Got Him Wrapped Around Her Finger

Compared to the easier courses last semester, the number of courses and class hours have increased significantly this semester.

It is worth noting that the second-grade Astronomy Class is scheduled for Monday, which means that they have one more assignment to catch up on over the weekend, and they can't make up their stargazing reports on Monday or Tuesday.

On the first day of the new school term, the first class for Gryffindor second-year students was Herbology Class, which began together with Hufflepuff House.

The young wizards, who had been cooped up all summer, were itching to get out and about. That's how students are; when you're studying, you always look forward to holidays. But once the holidays arrive, after just a few days, you start missing school again.

We don't know how long the others had been holding back, but Seamus and Dean couldn't wait to let loose.

Even the gloomy, rainy weather above the dome couldn't dampen their enthusiasm. Their conversation during breakfast in the Great Hall was so loud that even the professors in the High Table could hear them.

"Our classroom is moving from First Greenhouse to Greenhouse Three. I heard there are many real Magical Creatures in there."

"Yes, man-eating plants that eat people, fungi that secretly burrow their roots into your blood vessels to suck blood..."

I have no idea where these two found so many strange legends. Neville was trembling as he listened. His Herbology Class, which he was not afraid of before, suddenly became as scary as Potions class.

The Twins were eating breakfast, heard the conversation and put down their spoons. Smiling, they walked over, put their arms around the shoulders of the young wizards, and buried their heads together, creating a sense of immersion.

George said quietly, "Did you know that some herbs have very special growing conditions? They need human corpses as nutrients."

"If any of you accidentally get separated from the Greenhouse, you'll be dragged into the soil by the vines." Fred's voice was forceful, but low-pitched, making it sound very soft.

George continued, "Your cries cannot penetrate the soil, your hands cannot break free of the vines, no one can find you, and in the end, in despair you will turn into fertilizer in the soil."

Accompanied by threatening words, the two men held the young wizard tightly by the arms around his shoulders. Neville looked terrified and struggled violently, but he couldn't break free. He seemed to be truly trapped in the scene described by the Twins, entangled in vines and buried in the soil, unable to escape.

He suddenly stood up, knocking the Twins off their chairs.

"Hahahaha!" Lee Jordan, who had noticed the situation earlier, laughed wildly. "You all deserve it!"

"Hahaha, those Twins deserved it!"

"Well done!"

The other students noticed what was happening and started teasing the Twins, while also praising Neville's bravery.

Neville's face flushed red with embarrassment, and he ran away without looking back, fleeing the Great Hall as if he were escaping.

As a small dessert for breakfast, the young wizards in the Great Hall chattered about their summer experiences and the information they had gathered about the upcoming semester.

All the excitement was quickly drowned out by the Howler from Mrs. Weasley. After the deafening roar subsided, the Great Hall erupted in cheers once again.

Because of the temporary hearing loss, everyone shouted at the top of their lungs, making the uproar even louder.

With a look of surprise and delight, Seamus leaned close to the pale-faced Ron and shouted in his ear, "So you get Howler every year at the start of school? That's so cool!"

Ron's face turned even paler.

On the way to the Greenhouse, Rolf of Hufflepuff approached Loren.

They became friends after Christmas last year, a friendship different from Harry Ron's and Simon's. Their relationship wasn't particularly close, but they knew they were friends and could talk about things when needed. In fact, there were many things they couldn't say to close friends that they could discuss.

"Hey, Loren." Rolf didn't seem particularly happy about the start of school; his eyebrows were drooping, and he wasn't exactly downcast.

"Rolf! Long time no see, how was your summer vacation?" Loren rolled a ball of grass with his foot, bounced it a few times with his toes, and passed it to Rolf.

"Everything was fine. We were planning to go to the Africa jungle to see rare animals, but my grandfather suddenly decided to go to France and wouldn't let us come with him." Rolf stopped the ball and passed it back. "After returning from France, he became very quiet, and our whole family is a little worried about him."

Loren thought for a moment. Scamander was also an older generation, so he must have learned of Nicol's death.

