"Professor Sprout," Bruce said, his usual carefree attitude replaced with a hint of nervousness as he approached the professor.
"Oh, Bruce Dickinson, Leon Howard, and Mr. Pister Jefferson, I'm so glad you could help out!" Professor Sprout beamed, her patched hat perched atop her head and her smile as warm as a sunlit afternoon. "And a new sprout? So nice to meet you, dear. What's your name?"
She set down the large shears she'd been using to trim Bubotuber plants and leaned down to look at Sean. She didn't ask why he was there; instead, she peeled off her dirt-stained dragonhide gloves with the same enthusiasm as the kind old lady who used to donate to the orphanage. Sure, none of her money ever reached the kids, but Sean admired her all the same.
"Sean Green," he replied, a little shyly.
"Mr. Green, I'm thrilled you're here to help! Mr. Dickinson, would you take him to work on the mature plants?" Professor Sprout gave Sean's cheek a gentle pinch before diving into task assignments with infectious energy. "Mr. Howard, the weeds are all yours. And Mr. Jefferson, I'd like you to sort the Fluxweed by growth stages—it'll be the first plant the new sprouts learn about."
"Yes, Professor," Bruce replied quietly, rolling up his sleeves. Leon gave a casual "No problem," while Pister Howard, even more reserved than Bruce, just nodded vigorously, his face flushed. It was clear Professor Sprout held a special place in the Hufflepuff students' hearts.
She must be something special, Sean thought.
"I'll tell you what," Bruce said with a grin, his eyes sparkling as he spoke of Sprout. "You won't find a kinder professor than Sprout. She treats every Hogwarts student like her own kid. She's been voted the most popular professor for years! But for now, let's tackle those mature plants—it's gonna be a big job!"
Sean nodded, and the two of them wove through rows of pumpkin-like plants, surrounded by pots of Fluxweed with their distinctive purplish-red petals.
"First, we need to collect the mature Fluxweed," Bruce said, handing Sean a small pair of shears. "Do you know how to tell when Fluxweed is mature?"
Sean shook his head. The textbooks hadn't covered that.
"That's the kind of thing you don't learn from books. Let me show you." Bruce leaned toward a pot of Fluxweed, sniffed it, and with a quick snip, cut it free. "Fluxweed has a faint goaty smell. When it's mature, that smell gets a bit stronger. Give it a try."
Sean leaned in and sniffed. Sure enough, the scent varied by stage, and the Fluxweed Bruce had picked had a richer, more pronounced odor.
Bruce grinned. "Mature Fluxweed boosts the success rate of Invigoration Draughts. Immature ones? They're likely to ruin the potion. That's the magic of Herbology."
His words opened a door Sean had been searching for. With a nod, he dove into collecting mature Fluxweed, moving between the plants like a treasure-hunting Niffler. Bruce, tall and dark-skinned, looked more like a burrowing mole rat, while Sean—nimble and quick with his striking features—darted around like a cat in the grass.
Sean's skill at identifying mature Fluxweed grew sharper with each plant.
"That's enough for now. Let's process the Fluxweed," Bruce called, waving a sack of freshly picked plants.
Sean stopped and watched as Bruce grabbed two silver knives and a sieve-like tool from a pile of gardening equipment near the greenhouse's edge. "Cutting Fluxweed is tricky. It's all about the three-stage method. Watch closely."
Bruce demonstrated, slicing the Fluxweed into three parts, each cut more precise than the last. By the final section, he was mincing finely and even pressing the plant with the sieve-like tool.
"The essence in Fluxweed isn't evenly distributed, so you've got to treat each part differently. Want to try?"
Sean nodded and took the tools.
[You've processed one Fluxweed to apprentice standards. Proficiency +1]
A grin tugged at Sean's lips as he threw himself into the task.
[You've processed one Fluxweed to apprentice standards. Proficiency +1]
[You've processed one Fluxweed to apprentice standards. Proficiency +1]
[You've processed one Fluxweed to apprentice standards. Proficiency +1]
The notifications kept coming, and Sean's hands moved so fast they were practically a blur.
"He's really into Herbology, isn't he?" Bruce said, scratching his head with a mix of amusement and disbelief.
"Sean, Sean, hold up! Time to switch to dried nettles," Bruce called, stopping Sean's cutting spree. He led him to a patch of nettles, clearly impressed by Sean's enthusiasm. "Dried nettles are common, but with the right prep, they're key for potion-making. Here's how you process them…"
Sean soaked up the knowledge like a sponge.
[You've processed one nettle to apprentice standards. Proficiency +1]
[You've processed one nettle to apprentice standards. Proficiency +1]
Time slipped away like sand through an hourglass.
"Gentlemen, listen up—you've done wonderfully. Thank you for helping the new sprouts," Professor Sprout's voice broke through as Sean finished processing his final nettle, its pale blue sap dripping from a carefully soaked stem.
Sean glanced at his panel:
[Herbology Knowledge: Locked (27/90)]
[Note: Herbology Knowledge proficiency includes mastery of plant identification, processing, and related techniques.]
Ninety points to unlock? That was new. It felt like the equivalent of three apprentice-level skills combined.
"Mr. Dickinson and Mr. Green, you've done a fantastic job harvesting those tricky mature plants," Sprout said warmly. "Mr. Howard, you've cleared out the weeds beautifully. And Mr. Jefferson, your Fluxweed sorting was meticulous—well done!"
Her smile was like a cozy fire in the hearth, warming everyone in the greenhouse. "Come on, dears, grab some hazelnut chocolate from me."
Bruce let out an excited "Aha!" before quickly clamping his mouth shut. Leon shook his head with a smirk, while Pister, still basking in the praise, grinned shyly.
As they walked along the greenhouse path, it looked much tidier. Most of the plants that needed harvesting had been handled by Bruce, with Sean taking care of the rest. The weeds were gone, and the Fluxweed pots in the center were neatly arranged by growth stage.
When Sean reached Professor Sprout, he forced his eyes away from the tempting hazelnut chocolate. "Professor Sprout, can I come back to help another time?" he asked, a bit nervously.
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