HP: Spirit Talker

I should probably start by saying that back in France, when I had some free time, I was thinking about the future, well, the curve led me to thinking about the first challenge of the Triwizard Tournament. Dragons. I then spent a long time thinking about what I could do with a dragon, what I could take away relatively painlessly, and the same curve got caught up in dragon eggs. The ones in the shell, not the ones that a lot of psychics reading my thoughts from the infosphere of the future came up with.

So what are the uses of dragon eggs? And why do I feel like someone is smiling again? It's strange. After a while, still remembering the story of Boy-so-Scarred, I had the same ironic thoughts as his scar. Then, after a lot of brainstorming about what I would need for the project, my choice was mandrake, as it was one of the best plants in terms of life force accumulation.

The problem was its size, and starting the project almost from scratch prevented stubbornness and laziness. So I decided to find out if it would be possible to artificially "inflate" it to the required size. However, while studying information about this plant, I also learned the method of its reproduction. Let me remind you: outwardly, mandrake looks like an eerie product of crossing a baby and a daikon. But the familiar size turned out to be only the most effective for potions level of development of the plant.

In reality, this creeper grows to the size of a fifteen-liter bucket. As it matures, at a certain point it develops cactus-like growths that grow up and separate. Too old an individual has too many disadvantages: too great a concentration of life force awakens an intelligence on the level of a dog, and a very aggressive one at that, and the plant can only be tamed by masters with the appropriate gift;

At full maturity, the mandrake has more extraneous substances necessary for reproduction, which are too difficult and expensive to purify, and the smell and taste of putrefaction always appear in potions; some magical creatures or dangerous plants always gather around an adult mandrake, a kind of natural defense mechanism, in addition to a stronger and more deadly scream, which makes its extraction a futile affair — it is easier to burn such a "nest" at once.

That, in fact, everywhere and do, so it is now quite difficult to find mandrake in nature. And there are also rumors, officially unconfirmed, that over time mandrakes are trained to dig and run ...

Anyway, experiments with mandrake have confirmed that it is possible to increase its size using the method I know. In fact, after teaching Kiriko this method and getting a stable result from the girl, I gave her a task: to grow the mandrake to the maximum possible size.

What she did, the plant does not grow any further, but only produces "children" more actively. By the way, we already have four dozen young seedlings in a special box with stasis charms — the girl tried to break through the natural barrier. I have not yet taught her how to change the phenotype of plants and weave in foreign traits so that they are not fixed in the DNA.

— What the hell is this? — my blonde asked without taking her eyes off the container.

— Mandrake. — I shrugged calmly, knowing that the girl wasn't in the right frame of mind to notice that flat joke.

— No, — the girl shook her head. — No! I've seen Alraune at Magic School, I even transplanted one! — She almost screamed, but covered her own mouth and carefully examined the "pseudo face" plants. — The mandrake is smaller! Much smaller! — she hissed in a low voice.

— Sir. — Afiri finally spoke, not taking her eyes off the container. — Judging by the size and strength of this specimen, it can kill even a very strong magician with its scream. — The dark-haired girl said tensely and quietly, clutching her wand.

— You're right. — I nodded and went to the container, but I didn't lower my voice, and Kiriko stood aside so that no one would see her satisfied smile. I stopped at the glass, looked at the ugly thing for a while and then slammed my palm on the glass several times. — Don't worry. — I smiled at the frightened girls. — I had anticipated this, that's why I had made four spokes with a consciousness/mind suppression function that Kiriko had injected into the mandrake from the very beginning of her appearance here. — When I saw the question in Afiri's eyes, I decided to answer right away. — No, this artifact is not applicable to humans because it must be injected into the area or organ of thought, that is, into the brain. — The girl nodded understandingly and returned the wand to its holster on her hand.

— Couldn't you have just told me? — Lizzie said, amused and offended.

— No, — I said, smiling broadly. — We have a long and boring job to do, so I had to get you excited first.

— Well, what am I going to do? — the girl sulked, giving me an annoyed look.

— We're going to do a heart transplant! — I announced, spreading my arms to the sides, once again confusing everyone but Kiriko.

— No, — Lizzie shook her already disheveled hair. — I'm sure you'll continue to be a pain in the ass, — Lizzie said, shaking her already disheveled hair.

— This is the first time I've heard you say anything smart. — Afiri said with a poker face in a completely straight voice.

— Listen, you don't bring me down, or I'll kick your big ass, and I won't see you being robbed in other places! — the blonde replied threateningly.

— Ha! — said the blonde in the same even tone. — I have the perfect figure to have children. You're a cow and have nothing to show for it but your udders! — The brunette turned away.

While they argued, Kiriko and I leisurely prepared for the work ahead. While the girl poured circles and squares from the drawing with chalk and bone meal, I brought several bottles of "material" on a cart. Then, on a surgical table with wheels, I laid out a complete set of surgical tools, each of the items enhanced with runes to preserve properties and qualities, so that with these scalpels one could cut even the Alien without fear.

This set was ordered in Austria by a wonderful lady, Alexandra Schrödinger. I was very surprised when she sent me a letter, a very ordinary, friendly letter. In my reply, I mentioned that I needed a set of magically enhanced surgical instruments for a certain "project" and asked her if she knew if magicians sold such things or if I should look into it myself. The answer came quickly. I was told that the Germans, Austrians, Swedes, and Swiss, along with the Finns, had created their own little banditry based on their love of runes.

They have gone quite far in this science, producing various rune-enhanced goods, or to put it simply, they push runes anywhere and everywhere they can. So it was not difficult to order the tools, not very expensive, most of the price came from the fact that the tools themselves were made by muggles, and the mages already improved the finished product. As a bonus, the box in which the set was sold was also covered in runes, so I received the purchase in an envelope along with a letter from Alexandra.

I was a bit stunned when I saw the cardboard postcard with the mountain view covered in runes, the magic barely perceptible. But then, after reading the letter, which included instructions for the "postcard," I printed out my purchase. It turns out that runologists have invented an analog of the Asian seal, but only this discovery, for some reason, neither in the U.S., nor in France, do not use, about Britain I am not even talking about, because the locals are thoroughly stuck in the past and do not even think about getting out.