Three whole days passed. Adelaide buried herself in a mountain of Herbology books, her fingers constantly flipping through pages and her eyes eagerly scanning every illustration.
From the heavy One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi to the dazzling Encyclopedia of Carnivorous Plants, she had scoured almost every part of these books related to vines, but she still hadn't found the one she had seen in her prophecy.
Cho Chang saw Adelaide spending every day with her in the Library without touching her homework at all, instead focusing solely on searching through those Herbology books, and she couldn't help but feel full of doubt.
On Thursday afternoon, Cho Chang finally couldn't contain her curiosity and asked, "Adelaide, if you've encountered a problem in Herbology, why don't you go ask Professor Sprout for advice?"
Adelaide slumped on the table and replied perfunctorily, "Uh... it's just some small personal issues. I don't think it's necessary to bother Professor Sprout with such trivial matters; she's already busy enough on a daily basis."
Hearing Adelaide's explanation, the simple and kind Cho Chang nodded understandingly and responded, "Professor Sprout is indeed very hardworking. Not only does she teach Herbology Class to students across seven grades, but she also balances her duties as the Dean of Hufflepuff House. There's so much teaching and administrative work to handle every day..."
"Actually, my grandfather also knows a bit about Herbology. If you have any questions regarding herbs, I can help you write a letter to ask him for advice."
Adelaide perked up upon hearing this and suddenly sat up straight.
"Dear Cho, is your grandfather a herbologist?"
Adelaide asked with a face full of anticipation.
Cho Chang quickly waved her hands and repeatedly denied it, "No, no, no! My grandfather used to work at the Chinese Ministry of Magic and just retired two years ago... Many elderly people in Huaxia love to tinker with flowers and plants at home after retiring, and my grandfather is the same. He joined a Huaxia association specifically for researching herb cultivation; I heard there are many retired Herbology masters in that association."
"That's wonderful! You're literally providing help right when I need it most!"
Adelaide was so excited she couldn't contain herself. She instinctively threw her arms around Cho Chang and pulled her into a tight hug—at that moment, she didn't notice Madam Pince walking over with a stern face.
"You two! This is no place for loud shouting and hugging! Get out of here right now!"
Madam Pince shouted while brandishing a feather duster, chasing them out of the Library.
Cho Chang took this matter very seriously. That evening, based on Adelaide's detailed description, she carefully wrote a letter and sent it off immediately.
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was Sunday morning. They received a massive package delivered by four Great Grey Owls working together.
Full of joy, Cho Chang opened the letter attached to the package and read softly:
"Dear Cho, to be honest, I have never heard of a giant vine covered in strange pods before. I asked several Herbology masters in the association—after some discussion, they reached a conclusion: this is very likely a rare mutation or a magic bean that was accidentally crossbred with other herbs!"
"Please convey my regards to your friend. I must say, her hobby is quite tasteful! I've specifically sent you some gardening tools and a large amount of Mooncalf dung, plus 10 magic bean seeds. I hope you enjoy the fun of planting."
After reading the letter, Cho Chang opened the massive package at Adelaide's urging, and an indescribable, strange smell wafted through the Great Hall.
The students who had been attracted by the massive package quickly lost interest when they realized it was filled with Mooncalf dung.
Cho Chang felt around the package and found two entrenching shovels, two small hoes, two watering cans, and a small bag of pale purple, round seeds, each about the size of a ping-pong ball.
"It's actually magic beans! I've seen an introduction to magic beans in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi!"
Adelaide pulled her Herbology textbook out of her trunk and, relying on her incredible memory, flipped to the page about magic beans.
"magic beans are annual leguminous plants native to Northern and Eastern Europe. Their height is normally between 30 to 50 meters, reaching up to 70 meters at most."
"Because of their height, they have been spotted by Muggles many times, leading to several fairy tales about magic beans circulating in Europe to this day."
"The fruit of the magic bean is somewhat toxic; ingestion can cause diarrhea in creatures, though small amounts used in medicine can treat constipation."
Adelaide fell silent. Thirty to fifty meters did correspond with the height of the vine in her dream, but this thing turned out to be just a strong laxative... However, since the other party had already sent the seeds, she had to try planting them regardless.
After some discussion, Adelaide and Cho Chang decided to split the magic beans equally, with each getting 5 seeds and a set of gardening tools.
To express her gratitude to Cho Chang, Adelaide carefully selected a limited edition hardcover copy of Giggling Ghouls and Hocus Pocus as a thank-you gift.
If Adelaide were to plant them alone, she feared it might arouse the suspicion of the Death Eater spy. So, she persuaded Cho Chang to apply to the school under the name of a Magic Bean Hobby Group—this would serve to some extent as a distraction.
The school quickly approved their request, allocating a plot of fertile land by the Black Lake for their planting and appointing Professor Sprout as the advisor for the hobby group.
In the end, a Professor would be involved throughout the process... Adelaide sighed inwardly, but the current situation was still within her predictions, so it was no problem.
Professor Sprout showed great appreciation for the two girls' interest in gardening. She personally demonstrated and patiently taught them how to properly till the soil, apply fertilizer evenly, carefully bury the magic beans, and water them just right.
Perhaps, as people often say, the Huaxia people have farming genes flowing in their blood. The magic beans planted by the two girls grew unexpectedly robustly. Their growth was so impressive that even the well-traveled Professor Sprout couldn't help but give them a thumbs up, repeatedly praising their extraordinary talent for cultivation.
After hearing about Adelaide's interest in gardening, Gellert Grindelwald wrote a specific letter expressing his strong dissatisfaction.
For some reason, it always made him involuntarily think of a certain individual he utterly detested.
In the letter, he sternly warned Adelaide not to delve into fields of research related to magical creatures.
Adelaide immediately reported the letter to Dumbledore upon receiving it. Dumbledore smiled slightly and told her not to take the letter to heart.
Over the weekend, Dumbledore made a special trip to St Mungos and told Gellert that he hoped Adelaide could cultivate more interests besides staring blankly and eating. Perhaps out of respect for Dumbledore's opinion, or considering Adelaide's future well-rounded development, Gellert decided, after some deep thought, to no longer oppose the matter.
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