Chapter 95: Animal and plant compatibility

After the start-of-term feast, Hermione was relieved to learn that Harry and Ron had not been expelled. 

The next day, Hermione was holding a jug of milk and taking a sip, but with the commotion above her head, a gray owl fell into the milk jug in Hermione's arms with a "pop", knocking the milk jug into Hermione's arms and splashing milk all over her face.

"Errol!" Ron shouted when he saw the owl in the milk jug, and pulled the owl out with its milk-stained talons. 

Errol slumped on the table, his legs hanging in the air, and a red envelope soaked in milk in his beak.

Hermione, who had milk splattered on her face, wanted to get angry, but after seeing the red envelope, she closed her mouth that she had just opened, and then looked at Ron with sympathetic eyes.

Hermione, a keen reader, had seen this kind of red envelope in a book, and she knew that Ron was going to be in trouble.

"Oh no!" Ron couldn't help but wail when he saw the red envelope.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked.

"She's sent me a Howler," Ron said weakly.

"You'd better open it, Ron," Neville advised from the side. "It's even worse if you don't. My gran once sent me one, and I didn't open it and – it was horrible."

Neville's words seemed to remind Ron of something terrible, and he shuddered.

Harry looked at the frightened expressions of several people and asked in confusion, "What's a Howler?"

Before anyone could help clear up Harry's doubts, smoke had already started pouring from the corners of the red envelope.

Ron reached out with trembling hands and carefully tore open the envelope. Neville, Hermione and Irina quickly blocked their ears.

A roar like an explosion came from the envelope. This huge sound seemed to bring down the roof, and Mrs. Weasley's amplified voice resounded throughout the Great Hall.

Even Lynn, who was far away at the Slytherin table, subconsciously turned his gaze over after hearing the thunderous roar.

"...STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I...

Mrs. Weasley's roar made the plates and spoons on the table rattle and clatter, and all the students in the hall turned to look at Ron, who was hunched in his chair with only his red hair visible.

"...LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED..."

"...ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED - YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."

Mrs. Weasley's roar finally stopped, but her voice was still ringing in Ron's ears. 

The red envelope that had fallen to the floor from Ron's hand burned, curled up and turned into ashes.

"I'm dead..." Ron held his head, feeling utterly mortified. 

Irina stood across from Hermione and patted Ron on the shoulder: "My condolences!"

Harry on the side did not speak. Although his name was not mentioned in the yelling letter, he still felt too guilty to eat.

The first class in the morning was Herbology. When Irina came outside the greenhouse where the class was held, she spotted Lockhart walking with Professor Sprout. 

Professor Sprout didn't seem interested in Lockhart's chatter. "Greenhouse three today, chaps!" she said, looking distinctly disgruntled.

Hearing which greenhouse the class would be in, Irina quickly left Harry and the others behind, bypassed the crowd and was the first to sneak into greenhouse three that Professor Sprout had mentioned.

She didn't want to risk being pulled aside by Lockhart boasting about his so-called accomplishments like he had done to Harry.

When Irina entered greenhouse three, found a seat and sat down, turning her eyes towards the door, she saw Harry being pulled aside by Lockhart to receive some unsolicited advice.

By the time Harry returned to the greenhouse, Professor Sprout had already started the day's lesson: "We'll be re-potting Mandrakes today. Who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?"

Hermione's hand immediately shot into the air and, once called upon by Professor Sprout, she recited, "The Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative. It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."

Professor Sprout awarded Gryffindor ten well-earned points, then warned, "The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it."

"Everyone, please watch me first. I will demonstrate how to properly re-pot a Mandrake. These ones are still only seedlings, so their cries won't kill you yet. However, they will knock you out for a good few hours!"

Professor Sprout pointed to the rows of deep trays, each containing a dozen or so soil-filled pots with small, muddy shoots poking out of the earth.

These mandrake seedlings looked distinctly unremarkable. Green with flashes of purple and seemingly weak. 

Following Professor Sprout's instructions, everyone donned earmuffs. Irina also specifically reminded Neville to check that his earmuffs were on properly, to prevent him from fainting like in the original story.

Although the cry of a mandrake seedling was not fatal, it could still cause great harm to the students.

When Professor Sprout gave the signal, everyone grabbed the stems of the mandrakes and pulled – and most let out exclamations of surprise and disgust. Of course, no one could hear their shouts under the protective earmuffs.

What had emerged from the pots were not plants at all, but inch-tall muddy babies, bawling and flailing their arms and legs, their faces screwed up in immense outrage.

"Huh..." 

Irina said softly. The mandrake seedling she had pulled seemed strangely calm. It was not thrashing or screaming, but looking at her with evident curiosity.

Irina was puzzled - why wasn't this mandrake kicking up a fuss like all the others?

"Hermione, can I borrow your mandrake for a moment?" 

Irina gestured to Hermione while lifting her own placid seedling.

To her surprise, the screaming mandrake that Hermione held instantly fell silent when Irina took it, and began peering at her inquisitively. 

Conversely, Irina's previously quiet mandrake started wailing and thrashing about as soon as Hermione held it.

"Could it be that in addition to my ice affinity, I also have an affinity for plants?" Irina wondered, gazing at the calm seedling cradled in her palms. 

At that moment, the Bowtruckle Envee emerged from Irina's bag. Covering her ears with two twig-like fingers, she nuzzled against Irina's cheek.

"Perhaps it's a broader compatibility with magical creatures and plants," Irina mused, glancing at her familiar perched on her shoulder.

[Giving Irina a boost! Her original magical creature affinity was lacking compared to Lynn's alchemy abilities, so I've added an additional affinity for magical plants. After all, Chinese Chomping Cabbages and Venomous Tentaculas are no joke!]

(End of this chapter)