Wand Material Science
"The Mourning Willow, when its branches touch a living thing, oozes a corrosive sap containing intense despair, it's hard to say whether it's stronger than that of Dementor."
Blood Thorn Vine grow on battlefields or massacre sites, nourished by the negative Magic Power remaining in the soil. Their flowers emit hallucinogenic pollen, causing people to repeatedly experience the fear of death.
If you believe you are dead, then you really are dead.
There's also the Wailing Mushroom mushroom, which only grows in places where there are large numbers of unnatural deaths. When it matures, it emits a sound similar to a dying wail, and anyone who hears it will immediately be on the verge of death.
For each one she mentioned, Dumbledore nodded.
"But I won't tell him. If he asks, I'll just say 'Sunlight Ebony Shrub.'" Professor Sprout then added, "Because at least, that direction is upwards."
Dumbledore's smile faltered slightly. He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and glanced away.
After a while, he looked at Professor Sprout again, but only saw the determination in her eyes.
He sighed softly, stood up, the hem of his robe brushing against the edge of the wicker chair, a hint of helplessness flashing in his blue eyes, as if he had admitted defeat.
He was also aware of the persistence of this colleague he had worked with for twenty years.
"I understand, Pomona. We all care about our students in our own ways."
"I just hope that when Mr. Black comes to you again, you'll trust him a little more."
After Dumbledore left, Professor Sprout sat in the wicker chair for a long time.
She is certainly not just a professor of Herbology in a Greenhouse.
She is the Hufflepuff Head of House, and her duties include holding faculty meetings, grading papers, and handling all the mundane yet important affairs of the college.
Which student's family has suffered a misfortune? Which child is being ostracized? Who is secretly researching dangerous Magic?
Most Hufflepuff are mild-mannered and slow-paced, but such young wizards can often have serious consequences if they go to extremes.
She was also aware of the situation outside.
The factions among Pureblood families, the expansion of Voldemort's power, and the increasingly sharp and confrontational statements in the Daily Prophet.
She knew what the surname Black represented.
But her chosen approach has never been direct intervention.
She grows her plants, teaches her classes, hands her students a cup of hot tea when they need it, or listens to their complaints for ten minutes.
Some children will write back years later, saying, "Professor, what you said back then helped me a lot."
That's enough.
She knew Albus's thoughts, and she accepted them, but not entirely; she had her own way of doing things.
After dinner Regulus went to the Library.
Avery and Alex followed behind him, neither of them speaking, but their steps were remarkably synchronized.
Regulus's eyebrows twitched slightly. Last semester, these two had reluctantly accompanied him to the Library a few times, but they hadn't come again on their own initiative since.
He knew that Avery wanted to follow now because, after the Astronomy Tower, the concept that they were together suddenly became concrete.
Having been through that kind of thing together, it feels awkward to go our separate ways again.
Going to the Library isn't just about studying; it's more about confirming that the community is still functioning and that I'm still a part of it.
Avery may not be able to articulate the feeling, but his actions have already followed suit.
Alex was similar; perhaps the memory of being protected was too deep, so it transformed into an awkward sense of belonging.
Regulus didn't stop him; wanting to learn is always a good thing, regardless of the motivation.
As long as you sit at your desk and open a book, your time will not be wasted.
He can be surrounded by arrogant people, hypocritical people, cowardly people, selfish people, insidious people, vicious people, and people who are strong or weak.
But illiteracy is unacceptable; that's the bottom line.
The three of them found a long table by the window and sat down.
Regulus pulled out the book he hadn't finished reading yesterday, "Introduction to Wand Materials," Avery grabbed a copy of "History of Medieval Wizarding Duels."
After hesitating for a long time, Alex chose a book titled "Guide to Rearing Common Magical Creatures".
The first twenty minutes were relatively quiet, with only the sound of pages turning and the scratching of quills across parchment.
Regulus thought Avery would be the first to get restless, but to his surprise, it was Alex.
He shifted his body slightly, his eyes drifting away from the book, scanning the Library entrance, and then returning.
As he floated past for the third time, he stopped and nudged Avery beside him with his elbow.
Avery was staring at an illustration of a duel in the book, where two wizards were exchanging spells that were now forbidden, a spectacular scene but utterly devoid of any practical value.
He frowned immediately after being bumped, turning to glare at Alex, his eyes telling him...
