Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil

Chapter 120 Christmas Claw Orchid

At this moment, Sprout was completely replicating the entire process of the Devil's Web mimicry in the greenhouse. Puni activated his Holy Light throughout the process, staring intently at the magical plant in the box, taking in every change in magical power. Under the influence of the Holy Light, he clearly grasped the core principle of the Devil's Web mimicry.

The magical veins on the surface and inside of the plant begin to shrink and recombine in an orderly manner. The sharp magical traces that were originally angular and extremely aggressive gradually soften and polish, and the lines become gentle and smooth. The entire magical structure is continuously fine-tuned, gradually conforming to the original magical arrangement of the Christmas cactus, and finally completing a full-scale replication, completely disguising itself as a harmless plant from the root of the magic.

Witnessing this complete magical transformation process firsthand, Puni's many accumulated doubts were all resolved, and his understanding of transformation magic and magical reconstruction instantly reached a new level, far surpassing the accumulation of knowledge gained from regular classroom learning.

He dared not delay for a moment, immediately lowered his head and opened his notebook, gripped the quill pen and quickly began to write, the pen tip gliding rapidly across the paper, precisely outlining the magical circuit structure he had observed with his naked eye, from the original and dangerous devil's web to the neat patterns of the mimicked Christmas cactus, every node and every trajectory was recorded in meticulous detail.

Standing to the side, Sprout glanced down at his notebook. The paper was covered with neat, precise lines and patterns, the composition was orderly and highly systematic. However, these abstract patterns, which deviated from conventional herbal illustrations, were completely beyond her comprehension, making it impossible for her to identify the specific content.

However, she did not delve into it. This has always been the case in the magical world. Every wizard's perception, understanding, and representation of magic are unique. Many things rooted in personal magical insights cannot be empathized with or interpreted by others. This is a perfectly normal phenomenon.

Puni quickly finished writing, closed the quill, and with a slightly shy expression, turned to Sprout and softly requested, "Professor, could you please restore the Devil's Web to its original form? I'd like to observe its mimicry changes one more time to complete the record."

"Of course, no problem." Sprout readily agreed to his request.

As soon as she finished speaking, she took out another clean parchment, cast a spell to transform it into a small prey shape, and tentatively approached the stable, mimicking devil's net. The disguise, stripped of its environmental magic, instantly crumbled, and dark green vines suddenly erupted, tearing and ripping...

It wrapped itself around the parchment and shredded it completely in a short time, restoring it to its ferocious original state.

Taking advantage of this opportunity to review the observations, Puni reopened his notebook and, comparing it with the new visual images, corrected the minor errors on the drawings one by one. He carefully marked the differences in the magical trajectory and the patterns of node changes before and after the Devil's Web was simulated, and fully supplemented the different details of the two observations, making the recorded content more complete and accurate.

Having thoroughly grasped the patterns of change, Puni raised his wand, autonomously mobilized the magic power within his body, and cast a spell adapted to the environment. A pale blue, low-temperature magic field instantly enveloped the incubation box, and a cold and humid magical environment quickly took shape. The restless demonic net in the box calmed down once again, the color of the branches and leaves gradually brightened, and the magic circuits were reorganized, achieving a second perfect mimicry.

While maintaining the spell's effect, Puni raised his hand to continue refining the note pattern, marking each of the dynamically changing key points.

Watching his smooth, effortless spellcasting movements, Sprout's eyes were full of surprise: "You've actually mastered this spell? I thought you only had a dabbling in it."

Puni nodded slightly and replied truthfully, "This is what Professor Flitwick taught me privately. It's a special spell for processing potion ingredients, and I've been practicing it diligently."

Sprout suddenly slapped his forehead, then smiled with relief: "I had forgotten about that. You go to Professor Flitwick's every week for private lessons, so it's perfectly normal for you to learn these kinds of advanced auxiliary spells."

Looking at the composed and earnest young man before her, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "This spell requires extremely high precision in manipulating magic, with a very low margin for error. Many older students struggle to master it. How long did it take you to completely stabilize the casting rhythm?"

"Well, it took about two whole days," Puni said softly, with a hint of self-doubt. "I always felt that the progress was too slow. After I finished the training, Professor Flitwick didn't look very happy. He must have been very dissatisfied with my performance."

