Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 47 Demonstration of the Magic Lamp

Karen was already awake when the morning sunlight streamed through the arched windows of the Ravenclaw Tower. He lay in bed, his fingers gently caressing the magical lamp he had made the night before beside his pillow. The bronze casing gleamed warmly in the morning light, and the blue magical energy flowing faintly through the wick was visible. Through his Eye of Truth, he could see the magical circuits, like Niven, pulsating with a steady rhythm, like a tiny heart.

"What time did you get back last night?" Ernesto's voice came from the four-poster bed beside him, hoarse from just waking up. "I stargazed until eleven o'clock but didn't see you anywhere."

Karen turned his head and saw Ernesto's grey eyes peering at him through the gap in the curtains. "Around midnight," he replied softly, "I didn't want to wake you, so I was very quiet."

Fabian and Wesley were also awakened by their conversation. Fabian rubbed his eyes, his glasses askew. "Merlin's Beard, could you please keep your voices down? Today's first period is Professor Sprout's Herbalism class, I don't want to be dozing off in the greenhouse."

"Herbalism class is nothing," Wesley said, sprawling up with a jolt, his reddish-brown hair a mess as if swept by a hurricane. "The Transfiguration this afternoon is the real challenge. Professor McGonagall said last week she was going to check our teacup transformations today, and after a week of practice I can only manage a bizarre mess."

Karen smiled, sat up in bed, and picked up the magic lamp. "I finished my first alchemical work last night," he said, gently placing the lamp on the bedside table. "Would you like to see it?"

The three roommates immediately gathered around, and even Ernesto couldn't resist getting closer. Karen concentrated and activated the lamp wick with her mind. Blue light immediately emanated from the wick, illuminating the faces of the four boys.

"Merlin!" Fabian exclaimed, his glasses reflecting a blue light. "Did you really make this? Or did you buy it from some store?"

"Of course he made it," Ernesto said calmly, but his gray eyes flashed with undisguised surprise. "I have something similar at home. This is clearly a recent creation. It's really impressive."

Wesley reached out to touch the lamp's casing, then pulled his hand back. "What can it do? Besides emit light?"

Karen smiled slightly, using her mind to dim the light and then brighten it again. "It can sense the user's thoughts and adjust its brightness, and it almost never goes out; it just needs to be injected with magic periodically."

"That's so cool!" Wesley exclaimed, pumping his fist excitedly. "Can I have one too? I'll trade something for it!"

"Wesley!" Fabian pushed up his glasses. "Alchemy items aren't toys; they must be very complicated to make. Karen must have stayed up very late last night to finish this."

Karen shook his head: "It's not as difficult as you might think. The main thing is inscribing the runes and guiding the magic flow." He carefully picked up the lamp and showed it to his roommates, revealing the intricate patterns carved on it. "These runes form magic channels, allowing the lamp to—"

"—It can stably store and release magic," Ernesto suddenly interjected, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes. "There's a similar lamp in my father's study, supposedly made by my grandfather when he was young. He said he'd teach me how to make it when I turned fourteen." He pursed his lips. "I didn't expect you to learn it first."

Karen keenly caught the disappointment in Ernesto's tone. He thought for a moment, then handed the lamp to Ernesto: "Want to try controlling it? Just concentrate and imagine the light brightening or dimming."

Ernesto paused, his gray eyes widening slightly. After a moment's hesitation, he took the lamp. Under Karen's guidance, the light flickered with Ernesto's will, and the boy's lips unconsciously curved into a smile.

"This is amazing. It's a bit different from the one in my house. Yours seems easier to control," Ernesto said softly, handing the lamp back to Karen. "Professor Victor must be a remarkable alchemist."

Karen nodded and carefully put the lamp into her bag. "He's really good. Okay, we should go wash up now, or we'll miss breakfast."

