Chapter Thirty-Five: Manhandling Mandrakes
The Hufflepuff Common Room buzzed with activity one autumn morning, a few days after the Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw game, as students readied for classes. Some packed their books and supplies, while others chatted about the year's upcoming events. Meanwhile, little Alicia Granger was busy talking to a House-elf.
"So, you just serve a household until they free you?" Alicia asked, brows furrowed.
"Or, until the master or mistress presents an article of clothing," the tiny elf squeaked, shame flooding their trembling body. Their gaze dropped to the floor, and small fists clenched so tightly their knuckles turned white.
"So, how do you do laundry? If you're given clothes to wash, isn't that like being freed?" Alicia asks the small creature.
"Oh!" The elf looked up, eyes widening and a happy grin forming at the chance to explain. "The master or mistress gives us explicit instructions. The clothes remain theirs; we elves simply have the honor of handling them," the elf squeaked with pride.
"Why must your kind serve others?" Alicia pressed.
"It's in an elf's blood, Miss Granger."
Sighing deeply and furrowing her brows in frustration, she looked at the elf again. "Okay. One more question…"
Meanwhile: Across the Common Room
"How could you possibly be so horrible to them!? What did they do to deserve that!?" Cried out the shrieking voice of Susan Bones as she sat across from Garrett on the plush chairs of the Common Room.
"Nein! 'Twas not me!" Garrett said in pure horror, recoiling as if Susan had smacked him.
"Not you, Garrett! I mean 'Durmstrang' you!" Susan clarified, tapping the table.
A regretful, trembling sigh escaped the boy's lips as he hung his head, shame burning in his cheeks, his voice barely more than a trembling whisper: "Es war … schrecklich … sie haben die kleinen Elfen zum Üben benutzt."
Susan sat there silently, looking straight at Garrett's hung face. She did not know the language he spoke, but she did know its intent. Gently, she reached across the table and placed one of her thin fingers under his chin. Then, with a simple movement of her hand, she lifted his head up to look directly into his hazel brown eyes.
"Garrett…" she inquired softly, her voice barely reaching the point of a whisper.
"Ja?" Garrett questioned softly, a heat rising to his cheeks as he took in her soft brown eyes, her shoulder-length blonde hair fanning her head like a blanket of gold.
"I want to help you. But I can't speak German," She kindly replied, her voice climbing to a calm but clear whisper.
"Nein, nein, 'tis my fault," Garrett said, the warmth of his face being replaced by a flush of embarrassment at the accidental use of his mother tongue.
"It's all right. What did you say?" She replied warmly, taking her finger off his chin and resettling back into her seat.
"The school... they used the little elves for practice," his breath hitched as the words escaped.
Susan recoiled her eyes wide with shock. The word "P-practice?" left her lips in a shaky, barely audible breath, her hands instinctively clenching the fabric of her robes.
"Ja. Spells, potions, transfigurations," each word that left his lips felt like another stab to his heart.
"I… think we've talked enough about this. It's clear that this is a hard subject for you. And I don't want to keep putting you through this." Susan said regretfully, slowly turning her head away with shame, "Forget… forget I ever mentioned this. I'm sorry."
"Nein, I'm... happy to see the little ones treated so kindly here," a smile formed on his lips as he eyed the Granger girl talking to the little elf.
Susan turned her head to look at Garrett again, a small smile stretching across her lips. "That's good. Also… do you… like it here?" She asked curiously, as if almost tripping over what to say.
"It is... warmer here. So, ja, I do like it," Garrett said with a smile.
"Well, despite Hogwarts' cloudy exterior, we do try to be as welcoming and supportive as possible," Susan replied warmly, her lips curling into one of the biggest smiles Garrett had ever seen.
"Ja! Und, I met you, which makes this place even better!" Garrett said with a proud smile, only for the words to reach his brain, widening his eyes and bringing the subtle warmth that had slowly started to recede from his face back in full force, turning it red like a tomato.
