Chapter 343

The greenhouse was warm and cozy.

All kinds of plants thrived here.

When Wizard Sean walked toward the right corner of the greenhouse, he saw Neville and Jia Jia Siting guiding Hermione as they tended to simple plants in Greenhouse One.

They moved among the flowers—those blooms hung from the ceiling, nearly as large as umbrellas.

“The ones with heart-shaped leaves, fuzzy on both sides, and finely serrated edges… those are lavender.”

“It’s an essential ingredient in beauty potions.”

Jia Jia Siting explained.

Hermione nodded.

Neville, beside her, spoke little—only uttering a few words when handling the plants:

“Choose those with fuzz roughly equal in length to the serrations…”

With the two of them guiding her, Hermione’s progress was swift.

Professor Sprout watched this scene with a smile, then turned her gaze to Wizard Sean on the path. She had seen this same sight once a year ago, yet she never grew tired of it.

The greenhouse, year after year, always witnessed such moments.

Professor Sprout was perhaps the most respected and beloved professor at Hogwarts.

Her greenhouse was always open to young witches and wizards who loved nature.

Like Neville and Jia Jia Siting—hardworking, they even had keys to Greenhouse One;

and like Wizard Sean, who had his own small greenhouse, tucked into the far right corner of the greenhouse.

Right now, he stood there, within the fence, surrounded by a cluster of vividly colored, faintly fragrant flowers—his lavender, which, after special treatment, could be used to brew sleeping potions.

In addition, he grew some nettle, mistletoe, daffodils… and recently, aconite.

These herbs were the raw materials Wizard Sean used to brew ordinary antidotes, acne potions, swelling potions, anti-swelling potions, and more.

As soon as he stepped into the work area, a notebook floated above his head, suspended by a floating wooden rack, then descended before him.

It was Wizard Sean’s practical notebook.

Due to the strong link between potions and herbology, Wizard Sean had to learn not only how to identify, cultivate, and preserve herbs, but also the different processing methods required by potion-making, and carefully assess the condition of each individual plant.

These were tedious, time-consuming tasks, yet Wizard Sean had devoted himself to them for over a year, leaving behind a notebook revered by Hufflepuffs as a sacred text.

In depth of knowledge, it fell short of the herbology textbooks in the Hogwarts library;

in specialization, it was far outclassed by books like *The Complete Making Guide to Carnivorous Trees* and *The Comprehensive Catalog of Toxic Fungi*.

Yet it remained the one notebook every Hufflepuff owned.

Because, from the perspective of the most clumsy wizard, it meticulously and scientifically guided a wizard with no innate talent on how to learn herbology.

It was not renowned for its breadth—it simply devoted over seventeen pages to describing white xian.

It was not famed for its richness—it simply kept updating for over a year, growing from an initial hundred pages to seven hundred now.

Perhaps, as its cover stated:

【Dedicated to every wizard who loves nature—entering the greenhouse is not required, talent is not required. When you’re willing to pick up the hoe, herbology truly begins.】

But in Wizard Sean’s original draft, it read:

【To realize you have no talent, yet still choose to pick up the hoe—that is the beginning of herbology.】

Professor Sprout occasionally caught sight of this line when Wizard Sean was deeply focused on tending herbs; each time, her warm smile grew even brighter.

Greenhouse One had no sense of time.

Wizard Sean tended his small greenhouse, letting it burst with vitality.

In the process, his panel’s proficiency gradually increased:

【You fully processed an aconite to expert standard. Proficiency +10】

【You fully processed an aconite to expert standard. Proficiency +10】

【Title: Herbologist】

【Herbology Knowledge: Expert Level (25700/30000)】

Exhausted, Wizard Sean finally paused. Though he could use magic to repel pests, remove weeds, and water the plants, identifying, processing, and refining his notes all required his own hands.

And as a second-year wizard, his energy was limited.

“Come to me, children—have some honey-lemon water, take a rest.”

Professor Sprout was more than satisfied; the stout witch waved her wand, and each of them received a cauldron cake, a glittering candy box, and a steaming cup of honey-lemon water.

“My dear little bud, your mother told me you’ve mastered your Animagus transformation?”

Professor Sprout naturally pulled Wizard Sean aside, and the two stepped outside the greenhouse.

Inside, Bruce and the other three Hufflepuff seniors had come to rest—they had just processed Bubotuber pus, their clothes still streaked with thick, yellow-green slime, reeking of a pungent petroleum odor.

“Bruce!”

Leon saw Bruce heading for the small wooden table and knew what was coming.

“Don’t eat mine!”

Pester now worried too—Bruce was the kind who’d just snatch food outright, leaving none for anyone else.

“Next time you come to the greenhouse, I’ll save you my share.”

Bruce was already close to the small wooden table.

At the table’s edge.

Hermione stared in astonishment at the three sudden Hufflepuff seniors.

“Ignore them—it happens a few times a month.”

Jia Jia Siting sighed with a smile.

“Bruce is actually quite serious at other times…”

Harry added.

“Mmm—yeah, as long as he doesn’t run into other Hufflepuff friends or Wizard Sean.”

Ron spoke with his mouth full of snacks.

“Damn—it’s already been pre-allocated to your graduation!”

Leon was furious.

He’d been tricked too many times.

“Alright, everyone—draw your wands! Only the winner gets Professor’s reward!”

Bruce hadn’t even finished speaking when a spell shot toward him.

Pester swiftly swung his wand:

“Tarantallegra!”

Instantly, Bruce’s legs began twitching uncontrollably, as if dancing a rapid jig.

“Pester, heartbreaking—you’ve learned to ambush!”

Amid the chaos, Hermione had no idea how to approach them.

She had imagined many failures: perhaps the seniors were unfriendly, or perhaps this was a secret that couldn’t be shared…

But she could never have imagined someone would duel over cauldron cakes.

Such food was everywhere in the Hogwarts Great Hall.

“It’ll be over soon.”

Jia Jia Siting and the others were used to it; Jia Jia Siting even slipped Wizard Sean’s portion away.

After all, when there was no danger, Bruce would quietly create some.