The four boys quickly tidied themselves up and headed towards the auditorium via the spiral staircase. Along the way, Wesley was still excitedly talking about the magic lamp, even fantasizing about what strange and wonderful things he would create if he learned alchemy. Fabian, on the other hand, was more interested in the technical details of the creation process, constantly asking Karen questions. Even Ernesto walked beside Karen, occasionally interjecting with questions about runes.

The herbalism classroom was filled with the scent of earth and plants. Professor Sprout stood in front of a row of small flowerpots, explaining today's lesson to the first-year students of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

"Today we're going to learn how to care for mandrake seedlings," she said kindly, a warm smile on her round face. "Although they're still small, their cries won't be fatal, but they'll be enough to knock you unconscious. So—" she pointed to a pile of earmuffs in the corner, "everyone please wear earmuffs, and you may only take them off when I say you can."

Karen chose a pair of purple earmuffs and put them on, immediately feeling that the sounds of the outside world became muffled. He followed his classmates to line up to receive small flower pots, each containing a tiny mandrake with tender green leaves and a miniature human figure vaguely visible at the base.

Through his Eye of Truth, Karen noticed pale green magical energy swirling around the seedlings. Unlike ordinary plants, their magic exhibited a unique spiral structure, becoming denser closer to the roots. When he looked at the seedling he had been assigned, he suddenly realized its magical energy flow was somewhat abnormal—a few ominous streaks of red were mixed in with the green. Karen then observed the seedlings of his other classmates, and indeed, his seedling had a problem.

"Professor!" Karen shouted, but Professor Sprout didn't hear him because of the soundproofing of her earmuffs. He quickly walked over to Professor Sprout and shouted again, "Professor! There seems to be something wrong with my mandrake!"

Professor Sprout strode over to the seedling, while the other students peered curiously at it. The professor carefully examined the seedling Karen had pointed out, his expression gradually turning serious.

“You’re right, Mr. Hawthorne,” she said, giving Karen an approving look. “This seedling is infected with red rot, and if it’s not treated promptly, it could spread to other plants.” She quickly wrapped the diseased plant in a special cloth, keeping it away from the other healthy mandrakes.

"How did you discover it?" Professor Sprout asked curiously. "Red rot is very difficult to detect with the naked eye in the seedling stage."

Karen was prepared: "I noticed that the edges of its leaves were turning yellow, and... uh... it smelled a little strange." He told a little lie.

"Very keen observation," Professor Sprout said with a smile. "Ravenclaw, three points! Now, everyone, please keep your earmuffs on, we are about to begin transplanting the healthy mandrakes."

The following lessons went smoothly. Karen carefully followed the professor's instructions, transplanting the mandrake from the small pot to a larger container and adding special fertilizer. Each time he touched the plant, he could feel a faint magical pulse through his fingertips, which sparked a new interest in herbalism.

"How did you discover that diseased seedling?" Fabian asked as he washed his hands at the sink after class. "I couldn't see anything different about it."

"Just a gut feeling," Karen replied vaguely, changing the subject. "By the way, we have some time before our transformation class this afternoon. Should we go to the library and look up some information about red rot?"

"Great idea!" Fabian's eyes lit up. "My dad's a dentist, and he always says prevention is better than cure. Understanding the characteristics of diseases will definitely be useful in the future."

Wesley made a face: "You two are a perfect match. I feel like a Gryffindor in front of you two. I'm going to the pitch to watch Gryffindor's Quidditch practice. Fred said they're practicing a new tactic today."

"I'm going to the library too," Ernesto suddenly said unexpectedly. "My father sent me a book called 'Rare Magical Plants and Their Uses,' which mentions red rot. Maybe I can find more information there."

The four boys parted ways at the greenhouse entrance; Wesley headed for the Quidditch pitch, while Cullen, Fabian, and Ernesto walked towards the castle. Along the way, Ernesto and Cullen discussed the characteristics of several common magical plants, with Fabian occasionally interjecting with insights from a Muggle biological perspective.