The Raven's Call

Mandragora

Wednesday, September 2nd 1992

Of course, in pure Atticus fashion, I miss breakfast on the first day, though I'm awake in time to make it to Herbology. I take a spot in between Hermione and Susan Bones as I listen in. "Good morning, everyone." "Good morning, Professor Sprout." The class chimes in unison. "Welcome to Greenhouse 3, second years! Gather around, everyone. Today we're going to re-pot mandrakes!" She explains happily, taking a mandrake-filled pot and placing it in front of her, to begin her demonstration. "Who here can tell me the properties of the mandrake root?" She asks, glancing around the room. Hermione and I both raise our hands in the air. "Yes, Miss Granger?" I lower my hand slowly, in defeat. "Mandrake, or mandragora is used to return those who have been petrified to their original state. It's also quite dangerous. The Mandrake's cry is fatal to anyone who hears it." I whisper every single word she spoke under my breath, along with her. "Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor. As our Mandrakes are still only seedlings, their cries won't kill you yet. But they could knock you out for hours, which is why I have given you earmuffs for auditory protection. So could you please put them on, right away? Quickly. Flaps tight down, and watch me closely."  Sprout announces as the rest of us place our earmuffs on, I make sure to put mine on extra tightly.  "You grasp your Mandrake firmly. You pull it sharply up out of the pot." She did as she said, pulling the plant out, a large shriek filling the room, myself and my fellow students pressing down harder on the earmuffs. "Got it? And now you dunk it down into the other pot and pour a little sprinkling of soil to keep him warm." She continued, a few moments later, Neville falls to the floor, seemingly unconscious. "Longbottom's been neglecting his earmuffs." Sprout sighs. "No, ma'am, he's just fainted." Seamus spoke in his thick Irish accent.  "Yes, well, just leave him there." "Leave him there?" Alex exclaims furiously. "What if he's injured?" "It's safer for him there, honestly." she spoke again, not looking away from her mandrake. "Right, on we go. Plenty of pots to go around. Grasp your Mandrake and pull it up." The class obliges, pulling up the mandrakes in unison, the screams deafening. I can't help but laugh as I look over to see the face Ron is pulling at the state of his mandrake. I then hear Asteria and her posse laughing at Draco who'd just been bitten by his, seeing her hair was back to fully blonde. Strange.

***

Next is a free period, so I help Alex bring Neville to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey tells us to keep him hydrated and sends us on our way. We escort him to the Great Hall and take a seat at the Gryffindor table, and I pull out my Herbology books, studying Mandrakes for the rest of the free period. Once the bell rings for lunch, the room begins to fill with students, though my gaze follows a particular blonde Ravenclaw. "I'll see you guys in D.A.D.A." I speak in a distracted tone before I follow her to the Ravenclaw table. "Ley, Huna." I say confidently, sitting down next to her. Definitely didn't just rehearse that in my head. "..what?" She asks, a smile spreading across her face, I realise what I have just done. "..Hey Luna.." I blush, looking down at the table, my curls hiding the bright red hue that now spread across my ENTIRE face as I refuse to make eye contact. I hear her giggle. "That's funny, I must use that sometime~." I look over at her, looking into her light blue eyes. "Swapping the letters of the words around. That's very clever." "O-oh yeah, I t-totally did that on purpose." I stammer, grinning wildly. She giggles again. Merlin, her smile could light up the whole room. I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing her smile. "Ronald Weasley!" A voice howls from the Gryffindor table. "How dare you steal that car! I am absolutely disgusted! Your father's now facing inquiry at work, and it's entirely your fault! If you put another toe out of line, we'll bring you straight home!" Weasley has got himself a howler. I hear a few giggles echo around the room, though when I turn to Luna, her smile is gone. "Poor boy, that must've been so embarrassing for him.." I nod, "I can't even imagine how that must feel." I say softly, leaning back in my seat, forgetting my chair doesn't have a back, and I fall straight onto the floor on my back. I hear Asteria laugh at me, and I flip her the bird with a smile before Luna helps me to my feet. "A friend of yours?" Luna asks, her smile back across her beautiful face. I nod and chuckle. "Yeah, one of my best friends." Luna smiles brighter. "It's always good to have people close to you, especially people you can joke around like that with." She spoke, squeezing the hand that I am still holding hers with. I quickly and embarrassingly let go. "Uh- yeah..!" I giggle.