You'd better have something serious to do.
Alex didn't speak, but gestured with his eyes towards the door.
Avery followed his gaze.
Lily Evans was standing at the reading desk at the entrance, talking to Madam Pince librarian.
The red-haired girl was facing away from them, holding several thick books in her arms, her long robe sleeves stained with ink.
Avery instinctively wanted to purse his lips; as Pureblood families, he had an almost instinctive contempt for Muggle-borns. But just as his lips moved, he caught a glimpse of Regulus out of the corner of his eye.
For some reason, he suppressed the urge to sneer and instead nudged Regulus across the table with his knee.
Regulus looked up from the book.
Avery gestured towards the door with his chin, his voice low. "Evans is here."
Before Regulus could react, he closed the book, stood up, and pulled Alex along with him.
Alex stumbled as he was pulled, but still managed to frantically pack his things into his bag.
The two walked towards the door. As they passed Lily, Avery didn't stop, but merely tilted his head slightly in her direction, a movement so subtle it was almost imperceptible.
Alex lagged half a step behind, giving Lily a somewhat stiff smile, "Miss Evans."
Lily turned around, saw them, and paused for a moment. By the time she reacted and was about to respond, the two had already walked away.
She glanced at the backs of the two Slytherin boys, then at the spot where Regulus was sitting deep inside the Library, and a look of realization dawned on her face.
Regulus probably gave some instructions.
She walked to the long table and sat down opposite Regulus, her schoolbag making a soft thud as she placed it on the table.
"Good evening," Regulus said, looking up.
"Good evening," Lily replied, pulling out a reference book from her bag for her Potions Class paper.
For the next half hour, the two of them looked at their own things and neither of them spoke.
The only sounds in the Library were the occasional coughs of other students in the distance and the faint rustling of Madam Pince's feather duster as she organized the bookshelves.
Regulus was looking at information about wand materials.
"Introduction to Wand Materials" is an introductory book with basic content, focusing more on listing examples than analysis.
The book states that there are about thirty types of wood commonly used for the shaft of staffs in the UK Wizarding World, and even fewer types of wood for the core.
Phoenix Feather, Dragon Heartstring, Unicorn Hair, plus the nerves or hair of a few Magical Creatures.
Each material is accompanied by a brief description; Holly symbolizes purity and protection, making it suitable for upright wizards.
Yew is associated with the boundary between life and death, making it suitable for wizards seeking the path of Magic.
Phoenix Feather Staff Core possesses powerful Magic Power but is difficult to control; Dragon Heartstring is suitable for aggressive spells; Unicorn Hair is the most stable but has limited growth potential.
Regulus turned a page, his finger pausing on the chapter title, "[British Wandmaking Tradition]".
That's the problem; it's too superficial.
The book only tells you what materials have what properties, but it doesn't tell you why.
Why do Phoenix Feather possess such powerful Magic Power?
Why does the Dragon Heartstring provide a bonus to attack spells?
What are the principles governing the Conduction of Magic Power within wood fibers?
What is the mechanism by which different wand core materials resonate with the wizard's own Magic Power?
There is no answer, or rather, the answer is monopolized by a few wand-making families.
Ollivander is the most famous of them.
The cramped shop in Diagon Alley, boxes piled up to the ceiling, wood chips and Magic dust forever floating in the air.
Mr. Ollivander said a lot when he was choosing a wand for him.
Blackthorn, Dragon Heartstring, 12 1/4 inches, symbolizes strength and explosive power, suitable for wizards with abundant Magic Power and a willingness to take risks.
Tell him he's capable of great things.
Regulus had no doubt about Ollivander's skill.
The ability to choose the most suitable wand for a young wizard from thousands of wands in a matter of minutes is Magic in itself.
He just felt it was such a pity.
The Ollivander family practically monopolized the wand market in the UK Wizarding World.
Other types of wands, such as those with United States Thunderbird tail feather cores, Eastern Bamboo shafts, and Africa totem engravings, are rarely seen here.
It definitely exists, it's just that it's not visible to the mainstream.
Diversity is disappearing; Wizards have become accustomed to the mystical narrative of wands choosing wizards, no longer questioning the underlying principles.
Wandlore has become an experiential discipline, with its core knowledge locked away in family traditions, leaving outsiders only able to learn the basics.
He closed the book and leaned back in his chair.