The elderly often experience death in this way: when it is their own time to die, they may not be worried, but when they see old friends pass away, they inevitably feel sentimental and saddened by the passing of time.

"Don't worry, adults don't need children to worry about them," Loren could only comfort Rolf in this way.

When the group arrived at the Greenhouse, they discovered that Lockhart was also there.

He wore a flowing turquoise robe, and a green top hat with gold trim adorned his gleaming hair. Spotless from head to toe, he Professor Sprout was covered in mud and had black grime under his fingernails, look like a peasant woman.

"Hello everyone!" Lockhart said with a smile. "I just demonstrated to Professor Sprout how to treat the Whomping Willow '..."

He boasted with great enthusiasm, implying that his knowledge of Herbology surpassed that of Professor Sprout, and that this was merely one of his many skills.

Professor Sprout, his anger simmering, clenched his fists tightly, silently comforting himself: This is retribution, this is retribution, this is retribution for mocking Professor Flitwick yesterday.

Thinking this way might make her feel a little better.

"Starting today, we will have classes in the Third Greenhouse!" Professor Sprout said through gritted teeth.

When she took a key from her waist that was thicker than her arm and opened the Greenhouse door, all the students were hit by a stench of damp earth mixed with foul-smelling fertilizer. The unpleasant smell was followed by a charming floral and grassy aroma, as well as some unique plant root and stem scents.

Loren couldn't tell if the smell was pleasant or unpleasant, but Lockhart pinched his nose and made a disgusted face. He borrowed Harry from Professor Sprout and pulled him aside to talk.

Upon entering the Greenhouse, a variety of exotic plants come into view. Unlike the Greenhouse One, most of the plants here are very active, with branches and vines swaying constantly. The roots of each herbaceous plant are loosening the soil, as if trying to breathe.

Loren had a strange feeling; they weren't plants, but rather more like animals, and even gave him a peculiar sense of intimacy, like the Dolphin he saw in the aquarium.

They exude their own emotions: joy, freedom, and a spontaneous delight that arises from sensing Sprout's presence.

Professor Sprout led everyone to a row of deep flowerpots and gave each person a pair of Protective Gloves and a pair of noise-canceling headphones.

The students' preparation for the first Herbology Class was then assessed.

"We're repotting our Mandrake today. Now, can anyone tell me what the characteristics of Mandrake are?"

In the vast Greenhouse, only Hermione raised her hand to answer the question. The girl's sweet voice echoed in the Greenhouse: "Mandrake, also known as mandrake root, is a powerful restorative agent. It is used to restore people who have been Transfiguration or cursed to their original state, and it is especially effective against petrification."

Hmm, very good, only Hermione had previewed it.

"You know, that's how celebrities are..."

Outside, Lockhart's smug voice could be faintly heard, making Sprout, who was already annoyed, wish he could throw Mandrake in his face.

Seemingly sensing Sprout's dislike for Lockhart, the plants also began to dislike Lockhart. Their branches and roots trembled slightly, making a barely perceptible rustling sound.

This feeling was so strange. Loren sensed the plants' disgust for Lockhart, as if, as if he could communicate with the plants.

Following some strange subconscious impulse, Loren tried to communicate his thoughts to a woody vine of the genus Virginia creeper at the entrance of the Greenhouse.

Then, sure enough, the ivy-like vines unknowingly wrapped around Lockhart's boots and suddenly dragged him into the thicket.

"Ah—help!" Lockhart screamed in panic, his voice cracking, as if the vines were already hurting him.

"Help! It's going to suck my blood and bury me in the ground to use as fertilizer!"

Clearly, Lockhart had also heard the stories the Twins had made up to scare people in the Great Hall.

Harry watched the scene unfold in silence. There were only a few scattered vines clinging to Lockhart; he only needed to brace himself with his hands to stand up. But in his panicked struggle, he ended up getting himself entangled even more tightly.

George and Fred, they are truly wicked... Harry thought to himself.

With an anxious and panicked expression, Professor Sprout moved slowly, trying hard not to laugh out loud, determined to see Lockhart make a fool of herself.

