The information Hermione had found about the "Chamber" was nothing more than what was written in the history books about Hogwarts—that Slytherin built a secret chamber somewhere in Hogwarts hiding away a monster that would one day purge the school of Muggle-born students.

Hermione said, "Slytherin's heir must be in Slytherin House. It's obvious—only someone from that house would have such hatred for Muggle-born students like me."

Adrian, who had been listening thoughtfully from his armchair, nodded slowly.

"Exactly like Malfoy!" Harry burst out, his green eyes flashing with anger behind his glasses.

"A reasonable guess," Adrian replied, though his tone said he wasn't entirely convinced. "But we need concrete evidence, not just suspicions."

With the basilisk remaining silent in whatever dark corner it was, their investigation had come to a halt.

The whole affair had suddenly become mysterious and confusing.

Adrian had no way to investigate further and could only continue making regular visits to the first-floor bathroom to ask Myrtle and check on the Chomping Cabbage for any unusual occurrences.

Of course, nothing happened.

Life at Hogwarts continued.

Time quickly arrived at mid-November.

While the basilisk matter remained unresolved, Adrian had made a breakthrough in his research on Mutation Factor.

With Luna's special ability helping him, Adrian discovered that different plants absorbed the Mutation Factors he emitted in different ways.

Through her unique sight, Adrian learned that most plants had limitations, reaching a saturation point where they could absorb no more magical enhancement.

But among the greenhouse's so many plants, certain specimens stood out like gifted students in a classroom. Gurdyroots, and Devil's Snare, were prodigies of the plant world. They possessed an almost limitless hunger for Mutation Factor and could continuously absorb it from Adrian.

This discovery opened new possibilities—by observing how different plants absorbed his Mutation Factor, Adrian could identify those with exceptional potential for magical cultivation.

It was like having a clairvoyance for finding botanical talent.

However, this technique seemed to require Luna's special perception. Despite weeks of careful study and experimentation, Adrian couldn't replicate her ability to see the magical flows.

The November morning was crisp and clear when Adrian and Remus made their way to Greenhouse Three, their breath forming small clouds in the cold air. Today's task was transplanting Giggling Mushrooms from their nursery beds to their permanent growing area.

The mushrooms themselves were startlingly beautiful despite their danger. Each one looked like a bright scarlet umbrella with spots that changed color across their surface.

But their beauty hid their sinister nature. The moment anyone approached within several feet, the mushrooms would begin their giggling. The magical spores they released would seize control of the victim's throat, forcing them into uncontrollable laughter that could last a full hour.

While not fatal, the experience was exhausting and embarrassing. Students had been known to collapse from the constant laughter with tears streaming down their faces as they gasped for air.

In short, these were poisonous mushrooms.

Fortunately, the solution was also simple. Adrian and Remus had each cast Bubble-Head Charms, surrounding their heads with shimmering transparent bubbles that filtered out the dangerous spores.

Behind them, Luna Lovegood moved like a curious elf, as she bounced from mushroom to mushroom. Her radish earrings swayed with each movement, and she clutched a notebook against her chest, occasionally stopping to sketch or scribble observations.

After successfully transplanting the first cluster of mushrooms—Remus paused to look at Luna. His face showed a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"Who is this girl?" He asked Adrian.

"A Hogwarts student," Adrian replied, carefully coaxing another mushroom from its pot. "First year, but don't let that fool you."

Remus's eyebrows rose in surprise. "First year? Don't you think she's rather young for this kind of work? What possible help could she provide?"

The question was reasonable—most first-year students could barely manage basic herbology tasks without supervision, let alone assist with advanced magical plant work and research.

"But she has exceptional talent," Adrian simply said.

Luna's presence was irreplaceable. He had Luna help him record the Mutation Factor absorption status of all the Giggling Mushrooms. This way, he could select the individuals with best talent among them for focused observation.

