Chapter 24: Herbology

"Professor Sprout."

When they reached the professor, Bruce, who had been carefree all the way, became reserved instead.

"Oh, Bruce Dickinson,

Leon Howard,

Mr. Pister Jefferson, I'm so glad you could come to help,"

Professor Sprout wore a hat with thick patches, and her smile was like the warm sun hanging high,

"New seedlings? Child, I'm glad to see you, what is your name?"

She put down the large shears for handling Bubotuber and leaned over to look at Sean.

She didn't ask why he appeared here,

but took off her dragon-hide gloves covered in mud,

and was as enthusiastic as the old lady who often came to donate to the orphanage.

Although her money didn't fall on the orphans at all, it didn't prevent Sean from respecting her.

"Sean Green."

Sean also became shy.

"Mr. Green, I'm glad you came to help too. Mr. Dickinson, would you take him to handle mature plants together?"

Professor Sprout gently pinched Sean's cheek, then arranged the work enthusiastically,

"Mr. Howard, I'll leave those weeds to you,

as for Mr. Jefferson, I would like to ask you to select Dittany of different growth cycles, that will be the first plant the little sprouts need to know."

"Yes, Professor."

Sean saw Bruce roll up his sleeves and answer softly, Leon said no problem,

and Pister Howard, he seemed even more reserved than Bruce, just nodding hard with a red face.

Professor Sprout seemed to have a very high status in the hearts of the Hufflepuff senior students.

Sean thought.

"I dare say, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more caring professor than Professor Sprout, every Hogwarts student is like her own child,"

Bruce mentioned Professor Sprout with a smile, his eyes shining with light,

"She has been voted the most popular professor for many consecutive years...

Now, let's handle the mature plants first, it looks like a big project!"

Sean nodded, and the two began to shuttle between the pumpkin-like plants, where pots of Dittany with purple-red petals were scattered.

"Collect the mature Dittany in here first, hmm, do you know what kind of Dittany is mature?"

Bruce handed Sean a pair of small shears while trimming the Dittany.

Sean shook his head, the book didn't write this.

"This is what you can't learn from books, I'll teach you."

Saying that, Bruce leaned over to a pot of Dittany and sniffed, then with a "click," trimmed it off.

"Dittany has a faint mutton smell, and when it matures, this smell becomes stronger. Come and try to smell it."

Sean leaned in and smelled it, and found that Dittany at different stages indeed had different smells,

and the Dittany that Senior Bruce picked had a stronger mutton smell.

Senior Bruce smiled:

"Mature Dittany will increase the success rate of Invigoration Draught, conversely, young Dittany is very likely to lead to potion failure,

this is—the charm of Herbology."

His words opened that door Sean was looking for,

Sean nodded and quickly joined the ranks of picking mature Dittany.

The two were like Nifflers looking for treasure, sniffing here and looking there among the pumpkin-like plants.

In the process, Sean's proficiency in identifying mature Dittany was also gradually increasing.

The difference was that because Bruce was tall and had darker skin, he looked more like a groundhog.

And because of Sean's outstanding appearance, nimble and agile, he was like a cat shuttling through the grass.

"That's about it, let's handle the Dittany."

Senior Bruce carried a bag of Dittany and waved to Sean.

"Hmm."

Sean stopped and watched Bruce take out two silver knives and something like a colander from the place where hoes were piled up on the edge of the greenhouse.

"There are many difficulties in cutting Dittany, generally speaking, it is the three-stage method, watch carefully."

Senior Bruce said while cutting the Dittany into three sections, then using different degrees of cutting methods for each,

cutting finer toward the end, and even using that colander-like thing to squeeze at the end.

"This is because the distribution of Dittany essence is uneven, so different means must be used during handling.

Want to try?"

Sean nodded and took the tools.

【You handled a Dittany completely to the standard of an apprentice, proficiency +1】

The corners of Sean's mouth rose involuntarily, and he became even more hardworking.

【You handled a Dittany completely to the standard of an apprentice, proficiency +1】

【You handled a Dittany completely to the standard of an apprentice, proficiency +1】

【You handled a Dittany completely to the standard of an apprentice, proficiency +1】

The panel's upgrade sounds kept ringing, and Sean's hands were fast enough to leave afterimages.

"He seems to like Herbology a bit too much."

Senior Bruce scratched his head, feeling a bit dumbfounded.

"Sean, Sean, listen to me, it's time to handle dried nettles."

Senior Bruce stopped Sean's cutting career and took Sean to a nettle field with some admiration.

He would no longer question the other party's enthusiasm for Herbology.

"Dried nettles, this is a common plant, but after handling, it can become a material for making magical potions, as for handling..."

Sean was like a sponge, absorbing knowledge to the greatest extent.

【You handled a nettle completely to the standard of an apprentice, proficiency +1】

【You handled a nettle completely to the standard of an apprentice, proficiency +1】

Time passed like fine sand.

"Gentlemen, listen to me, you did a great job, thank you for your help to the new sprouts."

Professor Sprout's voice interrupted Sean's movements, and in his hand, the last nettle was also handled,

and at this time, light blue juice was dripping from it, clearly having undergone special soaking.

Sean listened silently to the professor's words, then opened the panel,

【Herbology Cognition: Unlocked (27/90)】

【Note: Herbology cognition proficiency includes the proficiency of a series of complete processes such as herb identification and herb handling】

90 points of proficiency unlock value, this was the first time Sean had seen it,

as if adding three apprentice-level proficiencies together.

"Mr. Dickinson, you and Mr. Green successfully helped the sprouts pick away the deceptive mature herbs;

Mr. Howard, you successfully helped the sprouts remove weeds; ===== CHAPTER 25 =====