"Ah—warm sun, a light breeze, and brand-new sprouts…"
Professor Sprout tilted her head, smiling with bright warmth. The first-years' attention snapped to the short, stout witch in the patched hat and earth-stained robes, gray hair wafting.
"I heard—" Michael whispered, "Professor Sprout is the most popular teacher at Hogwarts. She's also Head of Hufflepuff. If you've got a problem, asking her is never a bad idea."
Amid the humid scent of soil and fertilizer, laced with rich floral perfume, the professor went on:
"Welcome to Herbology—where we learn to cultivate these curious plants and fungi and understand their uses."
She tapped a pink pod; a glittering seed popped out and instantly blossomed into a vivid flower.
A chorus of "Whoa!" rippled through the class.
"Is that magic?" Michael murmured. Then he seemed to remember something. "Sean, do you know—"
"It's the magical plant Puffapods—page sixty-two of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi," Sean answered. "Puffapods grow plump pink pods full of shiny seeds. The moment the seeds touch a solid surface, they bloom."
Anthony and Terry, ears pricked, scribbled down Sean's explanation; Michael sniffed, "Mm-hmm. I figured."
…
What Professor Sprout taught matched exactly what Sean had first learned. Notably, whenever she couldn't find a volunteer to answer, she called on Sean.
"Anyone know what this is? …You, Mr. Green."
"Asphodel—an herb with healing and restorative magical properties."
"Correct—one point to Ravenclaw. And how should we process asphodel? …Oh dear, looks like no one knows. Mr. Green?"
"Generally, asphodel is most effective when distilled into an essence, but eating it fresh can heal shallow wounds."
"Exactly—one point to Ravenclaw. Last question: the uses of asphodel? How should it be used to treat a werewolf bite? Think back to your Defense Against the Dark Arts class, my dear sprouts."
Alas, that hope was doomed—no one could focus in DADA, and Professor Quirrell's pace was badly behind; what should have been covered in the first lesson had barely been stuttered through.
"Oh, what a pity… very well—"
"Wizards used a mixture of asphodel and powdered silver to treat werewolf bites, to keep the victim from bleeding out," Sean recited—so smoothly it hurt to hear.
"Perfect answer—two points to Ravenclaw!"
Sweeping her gaze over the downcast faces, Sprout didn't lose heart. She cheerfully led them into hands-on work.
"All right, sprouts—since you didn't get this in DADA, don't zone out now…" She had them each don gloves, study asphodel carefully, and then taught how to process mature asphodel.
"Sean, you're not, like, Professor Sprout's distant relative, are you?" Michael whispered.
Sean shook his head.
"Then are you her secret lo— mmmph—" Anthony clapped a hand over Michael's mouth. A brief lack of oxygen restored Michael's good sense. He scratched his head, pressed his palms together, and gave Sean an apologetic look.
What a terrible imagination. Sean could only shake his head.
After asphodel, the professor added some notes on handling dried nettles. That set Sean thinking: perhaps wizarding education wasn't as ramshackle as it seemed. DADA should teach asphodel for werewolf bites; Herbology not only covered asphodel but also taught identification and processing of dried nettles—both ingredients for the Cure for Boils. It felt… designed.
As he thought, he worked.
[You processed one asphodel at Apprentice standard. Proficiency +1]
[You processed one asphodel at Apprentice standard. Proficiency +1]
[You processed one asphodel at Apprentice standard. Proficiency +1]
He was still at Apprentice technique, but far smoother than most—much like the gap between Bruce and everyone else.
After class, Sprout assigned an open-ended task to distinguish mature asphodel. As they left, the plump professor gave Sean a conspiratorial wink.
In the corridor outside the greenhouse, Sean paused beside a suit of armor. In a nearby portrait, a lady in formal dress smiled and nodded to him; he nodded back—then opened his panel:
[Herbology Insight: Locked (80/90)]
Processing asphodel had netted him 21 proficiency.
[Apprentice-level Herbology Insight will unlock the Herbology domain's Apprentice title]
There was another Herbology period this afternoon; he'd likely unlock the title then. And his Herbology talent—he could almost guess the color already. Like a difficult exam in his past life: you knew your score the moment you saw the paper. Well—maybe there was suspense. Perhaps he'd be ordinary green, not white-tier trash?
Watching the greenhouse, he realized something else: Hogwarts was rich—and its professors were quietly well-off. Some nettles in the shade had passed their prime and should have been processed, but hadn't been.
The greenhouses were vast; those batches lay alone beneath a plant the size of an umbrella. Likely for sale, he thought. Maybe he could ask Bruce who handled the herb sales; the professor was always busy, and Bruce had said Hufflepuffs usually took care of it. Maybe he could buy some ahead of time. It would certainly be expensive—but no pain, no gain.
Thinking that, he reached for his pocket notebook—then slid the shorthand quill back away and quickened his pace toward the Great Hall.
Unexpectedly, before he reached it, Justin stopped him with a mysterious look.
"Oh, Sean—I figured it out, but only a tiny bit. I promise I didn't read further. But as it happens, I can help."
~~~
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