There were so many plants crowded on the right side of the greenhouse.
That was Sean's first thought.
Still so thick and vigorous his second.
He kept close behind the plump professor, just in case she disappeared into the dense tangle of leaves and couldn't be found again.
Professor Sprout, shovel in hand, led Sean briskly down the narrow path between two rows of plant stands. Every so often she reached out to pinch a leaf or bring a flower to her nose for a quick sniff.
"This is the Bubotuber section. Once we get through here, we'll reach the area where you can show off your skills."
Her voice was a touch loud, but rather than grating, it carried a comfortable warmth reassuring, like sunlight through glass.
Bubotubers?
Sean peered curiously at the thick, snaking vines, each bearing plump, pink pods with a faint shimmer. He could make out glossy beans glinting inside.
He remembered reading about them in one of his Herbology textbooks those beans would burst into bloom the moment they touched something solid.
"These Bubotubers will be ripe soon," Professor Sprout explained cheerfully. "When that happens, this entire rack will be bursting with bouncing bulbs…"
Sean's green eyes gleamed with interest.
Perhaps it was the bright greenhouse light, or perhaps it was simply how intently the boy observed everything but something about him made people instinctively fond of him.
Professor Sprout's steps grew even lighter.
How wonderful… new sprouts always bring new hope. That was what she loved most about teaching.
"Come along, my boy let's take care of these daisies."
She stopped before a large, sturdy wooden table, its surface stained dark with soil and the juices of countless plants.
Sean hurried over as Professor Sprout pulled several pots of daisies from beneath the wooden table.
At first glance, they didn't seem all that different from the ordinary daisies people kept for decoration except their stems and roots were much thicker.
And, of course, if you bought them in Diagon Alley, twenty of them would cost a full Galleon.
Utterly outrageous.
"Eyes here, not wandering, Mr. Green," said Professor Sprout cheerfully. "For the yellow daisy, start your cut three inches below the petals…"
With practiced precision, she sliced into the stem. Milky white sap began to trickle from the rhizome, which she neatly gathered into a glass vial.
"This is the only time of year we can collect daisy sap," she continued. "Your incision mustn't be too deep, or you'll stunt the poor flower's growth. But if it's too shallow, the extract won't meet the standard for brewing a Shrinking Solution."
She demonstrated again, then gave her wand a brisk flick. A small knife and an empty glass bottle floated down onto the table in front of Sean.
"Your turn, Mr. Green."
Sean nodded, determined, and took up the tools.
"Wrong angle, Mr. Green tilt it a little more…"
"Too gentle, Mr. Green be bold!"
"Oh dear, no don't cut there, that's the wrong spot…"
Time slipped by amid Professor Sprout's patient corrections and Sean's mounting mistakes.
He soon realized, with some dismay, that he didn't seem to have any particular talent for Herbology either.
Just as he failed for what must have been the fifteenth time and frowned in frustration, a gentle voice came from beside him:
"Recognizing you lack talent yet still picking up the trowel that's where Herbology truly begins."
Sean looked up to see Professor Sprout smiling at him, her face kind and radiant like sunlight filtered through leaves.
After that, they worked on together, the professor's broad shadow stretching long as the afternoon light shifted. Bit by bit, Sean began to grasp the subtle rhythm of daisy handling.
Pressure, angle, position all had to be just right. One mistake, and the whole process was ruined.
[You have successfully processed one daisy as an apprentice. Proficiency +1.]
The words flashing across his panel were like music to his ears. Now that he'd found the proper rhythm, a spark of excitement flared within him.
[You have successfully processed one daisy as an apprentice. Proficiency +1.]
[You have processed a daisy to beginner standard. Proficiency +3.]
And so it went…
The sun had already slanted low by the time thirty pots of daisies stood neatly arranged on the table. Sean wiped the sweat from the ends of his hair, his eyes shining as brightly as the Herbology professor beside him.
"Well done, Mr. Green," said Professor Sprout, clapping her hands softly. Nothing delighted her more than seeing a young sprout grow strong and steady.
"Let's go and have dinner. Oh and take this with you."
She tucked a piece of candied pineapple into his hands just as the bell rang out, signaling the start of the evening meal.
Hogwarts meal times were fixed and strict miss them, and you'd simply go hungry.
Of course, some clever students arranged for their friends to save them food in advance, but Sean hadn't thought that far ahead.
Going hungry at Hogwarts was a fate he had no intention of testing.
He thanked Professor Sprout and quickly made his way toward the Great Hall. If he'd been in better shape, he would've run.
"Next time, we'll be working with some rather special ingredients," Professor Sprout called after him.
Sean glanced back and spotted something on the dark table that looked suspiciously like a small pile of fangs. He could only guess that was what she meant.
…
By the time he arrived at the Great Hall, the long tables were already heaped with food.
Justin Finch-Fletchley, however, was in trouble Hermione Granger was giving him quite the scolding. Apparently, he hadn't even realized he shared the afternoon Herbology class with Gryffindor, and when she'd spotted him in Greenhouse One, she'd been furious.
"Did you do this on purpose?" Hermione demanded.
"I said I was sorry…" Justin mumbled.
Sean, too focused on his Hungarian goulash, failed to notice Justin's desperate look for help. He was busy sipping pumpkin juice and checking the glowing words hovering faintly before his eyes.
[Herb Cognition: Unlocked (59/90)]
Processing the daisies had earned him a full thirty-three points of proficiency.
[Apprentice-level Herbology: Title Unlock Available]
The new title was just within reach. If he used the rest of the evening wisely, he might even activate it today.
As for those fang-like things on Professor Sprout's table… Sean had compared them carefully. They were most likely poisonous snake fangs.
He didn't know why Professor Sprout was handling them, but it just so happened he needed that exact ingredient snake fangs were required for brewing Scurvy-Cure Potion.
Once he'd finished his meal, Sean rose and left the hall.
Justin and Hermione watched him go, puzzled.
"Sean! Oh, he walks so fast! I wanted to ask if he'd come to the library with us," Justin sighed. "Maybe he could help us figure out how to tell when Whitefresh leaves are mature. Honestly, I have no idea what to write for that Herbology essay."
Magic, it seemed, was far trickier than he'd imagined.
Though Professor Sprout had told them only to do their best, every Hufflepuff secretly hoped to earn her praise.
"I don't think it's hopeless," Hermione said firmly. "There are thousands of books in the Hogwarts Library we'll find the answer."
She shook her head with a touch of exasperation, but her eyes still burned with confidence.
....
Keep supporting me with you comments and reviews if you like the story please drop a power stone and your support is very much appreciated. If we reach 100 power stone I will release 5 extra chapters.
Want to read 40+ chapters ahead , share your fandom thoughts, or just fuel my translation caffeine habit? or if you want to support me please Join me on Patreon here! :
patreon.com/Keep_ItUp