The storm had blown itself out by the following morning, though the ceiling in the Great Hall was still gloomy. Heavy clouds of pewter gray swirled overhead as we examined our new course schedules at breakfast. A few seats along, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were discussing magical methods of aging themselves and bluffing their way into the Triwizard Tournament.
Ron: Today's not bad, outside all morning. Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures... damn it, we're still with the Slytherins. Also double Divination this afternoon.
Harry groaned, looking down. Professor Trelawney, the Divination teacher, had been trying desperately to predict Harry's death since last year.
Hermione: You should have given it up like YN and I, shouldn't you? Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy.
YN: And I get a free period. Hermione's just taking extra classes.
Ron: You're eating again, I notice.
Hermione was in the middle of adding liberal amounts of jam to her toast.
Hermione: I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights.
Ava: You sure it had nothing to do with you being hungry?
There was a sudden rustling noise above us, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning mail. Riko dropped a letter in front of me then landed on my shoulder, rubbing her head against my ear. I opened it and grinned, showing it to Ava. "YN. Professor McGonagall sent me a letter saying that you would be the one greeting me this afternoon. I look forward to seeing you again, we've got a lot of catching up to do. Suguru".
Ava: Hey, how come I'm not mentioned in this?
YN: I don't think he knows you're here. Imagine the look on his face when he finds out we're dating.
Ava: In hindsight, I think he was always pushing us in that direction.
When we arrived in greenhouse three, Professor Sprout immediately began showing the class the ugliest plants I had ever seen. They looked less like plants than thick, black, giant slugs, protruding vertically out of the soil. Each was squirming slightly and had a number of large, shiny swellings upon it, which appeared to be full of liquid.
Sprout: Bubotubers. They need squeezing. You will collect the pus-
Seamus: The what?
Sprout: Pus, Finnigan, pus. And it's extremely valuable, so don't waste it. You will collect the pus, I say, in these bottles. Wear your dragon hide gloves, it can do funny things to the skin when undiluted, bubotuber pus.
Squeezing the bubotubers was disgusting, but oddly satisfying. As each swelling was popped, a large amount of thick yellowish-green liquid burst forth, which smelled like gasoline. We caught it in the bottles as Professor Sprout had indicated, and by the end of the lesson had collected several pints.
Sprout: This'll keep Madam Pomfrey happy. An excellent remedy for the more stubborn forms of acne, bubotuber pus. Should stop students resorting to desperate measures to rid themselves of pimples.
Hannah: Like poor Eloise Midgen... she tried to curse hers off.
Sprout: Silly girl. But Madam Pomfrey fixed her nose back on in the end.
A booming bell echoed from the castle across the wet grounds, signaling the end of the lesson, and the class separated. The Hufflepuffs climbed the stone steps for Transfiguration, and the Gryffindors headed in the other direction, down the sloping lawn toward Hagrid's small wooden cabin, which stood on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid was standing outside his hut, one hand on the collar of his enormous black boarhound, Fang. There were several open wooden crates on the ground at his feet, and Fang was whimpering and straining at his collar, apparently keen to investigate the contents more closely. As we drew nearer, an odd rattling noise reached their ears, punctuated by what sounded like minor explosions.
YOU ARE READING
Infinite Magic (Male Reader x Harry Potter)
AdventureYN Gojo, the first Gojo clan member to possess both Six Eyes and Infinity for generations, goes to Hogwarts!
