Neville Longbottom, the boy who lived year 2

Chapter 5

The next day they were sitting in Herbology. Then Professor Sprout came.

"Good morning everyone." Then she tapped her wand on the table. "Good morning everyone!" she said louder.

"Good morning Professor Sprout." they said together.

"Welcome to Greenhouse three today, chaps!" she said. "Now today we're going to repot Mandrakes. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?" Hermione raised her hand. "Yes Ms. Ganger."

"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she had swallowed the textbook. "It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."

"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?"

Hermione's hand narrowly missed Harry's glasses as it shot up again.

"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," she said promptly.

"Precisely. Take another ten points," said Professor Sprout. "Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young. But they'll knock you out for several hours which is why I gave you a earmuffs. For complete protection. Now if you'll please put them on."

Everyone started to put them on as told.

"Flaps tight down and watch me closely. You grasp, your mandrake firmly. And take them right outside the pot."

Then it started to cry and everyone covered their ears.

"And then put them in the other pot and put some soil to keep them warm."

It continued to cry making Seamus fall and pass out.

Professor Sprout sighed. "Finnigan's been neglected by his earmuffs."

Dean looked down at him then looked back at his Professor. "No ma'am, he's just fainted."

"Yes well, just leave him there. Right on you go. Grasp your mandrake and pull it out!"

Then everyone pulled them out and looked at it. Ron's was very fat and Malfoy was playing with its chin. Then his finger was in its mouth. He pulled it out, whipped it on his top and put the mandrake down.

A few hours later they were sitting there at the table doing homework when they heard someone.

"Hi Neville!" Then light came out of nowhere.

Neville and Harry were shocked.

"I'm Colin Creevey! I'm in Gryffindor to." Colin said.

"Hi Colin, nice to meet you." he said.

"Do you mind if you leave? We have some paper to finish." Harry said.

"Oh, of course." Then he took another picture and left.

"Thanks." he said.

"No problem." she said.

After that they were in Defense Against the Dark Arts waiting for their Professor. Then the door opened and everyone looked up.

"Let me introduce your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, me. "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award — but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!" he said chuckling a little.

Hermione and someone leaned on their books in dreamland. Then he took out his wand.

"Now- be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm."

"I must ask you not to scream," said Lockhart in a low voice. "It might provoke them."

Then he uncovered what was under the blanket. They were going all over the lock.

"Cornish pixies?" Seamus said.

"Yes," he said dramatically. "Freshly caught Cornish pixies."

Seamus started laughing.

"Devilish tricky little blighters they can be! Let's see what you make of them!"

He opened them and then everyone jumped up from their seat. Two of them took Seamus' ears and pulled him on the top light.

"Please get me down!" Seamus said.

"Come on now — round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart shouted.

"Get off me!" Hermione said while a pixie pulled her hair.

"No stop hold still!" Harry said and hit it with his book.

Then Lockhart looked around and took out his wand. "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"

Then before the spell worked a pixie took it. When it got to the top it hit the dinosaur bones down and another one was on the back.

"Yeeehaaaa!" it yelled.

At the top Lockhart hurried over to a picture of himself while another took it. He pulled it to try and get it but lost it.

"I'll ask you three to just, nip the rest of them back to their case!"

Then he left the room.

"What do we do now?" Ron asked while Harry and Neville used a book to get them away.

Then Hermione stood up and took out her wand. "Emirbulus!"

Then they stopped moving and started floating.

"Why is it always me?" Seamus asked while he was stuck.