Chapter 25: The Intersection of Magical Subjects
"Ah, warm sun, a gentle breeze, and a new crop of sprouts…" Professor Sprout said, tilting her head with a warm, joyful smile.
The young wizards immediately focused their attention on the stout, cheerful witch. A patched hat was perched on her flyaway hair, and her robes were smudged with dirt.
"I heard," Michael whispered to his friends, "that Professor Sprout is the most popular professor at Hogwarts. She's also the Head of Hufflepuff. If you ever have a problem, asking her for help is never a bad choice."
The air in the greenhouse was thick with the scent of damp earth and fertilizer, mingled with the sweet, heavy fragrance of countless flowers.
"Welcome, everyone, to Herbology," Professor Sprout began. "Here, you will learn how to care for all manner of strange and wonderful plants and fungi, and understand their magical properties."
She gently tapped one of the pink pods on a nearby vine. A shimmering bean instantly leaped out, bursting into a vibrant flower as it hit the ground. A collective "Ooooh" went through the class.
"Is that magic?" Michael muttered to himself. Then, a thought struck him. "Sean, do you know…"
"It's a magical plant called a Bouncing Bulb," Sean answered before Michael could finish, his voice quiet but clear enough for Anthony and Terry to hear. "It's on page sixty-two of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. The plant produces plump, pink pods filled with shimmering beans. The beans burst into flower the moment they touch a solid object."
Anthony and Terry both began scribbling furiously in their notebooks.
Michael just grinned. "Hmph. Knew that."
Professor Sprout's lesson covered the same material Sean had learned during his first visit. One thing, however, was different. Whenever the stout professor couldn't find a student to answer a question, her eyes would land on Sean.
"Does anyone know what this plant is? Hmm, how about you, Mr. Green."
"Dittany, Professor. It's a plant with powerful healing and restorative properties."
"Very good. One point to Ravenclaw. Now, can any of our young wizards tell me how we should use Dittany? Oh, dear. It seems no one knows. Mr. Green?"
"Generally, Dittany is most effective when its essence is extracted, but consuming the raw leaves can also heal shallow wounds."
"Perfectly correct. Another point to Ravenclaw. And for one last question: what is one of Dittany's most famous uses? How might it be used to treat a werewolf bite? Think carefully now, my little sprouts. Remember your Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons."
Unfortunately, her hopes were dashed. No one had been able to focus in Professor Quirrell's class, which was already significantly behind schedule. He had barely stuttered through the introduction, let alone covered the curriculum for the first lesson.
"Oh, what a pity… well then…"
"Wizards once used a mixture of powdered silver and Dittany to treat werewolf bites," Sean recited, his knowledge almost painfully thorough. "It staunches the bleeding and prevents the victim from bleeding to death, though it does not cure Lycanthropy."
"A perfect answer! Two points to Ravenclaw!" Professor Sprout exclaimed. She glanced around at the other students, who were now staring at their shoes. Undiscouraged, she clapped her hands together enthusiastically. "Alright then, sprouts! If you haven't learned it in Defence, you'll certainly learn it here, so pay close attention…"
She had them each put on a pair of dragon-hide gloves and began to instruct them on how to identify and process the mature Dittany.
"Sean," Michael whispered, leaning close. "You're not, like, Professor Sprout's long-lost relative or something, are you?"
Sean shook his head.
"Then are you her secret love ch—mmph!"
Anthony clamped a hand over Michael's mouth, cutting him off. A brief moment of oxygen deprivation seemed to restore Michael's senses. He pulled away, scratching his head and offering Sean an apologetic wave.
What a terrible imagination, Sean thought with an internal sigh, shaking his head.
After they had finished with the Dittany, Professor Sprout supplemented the lesson with some information on processing dried nettles. This gave Sean pause. Perhaps the magical education at Hogwarts wasn't as haphazard as he had first thought. Defence Against the Dark Arts was supposed to cover Dittany's use against werewolves. Herbology covered not only Dittany, but also the identification and handling of dried nettles—a key ingredient in the Boil-Cure Potion.
It seemed the Hogwarts curriculum was, in fact, an intricately designed system.
As he contemplated this, he continued to work.
[You have fully processed a Dittany plant to the Apprentice standard. Proficiency +1]
[You have fully processed a Dittany plant to the Apprentice standard. Proficiency +1]
[You have fully processed a Dittany plant to the Apprentice standard. Proficiency +1]
Though his technique was still at the Apprentice level, he was far more adept than the other first-years, the same way Bruce was more skilled than him.
At the end of the lesson, Professor Sprout assigned them an open-ended essay on distinguishing mature Dittany. As they were leaving, the stout professor caught Sean's eye and gave him a conspiratorial wink.
In the corridor outside, Sean paused beside a suit of armour. In a nearby portrait, a lady in a grand ceremonial gown smiled and nodded at him. He politely nodded back.
He opened his Panel.
[Herbology Knowledge: Locked (80/90)]
He had gained another 21 proficiency points from processing the Dittany.
[Unlocking Apprentice-level Herbology Knowledge will grant an Apprentice-level Title in the field of Herbology.]
He had another Herbology class this afternoon. By then, he was certain he would unlock the title. He already had a good idea of what his base talent would be. It felt like getting a difficult exam back in his past life—you already knew the score before you even saw it. There was no suspense.
Well, maybe a little. Perhaps he was an average 'Uncommon (Green)' instead of a rock-bottom 'Common (White)'.
Observing the greenhouse had taught him one other thing: Hogwarts was rich, and its professors were secret millionaires. He had noticed a patch of dried nettles in a shady corner that were well past their prime and should have been harvested, but hadn't been. The greenhouses were simply too large for one person to manage perfectly. He suspected the excess plants were sold off.
Perhaps he could ask Bruce who was in charge of selling them. The professor was always busy, and Bruce had mentioned that the Hufflepuffs often helped with the work. Maybe he could buy some ingredients directly. It would be expensive, but as the saying went, no risk, no reward.
Lost in thought, he instinctively reached for his notebook, then stopped himself. He turned and began walking to the Great Hall for lunch, his pace a little quicker than usual.
To his surprise, Justin intercepted him before he even reached the hall, a mysterious look on his face.
"Oh, Sean, I know," he began, his words tumbling out in a rush. "But I only know a little bit, I promise I didn't look at the rest of it, but as it happens, I can help."
Sean stared at him, completely and utterly baffled.