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The seven friends head to Herbology together, walking across the vegetable patches and to the greenhouses. As they reach the greenhouses, they find the rest of their class. Looking over, they see Professor Sprout walking towards them, her arms full of bandages, with Lockhart following close behind her. In the distance, they see the Whomping Willow with bandages and slings on its branches "Oh, hello there! Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is! I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels..." Lockhart smiles. Willow and the boys avoid looking at each other as they struggle not to laugh "Greenhouse three today, chaps!" Professor Sprout tells the class, pulling out a large key from her belt and unlocking the door. Willow smiles and goes to head in, stopping when Harry is grabbed by Lockhart "Harry! I've been wanting a word—you don't mind if he's a couple of minutes late, do you, Professor Sprout? That's the ticket." he smiles. Willow glares at the man, Harry giving her a reassuring half smile as Lockhart shuts the door in Sprout's face.
Willow mutters to herself as she goes and joins the boys at a table, Hermione, Ron and a Hufflepuff boy at the joining table. Harry soon walks in, looking irritated as he takes his spot next to Ron "We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?" Sprout asks, standing at a table covered in earmuffs. Hermione and Willow both put up their hands "Miss Granger?" Sprout asks the class. "Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative. It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state." Hermione explains. "Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor. The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?" Sprout asks the class. Immediately Willow and Hermione put their hands up again "Miss Mikaelson?" Sprout asks. "The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it." Willow responds. "Precisely. Take ten points. Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young. Everyone take a pair of earmuffs." Sprout tells the class. There's a scramble as everyone tries to grab a pair that aren't pink and fluffy, Willow using her speed to grab her and her friends ones that are either red or green "When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered. When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs up. Right—earmuffs on." Sprout tells everyone.
Everyone puts their earmuffs on, Professor Sprout showing them how to grab the mandrake and pull them out the pots. Instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby pops out of the earth, screaming its lungs out. Professor Sprout takes a large plant pot and plunges the Mandrake into it, burying in compost until only the leaves were visible. Sprout dusts off her hands and gives them all the thumbs up, removing her own earmuffs as everyone does the same "As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet. However, they will knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back, make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while you work. I will attract your attention when it is time to pack up. Four to a tray, there is a large supply of pots here, compost in the sacks over there, and be careful of the Venomous Tentacula, it's teething." She tells them, slapping the feeler that is creeping over her shoulder.
The friends all get to work as the Hufflepuff starts talking to everyone "Justin Finch-Fletchley. Know who you are, of course, the famous Harry Potter... And you're Hermione Granger, always top in everything with Willow Mikaelson... Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott and Draco Malfoy, all Slytherin legacies... and Ron Weasley. Wasn't that your flying car?" he asks, Ron not smiling as Justin shakes everyone's hands. Willow blinks in surprise at the word vomit coming from the blonde, curly haired Hufflepuff "That Lockhart's something, isn't he? Awfully brave chap. Have you read his books? I'd have died of fear if I'd been cornered in a telephone booth by a werewolf, but he stayed cool and, zap, just fantastic. My name was down for Eton, you know. I can't tell you how glad I am I came here instead. Of course, Mother was slightly disappointed, but since I made her read Lockhart's books I think she's begun to see how useful it'll be to have a fully trained wizard in the family..." Justin continues, Willow glaring at the talk of werewolves. The friends look at each other, pulling on their earmuffs as they start potting the mandrakes into the bigger pots.
After class the seven friends walk out the classroom covered in dirt, tired and sweaty "Come on, we have time to clean up before Transfiguration." Willow tells them. "The nearest bathrooms are over here." Hermione nods, leading everyone down the corridor. Willow and Hermione walk into the girls bathroom and start cleaning the dirt from their hands "God, that was exhausting." Willow tells her friend. "At least it's over with now, I wonder what we're going to be doing in transfiguration?" Hermione responds. "Hopefully something less tiring." Willow jokes.
