In the Headmaster's office.
Lucien and Dumbledore sat in silence, each sipping tea.
There wasn't much else they could do—after their long discussion and repeated spellcasting, both of them were a little drained.
Lucien waved his wand, returning the small hoe to its original form, picked it up, and prepared to tuck it into his pocket.
Seeing this, a faint smile appeared in Dumbledore's eyes.
"Lucien, I'm quite curious—why do you carry a small hoe around?"
"I like planting things. Having tools with me just makes it more convenient."
Dumbledore stroked his beard and chuckled.
"That's a wonderful hobby. It's good to relax now and then."
"Oh, by the way, what have you been growing?"
"Hmm… cabbage."
The kind that might bite, Lucien added silently to himself.
Dumbledore was a bit surprised by the answer. He had thought that a young wizard of Lucien's age would prefer growing flowers or ornamental plants. Was it edible cabbage instead?
"Heh heh, Lucien, you might have fit quite well in Hufflepuff…"
The two chatted for a while longer.
Finally, Lucien bid Dumbledore farewell and left.
As soon as he was gone, Dumbledore drew back the curtain, revealing the portraits of the former Headmasters.
By now, after some time had passed, they had likely discussed the matter among themselves and no longer all spoke at once as they had before.
"Albus, the safety of Hogwarts is of utmost importance—and so is the safety of every student."
"Lucien is still just a child. Don't let him be drawn into danger too soon. Let him study in peace."
The speaker was Sharon Windirian, a graceful woman with silver-rimmed glasses—a former Ravenclaw Headmistress.
Her tone was serious, and she regarded Dumbledore with grave concern.
Sharon had only spoken with Lucien once, but she had been deeply impressed by him, believing he was perhaps the student who best embodied the ideals of Ravenclaw.
Dumbledore, however, shook his head and began explaining one by one what he and Lucien had discussed, as well as the extraordinary talent the boy had displayed.
When he finished, Dumbledore added quietly, "That child… perhaps can no longer be judged by ordinary standards."
...
Time passed quickly.
Half a month later.
Lucien stood in Hagrid's vegetable garden.
Looking at the thirty fully grown Chomping Cabbages before him, he felt quite satisfied.
Under his careful tending—with plenty of fertilizer and various auxiliary potions—every seedling had matured successfully.
Lucien crouched down, closely inspecting the cabbages.
Their yellowish-red leaves wrapped tightly around their round heads, each with a large opening in the center lined with sharp, glossy black teeth.
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Hmm…
What had Hagrid been thinking, trying to cook something like this?
Lucien reached out and patted one of the Chomping Cabbages.
Thanks to the magical plant affinity granted by the "Diligent Little Gardener," as long as the plants weren't under someone else's control, they wouldn't attack him.
When Lucien touched them, the Chomping Cabbages showed no intention of biting.
They simply opened and closed rhythmically, as though they were breathing.
"System, I want to repay the 'Diligent Little Gardener' loan."
Ding! The 'Diligent Little Gardener' title (monthly loan) has been repaid.
Wishing the host a continued and fulfilling pastoral life ┌|≧∇≦|┘
Lucien watched as ten of the Chomping Cabbages vanished instantly, taken away by the system.
Seeing that twenty remained, he took out a green gourd and began collecting them one by one.
The gourd was specially designed for planting and storing both magical and ordinary plants.
It had been Alchemized long ago, but to ensure the cabbages' proper growth, he hadn't transplanted them into it until now.
With the loan repaid, he could finally store them away.
Most magical plants were fairly easy to preserve anyway. Once fully matured, as long as they had a suitable growing environment, they could maintain their vitality for quite some time.
Hmm… I should test them when I get the chance—to see just how strong these Chomping Cabbages really are.
It was said they could easily bite through human bones, and judging by those sharp teeth, that didn't seem far-fetched.
Lucien stood, waving his wand to clean the dirt off his shoes and clothes.
He glanced around the vegetable garden.
Nearly two-thirds of the area was filled with giant pumpkins.
These pumpkins were hybrids of magical and ordinary varieties—fast-growing, enormous, and delicious.
As for why there were so many of them?
Well, it certainly wasn't because Hagrid liked eating pumpkins that much.
It was because Halloween was approaching!
And what was Halloween without pumpkins?
Hmm… something would happen on Halloween—mainly Quirrell's doing.
A troll would be let in then, but it wouldn't be anything too serious—just enough to cause a scare without real harm.
Those three little ones would be more than capable of handling it.
Harry and Ron's studies had been going quite well recently—especially Ron's. His progress in theoretical knowledge and Transfiguration was impressive.
A monthly exam was scheduled in a few days to test them. If they passed, they'd be allowed to begin experimenting with simple Alchemical mechanical constructs.
Lucien thought about this as he walked out of the vegetable garden.
"Oh, Lucien, how're those Chomping Cabbages coming along?"
The rough, booming voice made Lucien look up to see Hagrid's familiar grin hidden beneath his thick beard.
"Very healthy—they're all fully grown. I've already collected them."
"I've turned over the soil on your old plot and added fertilizer. You can start planting whatever you like right away."
"Ho ho, that's mighty kind of you."
Hagrid rubbed his large hands together, his smile growing even wider.
"Let's have dinner together. Harry and the others will be coming by later."
Lucien nodded, then suddenly thought of something and asked casually,
"Hagrid, do you know how to care for newly hatched Acromantulas?"
A new brood had recently hatched among the Acromantulas he was raising, so it was the perfect time to ask Hagrid for advice.
After all, the half-giant had plenty of experience—he had raised Aragog himself, practically from birth.
Hearing the question, Hagrid didn't find it odd that a young wizard would ask about such creatures. He simply replied in his deep, buzzing voice,
"It's best to start with soft food—like breadcrumbs—and make sure the temperature stays around…"
"Oh, and once they're past the juvenile stage, it's best to add some fish and shrimp to their diet. That'll slow down how fast they go blind…"
Lucien nodded repeatedly as he listened. Though Hagrid often seemed carefree, he was remarkably meticulous when it came to caring for magical creatures, and he spoke at length.
"Hagrid, thank you. That advice is very helpful."
Hagrid waved a large hand dismissively.
"Oh, friends don't need to thank each other."
"These are just things I've figured out through experience, though I learned them a bit late. I've got an old friend—his name's Aragog, also an Acromantula. Back then, because I didn't care for him properly, he lost his sight too early."
"Hmm, but when I visited him recently, he actually regained a bit of his vision!"
"Ah, that's truly a miracle. Maybe it's a blessing he received for not harming people…"
Lucien's expression turned a little odd as he listened, though thankfully Hagrid was too tall to notice.
A blessing?
Well, yes—meeting him could indeed be considered a kind of blessing for Aragog.
__________
11 Advance Chaps- P@treon/DarkDevil1