Susan sat there for a moment, her breath hitching as her cheeks burned and spread warmth across her face. In almost the same heartbeat, both registered what had just passed between them. A tangled rush of surprise, embarrassment, and something else left them speechless, uncertain about how to feel.
Meanwhile, In Gryffindor Tower
In the heart of the Gryffindor Tower, Harry sat on his bed. His eyelids hung low over his eyes, barely able to keep them open. The bed creaked under him as his back arched forward, causing him to look more like an ancient scribe than a student. Even the morning light filtering through his curtains did little to lift his spirits. Yet he sat there in front of his nightstand, with the black diary open before him.
'What to write, what to write?' He thought to himself, tapping the end of his quill on his cheek thoughtfully.
In a flash, something forced itself into his mind. Plunging the tip of his quill into the ink, he got to work with vigor he had not felt in days.
"The Quidditch game. How could I almost forget that!?" He said to himself, verbally kicking himself for such a blunder.
The words effortlessly left his mind on the page. The quill glided across the paper as easily as Harry soared through the air during the match. Everything was coming back to him, even things about the game he did not remember initially. Every maneuver, every twist and turn, every safe. Just remembering the pursuit of the Snitch made him feel like he was back there. Like he was reliving the event so vividly. One could even say lucidly.
He was forced out of his experience by the shrill echoing below of Percy Weasley's voice calling out that classes were going to start. Jumping off his bed, he hastily scrambled to gather his supplies for the day. But when it came time for him to grab the diary, he stopped his frantic pace and gingerly put it in his bag. Then he slung it over his shoulder and rushed off to his classes.
'That was surprisingly easy. I can see why Ginny recommended writing my thoughts into the journal. It was so easy. Easy… yah that's it.' He thought as he rushed off to class.
Later: At Second Year Herbology Class
"Good morning, class! Today, we will be studying, depotting, and replanting Mandrakes! Professor Sprout announced, motioning towards lines of potted plants upon all the tables, including her own.
"Mandrakes are known for their powerful screams. The unprotected cry of a fully grown Mandrake can kill a person in moments. Since these Mandrakes are still young, their cries won't kill you. However, they will knock you out for several hours. I would advise making sure that your ear protection is firmly secured before we begin." Professor Sprout explained.
Susan then raised her hand up high. "Professor? Are you sure these earmuffs are good enough to handle Mandrake screams?" She asked curiously.
"Of course, Miss Bones! I personally tested each one myself! Professor Sprout loudly explained.
Susan then looked over at Garrett, who stood staring at the Mandrake leaves, his body trembling so much that even his thick uniform could not hide it. Gently, she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The pale boy startled, tense as a drawn bow, before turning to see who had touched him. Seeing Susan, the anxiety in his face softened; his lips curled into a grateful, shaky smile.
"It's okay. Just make sure you wear the earmuffs, and I'm sure everything will be okay." Susan said assuredly, before patting his shoulder gently.
A shaky breath left Garrett's mouth as he adjusted the earmuffs on his head, protection from the Mandrake's screams. Susan stood next to him, and both shared a nod as she patted her earmuffs; he mimicked her. In unison, they looked at Professor Sprout for the demonstration.
"Now then, everyone. Firmly grasp your Mandrake by the stem and firmly pull it out of the pot! Like so!" Professor Sprout explained that before grasping the stem, sticking out of the pot and pulling it out, causing it to wail.
Gripping the stem of the tiny creature, Garrett yanked the Mandrake out of the pot, the loud scream causing his eyes to close in irritation; even with the earmuffs, his ears were slightly ringing. Fighting through the irritation, he looked down to see the roughly humanoid plant dangling from its stem. It screamed and thrashed in his grip, forcing him to keep a tight hold on it.
"Good job, Garrett!" Susan cheered happily.
