The mandrake's magic circuit was the most complex of all the magical plants that Vizette had encountered so far.
A brief observation revealed only a tangled mess of hemp fibers, constantly shifting with an indescribable restlessness that made him feel dizzy.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this complexity that it became a key element in ritual magic.
Compared to modern magic, which was incredibly precise and could be cast using wands, gestures, and spells, ritual magic was much broader in scope.
Ancient wizards had used ritual magic to handle this breadth, developing multiple steps that constantly eliminated and combined elements to ultimately achieve the desired magical effect.
Vizette suppressed his dizziness and focused his attention even more intently on observing the mandrake.
This time, his observations were not limited to the tubers but also included the leaves of the mandrake plant.
He made a new discovery by observing the leaves of the mandrake.
The leaves of the mandrake contained magical circuits completely different from those in the tuber.
The overall magic circuit was extremely orderly, like a series of sturdy and stable nails firmly fixing the magic circuit of the root.
There was a connection between the leaves and the tubers. One could vaguely feel that the magical circuits of the leaves also flowed and slowly entered the tubers.
This new discovery about the mandrake alleviated the dizziness and gave Vizette more energy to continue studying the special features of the mandrake.
He discovered something interesting: the magical circuits between the leaves and the tubers flowed between each other.
Even though the flow was extremely slight, it was still detectable through his patient observation.
...
Sprout looked around and walked over to Vizette's side.
She bent down slightly to carefully examine the mandrake that had just been transplanted.
The soil in the flowerpot was very even, and the burial position was just right...
She wasn't surprised by Vizette's good performance, but she still had a satisfied smile on her face.
Sprout straightened up, gently patted Vizette on the shoulder, and gestured for him to follow her.
The two went to the second greenhouse and waited until Sprout closed the door to make sure they couldn't hear the mandrake's calls before they took off their earmuffs.
Vizette rubbed his temples to relieve the dizziness. "Professor Sprout, is there anything I can help you with?"
"These are for you…" Sprout opened her hand, revealing a few tender mandrake leaves.
"Mandragora leaves that have just been transplanted are the best for practicing Animagus."
"The best effect?" Vizette maintained his Magia Revelio, and on the leaf in Sprout's hand, there were still magic circuits like nails.
Since the leaves had been picked, their magical circuits had stopped flowing and had stabilized.
He pondered Sprout's words, connecting them with the magic circuits he had observed, which gave rise to new questions.
"Professor Sprout, does the effect of mandrake leaves weaken as the plant grows larger?"
"Of course!" Sprout nodded. "Once the mandrake matures, its leaves will have hallucinogenic properties."
"Especially in the Middle Ages, when mandrake was still widely distributed, it wasn't as difficult to obtain as it is now..."
"The wizards of that time would keep the leaves and make them into tea, which they believed would inspire their creativity to some extent…"
"Once the effects wear off, in addition to causing hallucinations, it will also dull the wizard's senses and even temporarily cause them to lose their ability to cast spells."
Vizette held the mandrake leaf in his hand, marveling at the wonder of this magical plant.
When mandrake was young, its tuberous roots were not medicinal and it made a dizzying sound, but its leaves were useful for Animagus exercises.
Once the mandrake matured, its tuber became a powerful restorative agent and could be added to various potions to enhance their potency. However, the leaves became hallucinogenic poisons.
...
Mandrake needed to be repotted several times to mature.
According to Sprout, the leaves could be picked before the second repotting and used as practice material for Animagus.
Vizette also planned to take advantage of this time to try to analyze the mandrake through Magia Revelio and study it more deeply.
Sprout led the students to the second greenhouse, where they admired several beautiful magical plants. After a short relaxation, they returned to the third greenhouse to continue their Herbology class.
Mandrake plants that had undergone their first repotting would develop a growing curiosity about the outside world, having already seen it.
Students needed to use small wooden mallets to continuously tap the exposed roots of the mandrake, which felt a bit like playing whack-a-mole.
In this way, their curiosity about the outside world could be dispelled, and they could be made aware of the dangers of the outside world.
It could also stimulate their growth desire, making them absorb fertilizer more actively and shortening the time needed to mature.
Whether it was repotting or tapping the roots, these were special methods developed by Sprout based on the habits of mandrake, which could enhance the survival rate of mandrake.
Like mandrakes in the wild, they didn't have students to do these things for them, so it was a rare thing that they could grow to maturity successfully.
...
After the Herbology class ended, Vizette strolled down the corridor, still organizing the notes he had taken in class.
The notes contained not only Sprout's lectures but also the magical circuits he had observed through Magia Revelio.
Taking notes was only the first step; categorizing and organizing them into something one could understand was also an extremely important step.
"There are no shortcuts to success, and hard work is also very important!" Lockhart's voice rang out. "No wonder Professor Flitwick and the others thought so highly of you!"
When Vizette looked up, he saw Lockhart holding a pot of mandrakes, which seemed to be the same pot he had transplanted.
Lockhart smiled broadly. "Professor Sprout said that you personally repotted this mandrake. No one knows mandrakes better than me!"
"The moment I saw it, I felt it was different from others, more robust and more vibrant, just like you!"
Vizette nodded, took two steps to the side to create some distance between himself and Lockhart, and quickened his pace.
Lockhart seemed completely unconcerned, his smile unchanged, and quickened his pace alongside Vizette.
"Vizette, I'll just call you that! After that first class at the beginning of the semester, weren't you very interested in the Obliviate Charm? Why didn't you come to find me?"
Vizette said, "Professor Lockhart, there are many things to do since the start of the semester, and there is a lot of new knowledge to learn and research."
"If someone else said that, I would definitely think they were just trying to appease me," Lockhart grinned. "But if you say it… then it must be true!"
….
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