After Professor Sprout asked his question, Hermione almost instinctively raised her hand.
Professor Sprout immediately gave her an encouraging look and nodded gently, indicating that she could speak freely.
"Professor," Hermione's gaze landed precisely on an area behind the light screen, "I suspect it might be that grayish-green plant growing beneath the fluorescent lichen, with its leaves curled inwards."
"Because 'shyness' in plant behavior often manifests as avoidance or hiding from external stimuli, and the shape and position of this plant show an introverted and protective tendency, it perfectly matches your description of it as a 'shy resident.'"
Professor Sprout's face instantly lit up with a bright smile, her eyes full of admiration. She was the first to applaud Hermione.
The applause was soft, but it carried a strong sense of affirmation.
"Excellent observation and logic, Miss Granger!" she praised clearly first, then glanced at the other students who looked thoughtful.
" Miss Granger's line of thinking precisely points out one possible outward manifestation of 'shyness': its introverted form and its concealed location."
"This is indeed a survival strategy for many sensitive plants; knowing how to conceal their weaknesses allows them to grow safely in complex environments."
After speaking, Professor Sprout stepped slightly to the side, giving everyone a clearer view of the plants behind the light screen. "So, what about the others? Has anyone noticed any different details, or had any different ideas?"
Draco took a half step forward upon hearing this, his gaze passing over the plant Hermione had mentioned and landing on a clump of inconspicuous gray-green plants in the corner.
The plant looked wilted and out of place among the vibrant plants around it.
"If I may share some of my humble opinions, Professor," Draco said modestly at first.
He then cleared his throat and gently pointed to the grayish-brown potted plant in the corner, which looked like a dying cactus.
"It's that one."
"Look," Draco gestured for everyone to observe carefully.
"It looked like an unwanted, wilted cactus, grayish in color and covered with bumpy bumps all over, looking prickly, yet it had no vitality at all, as if it would fall apart with a gust of wind."
Professor Sprout's gaze immediately followed, landing on the plant. He then nodded slightly to Draco, signaling him to continue.
In the crowd, a Hufflepuff student couldn't help but chuckle softly. Noticing the stares around him, he quickly covered his mouth.
He explained in a low voice, "I just think... Malfoy's description is so vivid, it's exactly like my forgotten cactus at home."
The other students nodded in agreement, their faces showing understanding; they all clearly thought Draco's description was extremely accurate.
Draco approached the light barrier slightly, but always maintained a safe distance.
"Don't underestimate these bumps. To us, they're like thorns that hurt; to the animal, they're both its eyes and alarm, as well as the switch for its water gun."
A flash of inspiration struck Hermione, and she instinctively repeated Draco's words, "Eyes and alarm... water gun switch..."
As he spoke, he began to examine those seemingly insignificant bumps from a completely new perspective.
Neville couldn't help but let out a soft "Wow!" His round face was full of amazement as he muttered, "So cool... I didn't know there were so many things about plant thorns."
The other students also looked on with sudden realization, and their gazes towards those bumps completely changed.
"This guy holds grudges." Draco's words successfully piqued everyone's curiosity.
"If someone keeps provoking it in the same way, such as always poking it with the same rhythm, or always making a certain kind of noise next to it, it will remember it."
"The next time you sense a similar noise, it's already brewing something 'bad' inside."
"Beneath those bumps, the toxic pus will slowly seep out, gathering strength, waiting to teach the offender a lesson."
Professor Sprout couldn't help but whisper, "Very accurate! This is a conditioned reflex based on pattern recognition, a unique skill it developed for survival during its long evolutionary process."
Hermione's face showed a huge shock when she heard the vivid words "holding a grudge" and "scheming".
This anthropomorphic and extremely straightforward explanation instantly made her understand how the abstract concept of "plant memory" worked in Mimbulus mimbletonia.
A low murmur arose again from the crowd.
"My goodness, is this little darling some kind of spirit? She even holds grudges!"
"That's really cunning! They even know how to play dead to deceive people!"
"You can't blame it for being cunning; it's only by being shrewd that it can survive in this dangerous greenhouse," Olivia couldn't help but laugh.
"But it doesn't spray randomly," Draco emphasized, changing the subject.
"It's incredibly stingy; it doesn't get to collect 'bad water' easily. It's all formed by expending its own nutrients."
"It has to feel like it's really going to die, like when someone tries to pull it out of the pot or cut its roots with a knife, before it'll be willing to 'splatter' that hot and smelly juice all over your face."
"Normally, it plays dead, pretending to be a useless, ugly lump of stone, making people not even want to touch it."
Neville's expression gradually changed from fear to sympathy.
He looked at the wilted plant and whispered, "It... it didn't want to be like this... it did it just to survive."
Professor Sprout immediately applauded Neville, echoing, "You're right, Mr. Longbottom! Every plant's way of life deserves our respect."
At this moment, all the students looked at Draco with undisguised admiration.
No one expected that he could understand the habits of a plant so thoroughly; even the professor praised him highly.
Finally Draco's concluding remarks reached everyone's ears. "So it's not like those plants that can bark and bite, making such a fuss, as if afraid others won't know it's not to be trifled with."
"It looks listless and harmless, but that's precisely because it's preparing a powerful attack."
"It uses all its cleverness to pretend to be ugly and useless, so that no one will bother to touch it."
"When it really gets to the point of being life-threatening, that blow can be quite painful."
[Ding--Original storyline added, Fortune Points increased by 20!]
After listening, the students nodded in agreement, their faces showing signs of sudden enlightenment.
Hermione, who was engrossed in Draco's story, suddenly snapped back to reality.
Looking at Draco's composed profile, she felt a sense of undeniable admiration for his insightful explanation.
However, after this initial admiration, a great curiosity welled up within her.
How did he manage to do that?
How can someone know so much about a plant that even many older students might not recognize?
This curiosity turned into a strong impulse, making her want to rush to the library immediately and search for all the information about Mimbulus mimbletonia.
The instant Draco finished speaking, Professor Sprout looked at Draco and exclaimed, "Brilliant, Mr. Malfoy! You not only saw through its disguise, but also grasped the entire logic behind its actions."
"This lesson was a wonderful one for all of us, more vivid and profound than any knowledge in textbooks."
"The essence of Herbology lies not in memorizing many plant names, but in 'understanding'."
Her gaze lingered on Draco and Hermione for a moment, a hint of expectation in her eyes.
"To understand why they are the way they are, and why they chose to exist in this way."
" Mimbulus mimbletonia chose 'mediocrity' as her armor; that requires incredibly precise perception and control."
"Every aspect of its ordinariness is an incredibly extravagant 'investment' made for survival."
Therefore, our most basic respect for nature comes not from fear, but from this 'understanding'.
"Because you understand why it is the way it is, you will naturally maintain distance and explore it with your eyes rather than your hands."
"This respect based on understanding is your strongest shield and most reliable compass in the magical world."
She clapped her hands lightly, her tone becoming more cheerful. "Alright, let's continue our quiet journey with this newfound understanding of 'comprehension'."
"The next 'resident' is just ahead. I'm curious to see what you can 'understand' from it."