Ron's pupils suddenly contracted, and he felt a buzzing sound in his head, as if countless bees were frantically swarming around him.
He nudged Harry beside him with his elbow and whispered, " Harry... look! What's he doing? Discussing plants with the professor? What's wrong with the world?!"
Their intrusion interrupted Professor Sprout's lecture.
But Professor Sprout did not show the slightest displeasure.
She simply turned her head slightly, looked at the two panting boys at the door, and smiled knowingly with a gentle expression of welcome.
"Ah, Mr Potter, Mr. Weasley, you've arrived too!"
Sprout then raised his hand and gently patted the Dittany leaves of the pot beside him.
"Perfect timing! We were just discussing the variation in morphology of Dittany leaves affected by light. Mr. Malfoy has observed a very interesting phenomenon with great detail."
As Professor Sprout finished speaking, a stunned silence fell over the greenhouse.
Ron's mouth opened and closed, closed and opened again.
The next moment, as if he had finally found his voice, he blurted it out in a slightly sharp and high-pitched tone due to excitement.
"Discuss? With Malfoy?"
Although he was speaking to the professor, his wide-open eyes were fixed intently on Draco.
Ron's disbelief was almost palpable, as if he had heard the absurd news that " the Troll has obtained ten OWLs certificates."
"Professor, you didn't know he was just in the Great Hall— "
" Ron!" Harry tugged at his sleeve forcefully, his eyes full of warning.
Perhaps Harry's pulling had an effect, or perhaps Ron himself realized that it was not something a " Weasley family man" should do to complain so loudly in front of the professor.
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back.
But the expression on his flushed face clearly said: This is a conspiracy! A complete and utter conspiracy! Professor, you've been deceived!
Harry tugged at Ron's arm harder, signaling him to calm down and not cause any more trouble.
Then, he took a deep breath, stepped forward, and tried to make his voice sound steady, "Good afternoon, Professor Sprout."
Professor Sprout first turned to Harry, and nodded gently at his somewhat hurried but still polite greeting.
Good afternoon, Mr Potter.
Then her gaze slowly turned to Ron.
" Mr. Weasley," her gaze fell on Ron's tense face, "In my classes, we welcome any discussion about herbs, regardless of who the participants are. Questioning and curiosity are the first steps in learning, but we must also learn to set aside prejudices and listen to different voices."
She paused, pointed to the sink in the corner of the greenhouse, and said in her usual gentle tone, " Mr Potter, Mr. Weasley, please go to the sink and wash your hands thoroughly with soap."
"Remember, wash thoroughly, making sure to scrub your fingernails clean. Then come over here to collect your Dragonhide Gloves and carefully check for any damage. Although the sap of the Dittany sap is non-toxic, it still needs to be handled with caution."
"Yes, Professor." Harry nodded quickly, pulling along Ron, who was still sulking, and hurried toward the sink.
Ron glared at Draco fiercely, his eyes filled with resentment and unwillingness that said, "You just wait and see."
Then, reluctantly, he dragged his feet and followed Harry toward the sink.
The two placed their textbooks on a bench nearby.
Ron walked to the sink and roughly turned on the tap. The icy water gushed out, as if venting his dissatisfaction and frustration.
He grabbed a rough bar of soap and rubbed it in his palm until his hands were covered in lather.
The handwashing motions were hurried and forceful, as if they wanted to scrub away all the unseen "dirt" on their hands before they would stop.
Just then, the greenhouse door was pushed open again, and two or three figures walked in, chatting and laughing.
They were first-year students from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, their faces still showing the novelty and excitement of entering the magical world for the first time.
The time for class is drawing ever closer.
Professor Sprout clapped his hands and raised his voice. "Alright, students who came later, hurry up!"
Her gaze swept over the arriving new students.
"Listen up, everyone! The first thing to do upon entering the greenhouse is to immediately go to the sink and thoroughly wash your hands with soap. Then, go to this workbench to collect your Dragonhide Gloves and carefully check that they are intact."
"We will begin processing the Dittany in five minutes. Any unclean handling could affect its efficacy or even cause unnecessary danger."
The students readily agreed and followed Professor Sprout's instructions one after another.
Some hurried towards the water tank, while others gathered around the workbench to select gloves, instantly making the greenhouse lively.
Professor Sprout turned to look at Draco and Hermione, who were still standing beside the Dittany plant:
"You two go too. Quickly wash your hands and get your gloves, don't miss your practical lesson."
The two responded and turned to walk towards the sink.
Soon, the greenhouse was filled with the sounds of rushing water, students talking in hushed tones, and the distinctive, slight rustling of Dragonhide Gloves being pulled.
The students gradually finished washing up, and put on slightly clumsy but sturdy Dragonhide Gloves.
They then gathered in twos and threes around the workbench where several pots of Dittany plants were placed.
"Alright, everyone!" Professor Sprout's booming voice rang out, drowning out the last rustling sounds in the greenhouse.
She straightened her back, her gaze sweeping over the young faces before her, her expression radiating a love for Herbology and high expectations for her students.
"Welcome to our first real herbal medicine practice class of the new semester! I'm Pomona Sprout, you can call me Professor Sprout."
"Starting today, I will lead you all on a journey to explore the wondrous world of amazing plants."
[Ding--Original storyline added, Fortune Points increased by 20!]
A system notification sounded quietly in my mind.
Professor Sprout cleared his throat, his gaze falling on the tender Dittany succulents, his tone becoming increasingly gentle:
Before we begin, I'd like to ask everyone, does anyone already know anything about Dittany? Could you share your knowledge with us?
The moment she finished speaking, the atmosphere in the greenhouse subtly changed.
The students looked at each other, exchanging glances, most of them wearing awkward expressions.
Some lowered their heads, pretending to examine their Dragonhide Gloves; others scratched their heads, their eyes darting away, avoiding the professor's gaze.
A brief silence filled the greenhouse.
But almost at the same time.
One arm, with swiftness, power, and unwavering resolve, was raised high and straight like a drawn sword.
The arms stood out conspicuously among the drooping heads.
It's Hermione.
A near-eager light returned to her face.
Her eyes sparkled with absolute confidence in the realm of knowledge and an irrepressible urge to express herself.