Chapter 49 - 49. classes. (1/2)

Professor Sprout was standing behind a trestle bench in the center of the greenhouse. About twenty pairs of different colored ear muffs were lying on the bench. She said, ”We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?”

To nobody's surprise, Hermione's hand was first into the air.”Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative,” said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she had swallowed the textbook. ”It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state.”

”Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor,” said Professor Sprout. ”The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?”

This time it was Nevilles turn ”The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it,” he said .

”Precisely. Take another ten points for gryffindor,” said Professor Sprout. ”Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young.”

She pointed to a row of deep trays as she spoke, and everyone shuffled forward for a better look. A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in color, were growing there in rows. They looked quite unremarkable.”Everyone take a pair of earmuffs,” said Professor Sprout.

There was a scramble as everyone tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy except Ryans group who didn't care much.

”When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered,” said Professor Sprout. ”When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs up. Right鈥攅armuffs on.” Ryan snapped the earmuffs over his ears. They shut out sound completely. Professor Sprout put the pink, fluffy pair over her own ears, rolled up the sleeves of her robes, grasped one of the tufty plants firmly, and pulled hard.Instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out of his head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs.

Professor Sprout took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible. Professor Sprout dusted off her hands, gave them all the thumbs up, and removed her own earmuffs. ”As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet,” she said calmly as though she'd just done nothing more exciting than water a begonia. ”However, they will knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back, make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while you work. I will attract your attention when it is time to pack up.

”Four to a tray鈥攖here is a large supply of pots here鈥攃ompost in the sacks over there鈥攁nd be careful of the Venomous Tentacula, it's teething.” Ryan froze as he heard that. She gave a sharp slap to a spiky, dark red plant as she spoke, making it draw in the long feelers that had been inching sneakily over her shoulder. Yep his collector mode kicked in. and when Noone else was looking he stole some parts off the plant to grow his own. After that they didn't have much chance to talk. Their earmuffs were back on and they needed to concentrate on the Mandrakes. Professor Sprout had made it look extremely easy, but it wasn't. The Mandrakes didn't like coming out of the earth, but didn't seem to want to go back into it either. They squirmed, kicked, flailed their sharp little fists, and gnashed their teeth; one kicked Ryan in the face and much to the shock of everyone he placed it over his knee and spanked it's little plant butt. After the other Mandrakes saw that they all calmed down pretty quick and class went by much easier.By the end of the class, everyone was sweaty, aching, and covered in earth. Everyone traipsed back to the castle for a quick wash and then the Gryffindors hurried off to Transfiguration.

Professor McGonagall's classes were always hard work, He was supposed to be turning a beetle into a button, but all he managed to do was give his beetle a lot of exercise as it scuttled over the desktop avoiding his wand.

Ryan was relieved to hear the lunch bell. Everyone filed out of the classroom in a mad dash to get away from work.”What've we got this afternoon?” said Ryan, hastily changing the subject.