"Ah, warm sunlight, a gentle breeze, and fresh new sprouts…"
Professor Sprout tilted her head slightly, her face lighting up with enthusiasm and joy as she spoke.
The young witches and wizards immediately turned their attention to the stout witch. Her flyaway hair was tucked under a patched hat, and her clothes were speckled with dirt.
"I heard—" Michael whispered, "Professor Sprout is the most popular professor at Hogwarts. She's also the Head of Hufflepuff. If you're ever in trouble, asking her for help is never a bad idea."
In the damp, earthy scent of soil and fertilizer, mingled with the rich fragrance of flowers, Professor Sprout continued, "Welcome to Herbology, where you'll learn how to nurture these extraordinary plants and fungi and discover their uses."
She gently tapped a pink pod, and a shiny bean popped out, instantly blooming into a vibrant flower.
A chorus of "Wow!" erupted from the students.
"Is that magic?" Michael muttered to himself, then suddenly turned to Sean. "Sean, do you know…"
"It's a Puffapod," Sean replied. "It's on page sixty-two of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. Puffapods grow fat, pink pods filled with shiny beans that burst into bloom the moment they touch a solid surface."
Anthony and Terry, listening intently, scribbled down Sean's explanation. Michael just grinned. "Knew you'd have the answer."
…
Professor Sprout's lesson was much like Sean's first Herbology class, but one thing stood out: whenever the plump professor couldn't find a volunteer to answer a question, she inevitably called on Sean.
"Can anyone tell me what this plant is? Hmm, you, Mr. Green."
"Dittany," Sean answered. "A plant with healing and restorative magical properties."
"Absolutely correct! One point to Ravenclaw. Now, can any young witch or wizard tell me how we should handle dittany? Oh, well, it seems no one knows. Mr. Green?"
"Typically, dittany is extracted into an essence for stronger effects, but it can also be eaten raw to heal shallow wounds."
"Spot on! Another point for Ravenclaw. One last question: what's the purpose of dittany? How can it be used to treat werewolf bites? Think back to your Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons, my dear sprouts."
Unfortunately, Sprout's hopes were dashed. No one could focus in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Professor Quirrell's slow progress meant they'd barely touched the material they were supposed to cover in the first lesson.
"Oh, what a shame…" Sprout sighed.
"Wizards have used a mixture of dittany and silver powder to treat werewolf bites, preventing victims from bleeding out," Sean said confidently.
"A perfect answer! Two points to Ravenclaw!"
Sprout scanned the room of students with their heads bowed, but her enthusiasm didn't waver. She cheerfully guided them through handling the herbs. "Alright, my sprouts, since you didn't learn this in Defense Against the Dark Arts, make sure you don't zone out now…"
She handed out gloves to each student, instructing them to observe the dittany closely before teaching them how to process mature plants.
"Sean, you're not, like, Professor Sprout's long-lost cousin or something, are you?" Michael whispered suddenly.
Sean shook his head with a smile.
"Or maybe her secret—" Michael started, but Anthony quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, cutting him off. After a moment of oxygen deprivation, Michael's common sense returned. He scratched his head and made an apologetic gesture with his hands.
What an imagination, Sean thought, shaking his head in amusement.
After teaching them how to handle dittany, Sprout added some tips on processing dried nettles. This got Sean thinking. The wizarding world's education system might not be as disorganized as he'd assumed. For instance, Defense Against the Dark Arts covered dittany for treating werewolf bites, while Herbology not only taught about dittany but also explained how to identify and process dried nettles—key ingredients for brewing a Boil-Cure Potion.
It was clear Hogwarts' curriculum was carefully designed.
As Sean mulled this over, he worked on processing his dittany.
[You processed one stalk of dittany at an apprentice level. Proficiency +1]
[You processed one stalk of dittany at an apprentice level. Proficiency +1]
[You processed one stalk of dittany at an apprentice level. Proficiency +1]
Though his skills were still at the apprentice level, he was far more adept than the other young wizards—much like the gap between him and Bruce, his senior.
After class, Sprout assigned an open-ended task to identify mature dittany. As they left, she gave Sean a playful wink.
Outside the greenhouse, Sean paused by a suit of armor. In a nearby portrait, a lady in a ceremonial gown smiled and nodded at him, and he politely nodded back.
He opened his panel:
[Herbology Knowledge: Unlocked (80/90)]
Processing dittany had earned him 21 proficiency points.
[Apprentice-Level Herbology Knowledge: You can unlock the Apprentice Herbology Title]
With another Herbology class scheduled that afternoon, Sean was confident he'd unlock the title by then. As for his Herbology talent, he had a good guess about what it might be. It was like those tough exams from his past life—once you got the test paper, you already knew roughly how you'd score, no surprises.
Well, maybe one surprise, he thought. Maybe I'm a standard green talent, not a white dud.
From observing the greenhouse, Sean realized something else: Hogwarts was wealthy, and its professors were likely secretly loaded. He noticed some dried nettles in a shaded corner, past their prime and unprocessed. The greenhouse was massive, and those nettles were tucked under a plant as large as an umbrella.
They're probably meant for sale, Sean thought. Maybe I can ask Bruce who handles the herb sales?
Bruce had mentioned that Hufflepuffs often took care of these tasks, as the professors were too busy. If Sean could buy some ingredients early, even if they were pricey, it'd be worth it.
No effort, no reward.
With that in mind, Sean pulled out his notebook, but quickly tucked his quick-quotes quill away. His steps quickened as he headed to the Great Hall for lunch.
To his surprise, before he reached the hall, Justin intercepted him, looking secretive.
"Sean, I know something—but just a little bit. I swear I didn't snoop too much, but I happened to find out, and I can help."
Justin's cryptic words left Sean utterly baffled.
Support me by leaving a comment, voting, and visiting myPatr-eon at ilham20
Check out another story about Hogwarts in my profile original works