Daily News: The Prophet of Hogwarts

Chapter 303 Food and Security

The greenhouse outside Hogwarts Castle.

Here, Ryan found Professor Sprout, who was like a diligent gardener tending to the precious herbs in the greenhouse.

Next to the area where mandrake grows, a small field has been cultivated.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Professor Sprout." Ryan wasn't so casual with this professor he wasn't very familiar with, and he was very polite.

"Hello, Ryan. I heard you went to visit other magic schools and should be at Moon Mountain by now. What brings you here?" Sprout, who had finished tidying up the crops, was surprised.

"Don't even mention it. I ran into some bandits and got beaten up." Ryan chuckled self-deprecatingly. Even though he had taken drugs, he had still overexerted himself in order to escape from Helbo, and he was still a little dizzy.

"Who?" Sprout asked, having read the newspaper! The Daily Prophet had Fleur there, and at least the reports weren't this outrageous.

But the opposite is different. It specifically states that Ryan Welsh single-handedly defeated Durmstrang, causing Professor Kakalo of Durmstrang to submit and consider himself Ryan's little brother, obeying all of Ryan's commands.

How could a wizard who could do all that get beaten up?

Could it be that Dumbledore himself played the role of this highway robber?

"The headmaster will probably call a meeting about this soon," Ryan guessed, estimating that Dumbledore would call a meeting immediately after dealing with the letters.

At that time, Dumbledore's personal explanation would have been more convincing. So he only gave a brief explanation, saying that a wizard named Helbo was staking out outside.

Sprout was indeed horrified. The founder of dark magic had come back to life! This was far more dangerous than Voldemort escaping from Hogwarts!

"It's alright. Helbo and the headmaster had a fight, but it ended in a draw, and they both left. I came to ask you about high-yield crops because after this fight, the ordinary world can no longer pretend that wizards don't exist."

This requires professors to make achievements in their respective fields.

Ryan said apologetically that time wasn't so tight at the beginning.

But no one knew he would be stopped at the pyramids, and that the person who stopped him was none other than Herpo.

Sprout looked troubled: "The timeframe is too short; there's simply no way to fundamentally maintain this high yield in potatoes. The growth solvent extracted from Delaman's grass can only give potatoes traits that surpass those of ordinary potatoes over five generations, and these traits will decrease with each generation."

Quantity is king, Ryan immediately asked, "Can we mass-produce them? If the first generation of parent lines can be mass-produced—then there's no need to worry about diminishing returns."

"No, mandrake is no ordinary herb. Cultivating, nurturing, and extracting it all require a certain level of herbal knowledge. It's not an herb that can be grown casually, so it's definitely impossible to achieve the mass production you're hoping for," Sprout said. "In my spare time, McGonagall and I went to the Muggle world and checked how many people there are currently starving through different platforms and channels. The results were quite shocking."

Why are Muggles so heartless?

Why would Muggles try to control their fellow human beings by controlling food?

"Isn't it a matter of course to ensure that our fellow countrymen have enough to eat?"

As she spoke, she could only sigh, "Oh well. I was just telling you that we still need to mass-produce raw materials, and the supply of mandrake grass can't keep up."

"It's alright, it's already very good," Ryan said. "The target product is 90% complete, just one last step away, and it's ready to be promoted. This kind of promotion is much more conscientious than claiming the finished product is effective when you've just started building the folder."

Sprout didn't understand this statement. Ever since he saw the Muggles living in dire straits and not having enough to eat, he had been obsessed with developing enough food to feed everyone, as if he had found a task that he had to do in his wizarding career.

She said, "I need help with alchemy and potions. Alchemy matrices related to life activity and growth factors, and corresponding potions."

"no problem."

Creating the Alchemy Matrix, which isn't particularly difficult, was a piece of cake for Ryan.

With a wave of the wand, the earth and rocks were manipulated, and water and fire were introduced. In no time, the alchemical matrix that could promote crop growth was completed.

Sprout began to conceive new experimental ideas, and Lane quietly left so as not to disturb her.

In front of Hagrid's cabin, he received a call from Fleur.

"Furong, what's the matter?"

The communicator displayed a small human figure: "Above the pyramids—is it really true?"

Ryan said, "Yes. I fought with him, but I lost. Then I asked the headmaster for help."

"You didn't fight! How could that be!" Fleur clearly didn't believe it, but she also knew it was true. "Forget about that. What about the secrecy law? Right now, all the reporters under my command think this kind of thing can't be reported. But even if we can shut up the wizarding newspaper, we can't shut up the Muggle media."

"Right now, the principal has a bunch of owls waiting to see what to do. After he finishes dealing with this, I'll come and ask him what to do next. You should arrange for someone to write the article first, and then we'll see how things go before deciding whether to publish it or not."

"Okay, that's settled then." After saying that, before hanging up, Furong asked again, "Are you alright?"

"Don't worry. Everything is fine."

"That's good."

Ryan hung up the phone and walked along the path behind Hagrid's cabin into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

The arsenal is located behind a dense forest.

Penelope saw Ryan approaching: "What happened? Why are you walking here today? Don't you always Apparate here?"

"I was ambushed and beaten up. Wizards and ordinary people alike witnessed it. This is why our preparations could never keep up with the changes."

Ryan was somewhat annoyed with Penelope. In order to ensure that the wizards could integrate into the technological society without any problems, they had come up with many ways.

Penelope's main task was the gun barrel, which was of paramount importance. However, the gun barrel was not yet completed, and things had reached a point where they had to be faced. This made Ryan feel depressed.

"You think you can beat me? Then call for help. You'll be there faster than anyone else thinks." Penelope knew Ryan's style all too well: if he couldn't beat someone, he'd run; if he couldn't run, he'd call for backup, and he could call a whole bunch of people.

"The point isn't the rescue; the point is that the secrecy law is dead! Everyone saw me, the principal, and Helbo fighting in the air above the pyramids." Ryan shrugged.

Penelope said nonchalantly, "It's okay. Nothing in life is ever smooth sailing. That's what you told me back then, and that's what I'm telling you now."