#50 - Newt's reward

All around the room, on the workbenches, were plants grown by former club members, most of whom had already left the school.

However, the plants here had not withered due to their owners' departure; on the contrary, they were growing very luxuriantly.

This was clearly due to Professor Sprout's meticulous care.

After Cedric introduced all the plants, it was already close to seven o'clock.

A moment later, Professor Sprout pushed the door open and entered, carrying a flowerpot in her hands, followed by five older students.

"Alright, settle down, everyone. Aren't you curious as to why I brought a willow branch?"

Sprout had the students behind her spread out, then glanced at Moon in the distance.

"Actually, this is a plant material from a new member. Let's welcome Mr. Moon Scalett, a first-year Gryffindor."

"What? A first-year!"

"No way?"

The students who had been surrounding the professor, asking questions, now all looked towards the stranger at the back, following Sprout's gaze.

"No need to question his age, ladies and gentlemen, because his creation is a willow wand."

"A wand! Are you sure, Professor?"

"A first-year making a wand? Is he Mr. Ollivander's apprentice?"

Amidst the older students' doubts, Moon slowly walked to Sprout's side and took out the wand, which still carried the fresh, moist scent of wood.

"My name is Bernard Vincent, a seventh-year Hufflepuff. May I take a look at your wand?"

Moon looked at the older student, who used snailgrass to produce adhesive. His appearance was very ordinary, but his attitude was very kind.

"Of course." Moon handed over the wand.

"It really is a wand!"

"The spellcasting is also very smooth..."

"Don't you feel that its feel, balance, and length make it very easy and smooth to wield?"

......

Every member of the club took Moon's new wand in hand. They even cast spells with it more than a dozen times.

"I really didn't expect you to be able to make a wand at eleven years old. It took me until fourth year to figure out snailgrass."

Bernard Vincent looked at Moon with great envy.

"Yeah, I didn't expect Cedric's record to be broken in less than three months."

The speaker was Senior Molina, who cultivated swallowtail flowers.

The record she was referring to was the record for the youngest member to join the club, which before Moon was Cedric's record of thirteen years old.

......

"Alright, now that Mr. Scalett's eligibility has been confirmed, everyone should stop bothering him. Let Cedric take him around to get acquainted."

After Sprout finished speaking, she looked down at Moon again.

"Today you just need to get familiar with things. If you have any questions, you can come and find me."

With Sprout's intervention, Moon quickly walked out of the crowd.

Being praised by so many people for the first time gave Moon an unreal feeling.

After Moon stepped down from the platform, Sprout was once again surrounded by older students, asking about various herbal plant magic questions.

Cedric led Moon to the platform in the very center of the classroom. This platform was not as crowded as the other workbenches.

It only had a pot of plants with small white flowers blooming on it.

"This is the biggest prize the club has prepared this year, Moonpetal Grass."

Cedric's eyes were fixed on the small white flowers as he introduced it.

"Moonpetal Grass? What can it do?"

"It is the main ingredient for refining Moonshine Potion, which allows wizards to see in the dark."

After Cedric finished speaking, he looked around to make sure no one was there and added.

"This is a prize that Mr. Newt Scamander gave to the student who cultivates the most outstanding plant this year."

Newt Scamander, Moon knew this name.

Before the start of school, he bought a second-hand textbook called 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'.

Newt Scamander was the author of this book.

"Is he also a member of the club?" Moon asked curiously.

"No, although Mr. Newt used to study at Hogwarts and was a Hufflepuff student, I don't know why he was later expelled."

There was a hint of disappointment in Cedric's tone.

"But he has been paying attention to Hogwarts. I heard from the older students that he often comes to the club's gatherings."

Through Cedric's explanation, Moon gained a basic understanding of the club.

Sprout would come to each weekly small gathering to answer questions for each student.

Around Easter every spring, a large gathering would also be held in Hogsmeade, at which time old members who had left the school would also come to participate.

And at this gathering, the most outstanding plant work of the year would be selected and rewarded.

At this year's past large gathering, Newt left this Moonpetal Grass as a reward for the coming year.

"Then can I also participate?" Moon looked at Cedric curiously.

"Of course, but your age is a problem."

Hogwarts students are only allowed to go to Hogsmeade in their third year, and after obtaining the signature permission of a guardian.

And Moon obviously did not meet this condition.

"But you don't have to worry too much about these things, after all, you will be the person in the club who gets the longest time for guidance."

Hearing the envy in Cedric's tone, Moon subconsciously turned his head to look at Sprout, who was still surrounded by students.

This professor, who always wore patched clothes, seemed to be able to give insights on any plant magic question.

"The professor is very powerful."

Cedric added another sentence. Moon did not deny it, but he was more concerned about another question.

"I wonder if the professor has any research on those ancient magical plants."

In another world, Moon could find many plants and herbs from thousands of years ago or even longer.

If these could be utilized, it would be a huge fortune, and perhaps it could also enhance his magical strength.

However, this task was very complicated, and it was obviously very difficult for Moon to do it alone.

But if there was an experienced elder to guide him, the difficulty of this matter would be reduced many times over.

Thinking of this, Moon secretly made up his mind that he must ask the club for more herbal plant magic knowledge.

"Remember the wood shavings you gave me? They are now all buried inside."

Coming to the workbench again, Cedric pointed to the pot of Sleeping Face Fungus and looked at Moon.

"You want this mushroom to absorb the magical properties in the wood shavings?"

Moon looked at the black soil in the flowerpot, which did emit faint green spots.

"That's right, the professor reminded me, and then I borrowed these wood shavings from you."

"Then have these mushrooms changed now?"

Moon, who already had a wand, didn't care much about the wood shavings. He was more curious about these dark mushrooms.

"Not yet, I think they will need at least a month."

"I still have growth potions..."

"No, no, no, Sleeping Face Fungus does not have the powerful absorption ability of magical trees, and your potions are too valuable, I can't afford them."

Hearing that Moon wanted to apply growth potion to the Sleeping Face Fungus, Cedric quickly stopped him.

"Okay, if you need it, you can tell me, I still have some potions."

After Professor Sprout rewarded him with growth potions, Moon had six drops left after applying them to the three big trees, and they had been locked in the suitcase under his bed ever since.

"You should keep them safe first. One Sleeping Face Fungus is enough for me to study for four years, and you should also think about your next research direction."