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Chapter 535: Herbology Class, Returning What's Rightfully Yours
Chapter 535: Herbology Class, Returning What's Rightfully Yours
Kyle wasn't sure if his words had any effect on Hermione, but for now, it seemed like she was listening.
"You did a good thing," Hagrid said. "Hermione wanted me to join her cause too, but I refused."
"I don't think she'll get all the house-elves to ask for wages, but she obviously didn't listen to me."
"Oh, Hagrid," Kyle said, noticing his haggard appearance and the strong smell of alcohol on his breath, "how much have you had to drink?"
"Oh, no," Hagrid explained. "I haven't been drinking. I just accidentally knocked over the whiskey I prepared for Buckbeak."
"I hope so," Kyle said. "Term's about to start. Don't forget you're still a professor. You need to pull yourself together."
But to Kyle's surprise, Hagrid looked even more dejected after hearing this.
"I might not be able to continue as a professor... The parents won't agree, just like what happened with Lupin. I just hope Dumbledore will let me keep my gamekeeper position and not kick me out of Hogwarts."
"Looks like you didn't take our words to heart either," Kyle shook his head. "Wait one more day. After the Christmas break, there should be a new issue of the Prophet. You can take a look then. I think you'll be in for a pleasant surprise."
"I don't want to look," Hagrid said, sounding agitated. "I'm sure the paper will still have that woman's accusations against me. I really don't want to see any more of her nasty comments."
"Trust me, Hagrid. This time it's different. There will be a pleasant surprise," Kyle said, patting Hagrid's arm. Then he left with Connor and the others to return to the castle.
Tomorrow was the start of the new term, and they needed to return the books they had borrowed for their homework.
In the library, Kyle also saw Hermione. She was sitting there with a stack of thick books on the table next to her.
On top were two large tomes—A Medieval History of Fairies and House-Elves: Helpers or Enemies?
This was a good sign, proving that Hermione had truly taken his words to heart.
Kyle didn't disturb her and left after returning his books.
The next day.
Perhaps because so many people had stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas, the start of term didn't feel any different. The Great Hall was as bustling as ever.
The grounds were still covered in deep snow, but the greenhouse was as warm as if it were June. The windows were covered in a layer of fine droplets that turned into ice cones as they fell.
"Make sure you're all wearing your dragon-hide gloves and pay attention. This is one class where you can't afford to slack off," Professor Sprout said, pointing to a long flowerpot on the table in the middle of the room. "Biting Lettuce. I'm sure you've all seen it in your first year, but you weren't ready to learn about it back then.
"I must remind you again that Biting Lettuce is a very dangerous plant. Extremely dangerous."
As she spoke, she took out a thick wooden stick and gently tapped the flowerpot containing the Biting Lettuce.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the previously quiet Biting Lettuce suddenly opened its large mouth, filled with sharp teeth, and bit the wooden stick to pieces as if it were a biscuit.
Everyone unconsciously took a step back, pressing themselves against the greenhouse wall.
For most of them, this was the first time they had directly experienced the dangers of Herbology class.
Although they had already learned about poisonous plants like Belladonna and Venomous Nightshade, the visual impact of the Biting Lettuce surpassed them all.
Just thinking about the image of the wooden stick being bitten to pieces made some of the more timid students' hands and legs tremble involuntarily, making them reluctant to get too close.
"Don't worry, be brave," Professor Sprout said. "I specifically chose a Biting Lettuce that isn't fully mature yet. As long as you're wearing your dragon-hide gloves, you'll be fine... And even if there's an accident, Madam Pomfrey can handle it.
"Come on, move forward. We need to repot the Biting Lettuce today, and you can't do that from so far away."
At Professor Sprout's urging, everyone cautiously moved a little closer.
"Look, it's Kyle. He's not scared at all," Professor Sprout suddenly said. "Oh yes, that's it. One foot away. That's the perfect distance to ensure your safety while still being able to repot the plant. Well done, Gryffindor. Five points to Gryffindor."
