse. He definitely doesn't have time to practice the Lumos Charm. This time, Hufflepuff won't get any more points. The House Cup should be led by us Slytherins." The young Slytherins rubbed their hands together eagerly, too excited to sleep. They all hoped dawn would come quickly so they could demonstrate their prowess. Meanwhile, in the Hogwarts greenhouse, Ciel also sighed with reflection. "Ten days have passed in the blink of an eye." His system panel had changed considerably compared to ten days ago. The Magical Perception Enhancement ability now glowed with a noticeably brighter bronze luster than when it had just advanced. Besides the rewards from harvesting several pots of Goldfish Vines, much of the improvement came from trimming discarded flying broomsticks, which had been tremendously helpful for training magical perception. The silver luster of the Soil-Loosening Charm was also more dazzling, but the Pruning Charm had surged ahead, completely surpassing it. Although it still seemed some distance from Gold Tier, its effect was much stronger compared to when it had just advanced. The changes in the Lumos Charm were even more significant. In just ten days, it had progressed from barely reaching the Bronze Tier to showing a hint of silver luster. It wasn't far from Silver Tier! Ciel was deeply moved by this progress. "The advancement of the Soil-Loosening Charm and Pruning Charm had a synergistic effect on the Lumos Charm. During this period, I've also released pent-up emotions through Quidditch, making my mind more active. Additionally, my magical perception has been improving. Several factors working together allowed the Lumos Charm to progress so quickly." He paused, considering tomorrow's challenge. "But tomorrow is Friday—the Lumos Charm final test. Others have also been working hard to prepare. A near-Silver Tier Lumos Charm might not be enough to secure first place." However, Ciel showed no worry on his face. Instead, he was filled with anticipation. "Relying on a near-Silver Tier Lumos Charm might not be stable enough. But what if it completely advances to Silver Tier? Or even Gold Tier?" His gaze turned toward the experimental field, where he saw Lumos Shrooms emitting brilliant light. After spending so much time and countless efforts, the batch of Lumos Shrooms he had planted had finally reached full maturity. The reward orbs floating above them were like heavy, ripe fruits, waiting to be harvested! Ciel took a deep breath and reached out toward the reward orbs floating above the Lumos Shrooms. The next moment, countless orbs of light surged toward him like a luminous ocean! (End of Chapter) *** [Check Out My Patreon For More Chapters On All Of My Fanfics!!] [www. [email protected]/meowthtl] [+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter] [Thank You For Your Support!]