"You've mastered this complex spell in just two days—" Sprout paused for a moment, unsure of what to say, then solemnly patted Puni's shoulder with genuine affirmation, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You're already incredibly talented and outstanding. For a freshman who has only recently begun learning magic, this progress far surpasses that of ordinary people."

Feeling encouraged by the professor, Puni nodded emphatically in response: "I will continue to work hard and improve. I have only been exposed to magic for a short time, and there is still a lot of knowledge and skills to be studied and learned. I cannot slack off."

After speaking, he looked up at the playground outside the greenhouse window, remembered the upcoming class schedule, and asked, "Professor, the next class is flight class, and I need to be there on time. Do you have any other classes scheduled afterward? I'd like to come back and continue studying the Devil's Net content when I have some free time."

"Don't worry, just come over." Sprout smiled gently and patiently explained, "The next lesson will still revolve around the Devil's Web. Headmaster Dumbledore specifically instructed that all students must master the methods to control the Devil's Web to ensure that everyone has basic self-defense skills in the wild. You can come and audit the class at any time to improve."

Watching Puni hurry away to her flight class, Sprout raised her hand to close her wand, securely fastening and locking the black sealed wooden box containing the Devil's Web. She looked down at the box, sighing softly, her eyes full of admiration.

Meanwhile, the flying playground at Hogwarts has become quite lively.

Professor McGonagall's application for the use of flying brooms by freshmen has been officially approved, and the university has allocated a batch of second-hand brooms to the freshmen.

Although these brooms are not brand new, they have all undergone a comprehensive inspection and maintenance at the Magic Workshop. The broom wings are smooth and even, and the magic operates stably and smoothly, completely eliminating the previous risks of loss of control, deviation, and high-altitude malfunctions. They are sufficient to meet the daily flight training needs of new students.

A gentle breeze swept across the playground, and all the students took advantage of the rare flight lesson to ride their broomsticks into the air, circling and chasing each other freely in the low sky, enjoying the ease and joy of flying with the wind. The entire training ground was filled with the laughter of the boys and girls, but Puni's mind remained detached from playing in the sky.

Even when he was surrounded by people, he was constantly reviewing the entire process of the Devil's Web's transformation in his mind. The contraction, expansion, reorganization, and solidification of the magic circuits, every dynamic change detail was repeatedly replayed and dissected in his mind. A large number of new magical insights and transformation ideas kept emerging, colliding and intertwining in his thoughts, accumulating a continuous stream of creative inspiration.

Throughout the entire flying lesson, Puni was immersed in studying the principles of magic and did not participate in the playful antics of his companions. After the lesson ended, his roommates invited him to return home together to rest. After a brief farewell, Puni turned around and headed back towards the herb greenhouse.

The greenhouse had quieted down by now. All the students had left after class, leaving only Sprout in the vast green space. During her free time, she methodically organized the various magical plants, put away her teaching equipment, and completed the final thorough cleaning and maintenance before the weekend.

Puni walked quietly into the greenhouse, greeted Sprout in a soft voice, then took out her wand from her waist and quietly stepped forward to help tidy up the space, organize the equipment, and share the finishing work.

Seeing his initiative and diligence in helping, Sprout's eyes were full of gentle smiles as he reached out and handed over a clean ceramic water glass.

The cup holds a clear, light golden drink with a faint, refreshing herbal scent.

"Try this." Sprout said cheerfully, with a hint of pride. "This is my own special blend of white honey water. You can't find it anywhere else. It's a special drink made exclusively in our greenhouse."

Puni took the water cup with both hands, lowered his head and took a small sip. The warm and sweet taste spread from his throat to his whole body. The taste was mellow and smooth, without any cloying sweetness. After entering his mouth, a refreshing warmth slowly spread out, instantly dispelling the fatigue of practicing magic for days, making his mind exceptionally clear, and his concentration also improved a lot.

"It tastes quite good, doesn't it?" Sprout said with a smile. "This year's honey from the honeycomb is of exceptional quality. Paired with the White Herbal Extract, it has the best invigorating and calming effect. Did you come back this time to continue observing the mimicry process of the Devil's Web?"

Puni shook his head slightly, put away his water glass, and earnestly explained his purpose: "Professor, I would like to request a Christmas cactus from you for private practice. May I ask if I can cast shapeshifting magic on it?"