Everyone in the classroom witnessed Lockhart's embarrassing performance. The young wizards from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff remained silent, collectively harboring a bad feeling about this semester's Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Only Loren's eyes lit up when he saw Lockhart's miserable state—an opportunity to boost his favorability!

He strode over to Lockhart and pulled him out of the vines, muttering as he pulled at the tendrils, "Professor Lockhart has sacrificed so much to set a bad example for us..."

The panicked Lockhart was so moved by these words that he almost cried. He vaguely saw that the Gryffindor student in front of him was glowing.

Are you an envoy sent by Merlin?

Lockhart quickly reacted and took control of the situation; he was well-versed in how to handle such scenarios.

He uttered a few seemingly polite but ultimately dismissive remarks, then quickly left the scene to return to the Castle and spread another version of the story among the others. As long as the initial impression remained, most people in the Castle would still accept him as a bestselling author, adventurer, and recipient of the Order of Merlin.

Before leaving, he patted Loren on the shoulder with deep affection, everything understood without words.

Loren seemed to see a progress bar above Lockhart's head: Memory Charm Loading—

1%

5%

90%!

He returned to Hermione's side with a happy smile, neither arrogant nor impatient, like a modest and well-behaved student who does good deeds without seeking recognition.

Hermione glanced at him expressionlessly and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Did you put those vines there just now?"

Loren:!!!

Loren's eyes widened like saucers. "I read the heart of plants, and you read mine?!"

Mandrake was like a ferocious cub, twisting its body, kicking wildly, and even clenching its teeth and swinging its fists, almost punching Seamus in the nose.

Thanks to Hermione's enhanced abilities, Loren didn't leave class like the other students, drenched in sweat, with a sore back, and covered in mud. Not only were they exhausted, but some had even gotten injured.

Hufflepuff has a guy named Justin Finley who keeps talking to Harry, and Ron, Loren, and Hermione aren't left out either, chattering away.

The second lesson was Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall's lessons were always difficult, but the second-year lessons were even more challenging, as they began to delve deeper into Transfiguration related to living beings.

Transforming Beetle into a button will cause the Beetle's vitality to interfere with the flow of Magic Power. You must not only consider the shape of the button, but also harmonize Magic Power and life, like playing music, to achieve the Transfiguration effect without harming life.

"Can anyone tell me what to do?"

Hermione raised her hand high; she was the only one in the room to do so. Her deskmate, Loren, was teasing the toy Beetle with his wand, flipping it over, and then flipping it over again just as Beetle was about to Loren back over.

Professor McGonagall looked at the stark contrast between the two and recalled Loren's lazy demeanor at the end of last semester. Unconsciously, she gripped her wand even tighter.

"Loren Morgan, you answer." Professor McGonagall's voice was flat.

Hermione felt a little disappointed, but she could accept it and slowly lowered her raised right hand.

Loren, caught off guard, slowly said, "In the process of casting the spell, keep in mind the elements of Transfiguration: insight, essence, and target."

"Correct, Gryffindor gets 5 points for that." Professor McGonagall then went on to analyze the application of the three elements and the key points of spellcasting.

Hermione thought it was just a normal question and answer session, but the following class shattered her illusions. No matter the question, no matter how high Hermione raised her little hand, Professor McGonagall invariably called on Loren every time and gave her extra points.

After a long lecture, Hermione looked at Loren as if he were a third party in a relationship, and Professor McGonagall was the unfaithful one.

She felt extremely wronged. She was the one who raised her hand, and she was the one who cooperated best with the professor in class, but Professor McGonagall gave all her attention to Loren.

As soon as the bell rang, Hermione packed up her textbooks, tossed her hair, and ran out of the classroom, her resentful look making Professor McGonagall feel guilty.

Before leaving, Professor McGonagall called out to Loren, who was about to chase after her. "Come to my office on Saturday night..."

Thinking of Hermione's sad eyes, she paused and said, "Let Granger come too."

After saying that, the usually composed Professor McGonagall hurried out of the classroom. Her retreating figure even carried a hint of panic.