Robert's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he watched the reward information for the Shadow Thorns undergo dramatic changes. A moment earlier, the reward display had become blurred, glowing with a strange light, as if something new was about to emerge.
"As expected of the Invisibility Cloak among the Deathly Hallows," Robert muttered. "It has an almost transformative effect on the Shadow Thorns."
After a short wait, the text finally reappeared clearly:
The Shadow Thorns you cultivated have mutated and developed superior traits.
Upon full cultivation, the reward will upgrade to:
Shadow Enhancement (Gold-tier)
Tearing Wound (Silver-tier)
While these rewards were similar in nature to previous ones, their tiers had clearly increased. Shadow Enhancement had advanced to Gold-tier, and Tearing Wound had risen to Silver-tier. Still, Robert's eyes lingered on the final line of the reward display:
A very small amount of insight into Ancient Shadow Magic (Iron-tier)
He blinked, stunned. Another Ancient Magic reward?
Previously, Robert had only encountered Ancient Magic related to the Elber Tree's Ancient Weather Magic and the Whomping Willow's still-unknown variety. That the Shadow Thorns, especially after a mutation influenced by the Invisibility Cloak, could offer such a reward genuinely surprised him.
His heart began to stir with excitement. Unlike the Elber Tree, which needed considerable time to grow, and the Whomping Willow, which was still a distant goal, Shadow Thorns were within reach. Now that Robert had mastered the Disillusionment Charm, cultivating them in batches was feasible.
"This is the closest I've ever been to Ancient Magic," he thought.
Ancient Shadow Magic wasn't elaborated upon in the original Harry Potter books, but the way it surfaced here piqued Robert's curiosity. If he could master it, it might become another powerful card in his hand—like Sectumsempra had once been.
Yet, as he looked back at the reward screen, his brows drew together. That last reward—the insight into Ancient Shadow Magic—was flickering. It didn't stabilize like the others.
"Why isn't this forming completely?" he wondered aloud. "Is some condition still unmet?"
He waited, cautiously. The reward continued to flicker, appearing and vanishing. It was unlike anything he had encountered before. Slowly, realization dawned.
"It really is missing a requirement," he confirmed.
It made sense. The Elber Tree, at its peak, had provided Diamond-tier rewards before offering Ancient Weather Magic. Even with the Invisibility Cloak's intervention, the Shadow Thorns maxed out at Gold-tier. It was no surprise that they struggled to provide such rare magic.
Still, this was a breakthrough.
Determined, Robert decided to search through his late aunt's books, hoping for records on Shadow Thorns. She had once told him that those old tomes—many of which now resided in his possession—were dense with obscure knowledge.
As a precaution, Robert wrapped himself in the Invisibility Cloak. Though Professor Quirrell seemed unlikely to cause trouble now, Robert didn't want to take chances. Under the cloak's cover, few could detect him—certainly not without awakening Voldemort's Legilimency.
The moment he was under the cloak, Robert felt something peculiar. Yes, the cloak's texture was smooth and watery-cool, unique to the Deathly Hallows. But it was the change in his magic that shocked him most.
After unlocking Platinum-tier Night Vision, Robert could see magical auras—light particles emitted by magical beings and plants. Usually, these floated freely, like gas in the air. But under the Invisibility Cloak, his magic particles didn't diffuse.
Instead, they bounced back toward him, sealed in.
"A magical black body…" he muttered. "Magic enters, but none escapes."
The cloak not only concealed visually and acoustically—it also made magic undetectable. Spells meant to locate magic would fail outright.
Robert's magical knowledge had advanced well beyond that of a first-year. Now familiar with Transfiguration and several Charms at Platinum-tier, he recognized the significance of this. Whoever made the cloak wasn't just a talented wizard—they were a master of microscopic magical manipulation.
"In my past life, this would've been like studying quantum mechanics before learning algebra," he sighed. "I can't understand it now, but one day, I will."
