"Ah, warm sunlight, a gentle breeze, and new tender sprouts…"
Professor Sprout tilted her head slightly, smiling with warmth and joy.
The young witches and wizards immediately focused all their attention on the short, plump witch.
Her flowing hair was topped with a patched-up hat, and her clothes were smeared with dirt.
"I heard—"
Michael whispered,
"Professor Sprout is the most popular professor at Hogwarts.
She is also the head of Hufflepuff. Whenever you have a problem, asking her for help is never a bad choice."
Amid the scent of damp soil and fertilizer, mixed with rich floral aromas, the professor continued, "Welcome to Herbology, everyone. Today, you'll learn how to cultivate these peculiar plants and fungi, and understand their uses."
She gently tapped a pink pod, and a shiny bean instantly popped out, blooming into a vibrant flower.
A chorus of "Wow!" erupted immediately.
"Is this magic?"
Michael murmured to himself. Suddenly, he thought of something.
"Sean, you know…"
"It's a Puffapod," Sean explained. "It appears on page sixty-two of A Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi.
The Puffapod grows a plump pink pod containing glittering beans.
When these beans come into contact with a solid object, they instantly bloom."
Anthony and Terry, ears perked, almost simultaneously wrote down Sean's explanation, while Michael muttered,
"Hmm, I guessed as much."
…
The material Professor Sprout taught was no different from what Sean had first learned.
It's worth noting that whenever the plump professor couldn't find a student to answer a question, Sean was always called upon.
"Does anyone know what this plant is? Hmm, you try, Mr. Green."
"Dittany—a plant with healing and restorative magical properties."
"Exactly right, Ravenclaw earns a point. Now, which young wizard can tell me how we should process Dittany?
Oh, I see, no one knows. Then Mr. Green?"
"Generally, Dittany is more effective when distilled into an essence, but raw consumption can heal superficial wounds."
"Perfect, Ravenclaw earns another point. Last question—what is the purpose of Dittany? How should it be used to treat a werewolf bite? My dear sprouts, think carefully back to your Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson."
Unfortunately, the professor's expectations were doomed to disappointment, as no one could focus properly in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Professor Quirrell was significantly behind schedule; material that should have been completed in the first lesson was barely introduced.
"Oh! What a shame… then—"
"Wizards once used a mixture of Dittany and silver powder to treat werewolf bites, preventing the victim from dying of blood loss."
Sean delivered the answer with skilled precision.
"Perfect answer! Hufflepuff earns two points!"
Professor Sprout glanced over the heads of the downcast students, but she was undeterred, continuing to enthusiastically guide them in handling herbs.
"Alright, sprouts, since you didn't learn this in Defense Against the Dark Arts, don't space out now…"
She handed out gloves to everyone, instructing them to carefully observe Dittany, then demonstrated how to handle mature plants.
"Sean, you're not a distant relative of Professor Sprout, are you?"
Michael whispered suddenly.
Sean shook his head.
"Could it be that you're the professor's private—uhhh—"
Anthony quickly covered Michael's mouth, briefly cutting off his air and giving his intelligence a much-needed reprieve.
He scratched his head, hands pressed together in an apologetic gesture.
Truly, a terrible imagination.
Sean shook his head speechlessly.
After teaching Dittany, the professor added some notes on handling dry nettles.
This made Sean thoughtful.
Magic education might not be as daunting as imagined.
For instance, Defense Against the Dark Arts covers Dittany for treating werewolf bites,
and Herbology not only covers Dittany but also teaches identification and handling of dry nettles—exactly the materials needed for scab potion brewing.
From this, Sean realized that Hogwarts' curriculum must be carefully designed.
As he thought, he processed the Dittany.
[You have completely handled a Dittany with apprentice Level Skill. Proficiency +1]
[You have completely handled a Dittany with apprentice Level Skill. Proficiency +1]
[You have completely handled a Dittany with apprentice Level Skill. Proficiency +1]
…
Though his skill remained at the apprentice level, he handled it far more easily than other students.
Just like the difference between him and senior Bruce.
After class, Professor Sprout assigned an open-ended task on distinguishing mature Dittany.
As she left, the plump professor winked at Sean.
In the greenhouse corridor, Sean stopped beside a suit of armor.
In a nearby portrait, a lady in ceremonial robes smiled and nodded at him; he nodded politely in return.
Meanwhile, he opened his panel:
[Herbology Cognition: Unlocked (80/90)]
Processing Dittany earned Sean 21 skill points.
[Apprentice-level Herbology Knowledge, can unlock the apprentice title in Herbology]
There was another Herbology lesson this afternoon; by then, he would likely unlock the title.
And his Herbology talent?
Almost no guesswork was needed—Sean knew what it would be.
Like the difficult exams in his previous life, once he got the results, the outcome was obvious—no suspense at all.
Well, maybe a little.
Perhaps he was ordinary green, not white trash?
Observing the greenhouse, Sean realized one thing:
Hogwarts was rich,
and its professors were secretly wealthy.
He saw some dry nettles in shaded areas past maturity, which should have been processed but weren't.
The greenhouse was vast; they were placed individually beneath umbrella-sized plants.
Sean thought they were likely for sale.
Maybe he could ask senior Bruce who sells the herbs?
The professors were always busy; Bruce had mentioned that the Hufflepuffs handled it all.
Then perhaps he could buy some in advance.
It would surely be expensive,
but without effort, there's no gain.
With that thought, Sean instinctively pulled out his notebook.
His quick-writing quill was immediately put away.
He quickened his steps toward the dining hall.
Unexpectedly, before reaching the hall, he was stopped by a mysteriously grinning Justin.
"Oh, Sean, I know, but only a little. I promise I haven't looked at more, but coincidentally, I can help."
Justin said something that left Sean puzzled.