Treacherous | Hermione Granger Book II

|14| Chapter Fourteen

F O U R T E E N

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"I'm excited for Herbology, said no one, in the Hogwarts History,"

Saffron related to Lavender's words on a deeply personal level, as she walked across the vegetable patch with Hermione, Lavender and Parvati, on their way to Herbology. Harry and Ron had gone ahead together, their minds still focussed on the Howler and Saffron felt it best to not get on their bad side today, for they were undoubtedly in a snappy mood, in the midst of the immediate aftermath.

"Except maybe Neville," said Parvati fairly, as they approached the rest of the class, which consisted of second-year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, all waiting outside for Professor Sprout. "Shut up there he is!"

Saffron didn't even have to think about who 'he' could be, for when Lavender and Parvati linked arms with a squeal, it told her that Gilderoy Lockhart must be approaching. No one else could trigger such a reaction.

She looked across the lawn to see the squat little Professor Sprout, sporting her usual patched hat and dirty robes, alongside her polar opposite, Lockhart, who was pristine in beautiful turquoise robes with his golden locks gleaming against the sun shining down on him. They were walking away from the tree Harry and Ron had crashed into only last night, the Whomping Willow, which had many branches in slings, evidently due to the damage that was done last night.

"Oh, hello there!" he called, beaming around at the assembled students, Saffron couldn't help but beam back, and she had the feeling most of the other girls and perhaps some boys had similar beams present on their faces. "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 . . ."

"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" Professor Sprout, sounded irritable and tired, unlike the woman that thought the disgusting subject Herbology, whom, in spite of disliking the subject, Saffron had grown to like, last year.

"Greenhouse three!" Hermione whispered to Saffron in excitement.

Her excitement was due to the fact that they had only ever worked in greenhouse one before and were now skipping greenhouse two to move onto three. That gave Saffron a bit of an iffy feeling but she reminded herself of her vow to be bold and try, so she did so.

Professor Sprout took a large rusty key from her belt and unlocked the door. Saffron exchanged an apprehensive glance with Lavender who shrivelled up her nose at the scene of the smell of earth and fertiliser. Saffron followed Lavender in and was in turn followed by Hermione and Ron, but she turned around when she heard Lockhart's voice.

"Harry! I've been wanting a word - you don't mind if he's a couple of minutes late, do you, Professor Sprout?"

Saffron arched her eyebrow, looking from Lockhart, to Professor Sprout, to Harry, before going back to Lockhart and staying on Lockhart before someone spoke up.

Lockhart didn't even give Professor Sprout time to reply, he merely said, "That's the ticket," and closed the greenhouse door in her face.

"What was that about?" Saffron asked Hermione, as they took their places on benches, around a large table full of strange plants.

"I don't know," replied Hermione, taking a pair of ear muffs off the bench and handing it to Saffron, before taking her own. "It's a bit strange, isn't it? Harry's lucky though, I can't wait to find out what Lockhart had to say,"