"Lynn, honestly, how did you know there would be... uh, a 'good show' to watch over at Lockhart's side in the Great Hall?"
On the way to Herbology Class, Edgar finally couldn't restrain his curiosity and leaned in close to Lynn, asking in a low voice.
Before Lynn could even open his mouth, William, who was beside them, pushed up his glasses and said:
"Is there even a need to guess? Looking at how he was waiting for a good show, you could figure out it was his doing with your toes."
Ollie remained silent, nodding repeatedly to show his complete agreement with William's judgment.
"Eh~" Lynn immediately put on a look of great shock and covered William's mouth. "Don't go talking nonsense!"
Lynn said this with his mouth, but the smile on his face couldn't be hidden.
William rolled his eyes at Lynn, his gaze clearly saying: Do I not know you? Keep acting, keep on acting!
"Let's go, let's go, we're going to be late for Herbology Class. Professor Sprout doesn't like students who are late."
Lynn stiffly changed the subject, urging everyone to pick up the pace.
The greenhouse was filled with the unique fresh scent of soil and plants.
The plump Professor Sprout stood before rows of flower pots, a kind smile on her face.
"Today, we are going to learn about a very important and wonderful herb—the Mandrake!"
She pointed to the pots beside her, which contained plants that looked like malnourished little radish heads with a few leaves on top.
"Does anyone know what its most important function is?"
The top student William immediately raised his hand.
"Its mature roots can be used to brew the Mandrake Reviving Potion, which is used to treat people who have been petrified."
"Absolutely correct! Five points to Hufflepuff!"
Professor Sprout wasn't stingy about giving points; her face bloomed with a smile.
She then explained the Mandrake's habits, the danger of its cry, and other precautions in detail before starting the practical session.
"Our task today is to repot these little fellows!"
"Now, everyone put on the earmuffs provided for you and watch my demonstration carefully!"
As Professor Sprout spoke, she was the first to put on a pair of thick earmuffs.
After class, Lynn dawdled and stayed until the end. He found Professor Sprout as she was packing up her tools.
"Professor, um... could you give me some Mandrake seeds? I think they might be useful in Alchemy, and I want to research them."
Lynn found a reason that sounded legitimate, a harmless smile on his face.
When Professor Sprout heard it was for "academic research," and coming from a student of her own house who also had excellent grades, she readily agreed:
"Of course you can, dear! Take plenty and research well!"
She handed Lynn a large bag of plump seeds and enthusiastically told him to come back for more anytime if he ran out.
This level of generosity made Lynn feel a bit embarrassed, but... things gotten for free were truly the best!
Carrying a large bag of Mandrake seeds back to the Castle, Lynn ran into Cedric Diggory in the corridor.
The Hufflepuff Quidditch Seeker was walking hurriedly, seemingly just back from the pitch.
"Hi, Lynn."
"Hi, Cedric. Why does it feel like I haven't seen you around the Castle much lately?" Lynn greeted him.
Cedric wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled.
"The annual Quidditch tryouts are about to start. As the captain, I've been quite busy lately. Oh, right," he clapped his hands as if remembering something important.
"Edgar told me your broom flying skills are excellent! How about it? Are you interested in joining our Quidditch team? Hufflepuff is currently short of flexible talents like you."
Hearing this, Lynn thought for a moment but still politely declined.
"Thank you for the invitation, Cedric. But instead of chasing a ball in the sky on a broom, I might prefer sitting by the lake with a fishing rod."
However, Lynn's tone shifted.
"That fellow Edgar should be very interested. His skills are indeed quite good."
"That's true," Cedric nodded. "I've flown with him a few times during practice before. His movements are very agile, and his awareness is good."
The two chatted as they walked toward the common room.
"By the way, have you heard the news?"
Cedric said to Lynn as if remembering something.
"Professor Lockhart, apparently because of the... 'accident' in the Great Hall, his condition is quite serious, and he's been sent to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries."
"I heard he even asked Headmaster Dumbledore for a week's leave."
"Really?" Lynn asked, putting on an expression of surprise.
He truly didn't know this. According to his original plan, Lockhart would at most spend a week in the school infirmary or the bathroom; going to St Mungo's was indeed beyond his expectations.
"That's what I heard..." Cedric lowered his voice a bit.
"Madam Pomfrey was short on several specific potions for severe gastrointestinal curses and went to Professor Snape for help."
"As it turned out, Professor Snape said he happened to have no stock, and that those potions are complex to brew, so he couldn't make them in a short time."
"So he had to be transferred to St Mungo's."
Lynn listened, but a doubt flickered in his mind.
That's not right. Based on the dosage and curse intensity I used, although the required antidote isn't common, with Snape's level, he could finish a cauldron in half an hour.
It wouldn't come to 'couldn't make it in a short time' no matter what...
This was indeed a situation he hadn't anticipated.
Was Professor Snape... doing it on purpose? Or did he really just happen to lack the ingredients?
Lynn couldn't figure it out, and he didn't want to waste brain cells delving into Snape's complex mind.
He quickly adjusted his expression and said to Cedric:
"That's really gre— uh, no, I mean, Professor Lockhart is really unlucky."
"I hope he recovers soon. So what about next week's Defense Against the Dark Arts class?"
"It should be Professor McGonagall or another Professor taking over temporarily," Cedric speculated.
"Anyway, I hope Professor Lockhart gets better soon."
When he said this, his tone was quite sincere—but did his eyes also carry a hint of relief?
After all, anyone could see that Lockhart's classes were a bit... hard to describe.
Lynn's plan to "optimize the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching resources" had worked exceptionally well—perhaps even a bit too well.
However, any plan has its drawbacks, and the side effects of this plan were fully manifested a week later in a substitute Defense Against the Dark Arts class before Lockhart's "recovery" and return.
On this day, Lynn stepped into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom again with a rare feeling of excitement.
However, he froze as soon as he entered the door.
All those eye-searing portraits of Lockhart that had covered the walls were gone, replaced by a... gloomy, oppressive atmosphere.
Lynn looked around, an inexplicable sense of familiarity welling up in his heart.
Ring ring ring—
The class bell rang on time once again.
Almost at the same moment the bell fell silent, the classroom door was pushed open with a bang, and Professor Snape strode in.
Snape's face wore an expression of wanting to smile but desperately restraining it—an expression that looked terrifying to the students.
The classroom was silent; one could even hear the sound of a quill falling to the floor.
The copy of Holidays with Hags in Edgar's hand almost slipped to the floor; he scrambled to catch it, making a slight noise.
Snape's gaze pinned onto Edgar, then slowly moved away, scanning the whole class.
He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet clearly entering everyone's ears.
"It seems the previous Professor's overly... 'lively' teaching style has made you forget the discipline and... solemnity a classroom should have."
He paused, the curve of that half-smile on his lips becoming a bit more obvious.
"The classroom atmosphere is dead, devoid of vitality and a thirst for knowledge. Ravenclaw..."
The hearts of all the Ravenclaw students leaped into their throats.
"Hufflepuff..."
A chill ran down the spines of the Hufflepuff students.
"Five points from each."
Lynn: "..."
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