Chapter 24: Herbology Class

Ghosts are strangely peculiar,

there are amiable Fat Friars, Headless Nick, and even professors…

Justin opened his assignment, which contained a rough outline,

“Oh, if only he wouldn’t suddenly go mad,

Cedric said no first-year assignment had ever been this long,

he tried to find Professor Binns but never succeeded,

I suppose even if he did find him, it wouldn’t change the professor’s mind.

A foot-long assignment, Merlin… this is still too hard, Wizard Sean, have you finished yours?”

Justin closed his assignment sheepishly, his eyes gleaming with hope.

“Mm.”

Wizard Sean nodded, then pulled out a sheet of parchment from his bag,

and a light blue-covered notebook.

The parchment contained the essay guidelines written by Michael and others, while the light blue notebook was Wizard Sean’s own summary and organization of A History of Magic,

he had another identical notebook for organizing his thoughts and inspirations.

“Good heavens! Wizard Sean, you actually finished?!”

Justin immediately clapped his hand over his mouth,

“Though I always thought this wouldn’t stump you, it still shocks me every time…

Are we really in the same year as wizards…?”

His voice trailed off into near silence.

“I’ll only glance at the outline—I won’t copy your work,

if I do, may I never set foot in the kitchen again.”

Justin solemnly swore, his gray-blue eyes conveying sincerity and a barely perceptible unease.

“Mm.”

Wizard Sean placed the notebook in Justin’s hands and left the Great Hall for the library.

Morning was when his energy was at its peak; he tackled the most difficult tasks then.

For instance, thoroughly organizing A History of Magic,

combining it with Modern Magical History, Important Magical Events of the Twentieth Century, and A Directory of Contemporary Famous Wizards to create his own unique framework.

Wizard Sean believed this would surely help him excel in Magical History.

The library’s oak table was reddish-brown, flanked by magical lanterns, crystal balls, and some floral arrangements.

Wizard Sean was immersed in the wonders of magical history; Budebushuo , wizards truly had strange lives,

for example:

【In the Middle Ages, Muggles were terrified of magic but were terrible at identifying it.

They occasionally did capture male or female wizards, but burning them had little effect.

Wizards, when burned, would cast a basic spell to freeze the flames,

enjoying the gentle tingling pleasure of the fire while feigning agony and screaming.

The seer Wendelin greatly enjoyed being burned, allowing herself to be captured in forty-seven different disguises.】

This differed vastly from Wizard Sean’s imagined image of witch-burning atrocities,

and even more so from his imagined image of wizards.

After completing his Zhengli of the Middle Ages, Wizard Sean once again faced the question:

Where could he find potion ingredients?

Perhaps Professor Sprout had spare materials?

Perhaps he could find a way to buy some in Hogsmeade—if he discovered the castle’s secret passages.

Perhaps he could ask Professor Sprout whether first-years could use Hogwarts’ potion ingredients after class to brew potions, then sneak off to practice?

But this method carried great risk and demanded extreme caution.

Still, there’s always a way around difficulty; Wizard Sean pulled out his notebook and prepared to organize his tangled thoughts.

But when he opened the first page, he froze:

【Emeryc was a short-lived but extremely vicious Dark Wizard…】

Wizard Sean flipped further:

【Uric believed he had died and become a ghost after hearing the call of a Divining Bird…】

Yurik, hearing the call of the divining bird, became convinced he had died and become a ghost…

In the Great Hall.

Justin stared raptly at the parchment, his gaze fixed, occasionally murmuring:

“Oh, you can write it like this… what a genius…”

He turned the light blue notebook with sudden insight, and its contents left his hand suspended mid-page.

【Finding Ingredients for Potion Brewing】

“Wizard Sean wants to practice potion brewing himself?”

That was his first thought,

“Wizard Sean is struggling because he has no ingredients?”

That was his second thought.

“I have some.”

That was his final thought.

He carefully tucked away the parchment and notebook, and before Herbology class began, sprinted back to the Hufflepuff common room,

where green vines curled around the walls and tables always held steaming milk, pumpkin juice, and all kinds of sweets and pies.

He followed a path lined with candles into his dormitory and opened his luxurious large trunk.

Among scattered letters and postcards lay various jars and crystal vials.

If one looked closely, one would find two sets of every potion ingredient required for first-year wizards.

He recalled the conversation at Slughorn & Jiggers Apothecary:

“Are you certain you want all of it packed as one set?”

“Yes, thank you, sir.”

“Oh, my generous lady, I truly cannot deceive such a beautiful woman…

These potion ingredients aren’t even on Hogwarts’ procurement list,

yet you still want them?”

“Precisely because they’re not, pack two sets, sir.”

At that moment, Justin faintly understood his mother’s foresight.

“Dear Finley, if everyone has something, you must have it better;

if no one has it, you should have it even more.

Those small expenditures are proper investments.

And the greatest investment—you always know, dear—is sincerity and love.”

“I think I might understand now…”

Justin gazed long at the overflowing trunk; the crisp, white collar of his shirt still seemed to hold the warmth of his mother’s iron.

Justin gazed for a long time at the packed suitcase, the collar of his forever crisp white shirt still seeming to hold the warmth of his mother’s iron.

Wizard Sean stepped through the archway, waiting for the staircase to turn.

He had no intention of retrieving the notebook from Justin, as the second Herbology class of the morning was about to begin.

Besides, the notebook held nothing requiring secrecy—only a few notes on herb preparation and his own ideas for sourcing potion ingredients.

After class, he could exchange his truly useful notes with Justin

and retrieve the notebook.

Eight o’clock,

soft sunlight danced on the armor,

the scent of greenhouse grass still lingered along the outer corridors.

Wizard Sean pushed open the oak door,

a few first-years had already arrived in the greenhouse.

Wizard Sean saw Professor Sprout put down her hoe and smile warmly, nodding at him.

Wizard Sean saw Professor Sprout put down her hoe and nod at him with a smile.

Michael grabbed Wizard Sean’s arm,

pulling him over to where Anthony and Terry stood,

“I swear, I think the professor’s watching you.”

Michael stretched his neck and said.

Michael stretched out his neck and said.