A Relaxing Herbology Class

This class covered Dittany. Professor Sprout only let the young wizards take a look at what a Dittany plant looked like before ordering them to open their textbooks. It seemed the first lesson would still focus mainly on theory.

"Caring for Dittany is practical work that we'll be doing in fifth-year Herbology. In first year, we'll only be learning the basic theory of Dittany. Now, who can tell me its primary uses?"

Professor Sprout gave her wand a light flick, and a pot of Dittany appeared on every young wizard's desk. Cedric raised his hand and stood to answer the question.

Cedric's answer matched the textbook word for word. Roy, who sat beside him, wondered whether Cedric had memorized the entire book.

"Very good. Five points to Hufflepuff."

After Cedric sat down, Professor Sprout noticed Roy raising his hand beside him and motioned for Roy to add to the answer.

"Dittany is also one of the essential ingredients in Pepperup Potion. When brewing it, the Dittany must be chopped up and added to the potion with licorice juice after the Mandrake has finished simmering. Also, there is a novel view in academic circles that, when treating a Werewolf bite, grinding Dittany and sealing it into the wound together with silver powder cannot reverse the Werewolf infection, but it can greatly increase the bite victim's survival rate. Because of this, some Herbology scholars believe Dittany has a certain anti-curse effect. Honestly, I don't think that claim is very rigorous."

Roy rattled off a whole lot, but many of them could not understand what he was talking about at all. Professor Sprout, on the other hand, was delighted by his answer.

"Excellent. Six points to Hufflepuff. Mr. Smith, your knowledge is remarkably extensive. However, regarding Dittany, Werewolf bites, and its supposed anti-curse effects, I would add that I personally believe Dittany greatly restores the injured person's vitality, helping them endure the pain of the biological transformation curse through sheer physical resilience when the curse first takes hold. So I think we should refrain from taking such academic hypotheses as fact for now."

Professor Sprout went on at length from there, drawing parallels with several other medicinal plants and comparing them to Dittany. Other than Roy, even Cedric was left somewhat bewildered, while the young badgers of Hufflepuff were practically knocked flat by the lecture.

Hufflepuff rarely produced exceptionally gifted young wizards. Professor Sprout was very pleased with Roy's level of knowledge, and her eyes were full of expectation as she looked at him.

Realizing she had wandered somewhat off topic, Professor Sprout returned to the main subject and introduced the various basics of Dittany.

For the rest of the lesson, Professor Sprout deliberately called on several Ravenclaw students to answer questions. It was probably because she had already awarded Hufflepuff eleven points. By the end of class, Ravenclaw had gained eight points as well.

The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students had an easy time in this lesson, but homework was still unavoidable. Everyone was required to write an essay on the uses of Dittany, though thankfully there was no word count requirement.

After class, Professor Sprout stopped Roy and handed him a bag of Dittany leaves along with a Dittany seedling.

"I'm very glad that Hufflepuff has admitted such outstanding young wizards as you and Cedric this year. I can see your talent for Herbology. If you want to study Herbology more thoroughly, why not cultivate plants yourself and experience it firsthand? It's all right even if you fail. You're still young, after all."

Professor Sprout was exceedingly kind. Seeing Roy's overflowing talent, and since he was a Hufflepuff student, she gave him a special opportunity. To keep Roy from feeling too much pressure, she thoughtfully told him that failure did not matter.

"In that case, thank you, Professor."

Roy was naturally more than willing. It would have been even better if he could take some things from the second and third greenhouses to grow himself, though he had actually already secretly helped himself to plenty of cuttings and seeds from the plants in the first greenhouse.

Roy continued following Professor Sprout around, asking a string of questions that even upper-year students might not encounter. Only after all the young wizards had left the greenhouse did he finally bid her farewell.

Roy waved goodbye to Professor Sprout, left the greenhouse, and ran toward the castle.

Watching Roy catch up with Cedric, the two boys slinging their arms around each other's shoulders as they entered the castle, ambition flared in Professor Sprout's heart.

After so many years in education, Professor Sprout could tell at a glance just how outstanding Cedric and Roy, the two students entering Hufflepuff this year, were. With the two of them, perhaps Hufflepuff really could win the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup.

The best wizards were all in Gryffindor and Slytherin, while Ravenclaw had a higher overall standard among its students. Gryffindor had a prodigy like Bill Weasley, who earned twelve O.W.L. certificates, and still could not beat Slytherin. Professor Sprout had never held much hope for the caliber of Hufflepuff's little badgers.

Roy and Cedric's arrival now gave Professor Sprout a glimmer of hope. Perhaps Hufflepuff's next House Cup would come within the next few years.

Roy caught up to Cedric and the others from behind. Seeing that Roy had returned, they chatted and laughed as they headed back to the common room together.

There were no more classes that morning. They had Transfiguration and Potions in the afternoon. As soon as they returned to the common room, Cedric immediately began working on the Herbology homework they had just been assigned.

"Come on, Cedric. You're doing homework right after class? Why don't we play for a while first?"

Roy had no interest in doing such effortless homework right now. He had only just arrived at Hogwarts, had not even gotten familiar with the layout yet, and had not even picked up any trash. How could he be in the mood for homework?

"Exactly. I brought a set of Wizard's Chess. No one ever played with me at home, so why don't we have a game?"

Connor had no interest in homework either and wanted someone to play Wizard's Chess with. Gabriel, who came from a Muggle family, was fascinated by Wizard's Chess and kept fiddling with the pieces, which were thoroughly fed up with him.

Cedric still refused. Connor happened to start teaching Gabriel how to play Wizard's Chess, leaving Roy with no choice but to head out alone for a stroll.

There were not many people in the Hufflepuff common room at this time. Only the first-years and third-years had just one class that morning. Roy greeted several classmates and left the common room through the passageway.

"Where should I go? The Forbidden Forest, the library, or the Black Lake?"

The Hogwarts grounds were far too large and complicated. Roy needed to get properly familiar with them.

"Right, let me try this."

Roy pulled out his wand and attempted to cast a spell, only to find himself standing motionless in place.

"So this is Hogwarts's Anti-Apparition Jinx? It feels as though my entire body is being enclosed."

Roy had actually tried Apparition during the summer, though only twice. Apparition could easily kill someone if used improperly, so he had only attempted to teleport from one end of his room to the other before daring not to practice any further.

"It would be nice if there were a better way to travel that could bypass the Anti-Apparition Jinx, or at least wasn't so dangerous."

That was something to think about later. Roy had decided where to visit first. Considering the profession he had worked in for so many years, he truly wanted to take a look at the Hospital Wing.