Remus watched Luna crouch beside a mushroom, her head tilted in concentration as she made careful notes. "Are you thinking of mentoring her?" he asked. "Like with Harry?"

'Like Harry?'

Hearing Remus's words, Adrian thoughtfully turned to look at Luna.

She was crouched on the ground, intently watching a mushroom, then making a mark in her notebook with her pen.

Indeed, although he hadn't known Luna for long, all signs indicated that Luna was truly a clever witch.

"I would certainly like to do that," Adrian told Remus.

Of course, it was still too early to discuss such things.

When their work in the greenhouse was complete, Adrian led Luna back to his office.

He prepared hot chocolate for her while she sat in the chair, swinging her feet and sipping her drink humming a tune Adrian couldn't understand.

Adrian examined Luna's notebook with growing satisfaction. Her handwriting was neat but whimsical, decorated with small doodles of the mushrooms she'd observed. Each entry contained detailed observations about the plants' magical absorption patterns, but were written in Luna's distinctive style.

Number thirty-three, she had noted, "has quite an appetite!" alongside a small sketch of the mushroom with an exaggerated, smiling mouth.

"Luna," Adrian said, closing the notebook and looking at her. "Your help has been irreplaceable. I'd like to give you some form of compensation for your time and work."

Luna paused in her humming, her prominent silver-gray eyes blinking as she considered his words.

"Compensation?" she repeated slowly. "Like how Daddy pays the people who write for The Quibbler?"

Adrian nodded encouragingly. "Exactly like that. It could be Galleons, books, magical supplies, or anything else you might want."

"Then I don't need any,"she said, shaking her head. "I don't have anything I want right now."

But Adrian said gently. "You can make any request that I'm capable of fulfilling. Please, think about it."

He very much wanted to know what interested Luna, since he would definitely need Luna's help again in the future and he wanted to give her some gifts for her help.

Luna tilted her head thoughtfully, her carrot earrings swaying with the movement like tiny pendulums. Her dreamy gaze wandered around Adrian's office, taking in the shelves of books, the magical instruments, and the various plant specimens on the windowsills.

Finally, her attention settled on the Devil's Snare that extended from his enchanted briefcase. It was watering other plants by the windowsill.

"Hmm..." Luna murmured, her expression brightening with interest.

Adrian noticed her gaze and shook his head helplessly. "That... probably won't work," he said apologetically.

The Devil's Snare was not only dangerous but also deeply bonded to him—it couldn't simply be given away like a pet.

"What a pity," Luna said, though her face showed no disappointment.

At that moment, something remarkable happened. Two vines of the Devil's Snare began moving toward Luna. The plant had been listening to their conversation, and in its alien intelligence, it had apparently reached its own decision.

One of the thicker vines wrapped around a thinner one, the two intertwining like lovers' hands. Then, the thicker vine began to twist, applying gentle pressure.

"Rip—"

With a tearing sound, a section of dark green vine about one meter long was completely separated from the main body. This section of vine flew through the air in a graceful arc, as if alive, and gently landed in Luna's hands.

The Devil's Snare vine wriggled in Luna's hands like a lively little snake.

It affectionately wrapped around Luna's wrist, and a small purple flower bud bloomed at its tip.

"Oh!" Luna's eyes widened with delight. She gently touched the flower bud with her fingertip, and it seemed to glow brighter at her touch. "I like this very much."

Adrian stared at the scene in amazement.

There was such an operation?

He hadn't expected the Devil's Snare to actively separate part of itself—this was an unprecedented phenomenon.

Even more magical was that the severed tendril showed no signs of withering; instead, it seemed to flourish with vitality in Luna's hands.

Of course, Adrian reasoned, this made biological sense. After all, Devil's Snare was an aggregate composed of numerous life forms. Since they could combine together, it was natural that they could separate as well.

It was just that this new individual probably wouldn't be as intelligent as the main body.

For the Devil's Snare main body, such separation caused no harm.

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