Chapter 5: The Soil-Loosening Charm

Back at the Lister Plantation, Ciel turned to his aunt. "Aunt," he said, "I still have three acres of cotton to plant. It's going to take a while. It's too hot and stuffy out here for you, and I'm sure you have important things to do. Why don't you go on ahead and come back for me tomorrow? Or you could just give me an address, and I'll find my way there." Professor Sprout's expression softened, her eyes filled with a gentle, loving light. She firmly shook her head. "Absolutely not. Ciel, I'm not letting you out of my sight again. And don't you worry about me," she added with a reassuring smile. "School hasn't started yet, so I have plenty of time. Besides, I am a Master of Herbology. You have no idea what demanding environments some magical plants require. This little bit of heat is nothing." Ciel nodded, not pressing the matter further. He turned to grab his shovel and tiller, but his aunt stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Ciel," she said, a twinkle in her eye, "you may not be at school yet, but you have a wand now. It's time you learned to use it. You'll find it's far more convenient than any Muggle tool." She drew her own hawthorn wand and pointed the tip toward the hard-packed earth. With a graceful, spiralling motion, she traced a pattern in the air before giving her wrist a sharp, decisive flick. "Terra Laxus!" "The Soil-Loosening Charm," she explained as a warm, brownish-yellow light flowed from the tip of her wand and sank into the ground. "It's a fundamental spell in Herbology. Much easier than swinging a shovel, you'll find." Ciel watched in amazement as the ground before them began to churn and turn over on its own. Stones and pebbles were pushed to the surface, and hardened clumps of earth crumbled into soft, dark loam. In the blink of an eye, the patch of ground was transformed into the kind of perfect, aerated soil he had previously only dreamed of achieving. With Muggle tools, creating such a bed would have taken him considerable time and effort. Magic had done it in an instant. "This is magic," he breathed, his voice filled with genuine awe. "It's incredible. Truly incredible." A hint of pride touched Professor Sprout's face. She was not a woman given to vanity or showing off, but in front of Ciel, her only living blood relative, she couldn't help but feel a small thrill at earning his admiration. Ciel, for his part, was more than happy to oblige. "Aunt, you're better than a full-sized tractor," he said with complete sincerity. "Tractors need fuel; you just need a good meal. With you around, we could take over all the farms in the greater London area." Professor Sprout chuckled, a sound caught somewhere between amusement and exasperation. This boy. Why is he so obsessed with cultivating more land? She gave him an encouraging smile. "This charm is very simple, Ciel. Would you like to try?" He nodded eagerly, taking out his new ash wood wand and mimicking her movements. "Terra Laxus!" The motion and incantation were nearly identical, and a flash of joy lit up Professor Sprout's face. For a first-time spellcaster, performing the charm so perfectly on the first attempt was a sign of exceptional learning ability. But then, her expression dimmed. While a brownish-yellow light did erupt from the tip of Ciel's wand, the effect was disappointingly weak. It only managed to soften the very top layer of soil. Compared to the deep, thorough tilling her own spell had accomplished, the difference was stark. She sighed inwardly. Ciel's technique was flawless. The only variable left was his raw magical power. Ollivander was right. His magic is weak. Significantly weaker than the average first-year. It meant his spells would always be less potent, and he would have to work much harder than his peers to master more advanced magic. But as she watched him, she saw that Ciel didn't seem to share her disappointment. Noticing her gaze, he simply smiled. "My magic is weaker than a normal wizard's," he said with a shrug. "It's only natural the spell would be weaker, too. But it's still better than using a shovel, isn't it? I'll just have to do my best." And with that, he began to work, casting the Soil-Loosening Charm over and over again. Though each spell was weak, the cumulative effect allowed him to easily turn the soil with his trowel, digging neat holes for the cotton seedlings. In no time at all, the first seedling was planted. [Successfully planted cotton x1] [Claimable Reward: Heat Resistance (Minute Increase - Incubating)] A small, shimmering orb of light pulsed above the plant. Ciel's eyes lit up. The charm had dramatically increased his efficiency—he was working at least three times faster than before. He also noticed something else: the reward orb on this seedling seemed slightly larger and more vibrant than usual. Could it be? he wondered. Does a perfect planting environment improve the quality of the reward? The improvement was subtle, but this was only from perfecting a single step. If he could optimise every stage of the process, the cumulative effect would be substantial. And that was for just one plant. Across several acres, the bonus would be astonishing. With this new discovery, Ciel's spirits soared. He worked like a man possessed, tireless and focused, waving his wand and casting the charm again and again. Where a single spell was weak, high frequency made up for the deficit. Here, the unique nature of the Harry Potter world's magic system became apparent. Casting spells required a certain threshold of magical power, but it didn't seem to deplete a wizard's reserves in the way a traditional mana system would. As long as one had the physical stamina, they could cast spells indefinitely. And Ciel's years of farming, augmented by his system's rewards, had given him stamina that far surpassed any ordinary person's. He could work almost without rest. Professor Sprout watched, her astonishment growing with every passing hour. Even she, a powerful witch, couldn't maintain such a high frequency of spellcasting for so long. His physique... are we sure he doesn't have a bit of giant blood in him? By the time the sun began to dip below the horizon, Ciel had not only completed his planned three acres but had also planted an additional four. If Professor Sprout hadn't insisted he stop, worried for his well-being, he felt he could have worked through the entire night. Planting with magic... this is amazing! Seeing him still looking energetic, even eager to plant more, Sprout's worries finally subsided. "That's enough for today, Ciel," she said firmly but fondly. "Come home with me. We have a family greenhouse, you know. There are many magical plants I think you'll be very interested to see." Ciel's eyes lit up. The thought of getting his hands on actual magical plants made him instantly forget his desire to plant more cotton. The potential rewards would be far greater. He packed his things, paying special care to the three precious Marguerite sprouts. As they prepared to leave, he jogged past the seven acres of newly planted fields, a silent farewell to his crops. From her perspective, Professor Sprout saw a boy with a deep, passionate connection to the earth. Even if he never excels in other areas of magic, she thought with a proud smile, with that kind of love for plants, he already possesses the greatest talent a Herbologist can have. In a reality she couldn't see, Ciel's hand swept through the air. In an instant, every unclaimed reward from every plant he had ever grown on that farm—including the seven acres he had just planted—converged on him in a silent storm of light. [Heat Resistance upgraded: Epic → Legendary] [Drought Resistance upgraded: Epic → Legendary] He walked out of the plantation gates without a backward glance. Goodbye, Muggle world. The magical life was about to begin. *********** ✨ 300 gems = 1 bonus chapter ✨ 500 gems = another bonus chapter Get access to advanced chapters at my P@treon. [email protected]/meowthtl