Chapter 25: Cross-Disciplinary Magic

“Ah, the warm sun, the gentle breeze, yet another new sprout...”

Professor Sprout tilted her head slightly, smiling with warmth and delight as she spoke.

The young wizards immediately turned all their attention to this stout witch.

A patched hat rested on her fluttering hair, and her robes were speckled with dirt.

“I heard—”

Michael whispered.

“Professor Sprout is the most popular professor at Hogwarts,

and she is also the Head of Hufflepuff. Seeking her help with any problem is never a bad choice.”

Amidst the scent of damp soil, fertilizer, and rich floral fragrance, the professor continued:

“Welcome to Herbology, where you will learn to cultivate these strange plants and fungi and understand their uses.”

She gently tapped a pink pod, and a shiny bean immediately leapt out, blooming into a vivid flower.

A chorus of “Whoa!” erupted around her.

“Is that magic?”

Michael murmured to himself, then suddenly remembered something.

“Wizard Sean, do you know...”

“It’s the Magic Bubble Pod. It appears on page sixty-two of ‘One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi.’

The Bubble Pod grows plump pink pods containing shiny beans.

These beans bloom instantly upon contact with any solid object.”

Anthony and Terry, both listening intently, jotted down Wizard Sean’s explanation almost simultaneously.

Michael simply said:

“Mm-hmm, I figured as much.”

Professor Sprout’s lecture matched exactly what Wizard Sean had learned the first time.

Notably,

whenever the plump professor struggled to find someone to answer a question, Wizard Sean was always called upon.

“Does anyone know what this plant is?

Hmm, you, Green.”

“Wolfsbane, a plant with healing and regenerative magical properties.”

“Perfectly correct. Ravenclaw earns one point.

Now, can any of you tell me how we should process Wolfsbane?

Oh well, seems no one knows. Green?”

“Generally, Wolfsbane extract yields superior healing effects, but raw consumption can also treat superficial wounds.”

“Exactly right. Ravenclaw earns one point.

Final question: What is Wolfsbane’s use? How should it treat werewolf bites?

My dear sprouts, think back to your Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson.”

But sadly, the professor’s expectations were doomed to fail—no one had paid attention in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Professor Quirrell had fallen far behind; he had barely stammered through the opening of what should have been covered in the first lesson.

“Oh! What a pity... then...”

“Wizards once used a mixture of Wolfsbane and silver powder to treat werewolf bites, preventing victims from dying of excessive blood loss.”

Wizard Sean’s fluency was heartbreakingly precise.

“Perfect answer! Ravenclaw earns two points!”

Professor Sprout scanned the group of heads bowed in shame, yet remained undeterred, still full of enthusiasm as she guided the students in processing herbs.

“Alright, sprouts, since you didn’t learn this in Defense Against the Dark Arts, don’t zone out now...”

Professor Sprout had everyone put on gloves, carefully observe the Wolfsbane, then taught them how to process mature Wolfsbane.

“Wizard Sean, aren’t you some distant relative of Professor Sprout?”

Michael whispered suddenly.

Wizard Sean shook his head.

“Then are you the professor’s private... ugh—”

Anthony clamped his hand over Michael’s mouth. The brief loss of oxygen brought his intelligence back online.

He scratched his head, clasped his hands together, and made an apologetic gesture.

What a terrible imagination.

Wizard Sean shook his head in silence.

After teaching the processing of Wolfsbane, the professor added some knowledge on handling dried nettle.

This made Wizard Sean thoughtful.

Perhaps magical education wasn’t as dismal as he’d imagined.

For instance, in Defense Against the Dark Arts, they learned about Wolfsbane for treating werewolf bites,

and in Herbology, they didn’t just cover Wolfsbane—they also taught how to identify and process dried nettle, the very ingredient needed for brewing Cure for Boils.

Clearly, Hogwarts’ curriculum had been meticulously designed.

As Wizard Sean thought this, he continued processing the Wolfsbane.

【You have fully processed a Wolfsbane plant to apprentice standard. Skill +1】

【You have fully processed a Wolfsbane plant to apprentice standard. Skill +1】

【You have fully processed a Wolfsbane plant to apprentice standard. Skill +1】

Though his technique remained at apprentice level, he was far more at ease than the other students.

Like the difference between him and Bruce.

After class, Professor Sprout assigned an open-ended homework: distinguishing mature Wolfsbane.

As she left, the plump professor winked at Wizard Sean.

Outside the greenhouse, in the corridor.

Wizard Sean paused beside a suit of armor.

In the portrait ahead, a lady in a ceremonial gown smiled and nodded at him; he returned the gesture politely.

At the same time, he opened his panel:

【Herbology Knowledge: Locked (80/90)】

By processing Wolfsbane, Wizard Sean gained 21 skill points.

【Apprentice-level Herbology Knowledge: Unlock Apprentice Title in Herbology】

He had another Herbology class this afternoon; by then, he’d surely unlock the title.

Oh, and his Herbology talent—

He didn’t need to guess. He already knew what it would be.

Like those difficult exams from his past life,

as soon as he got the test paper, he could already guess his score—no suspense at all.

Well, there was still one possibility:

Maybe his talent wasn’t ordinary green—but not white trash either?

Yet after observing the greenhouse, Wizard Sean realized one thing:

Hogwarts was rich.

And the professors here were hidden millionaires.

He saw dried nettles in the shade—some had already passed maturity and should have been harvested, yet they hadn’t been.

The greenhouse was too large; they were left alone beneath plants the size of umbrellas.

Wizard Sean thought they must be meant for sale.

Perhaps he could ask Bruce— who sold the herbs?

The professors were always busy; Bruce had once mentioned that Hufflepuffs handled all of it.

If so, he might be able to buy some in advance.

It would surely be expensive,

but no investment, no return.

As he thought this, Wizard Sean unconsciously pulled out his personal notebook.

His quick-scribe quill had barely emerged before he tucked it away again.

He simply quickened his pace toward the Great Hall.

Unexpectedly, before Wizard Sean reached the Great Hall, Justin intercepted him with a mysterious expression.

“Oh, Wizard Sean, I know—well, only a little bit,

I swear I didn’t read more, but luckily, I can help.”

Justin said something that left Wizard Sean utterly confused.