Treating the Whomping Willow

Lucien followed Professor Sprout to the vicinity of the Whomping Willow.

The once tall and straight willows now appear somewhat withered, their branches and leaves drooping limply, no longer displaying their former vigor.

Looking at the large crater in the tree trunk, Lucien couldn't help but click his tongue. The impact was really severe; it almost broke completely.

"The Whomping Willow' is currently injured and weakened, but it's also become more irritable and dangerous. It will go berserk and attack indiscriminately at the slightest disturbance, which makes its treatment and recovery even more difficult."

Sprout looked at the Whomping Willow with pity and heartache, marveling at how much trouble those two Gryffindor kids could cause.

"Previously, pressing a knot on a branch would immediately freeze the 'Whomping Willow,' but that doesn't work anymore."

"The method Lockhart mentioned before... never mind, let's not talk about it."

Lucien understood the current predicament: the Whomping Willow needed rest and slumber to recover from its injuries, but it was currently weak yet enraged. If it attacked, it would tear open the wounds and undo all the previous repairs.

Dumbledore probably realized the miraculous power of the Qilin Saliva in replenishing life force, so he wanted to first strengthen the Whomping Willow's vitality so that he could begin normal healing once it had recovered sufficiently.

However, it would be better to take a two-pronged approach first, to calm down Whomping Willow.

Calm down, fall asleep...

Lucien took a pair of specially made earplugs out of his pocket and handed them to Professor Sprout.

"Professor, please put this on first. I want to try and Whomping Willow down, so it will be easier for us to treat her."

Looking at the earplugs Lucien handed her, Sprout was puzzled. During the previous Herbology, she had been checking the other groups' work and hadn't noticed anything unusual about Lucien's group.

Sprout put on his earplugs anyway, curious about what Lucien was planning to do, anything that couldn't be more outrageous than Lockhart's plan.

Lucien gripped his wand, his lips parted, and he sang in a distant, ethereal melody:

The soft moonlight spreads beneath your pillow.

The night was deep, concealing all fear.

Let your breath sink into the silvery lake.

Let beautiful dreams sprout under the moonlight...

Gradually, the trembling branches and leaves of the Whomping Willow fell silent, as if it had fallen into a deep sleep.

Eye of Magic Sight observed that the magic power within Lucien Whomping Willow had become more peaceful before attempting to approach Whomping Willow.

He didn't want to gamble on whether the plant affinity brought by the "Diligent Little Gardener" would still work on the Whomping Willow.

So let's use Moon Sleep Song to put the Whomping Willow to sleep first, then we'll talk about it later. It seems a bit strange that a plant can fall asleep, but it's magic, after all.

Well, it seems the Moon Sleep Song is working quite well now.

When Sprout saw Lucien about to step into the range of the Whomping Willow, Sprout instinctively tried to pull him back, but the Whomping Willow didn't react at all, and the restless and violent feeling disappeared.

Sprout, who was extremely familiar with magical plants, quickly determined that the Whomping Willow had fallen into a very quiet and calm state, as if it were asleep.

With her earplugs on, Sprout couldn't hear what Lucien was saying, but he was definitely casting a spell with his wand, though she'd never seen such a long incantation before.

Lucien walked to the Whomping Willow where he had been hit, reached out and touched the broken edge, silently apologizing.

He then took out a small bottle and poured a few drops of Qilin Saliva onto the base of the Whomping Willow.

Soon, the withered appearance of the Whomping Willow bark faded, and it showed obvious signs of vitality.

Professor Sprout also began treatment, applying a special medicinal solution to the surface of the tree hole and then securing it with bandages.

Seeing those bandages, Lucien couldn't help but think to himself, "So bandages really are useful."

Lucien then gathered up the scattered branches, leaves, and bark from the ground.

They can be used to brew potions and participate in the creation of alchemical items, exerting even more magical effects.

Of course, what Lucien needs most is to use it to construct a spell.

That was also learned from an Ancient Magic book, called:

Intellect Barrier.

Similar in effect to Occlumency, it can resist mental infiltration and protect the soul.

Besides spells like Legilimency, the Intellect Barrier can also defend against other spells that target the soul and memories, such as Imperius Curse and Obliviate, making it more comprehensive.

As for the principle, it uses the knowledge in the caster's mind to construct protection, and through the combination of alchemy and magic, it achieves a semi-permanent effect.

It's actually somewhat similar to the Eye of Magic Sight, except that it doesn't require actual physical adjustments.

What Lucien liked most about this magic was that the more knowledge one had, the stronger the protection one received.

Compared to Occlumency, this is definitely more suitable for me.

While Lucien finished collecting the branches, leaves, and bark, Professor Sprout also finished his work.

Seeing this, Lucien walked over to the Whomping Willow, took out a bag, and poured out the fertilizer inside to help the Whomping Willow recover.

Sprout nearby, immediately noticed:

"These fertilizers are of excellent quality, Lucien. Where did you buy them?"

As a professor of Herbology and a gardening enthusiast, Sprout naturally desired good fertilizer.

Inside the Great Hall.

The twins set up a grand booth for the Seventh Workshop (Hogwarts special), and their shouts quickly attracted the attention of others.

Some of the young wizards had already gathered around. After enduring the ordeal of the stairs, and comparing themselves to the Gryffindor who had bought the pointer map, the difference was immediately apparent.

They didn't need any deliberate publicity; they had already found out the source of these props.

Malfoy, who happened to be strolling around here, came over with his two henchmen and began to examine the goods on the stall.

Upon hearing that it was Lucien's invention, Malfoy became interested and also learned the specific uses of these gadgets.

The map that helps people plan routes is indeed quite good. As for the price, it doesn't matter; Malfoy isn't short of money.

Malfoy had his henchman Goyle inquire about the price, and then prepared to pay, partly to support Lucien.

"Hey George, our custom map should be almost finished, right? It's the Zabini ordered."

"Oh right, wealthy Pure-blood will have custom-made pieces, engraved with their family crest or unique personal markings, making them one-of-a-kind. Isn't that the standard for nobility?"

"Speaking of which, this should be the first custom map, it's sure to make a lot of people envious."

Listening to the Gemini's "casual chatter," Malfoy paused in his act of taking out his money. Custom-made? One-of-a-kind?

Yeah, there's no point in buying the same stuff as everyone else, even the most expensive one!

Noticing Malfoy's expression, the twins exchanged a quick glance.

Plans are in place.