"Of course, no problem at all." Sprout agreed without hesitation, patiently instructing, "The Christmas cactus has extremely strong vitality, high environmental adaptability, and its ability to resist magical impact far exceeds that of ordinary plants. As long as you don't use forbidden black magic, regular transformations and magical adjustments will not damage it."

After receiving permission, Puni revealed his core purpose: "During the process of observing the Devil's Web mimicry, I accumulated a lot of insights about shapeshifting magic, and I want to use the Crab Claw Orchid to conduct practical verification and solidify my new ideas."

"Just go for it." Sprout fully supported his initiative to improve, and then raised her hand and waved her wand. The black sealed wooden box containing the dangerous plant was instantly lifted up by magic and suspended in mid-air, making it convenient for her to store it away.

As she put the wooden box back in its place, she carefully instructed, "Practice here without feeling constrained. I'll completely store the devil's net away first. It's still very dangerous and can't be exposed to the elements. When you're done practicing and leave, just remember to close the greenhouse doors, windows, and gate for me."

Once Sprout had finished packing and left the practice area, the greenhouse fell completely silent, leaving only the neatly arranged magical plants and the gentle airflow of the room temperature.

Puni calmed himself down and officially began the practical training.

"Yugadimur Leviosa!" With a soft incantation, he raised his wand, and the pages of the notebook that had been filled with magical circuits detached from the paper and floated around his body. All the pages were densely filled with the complete magical structure of the Devil's Web and the Crab Claw Orchid, covering all the details of their static circuits, dynamic transformations, and mimicry transformations.

At the same time, the "Theory of Metamorphosis and Deformation" that he had memorized appeared in his mind. All the core knowledge points, deformation principles, and magic control techniques were readily available, laying a solid theoretical foundation for practical exercises. He slowly moved to the front of a thriving Christmas cactus.

Sensing someone approaching and magic drawing near, the Christmas cactus in front of it instantly became lively. Its delicate, emerald-green vines stretched and swayed rhythmically, gently swaying with the airflow, presenting a fresh and vibrant growth state.

With the blessing of meditation, Puni's thinking speed increased significantly. His gaze could freely switch between the floating notes and the theoretical classics in his mind, reviewing theoretical knowledge while searching for patterns of transformation by combining the magical trajectories recorded in the actual footage.

With a slight tremor of his fingertips, he lightly controlled the magic of his wand, causing the suspended pages to turn at a uniform speed, as if turning pages manually. This dynamically recreated the complete process of the Devil's Web transforming from the form of a Christmas cactus into its mimicry. The dynamic visuals and theoretical knowledge corroborated each other and combined layer by layer, instantly clearing his previously blocked train of thought.

"So this is the magical logic behind the plant mimicry technique of shapeshifting."

A flash of understanding crossed Puni's eyes. He immediately activated his Holy Light, precisely locking onto the Christmas cactus in front of him. With the tip of his wand pointing precisely forward, he channeled his refined and gentle magic steadily through the tip, slowly seeping into the Christmas cactus's branches and veins, perfectly matching the plant's natural magic pathways.

He meticulously controlled his own magic, wrapping the Christmas cactus's original magical veins layer by layer with the flowing magic, forming a highly fitting magical coat that firmly envelops the entire plant's magical structure.

"Shaping with vines".

Puni whispered the self-improved shaping spell, simultaneously controlling the form of magic. The originally gentle and soft magic coat gradually tightened and sharpened, simulating the highly aggressive and taut magic trajectory of the devil's net, gradually changing the original magic distribution of the crab claw orchid.

As the magic continued to permeate and transform, the Christmas cactus's originally light and swaying movements gradually stopped, and its bright emerald green skin began to slowly transition to a deep and heavy dark green. The magical veins inside the plant continued to reorganize and tighten, gradually approaching the fierce form of the wild devil's web.

The entire Christmas cactus vine becomes increasingly flexible and supple, with countless branches extending, twisting, and bending freely, stretching out in all directions, completing its shape reshaping, and completely shedding its original docile and harmless appearance.

Just as Puni was fine-tuning his magic and preparing to solidify his form, the dark green vines that had completed their transformation suddenly moved collectively. All the outstretched branches abruptly gathered together, as if receiving a unified command, rapidly converging and entwining from all directions, instantly enveloping the unsuspecting Puni. Then, with a collective force, they lifted him into the air, suspending him in mid-air above the greenhouse.

The holy light within Puni erupted instantly, shattering it completely.

"Oops, I was careless."

Puni shook his head.