Chapter 109: Fanged Geranium
The Fanged Geranium was a sentient vine plant that squeaked.
At the moment it was clinging to Neville's seedling box, emitting faint squeaks.
Perhaps Neville had over‑fertilised. The vines suddenly began writhing uncomfortably in the box, which sent Neville frantically flipping through Shawn's notes. Though they all helped out in the greenhouses, only Shawn always recorded every last detail.
Green's notes were the gold standard among students, no matter the subject.
"Listen, everyone. If you can think of it, it will be in there. If you have not thought of it, it will still be in there. And if you still do not understand, you definitely have not read carefully enough."
That was what had been circulating from the Gryffindor table lately. Somehow, even Slytherin had not raised a voice in protest.
"Quietus!"
As Neville floundered helplessly, Shawn flicked his wand.
The Fanged Geranium could no longer make loud noises. Only faint squeaks remained, which reminded Neville he had added too much fertiliser.
[You practised Quietus once at Proficient standard, Proficiency +10]
[Quietus: Entry (700/900)]
Recalling the volume of the Fanged Geranium in the greenhouse, Shawn estimated that Entry‑level Quietus could reduce noise by about eighty percent.
That was considerably stronger than Apprentice level. For sounds that were not very loud to begin with, it could render them nearly silent.
Of course, the effects of a spell at the same proficiency level were not always identical for every wizard. Magic was subjective. A spell's strength depended on the caster's state of mind.
Faced with Harry's Expelliarmus growing stronger each time, Tom Riddle would surely have plenty to say.
The classroom returned to its usual rhythm. Hermione tutored Neville in Charms. Before long, Neville would help Hermione organise the plants on the table.
With so many plants now, Neville had hung a small label on each one. The labels bore Shawn's, Hermione's or Justin's name, along with the plant's growth timeline – though Neville was the one taking care of nearly all of them.
Shawn always practised spells for hours on end, until the Hogwarts bells chimed.
[You practised Quietus once at Proficient standard, Proficiency +10]
[You practised Quietus once at Proficient standard, Proficiency +10]
…
[Quietus: Proficient (10/3000)]
Shawn put away his wand, satisfied, and returned to reading Professor Flitwick's notes for a while longer.
In the Great Hall,
The enchanted ceiling was grey and overcast, as if rain were about to fall, though indoors it remained dry and warm.
The four of them, emerging from the classroom one after another, had grown used to sitting at the far end of the Ravenclaw table.
There was a large fireplace here, its surface built from massive, rough honey‑coloured stone blocks. Centuries of smoke and flame had stained the stone's grain with a deep, oil‑slicked ebony sheen.
The Fat Friar sometimes passed through here on his way to the Gryffindor table.
It was not as rowdy as Gryffindor, nor as full of bragging and flattery as Slytherin, and unlike Hufflepuff's table it was not prone to sudden "food riots."
In short, the Ravenclaws tended to keep a certain distance.
But that was not why the four of them chose this spot. It was simply because there was more pudding here – which attracted a certain Green.
Today, however, even the Ravenclaw table was unusually noisy.
The notice board in the Hall was mobbed. A new notice read:
End of October, eve of Hallowe'en. Third‑years and above may visit Hogsmeade village for the weekend. Remember: guardian signature required.
"First time going to Hogsmeade for the weekend!" Fred spun and high‑fived George. He pointed to the tattered notice board with its freshly posted announcement.
"End of October. Eve of Hallowe'en."
"Brilliant!" George said.
"I need to hit Zonko's Joke Shop. I am running low on Stink Pellets."
"Third‑years—" a younger student murmured in disappointment, then slumped into a nearby chair, his excitement utterly deflated.
His companion tried to console him. "We can go in third year. But what is Hogsmeade village, anyway?"
"Oh, you do not know? It is the only all‑wizarding village in Britain. They say the pub there was the headquarters for the goblin rebellion of 1612. And there is the Shrieking Shack – the most haunted house in all of Britain—"
Of course, there were also students who seemed "unbothered."
"They are making a big fuss about Hogsmeade, but I will tell you, it is really not that great," a Gryffindor said seriously.
"My brother says the sweet shop is all right, but Zonko's is dodgy. Oh, and the Shrieking Shack is worth a look. But apart from that, honestly, we are not missing much."
Nearly every student in the Hall was talking loudly about Hogsmeade. Even Justin and Hermione could not help discussing it.
Shawn paid no attention. His mind was still reviewing what he knew about the Disillusionment Charm. Suddenly he seemed to catch a thread of inspiration, and his quill scratched busily across his notebook.
He did not notice that three wizards in black‑and‑yellow scarves were watching him.
"Out with it, Bruce. What do you want?" Leon asked.
He seemed to have already guessed, but seeing Bruce hesitate with such self‑importance, he played along.
"Oh, Leon, of course it is…" Bruce threw his arms around Leon and Pester's necks, as if about to announce something earth‑shattering.
…
In the classroom,
"Disillusionment!"
Shawn's wand traced a wide arc through the air, then tapped his body.
[You practised the Disillusionment Charm once at Apprentice standard, Proficiency +1]
A strange, icy sensation spread from the point of contact throughout his entire body.
Shawn felt the same as he had in the staffroom. It was as though he had been wrapped in an invisible film that made him transparent.
But the transparency was not complete. Apprentice‑level Disillusionment was not enough for full invisibility. There were still faint, barely perceptible ripples of light.
It was a far cry from what Professor Flitwick had cast last time – when not only had Shawn's colour blended with the background, but his outline and shadow had vanished entirely.
That time, it had been like wearing an Invisibility Cloak.
But the Disillusionment Charm was a functional spell. Shawn estimated that Proficient would be enough for practical use.
What Shawn had not expected was that using the Disillusionment Charm was actually like Harry using the Invisibility Cloak: when you felt like you were sneaking around at night, it always worked.
Of course, it still required accurate pronunciation and wand movement. Emotion only reinforced intent.
In the classroom, the Fanged Geranium had stopped writhing and now swayed quietly in the cold draught leaking through the window.
Shawn's schedule changed once again. He needed to reconsider which three spells he would grind to Expert.