"Oh, what a diligent child. That's certainly no problem, but..."
Professor Sprout placed a box of hazelnut chocolates in Sean's palm, then waved her wand. The dirt and stray leaves clinging to him vanished instantly.
"Every year, some young shoots try to take root in the greenhouse, but very few can endure the repeated hard work."
Professor Sprout tilted her head slightly, a playful glint appearing in her gentle eyes. "I think I can tell you a story."
"Professor, can we hear it next time?"
Nearby, Bruce was already turning red in the face, which made Sean glance at him with a hint of curiosity.
"Alright, Mr. Dickinson."
Professor Sprout's smile became even warmer.
Leon and Pister, hiding behind the nursery, couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Hey, hey, hey! You two!"
Bruce looked utterly exasperated.
"Oh, did I laugh? Sorry, I just can't help it when I think about someone crawling out of the greenhouse..."
Leon laughed even louder. "Pister, do you remember his sleep talk?"
"Hitting beans, geraniums, save me, devil's vine!"
The slightly chubby Hufflepuff senior imitated him in a good-natured way.
Everyone present chuckled softly, and the atmosphere lightened.
"Alright, alright, I admit the greenhouse is dangerous yet fascinating. And yes, it's really exhausting." Bruce raised his hand in surrender, helpless. "That's why very few witches or wizards can persist for long." He said this while looking at Sean, his expression serious.
"Mm." Sean responded softly, 'I want to give it a try.'
His voice was quiet but carried an unmistakable stubbornness.
...
The greenhouse had always been understaffed. Compared to direct and effective spells, lively Transfiguration lessons, or the thrill of Quidditch, Herbology had always only attracted the hardworking Hufflepuffs.
But even diligent and kind Hufflepuffs would not stay rooted in the soil indefinitely, let alone touch dangerous plants.
So, Professor Sprout agreed to Sean's request.
Her gaze at Sean was no different than how she looked at the once-passionate Hufflepuffs—some admiration, some delight, and some helplessness at what the future might hold.
In the greenhouse corridor, a long blue quill floated before Sean. It was a magical alchemical creation.
As long as it was held vertically over paper, it would automatically take shorthand notes.
Sean had only bought one, mainly to help him organize his thoughts and jot down inspiration.
Incidentally, stationery in the wizarding world was not cheap; the quill had cost him a full ten Sickles.
But Sean bit the bullet and bought it. 'No hardship should hinder learning,' he thought.
[Step One: Understand the handling methods for all materials in the scabies potion]
The quill scratched softly on the parchment as Sean wrote down his current goal.
Professor Sprout had already agreed to his request. Just moments ago, Bruce had demonstrated how to identify and handle dried nettles. Next time, he could inquire about handling other materials. He figured Professor Sprout wouldn't refuse.
Once he mastered the handling of materials, the next step would be practice. The right heat and stirring techniques couldn't be learned from books—they had to be felt firsthand.
But once he succeeded even once, he could rely on the "panel" to grind repeatedly.
The plan was feasible.
Sean put the quill into his bag, hearing Bruce's teasing voice.
"I remember our first Herbology lesson, distinguishing mature silverleaf really stumped many witches and wizards," he said, watching Sean take notes with interest.
"Looks like you can shine in the next Herbology class. Professor Sprout doesn't hesitate to award extra points to students who study ahead."
Extra points? Sean didn't pay much attention.
Extra points wouldn't help him get a scholarship.
Professor McGonagall had said that the scholarship criteria were determined by the headmaster, combining his academic progress and professors' evaluations.
Headmaster Dumbledore was, of course, fair and wise.
Sean believed that as long as he met the standards, Dumbledore wouldn't hesitate to grant 600 Galleons.
It was Dumbledore who had approved his scholarship without hesitation.
If it had been Headmaster Black or someone like him, Sean would have had to grind the Azkaban three-piece set just to borrow money from a dark wizard.
He was deeply impressed by Hogwarts' legacy. There was a popular saying: "Voldemort is terrifying because he personally killed hundreds of people."
"Mm-hmm, and the next day?"
Sean's thoughts drifted. At the orphanage, everyone excelled at daydreaming. When the panel hadn't activated and he could only lie weakly in bed, he was the same.
It was then that he realized some silences weren't due to having nothing to say, but because no one cared.
All of this changed dramatically when that owl smashed through the drafty window.
Therefore, Sean cherished the opportunity to learn magic. Even white trash plants, he intended to grind into legend.
"Oh, you probably haven't felt the importance of the House Cup yet, but believe me, it's very important. Though we don't mind the Great Hall at the annual feast being decorated with other Houses' colors, Hufflepuff's yellow and black clearly look better, don't they?" Bruce spoke with a look of longing.
"Mm."
Sean nodded. Bruce then noticed that the little wizard beside him was a Ravenclaw.
He gave a dry laugh. "Ha, I mean, blue and turquoise are nice too."
"Yellow and black look better," Sean said seriously.
Not long after, it was almost time for the first class in the afternoon. Sean placed the hazelnut chocolates in Bruce's hand and turned into the stairs leading to the History of Magic classroom.
"Thank you, Bruce. Goodbye."
Only his small voice remained in the corridor.
"A fine little wizard. Hard to imagine he isn't a Hufflepuff," Leon said with a soft smile as he watched Sean disappear.
"Not sure who said it: Professor Sprout..."
"Don't say it..."
Leon's face darkened.
Beside him, Mr. Pister smiled faintly, unsurprised.
...
After leaving the greenhouse, Sean had to consider how to resist Professor Binns' hypnotism.
Although various baseless rumors claimed the shrieking shack was haunted, Hogwarts was indeed the most haunted place in Britain.
Undoubtedly, these damp islands were said to harbor more ghosts than anywhere else in the world.
In the world of Harry Potter, ghosts are called phantoms.
They are transparent, three-dimensional images of deceased wizards, remaining present in the living world.
Muggles could not become phantoms after death, and no wise wizard would choose to.
Only those who "died unwillingly" refused to enter the next world, whether out of fear, guilt, or attachment to the material world.
And Professor Binns—his obsession was reading the textbook.
Sean was certain.