"Dear, I'm busy," said Catelyn as she wrote without looking up. The sound of the door opening without a knock could only mean Harry.
"It'll only take a moment," said Harry as he approached the large wooden desk and gently set down a flowerpot filled with soil.
Hearing the sound, Catelyn looked up and frowned slightly at the flowerpot and the small piles of dirt beside it.
Before his mother could open her mouth to scold him, Harry quickly spoke first.
"I want to show you something. Just put up with it for three days, and you can scold me if you're not satisfied," said Harry, giving her a serious look.
Catelyn almost pursed her lips in amusement. She found the serious look on that adorable face more endearing with each passing day.
"When have I ever scolded you, dear?" said Catelyn as she set her quill aside and looked at her son patiently.
"Look, there's nothing inside," said Harry as he dug through the soil and demonstrated that the pot was indeed empty.
Catelyn's eyebrow twitched slightly as a bit of dirt scattered across the desk.
"Now, I'll plant this seed," said Harry as he pulled out a small pouch of seeds, choosing one before planting it.
"I picked these seeds from some radishes I found in the kitchen," said Harry.
Catelyn's gaze shifted between Harry and the flowerpot. She looked slightly lost.
"This type of plant is incredibly resistant to the cold and has many uses. Now, I'll show you something mag—... I mean, something interesting," said Harry, quickly correcting himself.
Taking a small round bottle from inside his clothes, Harry removed the stopper and dripped the liquid directly onto the spot where he had planted the seed.
Catelyn leaned forward slightly with interest. She had to admit Harry's little speech had caught her attention.
Suddenly, the soil in the flowerpot shifted as a thin green sprout visibly emerged.
Within seconds it had grown to nearly four inches in height, splitting into a V shape with a leaf on each small branch.
The leaves were a deep healthy green.
Catelyn stared in astonishment and rose to her feet, causing the chair to scrape against the floor.
Her lips parted as though she intended to say something, but in the end she merely reached out and gently brushed the leaves with her fingertip.
Letting out a sigh, Catelyn sat back down and looked at her son with a mixture of emotions.
"Well?" said Catelyn. The surprise of that day would stay with her forever.
"Didn't I tell you we should wait three days? I'll come water it again tomorrow. Just remember to put it by the window so it gets some sunlight," said Harry as he corked the potion and put it away before brushing the dirt from his hands over the flowerpot.
"Where do you think you're going? You're not taking a single step until you explain what this is," said Catelyn, quickly reaching out and grabbing his shoulder.
"Weren't you busy?" said Harry as he turned to look at her innocently.
"..."
Harry had to admit he lost some of his courage under the look his mother gave him, so he honestly gave up and told her everything.
"This is a liquid... that I managed to create by mixing several things together. I tested different combinations until I ended up with this," said Harry as he took out the potion again and handed it to his mother with a small smile.
Catelyn took the bottle and held it up to the light from the window, gently swirling it and watching in amazement as the thick liquid moved inside.
This definitely was not something even a Maester could do.
Only something like...
Magic.
Seeing the complicated look on Catelyn's face, Harry felt a little nervous. Resting his fingers on the desk, he avoided her gaze slightly.
At that moment, he wasn't entirely sure what expression he would see on his mother's face next.
Taking a deep breath, Harry tightened his grip on the wood before raising his eyes firmly.
"Maester Luwin told me about the situation in the North. Crops are destroyed, and people starve."
"I want to change that. I have some ideas, but I need your help," said Harry as he looked into his mother's blue eyes.
Catelyn's gaze shifted between her son and the potion.
Too many thoughts crossed her mind.
She felt pride.
But also melancholy.
Part of her wished her son could remain a child forever, yet she felt him slipping further and further beyond her understanding.
Holding the bottle in her hand, she understood that this was not a game.
She had never heard of anything remotely similar.
"Very well. I'll tell Rodrik to listen to you. Whatever you need, ask him for it. But he'll also keep me informed about what you're doing," said Catelyn as she gently caressed Harry's cheek while trying to maintain a serious expression.
"Hm. I promise you won't regret it," said Harry with a broad smile as he tilted his face slightly closer to her hand.
Catelyn smiled and gently shook her head.
She would never regret it.
After what she had seen that day, she was certain of one thing.
Her son would bring change.
His name would be sung for generations.
....
With his mother's approval, Harry requested a small group of guards from Rodrik to run errands for him.
Harry looked openly at the four men standing before him.
In turn, they looked back at him with varying expressions.
It did not take Legilimency to notice their displeasure.
Ignoring it, Harry got straight to the point.
