"I still remember that I couldn't keep this gift for you until your birthday."
Manus sighed and poked the potted plant ornaments on the table with Wand.
Severus, who was sitting opposite, coughed a little guiltily:
"It was two years ago, how come I still remember it so clearly... Didn't you say you wanted to repair it? Repair it or not? If not, don't poke at it, the leaves on it will be twisted by you!"
As he said that, Severus pushed Wand to the side towards Manus, and used his other hand to protect the potted plant, while Wiggentree in the potted plant also shook its branches and leaves.
"It was originally crooked... If I remember correctly, this potted plant seems to have been given to you by me, right? I am the one who upgrades it every year. Why is it that now that your relationship has become so good, I have become an outsider?"
Manus raised Wand and pointed at Wiggentree in the potted plant and threatened:
"Do you believe I can change it back?"
"No! If you give it to me, it's mine! Oh, by the way, you haven't repaired it yet, hurry up, hurry up~"
Suddenly remembering business, Severus sat up straight again and pushed the potted plant back in front of Manus.
More than two years have passed since their seventh birthday, and both of them are now nine years old.
In the past two years, the changes between the two of them have been earth-shaking. Compared with the changes of ordinary Wizard or Muggle from the age of seven to nine, the changes of the two of them are not at the same level.
It's just that the changes in Manus are mainly in the body, while the changes in Severus are mainly in the heart.
Manus's physical changes were affected by various factors. Without going into details for now, the reasons for Severus's inner changes are relatively clear - there is no doubt that it was Manus's handiwork.
After gaining more magic knowledge on his seventh birthday and gaining a deeper understanding of the magic system of this world, Manus decisively stepped up his intervention against Severus in advance.
This kind of interference is of course not to control Severus, but to purposefully guide Severus to change its cognition.
Originally, Manus thought that it was better to just let nature take its course at this stage. It was enough for him to plant a seed at the beginning, and he should not interfere too much with Severus's initial cognitive formation, even if he regarded Severus as a friend.
In other words, it is precisely because he regards Severus as a friend that he should not interfere with him too much.
But whether it's the clues seen in the book or the examples seen with one's own eyes, they all tell Manus:
The magic system of this world is like this. If Severus is allowed to grow on its own, this little tree will inevitably grow into something much worse than the worst outcome that he imagined.
So Manus took action, training Rational Thinking of Severus, strengthening the psychological guidance of Severus, and helping him master simple spellcasting abilities to cultivate his confidence before obtaining Wand...
Although in terms of results, Severus has indeed become more confident, more assertive, and has the habit of thinking rationally about problems. It can be said that Manus's intervention is very effective.
But Manus occasionally wonders if he has gone too far?
I still remember the original Severus, shy and gentle, quiet most of the time, but now Severus...
How can I put it this way? Why does it inexplicably start to fit Manus's stereotype of children?
"Okay, don't argue. I didn't say I won't fix it... but I'm curious about something. When did this potted plant become this crooked?"
Manus pointed Wand at the potted plant nonchalantly.
In two years, they are not the only ones who have changed. The Wiggentree potted plant transformed by Transfiguration Spell was chosen by Manus as a window to show his Transfiguration Spell progress to the outside world. Every year on Severus's birthday, there will also be a wave of updates and enhancements.
From the beginning, you can still see the paper texture of the potted plant ornaments, but now, from the pottery pot, soil to the Wiggentree inside, it almost looks indistinguishable from a real small potted plant.
The Transfiguration Spell level that Manus has shown now has been greatly praised by Aunt Eileen. According to Aunt Eileen, Manus's Transfiguration Spell level has surpassed her.
However, with the annual birthday updates and enhancements, of course, it is not only the appearance of the potted plants, but also the magic on them.
The earliest one, Salvio Hexia, was already ineffective because it was the first attempt without magic power. However, with the subsequent research of Manus in this area, the subsequent magics applied can last for several years.
There are protective magics and vigilance magics.
Now Wiggentree's branch is crooked, which means that there has been an individual that can bring danger within the magic range of Wiggentree. However, Manus did not receive an alarm, which means that Severus was not actually in danger.
"Hmm, I don't know. I wanted to water it this morning, and suddenly I found a branch that was crooked."
Severus suddenly had some self-doubt:
"Did I roll over in bed last night and accidentally reach out and break it? No way, its position has not changed, and I always wake up as I sleep and never move around."
Did you discover it early in the morning? It seems like it was last night...
Thinking and casting spells at the same time will not affect Manus's conversation at all:
"How do you know you don't move around in your sleep? Maybe it was your sleepwalking that broke it."
"Impossible! If I was sleepwalking, I couldn't have discovered it now."
Manus smiled and completed the magic repair in the potted plant. The branches that were crooked on the outside were instantly restored to their original appearance:
"After it's repaired, take a closer look every day before going to bed and after waking up in the morning. Maybe you can find evidence of sleepwalking."
"Are you serious?"
Severus reached out to pick up the repaired potted plant and glanced at the leaves above suspiciously:
"Then I will move it from the bedside to the desk in the future. It will be out of reach when I turn over while sleeping."
Manus shrugged his shoulders without comment, then stood up and walked to the bookshelf. After a few steps, he opened the drawer and took out a folded box.
This box was originally used to hold Wizard's Chess. When the box is opened, it is a chessboard. However, a few years ago, Severus was no longer willing to play chess with Manus and asked for trouble. Therefore, this box of Wizard's Chess has now been transformed by Manus to have other uses.
The chessboard was unfolded, and chess pieces were placed on the chessboard one by one. The materials of these chess pieces include stone, wood, and metal, and their shapes are different from any common chess pieces.
If the chess piece that looks like a chimney can still be interpreted as a castle, then the roof or even a flower is a bit difficult to explain.
In addition, the positions of these chess pieces are completely different from those of normal chess pieces. They are in the wrong position and do not fall on the grid according to the rules. Instead, they fall on the points formed by the intersection of vertical and horizontal lines.