Harry had never seen so many magical things in his life.
When he returned to the Dursleys' from Diagon Alley, he felt like he was floating on air.
The only regret lingering in his heart was that he'd forgotten to ask Hagrid about his parents.
But there would always be other chances in the future.
Because of some things he'd done recently, his aunt and uncle had finally let him out of the cupboard under the stairs and moved him into his cousin Dudley's small bedroom.
Now, as he lay in bed, Harry felt that maybe life wasn't so bad anymore.
He had a bed, a wand, Hedwig… and even a professor who genuinely cared about him.
And soon, he would be going to Hogwarts.
What would life at Hogwarts be like?
Harry wondered silently as sleep gently claimed him.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Early the next morning, Harry was woken by a tapping sound at the window.
He rubbed his eyes groggily and glanced outside.
An owl with a slightly crooked beak was pecking insistently at the dusty glass.
"It's the professor's owl!"
Harry fully woke up, scrambled out of bed, and rushed to open the window.
The owl, looking rather displeased, hopped in and dropped a delicate box along with a letter.
Harry's heart skipped. The letter, of course, was from Professor Vison.
[Harry, happy birthday. Apologies that your gift is a little late.
I had to make some special preparations, and I'll be away from Privet Drive for a day.
Friendly reminder: please read the instructions for your birthday gift carefully.
— Eldrein Vison.]
Harry set the letter down, his hands trembling slightly in excitement.
Vison had given him a birthday gift — something Harry had never expected.
It was a complete surprise and warmed his heart in ways he couldn't describe.
He eagerly opened the box.
Inside was a small bottle filled with murky black liquid.
Tucked beneath the bottle was a small handwritten note:
[Remember the Biting Cabbage I gave you before?
Try adding this potion next time you water it.]
"Biting Cabbage?"
Harry turned toward the bedside table.
There, in a cracked flower pot, the Biting Cabbage was nestled deep in the soil, its mouth buried and fast asleep.
Harry couldn't help but smile.
Just two days ago, that very plant had helped him retrieve his Hogwarts letter from the Dursleys — leaving Uncle Vernon with several fresh scars on his face.
Since then, no one in the Dursley family dared come near the pot again.
The memory filled Harry with a secret glee, though at the same time, a sliver of unease crept in.
What if the Dursleys finally got fed up and threw him out because of the plant?
Then he'd truly have nowhere to go.
No — Harry quickly shook his head, dismissing the dark thought.
He still had Professor Vison.
Thinking of that made him feel steadier inside.
Harry stepped closer to the Biting Cabbage.
At once, the plant sensed him and bared its sharp teeth — a warning display.
But as soon as it recognized Harry's familiar scent, it relaxed and burrowed back into the soil.
Harry let out a relieved breath.
Though the Biting Cabbage had never bitten him before, the sight of its fangs always gave him the chills.
Following Vison's instructions, Harry found a battered watering can in the utility room.
He filled it with water and then carefully poured in the black liquid from the bottle.
The moment the potion touched the water, it spread out like smoke.
The clear surface turned gray at first, but then darkened, shifting to a deep scarlet color — like fresh blood.
Harry wrinkled his nose.
A strong, metallic scent filled the air, heavy with the tang of rust.
"Is this... really a potion?" Harry muttered, covering his nose.
Even though he had been studying potion-making under Vison, he couldn't identify this strange mixture.
Unbeknownst to him, the potion was made from Vison's own blood — a powerful ingredient that promoted plant growth and mutation.
Vison's unique magic could cause plants to evolve in unpredictable ways, and his blood was the best medium to carry that power.
For plants like the Biting Cabbage, this potion was the ultimate nourishment.
The Biting Cabbage's leaves quivered slightly, as though it could smell the rich scent wafting from the watering can.
It seemed eager — even desperate — for the liquid.
Harry could feel the plant's anticipation.
"Hold on, little guy," Harry said, bringing the watering can closer.
He was about to pour the potion into the soil when the Biting Cabbage suddenly lunged forward.
With a snap of its jaws, it bit clean through the spout of the watering can and began gulping down the potion directly.
Harry stood there, dumbfounded.
"...I forgot it has a mouth," he muttered.
Within seconds, the Biting Cabbage drained the entire watering can.
Once it swallowed the last drop, it went still.
It retreated back into its pot, its leaves drooping as though in satisfaction, and buried its head deep in the soil.
Harry blinked.
"Uh… is that it?"
He had expected something dramatic — maybe glowing leaves or a sudden transformation.
But now, the entire large dose of potion had vanished into the plant's small body without so much as a ripple.
That didn't seem right.
Frowning, Harry squatted and gently poked one of the leaves.
No reaction.
He prodded a few more times, trying to stir the Biting Cabbage, but it remained motionless.
After a while, Harry sighed and gave up.
He couldn't just yank it out of the soil — that might hurt it or mess up whatever was happening.
As he stood there pondering, the door to his room suddenly slammed open.
Uncle Vernon barged in, his face flushed red like an overboiled shrimp.
"Get to work, you little monster!" he roared. "I didn't take you in so you could sleep the day away!"
Harry instinctively shrank back.
He had always been afraid of his uncle's outbursts.
But today, his eyes flicked to the fading scars on Vernon's face — courtesy of the Biting Cabbage.
And somehow, the fear inside him lessened.
Vernon's eyes shifted nervously toward the plant on the bedside table.
His face twitched, and Harry noticed the scars seemed to throb faintly.
"You better get rid of that biting little thing you're raising!" Vernon snapped, breathing heavily. "Or I'll call the police!"
With that, he retreated hastily, slamming the door behind him.
Harry stood frozen for a moment, stunned by the sudden threat.
Would the police even care about something like the Biting Cabbage?
He doubted it.
If anyone were to intervene, it would probably be the Ministry of Magic, not regular police.
Maybe… maybe he should ask Professor Vison to take care of the plant for a while.
Yes — that might be safer.
Harry made a mental note to discuss it with the professor tomorrow.