"I need you to bring me a basket full of rye seeds. They're in granary number two, a few miles from here. I'd like them brought back as soon as possible," said Harry as he looked at the group of soldiers Rodrik had assigned to him.
"Here's a letter with the proper seal," said Harry, handing one of the guards a letter so he would not encounter any problems carrying out the task.
The guard took the letter and stared at it in silence for several seconds.
Behind him, the other three guards exchanged silent glances as well.
"As you command, my young lord," said the guard at last.
His fingers rubbed the letter somewhat roughly before he climbed onto his horse with a stony expression.
Harry merely nodded. The green of his eyes seemed to brighten slightly as he exchanged one final look with the guard.
He remained where he was until all four men mounted their horses and disappeared into the distance.
They seemed a little rebellious.
Letting out a small chuckle, he shrugged and headed back into the castle to see what his siblings were doing.
Almost half an hour later, a maid informed him that the guards had returned.
Leaving his brothers and sisters behind, Harry made his way to the entrance of the inner castle and found the soldiers waiting for him with a basket full of brown seeds. Some were darker, while others were lighter in color.
Reaching into the basket, he let the seeds slip through his fingers.
"My young lord, the task is done," said the guard immediately upon seeing Harry.
"Do you need help carrying it?"
"That won't be necessary. Thank you. That's all for today. If I need anything else, I'll let you know," said Harry with a small smile as he lifted the basket with some effort and headed into the Great Keep.
The soldiers exchanged looks before sighing.
"I'm never drinking while on patrol again," said one of the guards in an irritated tone.
"I'd rather run errands than lose part of my pay," said another with a shrug.
Completely unaware that the guards assigned to him were the castle's troublemakers being punished, Harry used a bit of magic to lighten the basket as he climbed the stairs toward his small laboratory.
Looking at the grains, he felt rather curious.
He had never actually seen rye seeds before and could only assume they truly were rye.
Modifying plants was an advanced skill for a Potions Master, and while Harry could be considered one, his own talents had always leaned more toward combat.
Getting to work, he spent nearly three hours planting hundreds of pots.
Letting out a sigh, he sat down in front of the nearest one before murmuring a spell.
Magic moved through his body, and he immediately grimaced at the enormous drain.
With the spell, hundreds of nodes instantly appeared in his mind, forming what looked like a massive puzzle.
That was the essence of the plant.
Using the spell, any node could be altered, bringing changes to the plant itself.
Modifying several of them at random, Harry ended the spell and moved on to the next pot.
He had to make several trips to the weirwood to replenish himself.
As the plant grew, he would receive clues about the section he had modified until he eventually learned how to properly read the information hidden within the seed.
Only then would he be able to guide it in the direction he desired.
The entire floor of the tower now resembled a deserted botanical garden.
Hundreds of small flowerpots were scattered everywhere.
Despite the bleak sight, Harry smiled with satisfaction.
All he had to do now was water them and wait.
Looking out the window, he saw that the sun had already disappeared below the horizon.
After cleaning the dirt from his hands, he headed downstairs for dinner.
In the family dining room, his mother was already seated at the head of the table.
His own seat was beside hers, followed by Sansa.
Across from them sat Arya, behaving herself under Catelyn's watchful gaze.
Farther down sat Uncle Benjen, talking with Jon beside him.
The atmosphere seemed reasonably harmonious, so Harry sat down with a smile.
As he ate, his thoughts repeatedly drifted back to the plants growing in his tower laboratory.
He was eager to see how they developed and what changes they would bring.
....
A month passed between trial and error.
During that time, Harry dedicated himself to monitoring his plants.
With the growth potion, he was able to speed up the results, so the room at the top of the tower now looked like a small forest.
Harry let out a small chuckle as he looked around. Ears of rye of different sizes and colors grew in small pots.
Some had spikes on their stems or tiny needles on their leaves.
For some reason, some even tasted like fruit.
Although it was amusing, it was also proof of his failure. He had not managed to develop the plant in the way he wanted.
In his book, dozens of pages showed a long chain of nodes with their respective descriptions. There were only a few nodes left to test, so he assumed he would succeed soon.
Closing the book, he let out a sigh before heading downstairs to find his mother.
Every day, he went to ask her how the war was going, though there was not always news.
Entering her office, he found her behind the desk, reviewing letters.
"Any news?" said Harry as he approached.
"Hm, the Ironborn fleet has been destroyed. Right now, they are besieging Pyke, their capital," said Catelyn with a smile as she showed the letter to Harry.
Harry took the letter and read it quickly, a small smile forming on his face.
"I hope the war ends soon," said Harry as he returned the letter to his mother.
"I hope so too," said Catelyn, absentmindedly stroking her son's hair.