Chapter 155: Pumpkin Carriage, Teapot, Little Bird
Chapter 155: Pumpkin Carriage, Teapot, Little Bird
The mature Mandrake plants had leaves longer than an adult's palm, so holding one in the mouth was out of the question. Thus, Ved only chose smaller, tender leaves.
But if they were too small, they could easily be swallowed.
"It's best to cover a third of the upper jaw without touching the teeth."
Professor Sprout shared the experience of her predecessors, "The curvature of the leaf's curl is also important; the tighter it fits to the upper jaw, the easier it is to succeed."
With Professor Sprout's guidance, Ved selected a suitable leaf. Then, Professor Sprout sorted through the plant, cutting five or six leaves of similar size.
She soaked them in a greenish-blue herbal juice to neutralize the innate magic of the Mandrake, then cast a preservation charm before handing them over to Ved.
"Before the full moon, you can practice with these leaves."
"This many?" Ved asked in surprise.
There were only six days left until the full moon, so Professor Sprout was essentially giving him one leaf per day.
A smile appeared on Professor Sprout's face. "The beginning is always the hardest. If you don't use up all the leaves before the full moon, you'll have succeeded."
...
"Good afternoon, Ved," said the tiny demon hunter as he bounced to open the office door. His deep, hoarse voice added, "You're late."
Ved held out his palm and gestured a "five."
Remarkably, the demon hunter understood what he meant and frowned. "Being five minutes late is still being late."
Ved waved his wand, and a string of golden words appeared in the air.
['There was an accident during lunch, which delayed me.']
At that moment, Professor Mori emerged from within.
Ved asked in text, ['Has Jerry become more lively?']
"Jerry" was the nickname Professor Mori had given to the demon hunter.
"That's the wonder of Life Alchemy," Professor Mori said with a smile. "Unlike the stiff and rigid pieces in Wizard's Chess, he will grow, absorb more knowledge, and his personality may even change."
Ved marveled, ['It's like creating a real life.']
"That's what makes it captivating," Professor Mori said. "What happened to your voice?"
['I'm practicing Animagus,' Ved replied. 'I have a Mandrake leaf in my mouth, so it's a bit difficult to speak.']
On the very first day, he had ruined two leaves.
One was accidentally knocked with his teeth while answering a question in class, instantly filling his mouth with a rich, bitter taste that lingered. It took several brushes to get rid of the flavor.
The other leaf met its demise during mealtime.
Ved had originally used the Sticking Charm to attach the leaf to his upper jaw, but it felt suffocating and made breathing difficult.
Moving it to his tongue made speaking and swallowing even more challenging, and it was more prone to damage.
Ved now truly understood how difficult this endeavor was.
Holding a thin leaf in his mouth without damaging it was not as easy as holding a piece of candy.
Candy could melt and be chewed. The leaf, however, had to be cared for as gently as an infant.
Ved decided to temporarily give up speaking, and he even used the Ignoring Charm during class to avoid being suddenly called upon by the professors to answer questions.
"Animagus?" Professor Mori shook her head in disagreement. "That kind of magic is both dangerous and useless. After transforming, you're restricted by the animal's body and can't use other spells. Why bother learning it?"
['Being able to transform into an animal is amazing in itself!' Ved replied. 'And mastering Animagus has great benefits for the study of Transfiguration.']
Morai indulgingly said, "Be my guest, you always want to learn all kinds of magic... Have you heard of Wagadu Magic School?"
Ved replied, [I've heard of it. It's the largest magic school in Africa.]
Professor Morai nodded. "I never learned Animagus myself, but I know a few wizard friends from Africa."
"Wagadu excels in wandless magic and Animagus. Many of their students can transform into elephants and cheetahs by the time they're fourteen. I can help you borrow some notes for reference."
[Thank you, Professor.]
"Don't thank me too soon," Professor Morai said with a deliberately stern face. "Just don't come crying to me if you turn into a slug."
Ved couldn't help but laugh.
He knew that Professor Morai would support his decision, even if she didn't agree with it.
If it were Professor McGonagall... Ved tried to imagine...
"That's too dangerous, Mr. Grey!" Professor McGonagall would probably say sternly, "This is not the kind of magic you should be dabbling in at your age!"
Or perhaps—
"Mr. Grey, what is your Animagus form? A wizard's Animagus form and characteristics must be registered with the Ministry of Magic, otherwise, it's illegal!"
How should he put it? Professor McGonagall was a very good and upright professor. As a teacher, she was impeccable, but she had little tolerance for any rule-breaking, which made Ved hesitant to share some of his secrets with her.
"Well then, enough idle chatter. Let's continue with today's lesson." Professor Morai asked, "I assume you've completed the homework I assigned last time?"
Ved nodded, put down his bag, and tapped it with his wand.
A huge wardrobe appeared.
Inside, a pumpkin carriage without a horse trotted towards them, its doors opening automatically. It only started moving again after the two of them had boarded.
The carriage progressed along the white road, passing by patrolling armored soldiers and two cats playfully rolling on the grass.
Their movements seemed agile, but their exteriors had a mechanical feel to them.
Several wide brooms swept the floor, their dustpans bouncing alongside, only to spill the trash they had just collected. A broom tapped the dustpan, turned back, and resumed sweeping.
The carriage stopped by a grove, and under a banyan tree stood a white table with two high-backed chairs.
A pot-bellied teapot poured tea, and two cups jumped out of a plate, competing to be filled first. The teapot filled them to the brim, and hot steam gushed from the spouts, as if singing happily.
Professor Morai picked up her cup, drained it, and placed it back on the table. The teapot hurried to refill it, but she stopped it.
Ved waved his hand, and a little bird perched on his palm. The bird pecked at the edge of the cup, and clear water gushed from the bottom until the cup was full again.
Professor Morai smiled approvingly.
"Not bad. In just two weeks, you've created this little creature."
He was delighted, but maintained his composure and refrained from lavishing too many praises on his student.
[Combining alchemy creations with magic is challenging, and solidifying the magic circuit to enable it to cast the Clear Water spell is even more difficult.]
Ved stroked the little bird's head and said, [I'm glad it finally worked out.]
"So, for the next step, you can start attempting to solidify two types of magic circuits." Professor Morai said, "Today, let's discuss the compatibility and conflicts between alchemical materials and magic spells..."
(End of Chapter)
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