Lupin stepped into the greenhouse and was immediately captivated by the breathtaking sight before him.
The space was much larger than it had appeared from outside with vast, seemingly endless expanses of land stretching into the distance. The air was filled with the mingled scents of various medicinal herbs. Pungent wafts of dittany mingled with the sweet perfume of moly, while the sharp tang of shredded bubotuber leaves conflicted with the cinnamon-like aroma of powdered bicorn horn.
This all combination was so complex and multi-layered that Lupin found it somewhat overwhelming, his heightened werewolf senses were detecting tones that would be indiscernible to most wizards. He could distinguish that there were at least twenty different magical herbs just from their scents alone.
What surprised Lupin most was that the magical potion plants weren't meticulously arranged in individual pots or raised beds as in typical magical greenhouses. Instead, they were planted directly in large patches across the ground, making the place feel less like a traditional greenhouse and more like an experimental farm or perhaps a laboratory for magical botany.
Seeing Lupin's astonishment, Adrian wasn't surprised. Anyone with even a passing familiarity with magical herbology would be amazed at the sight of such large-scale specialized herb cultivation. With just a cursory glance across the landscape, Lupin spotted numerous patches of precious medicinal ingredients.
To those with knowledge of magical herbology and potions, these weren't just plants or herbs but genuine patches of gold, each worth hundreds or even thousands of Galleons in the right markets.
This realization made Lupin look at Adrian with new respect and perhaps a hint of wariness; this young man who was clearly far more capable, and potentially influential than Lupin had initially imagined.
"I think I need to show you around," Adrian said with a smile, drawing out his wand. "You'll need a Bubble-Head Charm, otherwise you'll inadvertently inhale some... er, not so friendly scents."
Following Adrian's example, Lupin casted a Bubble-Head Charm on himself. Soon, large, transparent bubbles wrapped around both their heads. The Bubble-Head Charm, which allowed one to breathe underwater or block out odors, was a remarkably practical spell.
As for why they specifically needed the Bubble-Head Charm in this apparently well-maintained greenhouse, Lupin soon discovered the answer, though not in any way he might have anticipated.
As he looked around, Lupin noticed a tall willow tree not far away, causing him to pause.
"Hey, is that a Whomping Willow?" He asked, looking at the tree with a complex expression that mixed nostalgia with a hint of uneasiness. His voice softened as he continued, "I remember Hogwarts had one just like it."
"Actually, this is that very Whomping Willow's offspring," Adrian approached the willow with surprising familiarity and, to Lupin's astonishment, patted its trunk as one might pet a favorite dog. "I transplanted a cutting from the original at Hogwarts during my school days."
Normally, a Whomping Willow would violently attack anyone who approached it. Yet this particular one did no such thing when Adrian approached, which Lupin found rather curious.
However, when Lupin himself took a cautious step toward the tree, the Whomping Willow showed a completely different demeanor. Its vines and branches, previously calm and almost docile, suddenly swayed violently in the air, thrashing with increasing agitation as Lupin approached. The movement created fierce whistling sounds that frightened him into backing away quickly.
"Ah, sorry about that, it's a bit shy around strangers," Adrian chuckled apologetically, then explained with the casual attitude of someone discussing a pet's quirks, "It's best to raise your hands above your head when approaching it, showing you mean no harm. Then it won't attack you--usually."
"Isn't it supposed to be about touching its knotted spot?" Lupin asked, his eyebrow furrowing with confusion as he recalled the specific knowledge that had once been crucial to his monthly survival.
He remembered that the one at Hogwarts would stop attacking if you pressed on its knot spot. That was how Lupin always entered the Shrieking Shack beneath the Whomping Willow.
"Every Whomping Willow develops its own personality and defense mechanisms," Adrian explained patiently, "Mine doesn't have a traditional immobilizing knot like its parent. Magical plants, especially those with semi-sentient properties, adapt to their caretakers and environments. Just do as I suggested, and it won't harm you—"
"I think I'd better stay away from it for now," Lupin shook his head, seeming somewhat nervous.
"It's really quite safe once it recognizes you," Adrian said with slight disappointment obvious in his voice, then added. "You have to learn to get along with all the plants here, it's part of your job."
Hearing this reasonable but challenging requirement from his employer, Lupin hesitated, weighing his natural caution against his need for this position. After a moment's pondering, he decided to give it a try. This was, after all, his job now—and jobs for someone with his condition were far too rare to risk losing over too much caution.
He took a deep breath, and slowly approached the Whomping Willow once more. He kept his body low in a non-threatening posture, and as Adrian had instructed, raised his hands above his head.
