When Senior Bruce got himself carted off, the greenhouse fell silent for a moment. Now they faced a tough question—who was going to pull the Snargaluff pods?
Leon told them not to worry—whether he meant Bruce or himself, no one knew.
Then the seniors went back into action.
Before coming in, they'd already seen Leon's split lip and claw marks raked across one cheek; he looked a mess. In his hand he clutched something disgusting and twitching—about the size of a grapefruit.
It had been hard with him. Now, down a man—what then?
"Time to move!" Leon shouted.
After Pister burned through his anger, he cast a worried glance outside the greenhouse. He and Leon took deep breaths and bent to face the knobby stump between them.
The "stump" sprang to life; long spiny tendrils whipped out and lashed through the air.
One wrapped Leon's arm; Pister slashed it back with shears.
Leon used the opening to grab two vines and tie them together.
A small hole showed between the tentacle-like branches. Leon thrust his arm in—the opening snapped on his elbow like a mousetrap.
Pister wrenched and twisted the vines until the hole gaped again; Leon finally yanked his arm free, a pod like the earlier one in his grip.
At once the spines withdrew; the knotted stump slumped, just a dead hunk of wood.
"Ahem… I am never planting these in my garden," Leon said, shoving his goggles up and wiping sweat with a shaky smile.
Anyone could see the smile was forced.
Pister managed a sheepish grin too—
And they still had plenty more to deal with.
Outside, Justin's eyes were set. "I'm going in to help!"
He swept a look over the group, skipping Sean on instinct and lingering on trembling Neville and the skinny Harry and Ron. Of the lot, only he was sturdier. His mother had said: those with ability often need to shoulder more.
"B-but…" Harry began, not sure how to say the rest.
Inside, Leon seemed to sense the gathering nerve. He lobbed out a pod. "Don't be timid—squeeze the juice out quick. Fresh is best quality!"
Neville plopped the twitching pod into a bowl and set to work.
"I'll… go." Ron said, face set like a martyr's. "The seniors will keep the vines under control, right?" His joke fell flat again.
Sean glanced at Justin, Harry, Ron, and Neville—slightly puzzled—then took two steps into Greenhouse Three.
"Green?" Leon said, surprised—but the younger boy had always been trustworthy, so he left it at, "Be careful."
"Watch yourself," Pister added, kindly.
While they caught their breath, Sean silently lifted his wand. He'd been wanting to test the limits of his advanced Transfiguration; this was the moment.
His wand cut a huge arc; a towering snowman rose in the storm, nearly brushing the greenhouse roof.
[You practiced an advanced Transfiguration once at an Expert standard. Proficiency +1000]
"Merlin—" Leon craned up and could only see the snowman's nostrils.
"Uh—" Pister poked its foot. The snowman twitched as if to kick him, then shivered and held back.
Sean also poked Pister—controlling the snowman took a lot of will.
"Oh—sorry!" Pister blurted, understanding.
"I'll do it—what is that—!" Ron was reddening in an argument when the snowman roared.
They all looked in. The snowman had the Snargaluff's vines in a death grip; Leon and Pister were steadily fishing pods from the holes.
Sean stood behind, wand directing, the snowman bellowing on command.
"Simple, isn't it?" Leon had never seen Greenhouse Three's plants so… "docile." "Lose one useless Bruce, gain one little Green…" He even hummed a tune.
"Don't lie, Leon," Pister said, comfortably carrying a pod—a rare tease.
"How do you know I'm lying—Pister…" Leon spluttered.
…
Outside the greenhouse.
Justin's face changed. "Sean—!"
He'd just reached Sean when a huge crash sounded—the snowman toppled.
Sean wasn't much better; a chocolate from Justin brought him round.
"Where'd the snowman come from…" Ron stared, looking from Sean to the snowman. The gap between them felt wider than wizard and Muggle.
"This is what real magic looks like," Harry breathed. Only Neville scratched his head; nothing Sean did surprised him anymore.
The "tough job" seemed tough only for them. Now, when Sean flicked his wand, everyone felt any problem could be solved—just like before.
As the others cheerfully cleaned up—heating pods over flame until red, then squeezing—Sean sat on a Transfigured cushion, sipping Justin's honey tea.
The panel chimed again and again:
[You helped handle a difficult plant at an Adept standard. Proficiency +100]
[You helped handle a difficult plant at an Adept standard. Proficiency +100]
[You helped handle a difficult plant at an Adept standard. Proficiency +100]
…
A "difficult plant"?
So there were tiers among plant-work too—like intermediate and advanced Transfiguration.
He opened the panel: Herbology Knowledge was nearly Adept:
[Herbology Knowledge: Beginner (2700/3000)]
A single white asphodel, even done at Adept, gave only +10. But a Snargaluff? +100.
No wonder it shined even in the Battle of Hogwarts. Sean understood a bit more now.
On Snargaluffs, the original described it thus:
Peeves swept over Harry and the others, hurling Snargaluff pods at Death Eaters; their heads were instantly smothered in writhing green nodules, like fat caterpillars.
~~~
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