The second week of October brought howling winds; outside Hogwarts Castle the stones were tumbling as the gusts chased them along.
Before long, a flash of lightning split the sky where leaves were whirling, followed by rolling thunder—Neville said his desktop was shaking.
Heading out of the castle clearly wasn't wise, yet three small figures in thick robes and raincoats slipped out the back.
"Alright, Neville—you can hide behind me for now, but not later," Justin said, walking on Sean's left. He pulled a small, smooth pouch from his bag, the hide looking like it came from some kind of creature.
Neville had already moved from Sean's right to stand behind Justin; every time lightning cracked, he ducked his head.
Back in class Hermione had snapped, "Neville, if you're that scared of thunder, stay in the classroom."
Neville didn't dare argue. He just shook his head and stammered, "O-okay…"
Seeing him contradict himself, Hermione rolled her eyes and, with what looked like impatience, shoved a pair of earplugs into his hands.
Now, outside the castle, Neville wore the earplugs and was still trembling a bit.
Luckily, the pouch Justin produced stole his attention; he stared at it, wide-eyed.
Justin placed the pouch in Sean's hands, and both of their attention went to it.
"A mokeskin pouch," Justin said with a gentle smile. "Great for storing seeds, a small trowel—things like that."
"Thanks."
Sean's slender hand reached out from the thick rain cloak Professor Sprout had given him, and he curiously slipped the parchment in his bag into the pouch. Heavy rain was coming; getting parchment soaked would be a problem.
Unlike leather, parchment isn't tanned; it's sensitive to humidity and not waterproof. During these days working in the greenhouses, Sean had been debating whether he should even carry his notes.
With Justin's pouch, that problem was solved.
He'd read about this kind of pocket in odd volumes: a mokeskin pouch—a small pocket for storing items, from which only the owner can retrieve things. It looks tiny from the outside but holds a surprising amount.
In July 1996, Hagrid gave Harry one for his seventeenth birthday. While hunting Horcruxes, Harry wore it around his neck and kept his most precious items inside: the Marauder's Map, a shard of the two-way mirror, the fake Horcrux locket, the Golden Snitch with the Resurrection Stone, Lily's letter to Sirius and half a photograph, and his own broken wand.
Watching Sean tuck parchment in first, Justin sighed, a little helpless. "Figures… Oh right—Neville, this one's for you."
Seeing Justin's outstretched hand and the pouch hanging in the air, Neville's throat worked. He shivered, "W-what about you…?"
Justin then flashed his own bag, one with an Undetectable Extension Charm, making Neville's eyes go wide with quiet envy. "O-okay… thanks…"
…
Since October began, Sean had been spending three days a week in the greenhouses, helping process materials for three hours at a time; once the weather turned foul, he stayed even longer.
To brace for the autumn gales and downpours, Hogwarts had made many preparations for the greenhouses. Most important were powerful magical protections:
The structures were reinforced with permanent fortifying charms—much like the castle's own defenses—to withstand most severe weather.
Inside, Warming, Humidity Control, and Soundproofing Charms created a stable microclimate, minimizing the impact of the outside conditions.
But that didn't mean everything was smooth. Leaks, drainage, and moving plants that needed sunlight outside the greenhouse glass were all problems.
Suddenly, hands were short.
Thankfully, Sean, Neville, Justin, and upperclassman Bruce rotated shifts to help.
Outside the greenhouse—
Heavy clouds pressed over the domed roof while three figures busied themselves beyond the glass walls. They wore the same thick rain cloaks and black-and-yellow scarves. Spotting three much shorter first-years, they hurried over.
"Hey, Sean—perfect timing. The next bit's yours," Bruce said. He glanced up at the black sky, then slid a red envelope into Sean's hand. "This just arrived this afternoon. Do us a favor."
Sean took the letter with a helpless look. The moment Bruce cracked it open, he himself sprinted off; even as he ran he shouted, "Run, Leon, Pister—…and you lot too!"
Sean pulled on the earmuffs Hermione had stuffed at him. The Howler erupted in a bellow that flipped the ends of his black hair:
"BRUCE! Where did you chuck your brother Char's wand?!"
As Sean clapped his hands over his ears, Bruce sauntered back behind him, humming under his breath: "Ah, must be the wand again. That thing's practically a relic and he's still using it… Heh, Mrs. Liss—now you'll have to take the money I sent…"
When the yelling stopped, he slipped a Fizzing Whizzbee into Sean's palm. "I'll make it up to you, little Green—soon… Except since I didn't hear anything, I can't do anything. Must've been the owl's mistake…"
He was about to bolt when Leon grabbed him by the collar and hauled him back. "Sorry, little Green," Leon said, sounding like a man out of options. "I'm not letting this idiot off the hook…"
"Leon, he said it's fine—how can you—"
"Shut it, you git!"
Bickering, the three upperclassmen trudged off across the soggy lawn.
Moments later, Sean and the others were greeted by a very pleased Professor Sprout.
"Thank you, young gentlemen… the plants really do need your help."
"Professor, we volunteered. If we can help, all the better," Justin said, hoisting two pots outside the glass wall.
"Y-yes, Professor…" Neville grabbed a trowel to clear a drain clogged by blackroot.
"…Mm." Sean said little, but he was the most efficient—his nonverbal Levitation Charm could clear a space in an instant.
Soon the thunder was booming again.
Gale, downpour, slick ground, dim visibility—and all sorts of curious plants…
Three small figures labored under the guidance of a cheerful, round witch.
Over the past few weeks, besides learning to identify and handle a dozen plants, Sean had come away with quite a few seeds from the Professor.
~~~
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