This time, as he drew near, the Whomping Willow remained still.
However, just as he was about to move closer, the willow's branches suddenly began to shake violently once more.
Lupin froze in place for a moment.
Even Adrian backed a little further away, his previously confident expression replaced by a look of puzzlement and concern.
'This shouldn't be happening,' Adrian thought, 'Following those precise instructions, the Whomping Willow should have remained calm.'
As Adrian puzzled over this unexpected development in his heart, the color of the willow's branches began to change, gradually shifting from original green to an unnatural, deep purple.
"This doesn't seem right at all," Adrian's expression changed noticeably, his eyes flashing with alertness. "Step back immediately, Lupin."
As soon as he spoke these words of warning, the Whomping Willow's branches, as if suddenly stimulated by something, violently sprayed a dense purple mist with an intensely pungent odor.
The mist spread rapidly, instantly tinting the surrounding air with a dark purple hue.
Fortunately, both Adrian and Lupin were protected by their Bubble-Head Charms and didn't directly inhale what was almost certainly a toxic gas.
"Quick, back away immediately!" Adrian urgently called out, pulling Lupin backward.
The poisonous gas instantly encroached upon them, surrounding their protective bubbles and staining the transparent magical barriers with purple marks where it made contact. Alarmed by this, they both instinctively drew their wands to reinforce their bubbles with additional layers of magical protection. The strengthened magical barriers finally stopped further gas infiltration, though the purple stains remained visible on the surface of their bubbles.
"What in Merlin's name just happened? Why did it suddenly do that?" Lupin's face had paled considerably as he looked to Adrian for explanation.
He had never seen a Whomping Willow—or any magical plant, for that matter—behave in such a bizarre manner. All of this was far beyond his expectations.
Adrian's brow furrowed deeply, and he was also obviously unsure of what had occurred.
"Eldra," He called silently to the Tree of Wisdom in his mind, "analyze the Whomping Willow's information for me immediately."
Almost instantly, information began flowing into his consciousness:
[Species: Whomping Willow]
[Level: 2]
[Characteristic: Highly Toxic]
[Status: Growing (0%)]
.........
After getting the information, Adrian felt a little relieved and and his tense posture gradually relaxed.
It turned out that the Whomping Willow had been spontaneously influenced by Adrian's plant Mutation ability at this particular time causing it to gain a "highly toxic" characteristic that wasn't part of its original nature. The tree was essentially experiencing growing pains as it integrated this new trait into its biological systems.
Typically, for Adrian's "mutations" to take effect, they required careful application of his specialized magical power and assistance from certain potions to stabilize the transformation process.
But occasionally, in circumstances not even completely understood by Adrian himself, random "mutations" would occur without his conscious intervention to his cultivated plants, especially in those plants that had already been exposed to his unique magical signature over a long period of time.
The Whomping Willow in front of them was a perfect example of this phenomenon—it had randomly acquired the "highly toxic" characteristic without Adrian's intentional intervention, and was now struggling to control and integrate this new ability, much like a wizard child experiencing accidental magic during emotional stress.
After completing his analysis of the situation, Adrian visibly relaxed, He turned to Lupin with a reassuring smile, "Don't worry too much, Lupin. This is actually a normal behavior pattern; my Whomping Willow is just like this. It's still safe."
"...Really?" The single word carried heavy skepticism, drawn out with clear disbelief.
Looking at the Whomping Willow in front of him that continued to spew toxic mist, although now in smaller, more controlled bursts rather than the initial explosive release, Lupin made no attempt to disguise his deep doubt.
He was already beginning to feel that the job he had accepted was somewhat weird.
Under Lupin's openly skeptical gaze, Adrian approached the Whomping Willow again and placed his palm directly against the tree's trunk.
As Adrian approached and made contact, a remarkable transformation occurred. The willow's branches, which had been thrashing erratically, began to retract gradually, and even, the purple mist began to dissipate at his touch.
"See? Problem solved," Adrian nodded with satisfaction.
The recent situation was likely a result of the Whomping Willow having just acquired its 'highly toxic' characteristic and not yet having developed the biological mechanisms to properly control its toxicity. Now, it seems able to contain its poison appropriately, and, its trunk has already begun returning to its original appearance.
Lupin stared at the Whomping Willow, still harboring significant doubts and feeling increasingly uneasy about the entire situation. Adrian's explanation did absolutely nothing to reassure him.
"Is it too late to turn down this job?" He asked with a hint of resignation in his voice, though he already knew the answer.
"I'll pay you double," Adrian said without hesitation.
"Deal," Lupin also replied decisively with a nod.