"Excellent work, Mr. Becker! Everyone, please follow his example!" Professor Sprout announced.
"Was!?" He called out in confusion, but based on Susan's beaming smile, it seemed he was being congratulated.
However, Garrett did not get to enjoy the moment for long. Soon, the entire class followed his example and wrenched their Mandrakes from their pots in rapid succession. What was once the muffled whine of his Mandrake becoming a cacophony. The force struck him before the sound, and he dropped his Mandrake to clutch his earmuffs, desperately trying to block out the noise.
All at once, he felt pain wash over his body. His ears were assaulted by the high-pitched screams of the Mandrakes; the earmuffs barely doing anything to stem the tide. Rapidly, his heart rate spiked, and his knees grew weak, forcing him to put his elbows on the table to steady himself. The world grew dark and loud. He was all alone. Until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He knew that hand.
"Garrett!? Garrett!!" A muffled voice screamed at him.
In moments after hearing the voice, the noise ceased, and the world went still. He blinked, and his vision returned, seeing now that he was not in the Greenhouse. Panting heavily, he put a hand on his rapidly beating heart before slumping against the stone wall. Slowly, he scanned his surroundings, trying to find the voice that called him. Until finally, his eyes lay upon Susan Bones.
"Are you alright?" She asked, her brown eyes looking at him diligently as she stood there pensively.
"I… I am now," he said, his breath slowing.
"That's good. For a second there, it looked like you were going to pass out," she replied, worry clinging to every word she spoke as her face softened in relief.
"Ja, I... er... apologize... I mustn't have had the earmuffs on tightly enough," he said with a sigh, hunching over and both of his hands on his knees.
Placing a hand on her heart, Susan let out a deep sigh. "Well, let's get you to the hospital wing so you can get better," she replied kindly, as she reached down to help him up.
Gingerly, Susan helped Garrett to his feet and slung one of his arms across her shoulders. Gently, she let Garrett lean against him to ease the strain on his body. Then, the two began to slowly make the long trek to the Hospital Wing together. With Garrett doing his best to hide a smile.
"Du bist ein Engel," Garrett whispered to himself, hoping with everything that Susan did not hear him, but thankfully, even if she did, he knew she would not be able to understand him.
Later: Gryffindor Tower, Boys' Dormitory
Harry sat on his bed with a deep sigh. The day felt longer than normal. Blinking slowly before letting out a loud yawn, he quickly reasoned it was his lack of sleep. As he mentally vowed to get to sleep early, he set his bag down at the edge of his bed. Then, without much warning, the bag fell off his bed, sending his supplies and the diary spilling onto the floor.
"Great. Nice going," He grumbled to himself as he then clambered about the floor collecting his supplies.
When he went to grab the diary, he noticed it was not at the spot he thought it had fallen. Quickly, he began searching the room for it. It did not take long to find it, as he saw it sitting on top of his nightstand. This drew a sigh and a small, relieved smile from the boy.
"Well, that was lucky. I needed that after a long day…" He muttered to himself, placing a hand on his chest in relief.
Meanwhile, In the Hufflepuff Common Room
Alicia sat in one of the many plush chairs of the Hufflepuff Common Room, sipping a cup of tea as she worked on her homework. She smiled a bit, remembering when she visited her sister's common room, and noting that the Hufflepuff chairs were comfier. Gently setting the cup down, she went back to her homework and studies, lazily flipping through one of her textbooks. Yet as she sat there peacefully, a thought wormed into her mind.
She had heard from her sister and the other older students about the previous year, and its various events, both bizarre and dangerous. Yet despite Harry, Ron, and Ginny crashing into the Weeping Willow, and Garrett nearly passing out in Herbology, nothing like what her sister told her had happened yet. And yet, Hermione and others constantly told her they were afraid of what might happen this year. Alicia shook her head and put it out of her mind. Hogwarts was the safest place in the Wizarding World. Nothing terribly bad could happen here. Right?