One Stone Changes So Many Lives - Book 3/10

Chapter 10 - Herbology and Potions

September slowly drifted away, and the next thing I knew it was October.

Hermione's birthday was on the 19th September. I had ordered her a copy of 'Challenges in Charming' along with one for myself. She was amazed by it.

I also snuck down to the kitchens and got a bunch of food and sweets, and surprised her in her dorm. She was working on some homework, which she reluctantly put down. When I said she could borrow some of my notes that I still had from first year, naturally she cheered up. It was nice spending time with Hermione. I know she is younger than me and stuff, but she doesn't pester me on and on about George, like Alicia and Angelina do. The keep asking me non-stop when I'm going to admit to him, that I like him. When I told them that I wasn't – Let's just say they were not amused.

When October finally came around, so did my first note from Dumbledore. My First task was to help Hagrid in on the run up to Halloween – simple enough. When I joined Hagrid on the first Saturday of October, we were just working in his Garden on the Gigantic Pumpkins, that he was growing for the feast.

I decided to have lunch with him, whilst avoiding his new recipe of Rock Cakes, saying I would save them for later. My real plan was to hand them over to Fred and George. Everytime Hagrid gave me a load, I would give them to the twins. They said they were perfect storage for some kind of new sweets they were working on. Once the sweet was placed inside the Rock Cakes, the twins would later place them on the Slytherin table, to watch the aftermath – It was never pretty – Funny! Yeah! – But Never Pretty.

"Now who can tell me about a Puffapod?"

I looked up in confusion, to see Professor Sprout calling out to the class. I was in Herbology Greenhouse 3, standing next to Cedric. I noticed no one else had put their hand up, so I did.

"Yes, Miss Lupin" Sprout calls to me.

"The Puffapod is a plant that produces large pink seedpods full of shining beans and ..... apparently trolls are allergic to Puffapods, as they tend to sneeze whenever they are around them" I finish, remembering what Neville told me back in September – He really likes Herbology.

"Yes! Well done Miss Lupin. Five points to Gryffindor. Now the Puffapod also instantly flowers when they come into contact with any solid object" she pauses glaring at us "So do NOT drop them! We want to collect the beans, so they can be potted and grow in fresh soil! We do not want them flower and wilt on the stone floor!" she adds glaring at us all. "Now. You may begin. Plenty of pots to go around".

"How did you know about the Puffapods?" Cedric asks me, over the loud moans of Alicia, at the idea of touching the Puffapod.

"Oh! A 1st year Gryffindor told me. He loves Herbology.....His name is Neville Longbottom" I answer, collecting a few beans carefully, and placing them in the pot filled with soil, which Cedric was holding.

"Huh? A first year? I'll have to meet him. Maybe he could teach me a bit about Herbology" Cedric adds laughing.

"That would be nice. He isn't very confident in many of his classes yet, so that would be the best way to approach him. Oh and he has a toad, called Trevor, if you want a conversation starter. He always loses him. That's how I first spoke to him really" I say grabbing some more beans, realising that my dragon-hide gloves are covered in pink Puffapod slime. "I found Trevor in the Transfiguration classroom. Some Slytherin's were planning to transfigure him into a pocket watch, so he would never be able to find him" I finish glaring evilly at the Puffapod.

Herbology continued on as usual, with me and Cedric laughing throughout, and then finishing first. We earned points for our each of houses again, because of the sheer amount of beans that we had collected.