Everyone immediately looked over but quickly averted their eyes... It wasn't surprising to see a brave Gryffindor.
Next was the hands-on portion, and as usual, they worked in groups of four. Due to the increased difficulty of this task, Professor Sprout also mentioned that each group only needed to successfully repot the plant once.
Without a doubt, Kyle, Connor, Michael, and Ryan were the first to finish, and they did so in less than ten minutes.
"Marvelous!" exclaimed Professor Sprout as she walked over to inspect their work. She marveled at the neatly packed new soil in the pot and the peacefully sleeping Biting Lettuce. "To achieve such perfection on your first try, and with incredible speed, too... Kyle, you truly have the potential to become a remarkable Magizoologist."
"It's nothing special, just practice," Kyle replied, but quickly corrected himself, "I mean, I just followed the steps you taught us."
"Of course, that's what I meant," Professor Sprout said with a smile. "But this task isn't just about memorizing steps. It also requires a calm demeanor and a steady hand so as not to arouse the Biting Lettuce's suspicion. That's the truly challenging part."
"Maybe I just got lucky," Kyle said with a laugh. "I might have encountered a particularly slow Biting Lettuce."
Connor turned her head to the side, covering her mouth to suppress a giggle.
Kyle wasn't just lucky; he had an entire patch of Biting Lettuce in his possession, probably close to a few hundred plants. Repotting one was undoubtedly a simple task for him, but Professor Sprout was none the wiser. As a reward for their impressive performance, she awarded Gryffindor another ten points.
As if a whole day had passed, the end-of-class bell finally rang, signaling the end of the lesson. The students eagerly removed their scratched-up dragon-hide gloves and rushed out of the greenhouse.
Kyle lingered behind, and as Professor Sprout was busy maintaining order, he stealthily took out two seeds from his pocket and tossed them into a nearby pot.
Hmm... Returning the seeds he had taken in his first year, he thought. Even though it had been quite some time, it felt right to give them back.
"I really hope the next lesson isn't as dangerous as this one," someone muttered as Kyle caught up with Connor.
"I agree," another student chimed in. "Did you hear that crunching sound when the Biting Lettuce bit into the glove? Merlin's beard, my hands were sweating the whole time!"
"I feel the same, but Professor Sprout mentioned that the unit on Biting Lettuce will continue for a month," a Gryffindor student sighed.
"Really? When did she say that?"
"Right before the end of class. Didn't you hear her?"
"No..."
A series of sighs followed.
Upon returning to the castle, Kyle had just entered the entrance hall when he spotted a towering figure.
Hagrid was talking to Sirius, and what was even more surprising, he was smiling.
Noticing Kyle, Hagrid immediately made his way over.
"You won't believe what happened," he said, unfolding a newspaper and pointing to an article on the front page. "That woman... Rita Skeeter, she actually said something nice about me."
"Really?" Kyle glanced at the newspaper, his eyes falling on the familiar photo of Hagrid tending to a wounded Kneazle.
[Half-Giant or Not, What Secrets Lie Behind the Fierce Appearance?]
"It's truly unbelievable," Kyle read aloud. "I never would have imagined that a giant would be bandaging a Kneazle's hind leg instead of eating it.
Moreover, similar incidents have occurred on multiple occasions.
'Hagrid was incredibly helpful during my time at Hogwarts,' said a graduate who wished to remain anonymous. 'He's a kind-hearted man and the best gamekeeper we could ask for.'
And letters like this keep pouring in.
Even the savior, Harry Potter, publicly stated, 'We don't care if he's half-giant.'
This raises questions about whether Rubeus Hagrid, the large and intimidating man, is indeed a half-giant or if he simply has a bigger bone structure..."
Kyle stopped reading there.
It was hard to deny that Rita Skeeter had a certain talent. Despite the contradictory nature of the article, it somehow managed to make sense when read.
...
(End of Chapter)
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