For now, his priority was Shadow Thorns.
He moved silently to the library, still under the cloak's protection. It was long past opening hours, but Madam Pince's snores told him she was deep asleep. Robert headed straight to the Herbology section, using the reference list Aunt Sprout had left him.
The books were obscure. Old English, Latin, Hebrew… even a few that seemed written in archaic magical runes. Luckily, Robert had grown used to deciphering such texts while doing essays for various Professors.
"Maybe that's why they assigned those essays," he realized. "To prepare us for this."
He worked tirelessly, flipping through prefaces, indexes, and abstracts. Time passed in a blur. Madam Pince's snores faded as morning sunlight filtered in.
Eventually, Robert closed his current book with a soft sigh.
He had marked four books as valuable for Shadow Thorns research. But none had concrete mentions of Ancient Shadow Magic.
Seventeen books remained.
"If I read four or five per day, I'll be done in a week," he calculated. "If I still find nothing, I'll have to explore the Restricted Section… or start experimenting from scratch."
As he exited the library, lost in thought, he heard the flap of wings. Looking up, Robert spotted Professor Sprout's owl circling overhead—seemingly confused.
"Oh, right," Robert muttered, removing the Invisibility Cloak.
The owl immediately locked on and swooped down, dropping a letter into his hand.
"Robert,
Upon receiving this letter, please come to the Great Hall at breakfast.
There is a matter of great importance you must not miss."
Puzzled, Robert quickened his pace. When he arrived, something felt… different.
The Great Hall doors were shut, and it was strangely quiet inside.
"An important meeting?" he thought.
He cautiously opened the door a crack, intending to sneak in unnoticed.
Instead, all eyes turned to him.
The entire student body, all four Houses, and every Professor—including Dumbledore—were present.
Dumbledore gave a solemn nod. "Now that Robert is here," he declared, "we may begin."
BOOM.
Suddenly, fireworks exploded, confetti rained from the Hufflepuff table, and children jumped up waving handmade flags.
Robert squinted. The banners read:
"Congratulations to Robert for publishing in Herbology Frontiers and receiving the Herbology Second-Class Medal!
You are the pride of the House."
He stood frozen.
Dumbledore stepped forward and smiled warmly. "Robert Sprout, you have broken a three-century record. You are the youngest student in three hundred years to publish in a top Herbology journal. And the first in a hundred years to win the Second-Class Medal while still in school."
He waved his wand, and the House Cup hourglasses rose into view. The Hufflepuff hourglass overflowed with sand.
"Hufflepuff gains 150 points for your academic excellence."
"Come," he said, "accept what you've earned."
Robert walked slowly to the stage, overwhelmed. In his past life, he'd once dreamed of a moment like this. Of applause. Fireworks. Recognition. Then he'd woken up.
But this—this was real.
Professor Sprout was weeping. McGonagall and Flitwick beamed with pride. Even Snape had what looked like a… freshly washed head?
Dumbledore placed the medal—engraved with a Piranha Algae—around his neck. "So," the Headmaster asked, "what are you thinking about right now?"
Robert replied, deadpan, "Can I get my experimental plot quota now? I have a lot of trees waiting to be planted."
Dumbledore blinked, then laughed heartily. "That suits you. Unfortunately, there's no quota."
Robert froze.
"…However," Dumbledore added with a sly grin, "perhaps something better?"
"You'll have half a day off. Go with Professor Sprout—she'll show you."
Robert could barely contain his curiosity. His mind filled with ideas: more Guardian Trees, Devil's Snare, and of course, Shadow Thorns.
After the ceremony, Professor Sprout led him with a secretive smile. "Honestly," she whispered, "I didn't expect Dumbledore to be this generous. I'm jealous."
She stopped.
Robert stared ahead, stunned.
"This place… what is it?" he whispered.
And then, as realization dawned, his eyes widened in disbelief.
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