"You're already doing great," Sean said, offering Justin some of his Yorkshire pudding. He figured a bit of sweetness might lift his friend's spirits.
"Snape's a prat," he added softly. "Don't be upset, Hermione. Want some pudding?"
Sean loved Yorkshire pudding, a fondness rooted in memories of an old lady who used to donate food to the orphanage. She always brought heaps of pudding—the best thing Sean ate back then. So, he always picked a seat at the table with the most pudding.
"Mm," Hermione murmured, unusually accepting the offer.
And so, the trio's grumbling about Professor Snape turned into an all-out assault on the pudding.
Professors aren't always fair, Sean thought, especially when Harry Potter's around.
After finishing his pudding, Justin's complaints about Snape veered into tales of the professor's "legendary" deeds: like pretending he wasn't patrolling at night but using a Disillusionment Charm to catch five Gryffindors sneaking about; or staying at Hogwarts over Christmas to nab two couples breaking rules; or, just today, docking Gryffindor a point because Harry didn't tell Neville the right way to brew a potion—when, in truth, Harry's head was as empty as a broken cauldron.
"Look, Hermione," Justin said gently, "I'm saying this to make a point: if anyone's at fault here, it's definitely not you. We all know Snape's strict, bad-tempered, and sometimes downright unreasonable."
Sean nodded silently in agreement.
"If you let someone unreasonable make you doubt yourself, feel bad, or get upset, that's just silly, isn't it? Even if that someone's a professor," Justin continued.
Sean nodded again.
"What do you think, Sean?" Justin asked, looking at him expectantly.
Sean paused, then said simply, "Yeah."
Justin sighed, a bit exasperated. "Alright, then."
Just then, Sean noticed Hermione trembling slightly. He pulled Justin aside, and the two stood in front of her, pretending to chat casually to shield her from view as she quietly sniffled.
"Hermione never says anything when she's upset," Justin whispered. "I think we need to keep an eye on her. She acts like she doesn't care, but the people who pick on her have no idea how much it hurts her."
Sean looked at Justin, a bit stunned. He realized Hermione really didn't have many friends. Gryffindor seemed to shun her, and Ron had even given her a cruel nickname, mocking her until she hid in the bathroom to cry during Halloween. At least before then, she'd been alone.
But now, Sean thought with a relieved sigh, she had two friends.
…
Ravenclaw's only class that day was an afternoon Herbology lesson. Sean arrived early at the domed greenhouse. Inside Greenhouse One, the air was thick with warm, damp earthiness, and the glass ceiling filtered the afternoon sunlight into a hazy golden-green glow.
Professor Sprout, sleeves rolled up and dragonhide gloves caked with soil, was carefully tending to a plant that looked like a spider's nest.
Three Hufflepuff students gathered around a trench filled with pumpkin-like plants, their scarf-clad heads bent together as they gestured and debated what they were looking at.
"A clever sprout would remember this is a Snargaluff," Sprout said. "It may look like a spider's egg sac, but those are actually two-sided green berries. Don't be alarmed by its roots—they're not actual spiders, just root tendrils. Can anyone tell me how often a Snargaluff can be harvested?"
The Hufflepuffs looked stumped. Neville seemed to recall something but stammered, unable to get the words out. Ernie and the chubby boy beside him just stared blankly.
"It's a perennial plant, harvested three to four times," a clear voice rang out. "With proper care, it might yield more. There's a record of a wizard managing five harvests from a single Snargaluff."
Sprout beamed. "Well done, Mr. Green! Wonderful answer, my dear."
She sent Neville and the others to pick some Fire Seed Bushes, then mused aloud, "Ah, warm sun, warm summer—new sprouts always taking root. Sometimes I wonder if my energy's running low, struggling to guide so many young witches and wizards at once… Mr. Longbottom, watch your leg! Wingardium Leviosa!"
Neville had nearly spilled dragon dung fertilizer on his shoes, but Sprout's quick Levitation Charm saved the bucket. "Oh! Mr. MacMillan!" she exclaimed, hurrying to rescue Ernie, who was tangled in Bouncing Bulbs.
Just then, the door swung open, and a tall figure stepped into the greenhouse.
"Not every first-year is named Sean Green, right?"
Bruce, the senior student, leaned against a plant rack, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
…
After Herbology, Sean decided he might avoid the greenhouse for a while. Professor Sprout was sweating from the chaos, especially with three Hufflepuffs staying behind, keeping her busier than ever.
In the greenhouse corridor, a gentle breeze drifted through. Bruce leaned against the wall like a statue, and Sean thought he could easily be a model—especially since two older witches nearby had glanced at him at least ten times.
"Fizzing Whizbee—"
Bruce placed a sweet-looking candy in Sean's hand.
"Try it now?"
Curious, Sean popped the gummy-like Fizzing Whizbee into his mouth.
"Green, don't eat it!" came a sudden shout. "Damn it, Bruce, you—"
Leon, another senior with golden hair glinting in the sunlight, stormed over, but he was too late to stop Bruce.
Sean felt a surge of magic, and suddenly he was floating upward, alongside Bruce.
"Isn't it brilliant?!" Bruce said, grinning wildly.
"Brilliant, my Merlin's pants!" Leon growled, grabbing both Sean and Bruce with each hand. "I ought to let you float away!"
He shot Bruce a fierce glare. "Sorry, Green. This is just how Bruce treats his friends. Pister and I have been pranked by him plenty. Let me explain: Fizzing Whizbees are gummy candies that make you float. One of their ingredients comes from Billywigs—get stung by one, and you'll feel dizzy, then float right up."
Leon's tone softened as he spoke to Sean.
"Oh, come off it, Leon! You wouldn't dare!" Bruce laughed loudly.
Then Sean saw Leon let go.
"Leon, no! I'm sorry!" Bruce yelped, flailing as he floated higher.
But Sean noticed Leon's smug grin and the subtle flick of his wrist. Unbeknownst to Bruce, Leon had tied a rope between himself and the two of them.
"For dishonest blokes, I've got dishonest tricks," Leon said with a smirk.
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