Wyzett and Luna hurried down the moving staircase, making their way to the greenhouses outside the castle.
The door to Greenhouse One stood open, but Wyzett led Luna past it to Greenhouse Two, where a familiar figure was already hard at work.
Professor Sprout was up bright and early, cradling a pot of fertilizer that glimmered with a faint blue light as she tended to the plants.
It was a souvenir Wyzett had brought back from Sweden—dragon dung from a Swedish Short-Snout. For someone as devoted to plants and herbs as Professor Sprout, a sack of high-quality dragon dung was the perfect gift.
"Wyzett, good morning!" she called, setting her trowel back in the dragon dung and waving with a broad smile. "And this must be that lovely young lady… You're Luna, aren't you?"
Wyzett grinned. "Good morning, Professor Sprout!"
Luna gave a polite bow. "Hello, Professor Sprout. I'm Luna."
"I hear about you all the time from Wyzett…" Professor Sprout beamed. "Here to see the Dirigible Plum tree? Come, I'll show you—"
"Actually, Professor, Luna just left home, so she's still adjusting a bit. We thought…" Wyzett quickly explained about the garden at home.
"So you're used to that sort of life?" Professor Sprout's smile grew even warmer. "What a wonderful girl, loving the simple things…"
"Well, let's all pitch in! We have every tool you could need… Oh, and how are those color-changing Christmas cacti coming along? Easy to care for?"
Luna picked up a small trowel, following at Professor Sprout's side. "They're very easy, and so lively…"
"I've actually drawn them all, Professor, but I didn't bring my sketchbook down. Next time I'll show you, if you'd like?"
"I'd love that!" Professor Sprout's eyes lit up. "I can't wait to see them!"
While Luna and Professor Sprout fertilized the plants, Wyzett raised his wand. "Aguamenti!"
Two fertilizing, one watering—the three of them worked busily in Greenhouse Two, soon finishing the morning's care.
"The Water-Making Spell—such a practical bit of magic," Professor Sprout remarked, glancing at Wyzett with approval. "You handle water so deftly. It seems you're already quite accomplished with this spell."
"Tell me, could you use Aguamenti to produce 'pure water' if I asked you to?"
"I've tried before," Wyzett replied, nodding. "But I figured plants don't need pure water, so I just controlled the flow."
"I really shouldn't be surprised by anything you do anymore," Professor Sprout laughed, lifting her wand. "Aguamenti is a basic spell, after all…"
"You visited Sweden this summer, didn't you? I recall that's where the Water-Making Spell originated. Wyzett, did you learn it step by step, starting from the old ritual magics?"
"Exactly right, Professor," Wyzett replied with enthusiasm.
"Well, I suppose that's worth five points to Sprout!" she joked, winking. "Since you learned it the traditional way…"
"That means you've got a pretty deep understanding. Would you mind if I took this chance to share a bit of advanced theory—something beyond the normal curriculum? Feel like listening to an old herbologist ramble?"
"I'd be delighted, Professor Sprout!" Wyzett said at once.
Professor Sprout turned to Luna. "And if you get lost, Luna, you can always come and ask me. Though I suspect Wyzett would be happy to help as well."
"I will, Professor," Luna replied, smiling and giving Wyzett a playful wink.
"Splendid." Professor Sprout cleared her throat. "The Water-Making Spell is basic magic, but since you taught yourself from ritual spells, you'll understand what I mean."
"Being 'basic' means it can be varied in many ways. Not only can you adjust the purity of the water, but you can combine it with other spells to create new effects. Does that make sense?"
Wyzett nodded, recalling Flitwick's magical demonstrations. "Like Aguamenti plus the Freezing Charm?"
"Exactly—a classic combination." Professor Sprout nodded. "It sounds like Filius showed you, probably wandless and wordless, too. I won't embarrass myself with my own attempt."
"Now, the reason Aguamenti isn't taught until sixth year is because we want students to learn how to combine it with other spells—to broaden its uses."
"It's a bit like a Rubik's Cube… You know what that is, don't you? A Muggle toy—I got one for Christmas once, quite a clever little puzzle."
"We do!" Wyzett and Luna chimed in together. They'd seen them while shopping in the Muggle department stores.
"Good. Let's use the Rubik's Cube as an analogy. A completely solved cube is like the basic Water-Making Spell."
"But as you solve it, the ever-changing patterns are like mixing in other spells. In the end, you still have a solved cube—that is, the Water-Making Spell itself…"
"For example, if we add the Fire-Making Spell—that's like the red face of the cube. But it's still a Rubik's Cube, the core hasn't changed. Here, reach out and feel this… Aguamenti!"
It was a clever metaphor, and Wyzett could feel the concept settling neatly into place, eager to absorb every bit of knowledge Professor Sprout offered.
A Rubik's Cube—a three-dimensional puzzle made of small blocks, each able to rotate, the goal being to make each face a single color.
As Professor Sprout explained, no matter how the colors shifted or the patterns scrambled, it was still a Rubik's Cube in the end.
Just as, no matter what magic you combined with the Water-Making Spell, it remained at its core the same spell.
Wyzett realized that this theory could even be applied to Transfiguration: no matter what magic you added, the essence of the Water-Making Spell remained unchanged.
And there was so much more to explore—this theory could be extended to all sorts of magic.
It was a bit like "all roads lead to Rome"—as long as you made progress, any approach was valid.
Professor Sprout's deep understanding of Aguamenti was rooted in her love for Herbology, which drove her to master other magics so she could better care for her plants.
She'd even learned to combine the Water-Making Spell with potion effects, turning it into temporary fertilizer in a pinch.
Before they knew it, the morning sun was blazing, and the sleeping castle of Hogwarts was waking up.
Footsteps echoed from the direction of Greenhouse One—Hannah Abbott appeared in the doorway.
"Good morning, Professor Sprout…" Hannah glanced around Greenhouse Two, surprise lighting her face. "Wyzett? What are you doing here?"
Professor Sprout chuckled. "He and Luna came to help as well. I thought today would be terribly busy, but with all of you here, it looks like I'll have a much easier morning!"
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