Outside the Greenhouse Corridor
A lady in an elegant evening gown tilted her head, curiously eyeing three passing Hufflepuffs.
"Want some gingerbread?"
Pister suddenly pulled out a few foil-wrapped gingerbread cookies from his bag.
Bruce quickly backed away about ten meters.
"Sometimes I swear you have no sense of taste, Pister," he said. "We've been handling ginger powder for three days straight. The smell alone makes me nauseous, and you're still eating gingerbread?"
"It's not bad," Leon said calmly, taking a bite of one.
"Also, that's your sense of smell... idiot," he added.
Bruce froze, a dazed look crossing his face, before muttering, "So, I've been suffering through three days of that pungent ginger powder with two guys who can't even smell it? I'm the only one miserable here?!"
He seemed to recall something, his expression turning animated as he spoke rapidly. "What spell?"
"The Bubble-Head Charm, but clear," Leon replied, unfazed.
"I've been saying your heads looked weirdly big these past few days!" Bruce exclaimed. "Merlin's beard, you two didn't even tell me? You just let me suffer?"
Bruce was practically hopping with frustration.
But Leon and Pister just stared at him, their faces blank.
"If you hadn't put itching powder in our hats and... well, you know... last week," Pister began.
"Okay, okay, my bad!" Bruce interrupted with a sheepish grin.
"Another year, another pattern," Bruce said casually. "By the fourth week, the greenhouse is always deserted."
He leaned in toward Leon, who was holding a book, and Pister, who was clutching a potted plant. "But I've got a feeling someone's coming back."
He grinned mischievously. "Wanna bet?"
"No," Leon said, barely glancing up.
"Scared?" Bruce teased, tilting his nose up high.
Knowing Bruce would nag him all day if he didn't play along, Leon sighed. "Fine. What's the bet?"
"I bet after today, we'll see a new Ravenclaw helper in the greenhouse."
"Stakes?"
"You do me a favor during Hogsmeade weekend."
"Deal."
Bruce let out an excited "Aha!" and practically skipped away, his face beaming. Leon sighed again, turning to Pister.
"Looks like we've got an extra errand during Hogsmeade weekend."
Pister, still holding his plant, nodded with a simple, honest smile that seemed a little heavier than usual.
Inside the greenhouse, the air was thick with the fresh scent of damp soil and plant sap. Sunlight streamed through the crystal glass dome, casting a soft, bright glow that bathed every leaf evenly.
Professor Sprout, plump and cheerful, was in the middle of her lesson.
"Ginger is a root with a sharp, spicy aroma," she explained. "It's a key ingredient in potion-making. Not only is it used in Swelling Solution antidotes, but it's also common in Wit-Sharpening Potions and Beautification Potions. Beyond that, ginger can be used in foods like Ginger Newt Biscuits and gingerbread."
The young witches and wizards listened closely as Professor Sprout showed them the ginger roots on the planting racks.
"Ginger Newt Biscuits come from that weird stuff?" a Slytherin muttered, loud enough for others to hear.
The students followed Professor Sprout's guidance as they processed the ginger roots. Without missing a beat, she moved on to introduce another plant—a shriveled, pearl-white bean that looked like an oversized mistletoe berry.
"Alright, who can tell me what this is?" Professor Sprout asked with a warm smile.
The Slytherins and Ravenclaws flipped through their copies of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore. Though Spore had passed away in 1408, her book remained a staple at Hogwarts as of 1997. If Sean remembered correctly, her portrait still hung in the Headmaster's office.
As several Ravenclaws glanced in one direction, Professor Sprout's eyes landed on Sean.
"Snoozle Beans," Sean answered. "They have a lot of magical properties and are used in potion-making. But you have to be careful—drinking the silver sap straight from them can wipe your memory."
The scene felt oddly familiar to Sean.
Herbology class ended in a noisy bustle, leaving the greenhouse a mess. Soil was scattered across the paths, and footprints of varying sizes marked the ground. As the young witches and wizards filed out, Professor Sprout watched them go. Usually, a few Hufflepuffs would linger, eager to help, but today the greenhouse was oddly empty.
Just then, as an owl hooted and swooped above the greenhouse, a small figure slipped up to Professor Sprout, standing by her wide skirts.
"Professor, can I stay and help?" Sean asked, holding a pair of gloves, his green eyes sparkling.
"Of course, my dear Mr. Green," Professor Sprout said, her smile warmer than ever. "The greenhouse is open to every child who loves nature."
Some kids, she thought, were born for it—you couldn't keep them away.
"Come on, let's tidy up," she said enthusiastically. "After that, you'll learn how to process ginger properly."
Cleaning the greenhouse would help Sean practice his Cleaning Charms, and handling ginger would boost his herbology skills. Plus, ginger powder was a key ingredient in Swelling Solution antidotes, and Sean planned to brew a batch that very night.
It was no secret that Hogwarts professors were well-off, but if you were picking the richest, Professor Snape would be a top contender. His stockpile of rare potion ingredients—like African tree snake skin or Gillyweed—was proof enough.
That was part of why Sean worked so hard at Potions, beyond his thirst for magical knowledge. It was the fastest, most profitable path he could access right now. Sometimes, he wondered if Snape's robes had an Undetectable Extension Charm, the way he seemed to pull endless Galleons from them.
Having resources meant Sean could study magic more reliably, but stability was always an issue for him. Take his notebooks, for example—an ordinary wizard could make one last a whole term, but Sean burned through his in three weeks.
Learning to process herbs was a step toward brewing better potions and, eventually, building wealth. The possibilities were endless: top-tier potions like Felix Felicis could fetch hundreds of Galleons and were nearly impossible to find on the market.
His progress panel kept updating:
[You've successfully processed one ginger plant to apprentice standards. Proficiency +1]
[You've successfully processed one ginger plant to apprentice standards. Proficiency +1]
As the sun set and Sean left the greenhouse, his panel updated again:
[Herbology Knowledge: Apprentice Level (59/900)]
[Milestone: Beginner Herbology Knowledge achieved. Unlocks Beginner Herbology Title]
Through handling ginger and other plants, Sean had gained a solid 33 proficiency points.
As he stepped into the corridor outside the greenhouse, three shadowy figures slowly came into view.