Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is not meant to infringe upon copyrights.
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The third day of school at Hogwarts was probably the day the Hufflepuff first-years looked forward to the most, not only because it was Friday, but also because the classes they were most interested in.
In the morning, they had Herbology, taught by Professor Sprout, and in the afternoon, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Flying.
Early in the morning, they and the Gryffindors arrived at the greenhouse outside Hogwarts Castle.
"Good morning, students, and welcome to Herbology," said Pomona Sprout, a short witch with flowing gray hair. Her clothes were always covered in dust, as she usually stayed in the greenhouse tending to the flowers and plants.
Compared to the prestigious title of Head of House, she looked more like a humble gardener.
Professor Sprout, however, didn't care. Standing at the greenhouse's entrance, she looked at the young wizards earnestly and said,
"Before you enter, I must warn you of something very important.
First, the plants grown in the greenhouse are all magical, and they are often dangerous. Even the common white dandelion has sharp thorns. Therefore, you are not allowed to touch any plants without my permission.
Also, no loud noises or screaming are allowed once you enter the greenhouse. This is because we're temporarily storing several new plants I just brought to Hogwarts. They're still acclimating, and any harsh noises might scare them.
Do you understand?"
"Got it!" everyone replied in unison.
"Very good," Professor Sprout nodded.
After entering the greenhouse, she arranged everyone to the left, leaving the right side empty.
...In fact, even if she hadn't arranged it that way, no young wizard would have wanted to go there.
"Professor, what the hell are those!" A Gryffindor first-year blushed green as he looked at the row of strange yellow plants across from him.
Merlin's beard! This was the first time he'd seen a cabbage with fangs, and that mouth was almost as big as his head. A bite would surely be disastrous.
Thinking of this, he inched back again.
"Chomping cabbages, you'd better stay away from them," Professor Sprout said casually. "But don't be too nervous. Although they look scary, they're all good kids. As long as you don't provoke them, there's absolutely no danger.
And after a few days, once they've adapted to the environment here, they'll be moved to a larger greenhouse, and you won't see them next time."
"Okay," Professor Sprout clapped his hands. "Class begins now. Turn to page one. Today we're learning about white mulberry.
Does anyone know what white mulberry is..."
If you ignore those scary-looking biting cabbages, this Herbology class would have been perfect.
Professor Sprout possessed an immense knowledge of Herbology, and his detailed explanations, accompanied by real-life examples, made learning easy for the young wizards.
By the end of the class, almost everyone had perfectly answered every question she'd asked.
This delighted Professor Sprout, who awarded each house three extra points and gave each of them a fresh Dittany leaf.
This thing was like a "Band-Aid" in the wizarding world. Kyle had used it quite a bit before, and it worked wonders. Just clean it, apply it to the wound, and it would heal within the next day.
Of course, this only worked for minor, everyday wounds; more serious ones would require the Essence of Dittany.
After class, everyone left the greenhouse together.
Mikel found Kyle in the crowd, ran over to him, and asked curiously, "What did you pick up?"
"What did you say?" Kyle looked at him puzzledly. "I was loosening the soil on the Dittany."
"I saw it all," Mikkel assured him. "While Professor Sprout was turning to get a shovel, you ran across and found something under those flower pots."
"That?" Kyle said suddenly. "Nothing. I just dropped the fertilizer bag the professor gave me there, so I went to pick it up."
"Fertilizer bag?" Mikkel looked at Kyle suspiciously, clearly not believing him.
It was a small, light bag, not even round. There was no way it could have fallen that far.
"Well, I probably kicked it by accident. I was so scared when I found it," Kyle said with a look of fear. "Those biting kale are really scary. Honestly, if I wasn't afraid of Professor Sprout deducting points, I wouldn't have picked them up."
"Is that so?"
Seeing Kyle's words were so convincing, Mikkel's doubts gradually dispelled. He nodded and said, "Those Chomping Cabbages do look scary. I definitely wouldn't have dared to go over there."
"Who says not?" Kyle spread his hands. "By the way, did Professor Sprout say when she'd teach you to control your magic?"
"Yeah, the professor told me to see her on Saturday and Sunday mornings,"
Mikel said with some dismay. "It's my first weekend at Hogwarts, and I still have classes..."
"It can't be helped," Kyle patted his shoulder and soothed him. "You can't keep drinking the potion."
At the mention of the potion, Mikel shuddered and shook his head. "You're right. I'd rather not have weekends than drink that stuff anymore."
"Right."
Back at the castle, Kyle sent Mikel and Ryan back to the dorms. He excused himself to the library and headed straight to the eighth floor, where he found the tapestry depicting the trolls beating up Barnabas the Barmy.
Barnabas the Barmy was a wizard who, after trying to teach the trolls ballet, was beaten by six trolls.
Judging by the tapestry, he must have been badly beaten.
After confirming his location, Kyle took a deep breath and walked back and forth three times, muttering to himself.
"I need a greenhouse for growing crops."
The third time Kyle passed the tapestry, a round archway appeared on the opposite wall.
Without hesitation, Kyle grasped the brass handle, pushed it open, and stepped inside.
A unique fragrance of soil suddenly hit
Kyle in the face. Although he had expected it, the scene in front of him still stunned him.
The room was almost as big as the auditorium, with fertile land under his feet and he could even see the sun when he looked up.
It was probably some kind of spell.
Kyle tentatively whispered, "I need rain."
The next second, the room that was originally sunny suddenly began to rain heavily, and the rain seemed to have consciousness, falling only on the soil. Kyle stood there without even a hair getting wet.
"It's amazing." Kyle exclaimed sincerely.
This is the so-called Room of Requirement.
Using this place as a second-hand goods storage room is simply a waste of resources.
[End of the chapter]