Inside the Little Greenhouse, on a plot of land already reserved by Jack, the mycelium of the Luminous Mushroom danced merrily, emitting tiny specks of light like miniature Lumos sparks. Floating above them were small reward orbs, shimmering faintly. Jack's heart tightened as he looked at the scene.
At the start of the school year, the Luminous Mushroom had been a tremendous help. Its rewards had supported him in countless tasks, and even during his previous battle in the Forbidden Forest, the improved Lumos from the mushroom had played a critical role. Unfortunately, those rewards were now only Bronze-tier—far inferior to other plants he cultivated.
Jack frowned. Using the precious Little Greenhouse land for the Luminous Mushroom seemed wasteful. But he remembered the unintentional breakthrough he had achieved long ago. If he could replicate it, he might transform the Luminous Mushroom into a blood emerald. That would make it a potent source of aid once more. The key to the induction was already in his hands.
Jack's gaze fell on the two bottles he held. One contained a viscous green liquid, which faintly smelled of fishiness and decay even through the glass—blood of an Acromantula. The other held a bright red liquid, freshly drawn from a Hungarian Horntail. Both were freshly obtained, their vitality preserved. According to Professor Sprout's earlier research, this freshness was crucial for inducing the Luminous Mushroom into becoming a blood emerald.
Wasting no time, Jack divided the blood into three groups: one of pure dragon blood, one of pure Acromantula blood, and a third mixture of the two. He stared at the mixed group with a mix of curiosity and anticipation. Using the fresh blood of two 5X-tier magical creatures simultaneously had never been considered, not even by Professor Sprout. 5X-tier creatures were rare and extremely dangerous; their blood was incredibly precious. Even Jack hadn't imagined such an opportunity would present itself.
"Could this bring about an unexpected change?" he wondered.
Focusing, he waved his wand. The three groups of blood transformed into fine mists under his control. Each mist, mingled with nitrogen and argon, enveloped the Luminous Mushroom mycelium. Jack ensured every strand was evenly coated, and watched as the mushrooms greedily absorbed the mist.
Reward orbs above the Luminous Mushroom flickered violently, their text blurring as the transformation began. The groups with pure dragon blood and pure Acromantula blood reacted similarly, reassuring Jack that the induction process was progressing. Professor Sprout had noted that fresh blood from a 5X-tier creature could shorten the transformation to three to five days. Once formed, blood emeralds could mature rapidly with a supply of vitality-rich blood, potentially yielding Silver-tier rewards every month.
Jack's heart raced at the thought. His current crops, while yielding high-tier rewards, required long maturation periods. The Guardian Tree and Devil's Snare wouldn't be ready until semester's end; Shadow Thorns would take until summer vacation. Piranha Algae would mature slightly earlier, but still over a month away. A successful blood emerald crop, however, would give him a reliable, fast source of high-tier rewards.
His attention returned to the third, experimental group—the mixed-blood batch. The mycelium absorbed the mist, yet showed almost no change. "Is mixed blood not viable?" Jack wondered. "Is the magic conflicting? Or is it just accumulating changes?" He decided not to dwell on it. After all, this group was experimental, and the quantity of blood used was minimal. If the other two succeeded, he could observe or consult Professor Sprout about the mixed-blood batch later.
Jack then remembered a critical point: to maximize the effectiveness of Water Enhancement, he needed to learn the Bubblehead Charm, which could compensate for its limitation of only activating under specific conditions. This charm had appeared in the original story twice during the Triwizard Tournament's second task. Fleur and Cedric had used it to dive into the Black Lake. Since Cedric knew it, Professor Sprout would likely know where to learn it as well.
With this plan in mind, Jack headed to the Dean's office. Upon asking Professor Sprout, her expression shifted to mild embarrassment, her face pale.
"That Charm?" she asked, hesitating. "I'm sorry, Jack, I don't know it myself. If you really want to learn it, I can secretly give you a note for the Restricted Section. You can find it there."
Jack blinked in surprise. "Restricted Section?"
"Yes," she said, her tone serious. "The Bubblehead Charm is in the Restricted Section."
Jack was incredulous. Bubblehead Charm? A simple charm that forms a water bubble around the head, allowing the user to breathe underwater for thirty minutes… in the Restricted Section? But seeing Professor Sprout's expression, he knew she wasn't joking.
"Don't underestimate it," she warned. "Every charm in the Restricted Section has a reason. It may not be offensive, but historically, it's one of the most dangerous, responsible for more deaths than some notorious offensive charms."
Jack was confused. Dangerous? How could the Bubblehead Charm be deadly?
Professor Sprout clarified, a little embarrassed but firm. "Many wizards drowned while practicing it. Not everyone can swim. Some panic and choke. I nearly drowned myself, which is why it was placed in the Restricted Section."
Jack chuckled, realizing the irony. "So, the Bubblehead Charm's danger isn't the magic itself—it's the users' lack of swimming ability."
Finally satisfied, Professor Sprout wrote him a note granting access to the Restricted Section. "Jack," she said seriously as he left, "the Restricted Section holds ancient secrets, powerful magic, and stories that can mislead. You must promise me to be careful. Trust your judgment, and don't be tempted by unsafe magic."
Jack nodded. "Don't worry, Professor. I won't get lost."
With the note, he moved swiftly through the library into the Restricted Section. Dust-covered bookshelves stretched in every direction. Some books seemed alive, rustling as if breathing, shaking off centuries of dust to reveal gilded or blood-red lettering, arcane symbols, and titles promising invincible power, eternal youth, and forbidden knowledge.
The allure was powerful, but Jack ignored it. No matter how potent the magic, it couldn't compare to his planting system. Planting trees was already a path to invincibility—why risk forbidden spells?
He located the shelf Professor Sprout had mentioned and found the book containing the Bubblehead Charm. Unlike the other books, it trembled slightly as if alive. Jack's lips curled into a satisfied smile. With this, he could trigger Water Enhancement at will—a substantial boost to his strength.
Just as he was about to leave, something caught his eye: a thick notebook with a cover patterned in a strange, intricate design. It wasn't English, Latin, or Hebrew—only complex, unfamiliar symbols. The more Jack stared, the more it seemed familiar, as though he had seen it recently. A sharp flash of memory struck him.
"This is… similar to the pattern on the small sharp barrel," he whispered to himself.
Jack carefully placed the notebook among his belongings. The purpose of his visit to the Restricted Section had been achieved, but a new mystery had begun.
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