"Sean! Sean!"
A familiar voice made Sean pause. In the corridor outside the greenhouse, the fading glow of the sunset spilled through the Gothic stained-glass windows, casting a warm light on the handsome young wizard standing there.
"Bruce, hey," Sean said with a nod, ready to head toward the greenhouse.
"You're off to see Professor Sprout, right?" Bruce called out. "I'd head back if I were you. She's in Greenhouse Three, and first-years aren't allowed in there."
Bruce stood there, book in hand, waiting for Sean's response.
"…Thanks for the heads-up," Sean said, stopping in his tracks. His eyes clouded with uncertainty. Without Professor Sprout, his limited Herbology knowledge would make even basic plant identification a struggle, let alone processing anything. Plus, he had no idea which plants needed tending.
"You're really into magical plants, aren't you?" Bruce said, noticing the spark in Sean's eyes dim. He felt a pang of guilt, like he'd just committed some unforgivable crime. With a sigh, he closed his book. "Look, Sprout's usually only in Greenhouse Three for a bit. If you come back after class tomorrow, you'll probably find her in Greenhouse One."
Sean's face lit up instantly. He nodded eagerly. "Thanks!"
"No problem. Oh, and here—catch."
Sean blinked as something flew toward him. A block of cheese landed in his hand.
"Dragon's Milk Cheese," Bruce said with a grin, arms crossed. "Sure, A Pinch of Magic for Your Cheese updated the recipe, but I still think the original tastes better. Most people agree."
He chuckled. "Sharing snacks is a Hufflepuff tradition. You're a Ravenclaw, but who cares?"
As Sean studied the cheese, Bruce strode off down the corridor. From the distance, Sean caught snippets of conversation.
"I think the new version's tastier," someone said.
"Same," another voice agreed.
"Pister, Leon! You heretics!" Bruce's voice boomed. "Don't ruin my cool moment like this!"
"He thinks he's so cool…" Leon muttered.
"Okay, Pister, you're right," Leon admitted. "Nice one, Bruce. Very Hufflepuff of you."
New version, original version? Sean mused. Sounds like the Muggle world's salty versus sweet tofu pudding debate. Good thing he preferred spicy food.
Glancing at the darkening sky, Sean decided to tackle something he'd been meaning to do: visit the Hogwarts library. Thousands of books, all free! For someone like him, who'd bled Galleons buying textbooks, this was practically a dream come true. Plus, he could knock out some homework there.
Good homework probably factors into Dumbledore's evaluations, he thought.
The Hogwarts library, located on the second floor of the castle, housed thousands of books across countless shelves. It was divided into three sections: the main area, the Restricted Section, and the Invisible Section.
The main area was like a sprawling forest of bookshelves, stretching endlessly into the shadowy distance. The shelves weren't perfectly uniform—some towered higher, others dipped lower, and a few required creaky rolling ladders to reach the top. Scattered around heavy oak tables, students hunched over their work, their faces illuminated by glowing magical crystal orbs. Quills scratched across parchment, filling the air with a soft rustling sound.
Sean strained to catch a glimpse of the Restricted Section at the back—a legendary place. Voldemort had found Secrets of the Darkest Art there, turning himself into a deranged shadow of a wizard. The Trio had discovered Moste Potente Potions and brewed Polyjuice Potion. It was basically a treasure trove. As for the Invisible Section, home to most books on invisibility, Sean had no clue how to even find it.
Lost in thought, he slung his bag over his shoulder and scanned for a seat. Then he spotted Justin, silently mouthing, "Sean! Over here!"
Sean hurried over to Justin and Hermione.
"Where do you keep disappearing to after meals?" Hermione asked, her tone sharp despite the concern in her eyes.
"The greenhouses," Sean replied, unfazed.
"Oh, I mean—okay. Do you know how to tell when Fluxweed is mature?" Hermione asked, realizing her tone sounded more like an interrogation. She tried to soften it but ended up blurting out a random question.
"Fluxweed has a faint goaty smell. When it's mature, the scent gets stronger," Sean said, repeating what Bruce had taught him. It felt oddly satisfying, like passing down some ancient wisdom.
"You know?" Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth. She'd only asked offhandedly, not expecting an actual answer.
"Is that what you learned at the greenhouses?" she pressed.
Sean nodded. "Pretty much."
"I knew it!" Justin said, sounding prouder than Sean himself, which made Hermione's cheeks flush slightly.
"But I memorized the entire first-year textbook, and there's nothing about that," Hermione said, her ears turning pink as she lowered her voice.
"Same here. I memorized it too, and there's no mention of it," Sean agreed.
"You memorized it too?" Hermione gasped, peeking out from behind a thick brown book. She glanced around, making sure Madam Pince wasn't nearby to scold them, then sighed in relief. "So how did you—?"
Her eyes sparkled, like she'd found a kindred spirit.
"I learned it from a Hufflepuff senior while helping Professor Sprout with some plants," Sean explained. He pulled out A History of Magic and a roll of parchment, ready to tackle his History of Magic homework.
Hermione and Justin exchanged a look, both thinking, Huh?
If Professor Binns hadn't mixed up "inches" with "feet," the homework load would've been light. But, true to form, the ghostly professor had muddled things up, assigning a foot-long essay—about a third of a meter. The first-years, eager to rush out of class, hadn't realized the mistake at the time.
Sean glanced at the second row of oak tables, where Michael and his group were already wearing expressions of pure agony. "Three feet!" Michael wailed. "Even if I max out the margins and font size, there's no way I'm finishing this!"
His outburst drew pitying looks from the other students, but it was too late. Madam Pince stormed over, her shoes clacking loudly against the floor.
Sean propped up his book, silently mourning Michael's fate, and headed off to gather books for his essay. The assignment seemed daunting, but for Sean, it was no big deal.
Modern Magical History, three Galleons.
Important Magical Events of the Twentieth Century, four Galleons.
Directory of Notable Modern Wizards, five Galleons…
Sean deliberately picked the pricier books. Expensive didn't always mean better, but it did mean expensive. Back when he was scraping by, these books were out of reach. Now? They were free for the taking.
---