Inside the Hogwarts greenhouse, Professor Pomona Sprout was introducing a potted plant in her hands to the first-year young witches and wizards.
"Dittany, a plant with magical properties used in potion-making, and it also has powerful healing properties. Dittany is a very expensive and rare medicine; mixing it with silver powder can even be used to treat wounds from werewolf bites. Today, all you need to do is loosen the soil and water it. Quite easy for your first Herbology class, isn't it?"
First-year young wizards and wizards generally only attended classes on the ground floor of this two-story greenhouse. The second floor housed precious herbal materials, all plants carefully cultivated by Professor Sprout.
Walking down the center of the greenhouse with the students seated in rows on either side, Sprout noticed an empty seat. "Hm? Is a Slytherin student sick?"
*Snap.*
The sound of a tree trunk breaking came from upstairs. Sprout snapped her head up. A white-haired girl was straddling a tree branch, holding an extra twig in her hand. The tree was dark red overall, and its blossoms were trumpet-shaped, though somewhat withered.
Sprout's pupils constricted as she rushed up the stairs. "Oh no, my Red Mandrake Wood!"
At that moment, Iblis was straddling the trunk, waving the twig in her hand. She patted the trunk. "Thanks, buddy, I'll pass along your message for you. Oh, really? Sounds like you're quite fond of her. May Merlin bless you with... flowers and fruit?"
Iblis suddenly began to float, then landed steadily on the ground. Panting heavily with her hands on her hips, Sprout cried out, "That's far too dangerous! What is your name? How dare you climb up into the Red Mandrake Wood?! And you broke off its branch—it has a very strong hallucinogenic effect!"
"Iblis Grimm. Yes, my sleep hasn't been great lately, so I really need it, and I happen to need a wand anyway. As an exchange, I'll pass on a few words for it." Iblis looked back at the Red Mandrake Wood.
"It's sick and feeling a bit miserable lately. Professor Sprout, I can tell you've been tending to it very carefully, but it's a bit too much. Red Mandrakes are creatures of the American jungles; they prefer the care of nature over artificial nutritional supplements. Oh, but it's also very fond of you, and it says thank you for your care. It would be deeply grateful if it could return to the forest once again."
She started to pull the twig back, only to be blocked by a gloved hand. "This is a very dangerous plant. Improper handling can cause mental damage." Sprout took the twig away, looking at the Red Mandrake Wood with a trace of heartache.
"But this is a fair trade. This is what it promised me. You can't interfere..."
"Twenty points from Slytherin, Miss Grimm. I hope you can come to my office tonight to properly explain what you just said."
***
In the Charms classroom.
"Everyone hold your wands and read along. Remember, hand movements and intonation are also very important."
"Wingardium~Leviosa↓"
Professor Flitwick looked at the girl holding a twig, practicing spells just like the other young wizards, without a single care that the ordinary, dirt-covered twig in her hand was anything out of the ordinary.
"Miss Grimm, what you have in your hand is..."
Iblis instantly clutched the twig protectively to her chest. "I'm just using a twig I picked up off the ground, is that not allowed either?"
Flitwick was momentarily taken aback. He opened his mouth several times, unsure how to break the truth to the girl without crushing her spirits.
"Miss Grimm, do you know the principle behind wands? In other words, why is it that wizards can cast spells by using wands?"
A bushy-haired girl immediately threw both hands into the air, making Flitwick's heart sink with even greater exhaustion. "Er, Miss Granger, no... I didn't mean..."
Hearing her own name, the girl rattled off the knowledge from her memory in a torrent: "Wands are tools used by wizards to cast magic. They are short, wooden, strip-like objects containing a core. There are many different woods and cores available. Each wand is unique due to its material, core, length, and so on. If you use a wand that does not belong to you, the magic's effectiveness will be greatly diminished."
Hermione couldn't help glancing at the twig in Iblis's hand, frowning deeply as she continued, "Only a tiny fraction of trees can produce wood suitable for wands, just as only a small fraction of people possess magic. The ability to identify wand-quality wood requires years of accumulated experience, though this task can be greatly simplified by searching for Bowtruckle nests hidden among the leaves, because Bowtruckles only dwell in trees that can be used to produce wands..."
"Very good, that's enough, Miss Granger. Two points to Gryffindor." Flitwick hurriedly stopped Hermione, turning his gaze back to the girl who was still guarding the twig against her chest.
"Miss Grimm, don't worry, I won't snatch your... wand away. But in all likelihood, it won't help you cast magic. Headmaster Dumbledore told me about your situation. Perhaps we can wait until you get your own wand before trying again."
Only then did Iblis relax and take out the twig. "Understanding spirit... Professor, may Merlin bless you. It doesn't matter, I can use this just fine."
With that, she waved the twig and chanted the spell at a feather resting on the desk. "How does your method go again... Wingardium Leviosa?"
Not a stir.
"Wingardium~Leviosa↓"
Still nothing.
"Wingardium~Leviosa↓!!!!!!!!!"
Iblis's hand gestures and intonation while casting the spell were entirely correct, yet the feather on the desk showed not the slightest sign of floating.
Draco, standing nearby, gave a gentle puff of breath, and the feather immediately rose into the air. He looked over with a mock expression of surprise at Iblis, who was continuing to wave her wand. "Oh, it seems I've already mastered wandless magic."
Quite a few students chuckled. Iblis lowered her head in thought, completely unfayed by the surrounding ridicule. "Still, I've truly never used a wand or chanted a spell before... channeling one's own magic through a wand seems like such an unnecessary roundabout way."
"Actually, this doesn't reflect your personal strength. Perhaps you lack a suitable wand, or perhaps your inner conviction isn't strong enough—there are many possibilities. Miss Grimm, you don't need to doubt yourself."
Flitwick shot Draco a warning look. He could see that the girl wasn't playing a prank on purpose, but genuinely regarded the twig in her hand as a wand. To revere magic and pursue a powerful self—that was what a wizard ought to do. He respected every young wizard who loved magic and spells.
"Forget it. After all, it's just a simple Levitation Charm; it can't accomplish much anyway."
Flitwick: "Hmm?"
He looked at Iblis, wondering if he had misheard something just now, or if she had misunderstood.
"Miss Grimm, while the Levitation Charm is merely a simple little spell, there are no small number of advanced spells built upon it. It is the foundation for exploring profound Charms."
Moments later, Flitwick clearly caught the subtle expression on the girl's face when he uttered the word "profound."
"Is there something wrong with what I said, Miss Grimm?"
Iblis pressed her lips into a thin line, forcing herself not to say anything that would anger the professor. With extreme restraint, she nodded. "No, everything you said is right."