In LOTR with Hogwarts Sign-In System!

Kael had barely arrived in the valley before his eyes darted to the colossal figure of the Old Man Willow. He knew. The relentless attacks from the trees, their methodical herding—it had all been a calculated effort to force him here, to this specific, malevolent tree.

This was a Huorn, a twisted, ancient kin to the walking Ents, and the very trees that had pursued him through the forest were also of the Huorn kind. Huorns were more tree-like than Ents, possessing a dark, predatory sentience and an aggressive nature. And this Old Man Willow, standing before him, was undoubtedly the oldest and most powerful Huorn in the entire Old Forest. Its malice towards living beings, especially those of Man, was palpable.

A soft, beguiling melody began to drift through the air, like a sweet, soothing lullaby echoing in his ears. Kael felt an overwhelming wave of drowsiness wash over him, his head growing heavy, his limbs sluggish. He seemed to move like a sleepwalker, drawn irresistibly towards the colossal Old Man Willow, utterly oblivious to the imminent danger.

The cracks on the Old Man Willow's ancient trunk widened, twisting into a hideous, terrifying smile, waiting for its prey to fall into its trap. Kael walked closer and closer until he stood directly beneath its gnarled, drooping branches. A hypnotic song, laced with ancient magic, emanated from every leaf on the Willow, a soft, seductive hum that promised oblivion. It was like a single voice gently crooning a lullaby and yet, simultaneously, a multitude of whispers.

Just as the Old Man Willow opened its huge, mouth-like crack, poised to swallow him whole into its hollow trunk, the system, which had been silent, finally reappeared.

[Hogwarts Sign-in System]

[Location Detected: The Old Forest]

[Would you like to sign in?]

Kael's dazed eyes snapped open, instantly clearing, and he reacted with lightning speed, aiming a spell at the gaping maw.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

A white beam of light shot from his hand, striking the Old Man Willow. The ancient tree froze instantly, its hypnotic song abruptly ceasing. But before Kael could even sigh in relief, the petrified Old Man Willow violently broke free from the spell's restraint, its massive willow branches lashing out at him.

Kael gasped. Petrificus Totalus had no effect? He had indeed run into a formidable opponent!

"Protego!" An invisible shield shimmered into existence before Kael, colliding with the Old Man Willow's thick branch. The immense force sent ripples through the magical barrier, threatening to shatter it.

Seeing that his shield wouldn't hold for long, Kael's mind raced for a solution. His eyes fell upon the thick layer of fallen leaves accumulated at the base of the ancient tree, and a thought sparked.

"Incendio!" A fireball erupted from Kael's hand, landing squarely on the pile of leaves. They ignited instantly, the flames spreading rapidly, encircling the Old Man Willow and beginning to lick at its ancient bark.

Fire was the bane of trees, and even the mighty Old Man Willow was no exception. Its innate fear of the flames made it abandon its attack on Kael, desperately thrashing its branches to beat out the inferno, trying to extinguish the encroaching fire.

Seizing this critical opportunity, Kael's cleavers flew from his waist, severing a section of thick willow branch with one precise slash, before flying back into his hands with their prize. With the precious branch secured, Kael fled at his fastest speed, running downstream along the Willow River without a backward glance, hearing only an enraged, hateful roar thundering from behind him.

The lower reaches of the Willow River flowed into the Brandywine River, and the confluence was not far from Buckland. Returning the way he came was now impossible. Kael's plan was to follow the Willow River to its mouth, then loop back upstream along the Brandywine to reach Bucklebury.

But before that, he had one more crucial task.

"System," Kael thought, his voice firm, "sign me in."

[Sign-in Successful!]

[Congratulations! You have obtained: Ollivander's Wandcraft: An Advanced Compendium.]

Instantly, a torrent of wand-making techniques and arcane knowledge flooded Kael's mind, granting him an intrinsic understanding of how to craft a wand. A wave of exhilaration washed over him. While this sign-in reward wasn't a physical item or a new spell, the knowledge of wandcraft was invaluable. With a proper wand, his magical power would double, allowing him to cast the more destructive and powerful spells that were currently beyond his wandless capabilities. He knew that without a wand, attempting something like the Killing Curse, for instance, would likely result in him being the first casualty.

Kael had prepared himself for the trees along the Willow River to block and attack him, but to his surprise, the trees on the riverbank remained perfectly still, allowing him to pass unmolested. Unable to explain their sudden change in behavior, he decided not to dwell on it. He followed the river to its confluence, then turned upstream along the Brandywine River.

It was early the next morning by the time he reached Bucklebury.

"Oh my goodness, Kael! Where have you been? What happened to you?" Drogo Baggins exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief as he took in Kael's dust-covered, disheveled appearance.

"I went to the Old Forest and had a bit of a disagreement with some of the trees," Kael said, plopping down onto a low armchair and catching his breath. He grinned. He hadn't told Drogo about his venture into the Old Forest earlier, hoping to spare his friend the worry.

"What?! You actually went to the Old Forest!" Drogo was aghast, nearly dropping the bread he had brought. The Old Forest was a forbidden, terrifying place for Hobbits, especially those in Buckland. No one dared venture there, and the thought of Kael going in alone filled him with dread.

After the initial shock, Drogo quickly examined Kael, making sure all his limbs were accounted for, then breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you alright?" he asked, still worried.

Kael smiled, shaking his head. "Have you forgotten? I'm a Wizard. Don't worry about me. I wasn't the one who suffered this time!"

After reassuring Drogo, Kael finished his breakfast and, instead of resting, immediately began processing the wood he had brought back. His haul included more than a dozen different types of wood: chestnut, alder, laurel, elm, and, of course, the section of willow branch from the Old Man Willow.

He began testing his magical compatibility with the various woods. One by one, he found that all of them, from chestnut to elm, exhibited some degree of magical impedance, clearly not the ideal wand wood for him.

It wasn't until he picked up the Old Man Willow's willow branch that a joyous smile finally spread across Kael's face. Not only did the Old Man Willow's wood possess the highest magical affinity among all the samples, but it was also the most compatible wood for him. His magic flowed through the willow with astonishing smoothness and speed—a truly pleasant surprise!

He had finally found the perfect material for his wand body! Next, he just needed to find a compatible wand core, and then he could begin crafting his own wand. It was truly a stroke of luck. According to the knowledge now imbued by Ollivander's Wandcraft, the wood used to make wands not only needed to possess magical properties but, crucially, needed to be collected at midnight during a full moon to ensure optimal performance. This was why Ollivander wands were far superior to those made by other wandmakers.

And last night, coincidentally, there had been a full moon. Kael wouldn't need to return to the Old Man Willow for another branch. The willow branch he had was about a meter long, enough to make several wands. Kael divided it into three sections. He picked one up, and an ideal shape and size instantly formed in his mind. He instinctively knew how best to proceed. This was the innate ability granted to him by Ollivander's Wandcraft.

***

(End of Chapter)

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