In Middle-earth with Harry Potter Sign-In System!

Kael continued his journey. After cresting a gentle hill, he spotted a small town nestled in the valley below. This was Long Cleeve, the heart of the Shire's pipe-weed cultivation. The Hobbits of the Southfarthing were renowned for their pipe-weed, but Long Cleeve stood as the unrivaled center for its growth and trade throughout the Shire. Long Cleeve pipe-weed was highly sought after, favored by Dwarves, Rangers, and travelers alike. Even Gandalf, the Grey Wizard, was a loyal enthusiast, rarely seen without his pipe and a pouch of the finest Long Cleeve Leaf.

The Hobbits here seemed even more leisurely than those in Hobbiton. On nearly every porch, two or three Hobbits could be seen smoking their pipes and basking in the sun. Even the women puffed contentedly on their pipes. When they spotted Kael, a stranger clearly not of their kind, they merely regarded him with curious glances, without attempting to engage him further.

As he drove his carriage into the quiet town and reached the central square, the Hogwarts Sign-in System activated.

[Hogwarts Sign-in System]

[Location Detected: The Shire - Long Cleeve]

[Would you like to sign in?]

"Sign in!" Kael thought silently.

[Sign-in Successful!]

[Congratulations! You have obtained: One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi (First-Year Herbology Class Textbook)]

Kael was momentarily surprised to receive a Herbology textbook. While useful in its own right, this was somewhat disappointing; Herbology Class, focused on identifying and cultivating magical plants, didn't offer a direct boost to his immediate capabilities. More importantly, the book detailed plants specific to the Harry Potter wizarding world. Kael was skeptical whether many of them could even be found in Middle-earth.

However, as he mentally opened the textbook, his eyes widened with renewed interest. Herbology, a compulsory course at Hogwarts, was the study of both magical and mundane flora and fungi. Students learned to care for and utilize plants, understanding their unique properties and applications, particularly in relation to Potions. Kael had initially dismissed One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi as a mere popular science book. To his surprise, in addition to introducing magical plants and their care, it contained methods for cultivating ordinary plants to imbue them with magical properties.

For instance, the Dittany Potion, commonly used in the wizarding world for its rapid healing effects, was extracted from the Dittany plant. This was the same Potion Hermione had used to heal Ron's splinching during Apparition. The Dittany plant itself was not rare; it grew commonly even in the Muggle world, where it was used for medicinal purposes. The reason the Dittany Potion possessed such miraculous healing properties was that wizards had learned to cultivate ordinary Dittany plants into potent magical ingredients. Most magical herbs in the wizarding world had mundane counterparts; the difference lay solely in their magical properties. This magical transformation was achieved through cultivation techniques described in the Herbology textbook.

According to the book, magical plants could grow naturally or be cultivated artificially. Naturally occurring magical plants typically thrived in areas rich in magical energy, like the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts. Artificial cultivation, however, had several methods. The simplest involved collecting the feces of magical creatures such as dragons or Mooncalves. Ordinary plants absorbing these would have a high chance of transforming into magical variants. Secondly, Potion-based cultivation offered faster results and a higher transformation rate but required knowledge of Potion-making and the associated costs. The third method involved wizards irrigating plants directly with magic. This was time-consuming, laborious, and yielded little, making it largely impractical for most wizards.

Yet, for Kael, this third method was precisely the most suitable. He knew that any future foray into Potion-making would inevitably require magical herbs.

Originally, Kael had planned to leave Long Cleeve after signing in, but the Herbology textbook made him reconsider. Long Cleeve was not only known for its pipe-weed cultivation but also for its bustling trade. Kael entered a pipe-weed shop and purchased a large pouch of "Long Cleeve Leaf," Bilbo's favorite, to bring back to his friend.

"Excuse me, shopkeeper," Kael asked casually, "do you know where I might find some living Dittany plants?"

The shop owner gave him an odd look. "Dittany? What do you want that for? Nobody bothers with that stuff, not even as a gift." But ever the businessman, he offered some guidance. "If you really want it, you'll find that plant growing wild in the shaded valley behind the eastern hills. It's everywhere there."

"I understand, thank you for the information," Kael replied.

When Kael eventually left Long Cleeve, his carriage carried an extra bag of pipe-weed and two small potted Dittany plants. The Dittany was still in its tender shoot stage, looking somewhat wilted from its recent transplant. His next destination was Bywater, located in the Eastfarthing of the Shire. Bywater was situated close to the Great East Road, right beside the Brandywine River, and the journey there was considerable.

Kael spent his first night camping in the wild. At midnight, with the moon at its zenith, he gently held one of the Dittany shoots. Bathing it in the moonlight, he continuously poured his magic into the plant. According to the textbook, this process of magical irrigation, performed every midnight under the brightest moonlight, was necessary until the Dittany plant fully matured. This particular method allowed for the creation of Dittany Potion without requiring a wand or a cauldron.

Under the steady flow of Kael's magic, the Dittany seemed to regain some vitality, its wilted appearance fading. However, Kael knew this was only the beginning. For the next few months, he would need to perform this nightly ritual until the plant was completely transformed and matured. It was clear why this method was abandoned by most in the wizarding world; compared to cultivation using magical creature feces or Potions, it was far too time-consuming and laborious for the limited yield it produced. For families specializing in growing magical herbs, who measured their harvests by the acre, such a method would drain even the most powerful wizard.

The carriage continued through the night, finally reaching Bywater as dawn broke. Bywater, being right next to the Brandywine River, boasted convenient water transport. One could even take a boat from its docks across to Bree, the settlement on the opposite bank.

Kael, weary from the overnight journey, directed his carriage straight to The Floating Log Inn, a distinctive inn built directly on the water, a landmark in Bywater.

As he placed his two pots of Dittany on the windowsill of his room, the familiar system prompt appeared.

[Hogwarts Sign-in System]

[Location Detected: The Shire - Bywater - The Floating Log Inn]

[Would you like to sign in?]

"Sign in," Kael thought, his voice echoing in his mind.

[Sign-in Successful!]

[Congratulations! You have obtained: Magical Draughts and Potions (First-Year Potions Class Textbook)]

Kael opened the Potions book, skimmed its contents, and then closed it again. While not disappointed, he currently had little use for a Potions textbook. Beyond requiring specific ingredients, the most crucial aspect of Potion-making was the precise stirring with a wand to achieve the desired effect. This was why, with the same ingredients, a wizard could create a miraculous Potion, while a Muggle would only produce a black, foul-smelling, putrid, and poisonous concoction.

If Kael wanted to brew Potions, he would first need a wand. But a wand was far beyond his reach at the moment. He knew crafting a wand was far more complex than merely combining a creature's core with a piece of wood. Otherwise, how could the Ollivander family have monopolized the wand-making business in the British wizarding world for a thousand years?

***

(End of Chapter)

[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All

My Fanfics!!] [www. [email protected]/meowthtl]

[+300 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter]

[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[Thank You For Your Support!]