HP: Spirit Talker

There are only four trees that are the most "iconic" in Japan: Hinoki, the "Japanese Cypress," Kansugi, the "Sacred Cryptomeria," Sakaki, or Japanese Kleyera, and Sakura.

Hinoki is a resinous, aromatic tree that retains its aromatic and medicinal properties for decades, and according to some reports — centuries, this tree is used to make many things, but the most interesting are the interior decoration of the house and the bowl of the bathtub, also from this tree are made lunch boxes: food in such boxes can be stored for several days, and rice acquires a more distinctive flavor.

Because of these properties, Hinoki wood has gradually gained popularity, including mystical, as it banishes various diseases, often caused by small "mushi", "obake" and other spiritual nonsense.

Kansugi is also called Japanese cedar, but this is a mistake because of the external similarity, this endemic grows only in Japan and China. The tree is tall, strong, expresses the Japanese spirit of perseverance, and differs from the sakura by a certain "brutality", because the "tree of spring" has always been surrounded by a certain lyricism, romanticism, sometimes drama.

Many stories and legends are associated with sakura, heroes and villains always admire its blossom, romanticize it. The most beautiful love stories and cruel dramas necessarily begin and end in the petals and roots of the tree. We can say that for the Japanese, sakura is a tree of love, and love, as we know, brings not only joy and happiness.

Sakaki is a tree with a different theme. An evergreen tree with small bright flowers and broad leaves, it is always used in Shinto as an element of purification. Sakaki branches are gathered into a "broom" with which a Shinto monk or priestess literally "sweeps away" evil and dirt.

From this wood I made a new shakujo staff, only this time the gold part is much smaller, I replaced it with silver, reinforced with a full image of the Heavenly Wheel with the corresponding lines of hieroglyphs that reveal the meaning of each of the eight "spokes" of the wheel.

Not to say that the work took a lot of time, not at all, and there were no problems with materials, as my inner hamster stocked up very thoroughly on the islands. The process of imbuing the staff with mystical properties was tedious, I don't need another magic concentrator.

The staff of Shakujo is a tool of a completely different plan of influencing the world — spiritual. Therefore, I had to make a considerable effort: to put a part of my own spirituality into the work, in order to animate it in a certain way, but not to the level of "tsukomogami".

Then the resulting spiritual structure, actually an aura, is carefully "hooked" and drawn into the spiritual world, where the shakujo is impregnated with local energy and establishes a subtle connection with the "subtle pure worlds".

This connection, initially "colored" in "light, pure shades," allows you to draw from the spiritual world only energy of a certain "color" — purification. The work is very difficult, requires the utmost care and concentration, but the result amazed even me.

I made my first staff according to a simplified, widely used scheme: ritual covering of the staff with prayers and verses of appeal to light entities: spirits and gods, their purifying light, sacred signs and symbols. I learned about this excellent procedure later, after the first staff had been completed, and I didn't see the point in redoing it, and there was no extra time. Now, since I had to do it anyway, I decided to create the most effective working tool that would be stronger and more powerful than the previous one.

Besides, if it has to be used as a spear of sunlight, it won't burn up... or at least I hope not, and the instructions promise a long life. Well, we'll see. And I started checking it out now that Malfoy had finally managed to arrange for me to visit Azkaban. I had to pay the bribes, but what can't you do for the greater good, right?

Sailing in a small boat on a cold sea with high waves meant arriving in dirty clothes that had to be thrown away because of the salt. The accompanying Aurors were not happy about the visit, but a hundred galleons for two could reconcile the men to the harsh reality. When I was tired of watching them struggle against the elements, and they had to row by hand, I took a universal seal, imbued it with magic, left the contract "open," and attached it to the outside of the stern.

 The magicians treated my "oddities" with equanimity, for the rich always do oddities. But when the boat moved steadily toward the island without human help, and the waves within a ten-meter radius became calm, the Aurors looked at me in shock and disbelief. It would be curious to see their faces if they could catch a glimpse of the herd of water spirits that had come at my call.

The variety of shapes and colors of various snakes and fish with beautiful crests and whiskers frolicking around the boat made me smile. These creatures have no interest in what humans and other physical intelligences cling to, perhaps only the gods and true dragons understand mere spirits. A slight flick of my wand and the Glacius spell forms a handful of ice balls in my palm. The mere fact that halfway to Azkaban only a few people can cast spells, and that I somehow managed to do it, stunned the guards.

The wand disappears into my sleeve. I cover a handful of ice flakes with my palm and imbue them with my magic, causing pure blue light to seep into the spaces between my hands, and the hands themselves begin to glow softly. The Aurors watch the glowing ice flakes with great interest as I begin to throw them overboard. Why?

Have you ever fed the ducks or pigeons in the park? My ice floes didn't sink, they "melted" quickly as they floated to the surface — that's what the wizards saw. In fact, there were many spirits already gathered, but they were all younger, so they gathered around the ice flakes and quickly nibbled off crumbs of magic, from which the ice quickly "melted". I threw the last ice flake into the water as we docked, but it was swallowed in one gulp by a large spirit turtle.

The spirit's aquamarine eyes literally flashed, and a wave of shuddering distortion passed through it. The shells and algae that had been on the turtle's shell, turning it into an unattractive island, were abruptly replaced by a piece of coral reef: in an instant, anemones formed and bloomed in stunning colors. Crimson, hot yellow, orange, aquamarine and lettuce "flowers" rippled under the invisible current, and above them, tiny sparks formed small colorful fish.

It is not for nothing that coral reefs are said to be one of the most beautiful wonders of our planet and worth seeing. I wanted to share this miracle — the transition of the spirit to a new stage, or the change of the appearance, with the accompanying effects. A jolt of spiritual power, a touch of the spirit world, a horizontal sweep of the hand in the air, as if pulling back a curtain, opening a window to the world of wonders for people. The Aurors exhaled in amazement: such beauty none of them had ever seen in their lives.

The ghost turtle had now emerged completely, not just the top of its shell. The spirit's skin also changed from a dark green to a deep blue. It swam quite close to me and looked into my eyes. I felt the softest, purest power of the sea lightly touch my aura, as if a warm wave had rolled in and receded. The turtle stretched its head toward me, holding a blue-green stone with bright blue veins in its beak.

It was heavy, full of magical power with a distinctly spiritual tinge. In the palm of my hand, the stone, the size of a large hen's egg, felt like the sea in miniature: invisible waves of surf were emanating from the stone, gently licking the skin of my palm.

With a slow blink, the spirit turned smoothly and disappeared into the depths of the cold sea. A moment later, there was no more talk of a spontaneous miracle. Nothing but the sea stone in my hand. Such things are formed at great depths, in the magical sources of the sea. These stones grow slowly, absorbing the power and magic of the sea like a pearl in a shell.

I don't want to say that it's such a unique thing, how else would I know so many details, but it's not easy to get such a stone. Usually in all the stories, the recipient of the Sea Stone gets it by receiving it as a gift, and it's always by accident. You can't go after it and get it on purpose.

 There are even rumors that some spirits have similar fun: giving the Sea Stone to a fire mage, wind mage, or other specialist who doesn't need it. On the other hand, the stone has never gone unused-every one of these gifts has found its place beyond the sea.