chapter 53

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This adventure was simply too exciting for Robert, and he wasn't sure if he had heard someone shouting in the Castle. Of course, it could have been the wind or some other sound.

Fortunately, Robert didn't encounter Filch or Professor Sprout in the end and made his way safely back to the Gryffindor common room.

"Next time, I'll tell the Professor!" the Fat Lady said threateningly as she opened the passage to the common room.

Robert simply pretended not to hear her. The Weasley twins had long ago told him that the Fat Lady was just talking; she would never tell the Professor about students sneaking out at night. That would cause trouble for her as well.

To Robert's surprise, it was already early morning, but the lights were still on in the common room. It was only then that he realized Fred and George were sitting in armchairs, tinkering with a pile of junk they had found somewhere.

Faced with Robert's sudden appearance, they didn't seem fazed; they had known he would be back.

"We were just saying you should be back soon," Fred said, turning to look at Robert.

"What's that in your hand?"

"A branch," Robert said casually.

"You broke school rules and ran out of the Castle in the middle of the night just for a branch?" George asked, confused. "Aren't these things everywhere? Why risk getting caught for one?"

"This is a branch from the Whomping Willow," Robert emphasized, walking over and sitting in the armchair opposite them.

"What's different about it?" Fred asked, frowning.

"It sells for three galleons an ounce, twice as expensive as dragon blood of the same weight."

"How much?" Fred and George stood up at the same time, their voices changing.

"An ounce?"

"Are you sure you didn't make a mistake? That it's three galleons, not three Knuts?"

"No mistake, it's galleons," Robert nodded. "And even at three galleons, you might not even be able to buy it if you wanted to."

Robert had asked his grandfather, Garrick Ollivander, before; there was only this one Whomping Willow in all of England, and no more than ten in the entire wizarding world. Its rarity was on par with that of the Phoenix among magical creatures.

Currently, there was only one Phoenix in England: Fawkes.

So, this branch was incredibly valuable, and Robert couldn't afford it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to take the risk. As for applying to the Headmaster to use it… something even his grandfather couldn't achieve, let alone Robert, a first-year student. Professor Sprout had veto power over this matter, and even Dumbledore's words wouldn't change anything—despite the fact that the Whomping Willow had been planted by him.

Once the twins absorbed the news, their eyes nearly turned into galleons.

"Oh..." Fred groaned, "What did we miss?"

They knew there was a Whomping Willow at school, but they had never considered its value. Now it seemed like it was essentially a tree made of gold.

"Oh, no. If you calculate it at three galleons per ounce and convert it to gold, it would require the tree to be even larger."

The twins exchanged glances and rushed out without another word.

Robert didn't react at first, but when he came to his senses and tried to catch up, the two had already disappeared down the dark corridor.

Why were they in such a hurry? They could have at least let him finish talking... Robert returned to the common room feeling uneasy. There was no way he could stop them. Hopefully, they were okay.

Robert sat back in his original spot, staring at the pile of things on the table in front of him. Chipped plates, faded old tapestries, moldy parchment... He had no idea where the Weasley twins had found all this junk.

After a moment of thought, Robert moved to another seat and began to examine the branch he had brought back.

The leaves withered instantly when they touched the ground, leaving only a grayish-brown section of branch. It was rough and hard but surprisingly light, not as heavy as Robert had imagined. It felt similar to oak.

He measured it with his hand; it wasn't long—about twenty inches, enough to make one wand but too short for two.

Robert studied the branch for a while. Since he wasn't feeling sleepy, he decided to begin the preliminary processing right there.

The first step was to remove the rough outer bark. This time, Robert didn't choose to use a Cutting Charm; he had a better option.

"Filter impurities!"

Robert's wand tip glowed with warm yellow light, and a wisp of breeze, like a spirit snake, wrapped around the branch, circling and moving forward. Wherever the wind passed, the dust, stones, and small twigs on the branch were brushed away.

"Integrated Fusion!"

Now, a silvery-white light enveloped the branch. The rough bark gradually smoothed out, becoming shiny, almost like marble.

Gregorovitch, the famous Eastern European wandmaker, didn't leave the bark on his wand shafts. He believed rough bark would hinder magic. Ollivander, on the other hand, had a different view. He thought complete integration was more important than having a single advantage. Robert agreed with Ollivander and thus chose to use magic to make the entire branch smooth, even if it was time-consuming.

After half an hour, the Whomping Willow branch had shrunk significantly. The previously rough bark was now completely smooth, shining under the light.

The first step was completed. However, before Robert could proceed further, he heard a rustling sound from the entrance to the common room.

Fred and George were back, their heads drooping as they crawled into the room, covered in dirt and mud. George's robe had a large tear, revealing a dirty blue sweater underneath. They collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath.

"Its temper… is really fiery… isn't it?" Fred asked, tilting his head back and looking at Robert mournfully. "You should have told us earlier."

"Who told you to be in such a hurry?" Robert shrugged. "You ran off before I could explain."

"Who could resist that?" George said, looking frustrated. "I finally understand why the Whomping Willow is so valuable. It's more terrifying than a dragon."

"You should count yourselves lucky," Robert replied. "The Whomping Willow here has been 'pampered' by Professor Sprout for over a decade, so its aggression has been reduced by more than half. Otherwise, you'd already be fertilizer by now."

"Stop talking about it," George said, looking pale. The memory seemed to terrify him, but more than that, he was annoyed and regretful.

"When that big guy tried to smash my head, it broke off some branches," Fred sighed. "But the commotion woke up Hagrid."

"Professor Sprout also came, and we didn't have time to collect the branches. So, we had to leave."

"Wait, were you discovered by the Professor?" Robert couldn't help but ask.

"She didn't see us," George answered. "Maybe she thought some animal had angered the Whomping Willow."

"Let's hope so," Robert said. He quickly cleared everything off the table and began walking towards the dormitory, carrying the transformed branch.

Professor Sprout might not have noticed them, but what if she had? If that were the case, the ghosts would likely go to each house to check, and staying in the common room would be too risky.

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