Chapter 82: The First Herbology Class
Ernie noticed Leonard's twitching expression and sighed, blowing bubbles as he said, "Go on, laugh if you want."
"No, I've had strict training. No matter how funny it is, I won't laugh," Leonard said stiffly. But as soon as he looked at Ernie bubbling at the mouth, he couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. "Unless I really can't help it."
Leonard and Justin, the real culprit, doubled over with laughter. Ernie, exasperated, wanted to laugh too, but all that came out was more bubbles.
"Save the laughing for later. What do we do now?" Ernie asked helplessly.
"Easy. Just ask a professor." Leonard pushed open the greenhouse door. "I'm sure Professor Sprout will know what to do."
"Glug glug… wait!" Ernie cried in alarm. "That means everyone will see me like this!"
"This isn't the time to worry about that. If you're going to blame someone…" Leonard glanced at the smirking Justin. "…blame Justin."
Realization dawned on Ernie, and his eyes narrowed as he fixed Justin with a malicious glare.
"Scourgify!" Before Justin could react, Ernie whipped out his wand and hit him in retaliation. A second bubble-spitter joined the scene.
Justin and Ernie stared at each other, both looking unsettled, then turned toward Leonard. Leonard quickly stepped back, putting distance between them, acting as though he didn't even know them.
"Don't run, Leonard!"
"You're the only one left! You're not getting away!"
Of course he was going to run. Leonard could put up with a bit of childish bickering with his roommates if it kept attention off him, but there was no way he'd ruin his image by bubbling at the mouth like some crab-man.
The way those two looked, you'd think they'd just discovered a whole new world. Definitely not something he was getting dragged into.
In the end, Justin and Ernie chased Leonard straight into Greenhouse One, where students and professors were already gathering for class.
The sight of two bubble-spewing boys chasing someone across the greenhouse made the students freeze in shock. Professor Sprout, who had been about to scold the late arrivals with a stern face, couldn't hold it back any longer.
"Hahahahaha…" The round, kind-faced Head of House doubled over with laughter at the sight of the two, leaving the waiting students exchanging bewildered looks.
"What on earth happened to you two?" Professor Sprout finally asked once she caught her breath.
"Professor, Justin saw Ernie choking and tried to help, but he used the wrong spell," Leonard explained honestly. "As for Justin… Ernie just got back at him for laughing."
Ernie and Justin looked miserable.
"Hahaha! Well, that was quite the opening performance. You've certainly made a lasting impression on everyone." Professor Sprout drew her wand. "Finite."
The spell ended, and the foam stopped pouring from Justin and Ernie's mouths.
"Go on in and get ready for class. Since you gave everyone a good laugh, I won't take points this time. But no more being late." Her wand swished through the air in a warning that carried no weight at all.
"Yes, Professor Sprout." Justin and Ernie trudged gloomily back into line with Leonard.
"Alright, students, let's begin. Today's lesson will be simple—we'll start by familiarizing you with the concept of magical plants."
Professor Sprout clapped her hands. "Now, everyone put on your dragonhide gloves. And remember, under no circumstances are you to take them off. Understood?"
"Yes!" the students answered loudly, slipping their gloves on without complaint.
Leonard did the same. Even though magical plants couldn't really hurt him and the dragonhide gloves weren't necessary for him, there was no need to stand out.
"Next, I'll take you on a tour of Hogwarts' greenhouses and the magical plants inside," Professor Sprout said. "We'll start with Greenhouse One."
She opened the door, revealing a pitch-black space that looked completely empty.
"Professor, there's nothing in here," a Ravenclaw student remarked.
"Of course there is. This is Devil's Snare." Professor Sprout looked around at the students. "Who can tell me its characteristics? This is in your textbook—let's see if anyone reviewed."
The students glanced at one another. Even the studious Ravenclaws rarely cracked open textbooks over the holidays, and when they did, it was usually to skim through spellwork rather than herbology.
None of them actually remembered how Devil's Snare was described in the book.
Leonard paused, weighing whether he should speak up.
Showing off too much would draw attention, which went against his plan to grow quietly without notice.
But as a Hufflepuff, standing out in class might win him Professor Sprout's favor—perhaps even enough for her to treat him like a personal student.
That wouldn't mean access to Dangerous Plants or their seeds, of course, but she might occasionally give him extra lessons, showing him rarer magical plants.
And if their relationship grew closer, she might sometimes ask him to help tend the greenhouses. That would give him the perfect chance to get near magical plants—and maybe even collect a few seeds when the opportunity arose.
Thinking it over, Leonard realized that answering questions and building a presence in Professor Sprout's eyes had more advantages than drawbacks.
In just ten seconds, he had already worked through the pros and cons.
Human interaction was a matter of strategy, not sentiment.
So Leonard raised his hand.
"Oh, Mr. William," Professor Sprout spotted him at once. "Let's hear it."
"Yes, Professor." Leonard first showed proper respect, then answered, "Devil's Snare is a dangerous magical plant. When mature, it extends tendrils to ensnare prey, causing injury or death. It prefers dark, damp environments and is highly sensitive to light. If encountered, it can be repelled with fire or strong light."
"Excellent. A very thorough answer. Ten points to Hufflepuff." Professor Sprout nodded in satisfaction. "As Mr. William explained, Devil's Snare hates light. Its black tendrils are as dangerous as snakes. That's why you couldn't see it when the door first opened—it was hiding."
"This is one of the magical plants you need to recognize and handle in your first year: Devil's Snare." She cast a Lighting Charm, and Greenhouse One lit up, revealing the thick, writhing black tendrils shifting uneasily under the glow.
"What Mr. William just said is all key information—and it will be on your final exam." Professor Sprout shut and locked the door. "We'll go into more detail next lesson. For now, let's move on to the next greenhouse."
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