Plants and the Great Sea

High spirits and a firm will.

Harry lacked neither of these two things.

A thick, silvery-white mist spewed from the tip of his wand, rising and swirling as it struggled to coalesce, half-obscuring an indistinct, illusory figure.

The head was unclear.

But there were four thick, powerful legs.

A sturdy body.

Snape's expression improved slightly; these were not the legs of a stag, but rather resembled those of some predatory creature.

Harry did his best to maintain his magic.

The mist churned in waves, yet the creature within struggled to take shape, flickering back and forth between translucent and transparent, right as a doubt crossed his mind—why hadn't it formed yet?

Pop.

The entity burst softly, scattering into a cloud of mist that rolled away to both sides.

It had failed to manifest immediately.

Harry frowned slightly; it shouldn't have been a problem of emotion, as he could feel that he was just one step away.

Something was missing.

Harry looked at Snape.

This professor, whose greasy hair looked like it had actually been washed, was just about to open his mouth to sneer.

Harry realized what that final step was—it was the belief in protection, the most clear and intuitive meaning written into the very name of the spell.

This kind of belief was not something a Wolf School Witcher lacked.

He chanted the spell once more.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A brilliant, dazzling silver-white light surged forth, a small wisp of mist surged, and a massive creature crawled out from the wand.

With a thick mane and a whip-like tail—it was a lion.

It landed lightly, shielding Harry, glaring and baring its fangs as it hissed at Snape.

"A stupid lion that can't even distinguish its own professor." Snape waved his hand. "Dismiss your charm."

Harry ignored him, looking at his Patronus with affection.

He had thought it would be a wolf—after all, it was a school with the "wolf" as its emblem.

A lion was fine, too.

"Mr. Potter!" Snape emphasized his tone.

Harry flicked his wand, dismissing the Patronus: "You look quite happy."

"Of course." Snape sneered. "I don't have to face your foolish face all night long."

"Potter, do not think that summoning a corporeal Patronus on your first attempt is some sort of remarkable achievement."

He flicked his wand.

A box flew over.

"You may be aware that many Dark creatures can only be repelled by the Patronus Charm."

"Now, try to use your Patronus to repel this thing."

The box opened.

Inside lay a black cloak.

Harry could feel a rich aura of life and magic emanating from it; it was a living creature, and he quickly recalled the information on such beings from his mind.

A Lethifold.

An extremely rare cursed creature that lived almost exclusively in tropical regions.

"I thought you would have brought a Dementor, Professor," Harry said softly.

"I thank the heavens you didn't mistake it for a cloak." Snape flicked his wand again. "Your eyeballs still seem to have some use."

A Confundus Charm landed on the Lethifold.

It let out a shrill screech and lunged at Harry.

"Do not use what you learned from Professor Flitwick."

"And do not pull out the Sword of Gryffindor."

"Use the Patronus Charm!"

Snape held his wand, ready at any moment, though his tone remained cold: "Rest assured, I shall be merciful enough to rescue you before it eats you."

It was incredibly fast.

Silent and soundless, it drifted before Harry in the blink of an eye, spreading its massive wings—revealing the small, furry body hidden within.

It's actually quite cute, much like the rat Ron keeps called Scabbers.

At least...

It's far cuter than those snarling, deformed monsters.

Harry flicked his wand: "Expecto Patronum."

A lion surged forth, swiping the Lethifold away with a single blow before flicking its tail. In its eyes, the cursed creature seemed to pose no threat, and it crouched low, continuing to watch Snape with caution.

"Very well," Snape nodded, his expression blank. "It would be even better if your Patronus were a bit more intelligent."

"Potter, I want a ten-inch essay when you return."

Harry asked, "Is the lesson over for today?"

"I thought we could practice Occlumency a bit more?"

Snape raised his hand and tossed a notebook over: "Go back and study this book thoroughly before you talk to me about Occlumency."

"While I would certainly love to see you in a state of panicked disarray as your mind is peered into..."

"I have no interest in your foul-smelling brain."

Harry caught the notebook, still struggling: "Then how about practicing the Patronus Charm some more?"

Snape flicked his wand, and the office door swung open: "Get out!"

"Wait, Professor, I still have some questions regarding Potions." Harry didn't want to waste time and pressed his inquiry.

Snape answered them one by one with great impatience.

Advanced potions and the various decoctions of a Witcher were beginning to show common ground—many required alcohol for preparation; the vast amount of strong spirits Wood kept hidden was clearly him stockpiling potion ingredients.

Some Witcher potions possessed powers that the potions of this world lacked.

If he could modify the formulas and brew them, it would be a great boon to himself.

He kept asking until nearly curfew.

Snape finally couldn't stand having that face hovering in front of him any longer; he waved his wand, grabbed Harry, and tossed him out.

Once the office door closed.

Harry immediately threw on his Invisibility Cloak, scratched at the kitchen door, walked inside, and called out: "Kro!"

With a "pop," the House-elf appeared before Harry.

"The little wizard has come!" The House-elf held its head high. "Everything the little wizard asked Kro to prepare is ready."

It snapped its fingers.

With a dull thud, a heavy object hit the floor.

A buffalo, larger than the desk in Snape's office, appeared out of thin air.

For the first time, Harry understood what the Weasley brothers meant when they said House-elves would strive to fulfill every request—this cow was simply too large; it would be difficult to fit under the Invisibility Cloak.

"Can you help me transport it to the edge of the Forbidden Forest without alerting anyone?" Harry asked after a moment of silence.

Kro nodded: "Of course!"

"The little wizard only needs to call Kro's name."

Outside the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid was patrolling with Fang; once they had wandered far away, Harry whispered: "Kro!"

The House-elf did not appear.

But the cow appeared before him almost soundlessly.

Harry flicked his wand, and nearby vines surged forward to bind it, lifting it into the air as he followed, heading toward the area where the Bicorn haunted.

Another pile of fresh dung.

It seemed it had been lingering here for quite some time lately.

Harry set the cow down, took out the Love Potion, and poured it over the beast. A faint scent of grass and wood, mixed with the dull, heavy smell of the sea, wafted into his nose.

It was indeed very attractive.

He then burned the Unicorn hair and scattered the collected petals on the ground.

With a single spell, he sliced the cow's skin, and blood began to flow.

Thanks to book friend ending in 5830 for the tip.

Thanks to Wo Qinzi Chuma for the tip.

Thanks to Shen Zhixi for the tip!

Thanks to Little Babel Spirit, Xiedai, and book friend ending in 4921 for the tips!

I'm having a bit of writer's block this morning, so here is a 2K chapter first. I'll make up for it with a 4K update this afternoon! And there will be another chapter after eight tonight!