Botanical Gardens and the Law of Secrecy

Mr. Linde suggested they start at the nearest greenhouse. Although he would have loved to showcase the outdoor arrangements at the Arboretum, the current weather made the glass-enclosed greenhouses a more practical choice.

"We have more than ten greenhouses," Mr. Linde explained, stepping aside to make way for the group. "We definitely don't have time to go through each one in detail, so we'll take a quick walk through. If anything catches your eye, just let me know, and I'll explain it in as much detail as possible."

Due to the bad weather, the botanical garden had very few visitors. Inside the greenhouses, various plants adapted to arid environments were thriving in their artificially dry and warm conditions, despite the storm raging outside.

As the dripping students wandered into the greenhouse ("Wow, that's huge."), Mr. Linde addressed them: "Welcome to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, ladies and gentlemen, who are masters of another botanical art. The relationship between this botanical garden and your world is closer than you might think. Many years ago, when we were first established as a medicinal botanical garden, some of the forefathers who researched medicinal plants extensively— including professors from various magical schools—generously shared their herbal knowledge with us..."

This connection explained why so many ordinary people at this botanical garden were aware of the magical world.

After introducing the giant elephant-footed king orchid to the curious students, Mr. Linde announced that they could explore the greenhouse on their own. Although Professor Sprout's greenhouse at Hogwarts is quite different, the students, having been trained in Herbology classes for three or four years, were well aware of the basic rules of conduct in a greenhouse.

However, after communicating with Professor Sprout, Anthony was confident that even without formal training, most people would know how to behave appropriately in a greenhouse: stay on the paths, don't pick random plants, and definitely don't break the glass. In short, just be a normal, considerate person.

Anthony stood beside Mr. Linde and watched as the students scattered to explore. Perhaps it was because the herbs they encountered at Hogwarts tended to be somewhat aggressive, but the students approached these unfamiliar plants with a level of caution that was noticeably higher than when they had been around the cats and dogs earlier.

"Can it breathe fire?" A student carefully examined the crab claw-like plant hanging above his head, then took a few cautious steps back.

"Probably not," another classmate responded, leaning in closer but still hesitant to touch it. He glanced around as if searching for a pair of dragonhide gloves.

The same level of caution was evident among the other students. Despite Mr. Linde's assurances that most of these strange and varied plants had evolved these features to survive in arid and extreme climates, the students behaved as if the plants might spring to life and attack at any moment.

Anthony noted with some amusement that nearly half of the students who chose to visit the Botanical Garden were from Hufflepuff. This house, whose common room was said to be filled with plants, seemed to have a particular affinity for the cacti family. Groups of Hufflepuffs could be seen gathered around these spiky plants, chatting excitedly among themselves.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Mr. Linde said with a smile. "Professor Sprout also expressed her admiration for the Cactaceae family when she first visited."

Anthony, still puzzled, asked, "Why?"

With his rather conventional taste, Anthony preferred "ordinary" plants with green leaves and colorful flowers—like the tree at the end of the greenhouse with vibrant red blossoms swaying gently under the greenhouse lights. It had immediately caught his eye.

"Perhaps it's because they can take on such unique forms, and there are no wild cacti in Scotland. In fact, there are none in Europe, as far as I know," Mr. Linde explained. "Professor Sprout was particularly interested in the medicinal properties of cacti."

Anthony recalled his earlier thoughts and asked, "Speaking of the connection with our school... when was this botanical garden established?"

"Good question, though I can't remember the exact date," Mr. Linde replied. "It must have been in the late seventeenth century. Why do you ask?"

Anthony did some quick mental calculations. Given the timeline, it seemed possible that Hogwarts had established a connection with the botanical garden before the Statute of Secrecy was enacted. This might explain why the Ministry of Magic's secrecy laws didn't prohibit their continued exchange of herbal knowledge.

"Just curious why the Secrecy Laws don't seem to apply to these herbal exchanges," Anthony said with a sigh.

He had been contemplating whether the animal rescue center he frequented could become a pet adoption point for Hogwarts. With the abundance of cats there, it could simplify things considerably if he could inform Ms. Howard that there was a boarding school ready to take in any feline companions.

"Ah, the Secrecy Laws," Mr. Linde mused, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Just out of curiosity, Professor Anthony, why did you choose Muggle Studies as your subject?"

"It's a long story," Anthony began, glossing over the more troubling details that involved dark magic and illegal activities. "To put it simply, I've always felt like I'm more of a Muggle." As he spoke, he noticed a few students gathering around the plant information cards, studying the scientific names and descriptions.

"It looks like the rain is going to stop soon," Linde remarked, glancing up at the sky. "We can head to the next greenhouse shortly." Then, returning to their conversation, he asked, "I'm curious, what is Muggle Studies' stance on the Statute of Secrecy? I imagine it might hinder some research exchanges—like what we're seeing now." He gestured towards the students who were consciously avoiding two Muggle tourists.

"Yes, it can be a bit restrictive," Anthony replied cautiously. "But the general approach in the academic community is somewhat... mixed. Personally, I encourage my students to respect the laws as they stand."

He thought about the countless letters and owl feathers he had to deal with over time and added, "Hopefully, this helps them avoid unnecessary trouble in the future."

As for changing the Statute of Secrecy itself, Anthony knew that Professor Burbage was keen on drafting proposals to reform it. She had even tried to enlist Anthony's support for future initiatives, but he had firmly declined, explaining that he had a bit of a history with the Ministry of Magic. As long as someone like Umbridge was in power, he preferred not to have his name associated with any official documents.

"That woman," Professor Burbage had once said with disdain, "She doesn't do anything practical but has a knack for flattery and climbing the ranks. Mark my words, Henry, she'll meet her downfall sooner or later."

At the time, Anthony had been lounging on an old leather sofa in the staff room, reading a book. He had nodded in agreement, saying, "I believe it."

…

"Speaking of magical plants," Anthony said, looking out through the greenhouse glass, "Is there a special area in the botanical garden for the ones you encountered during your adventures?"

Mr. Linde chuckled, "Oh yes, there's a section for magical plants, but not the ones from my earlier days. That was all before I joined the garden." He glanced at Anthony and continued, "On the fifteenth time I encountered magical plants, the department overseeing the Statute of Secrecy finally figured out it was me again. They realized that erasing my memory fourteen times was a bit much for one person. By then, I think my brain had turned to mush… but I dare say I was still sharper than they were."

Anthony sympathized, "I'm sorry to hear that. Honestly, I sometimes wonder what goes through the minds of those who see themselves as the 'managers' of our world."

Linde nodded, "So, on the fifteenth time, they finally reached out to Professor Sprout, and she recommended me to this botanical garden." He smiled, clearly content with his current situation. "Now, I get to enjoy criticizing the administration with colleagues like you—don't deny it, Professor Anthony, I'm sure you've got some stories about the Statute of Secrecy yourself."

"Not as interesting as yours," Anthony replied with a grin. "But I will say, Mr. Linde, this isn't the only place in England where that department gets discussed over a cup of tea."

"Discussed is a polite term," Linde said with a chuckle. "You should come to one of our more spirited tea sessions." Then, raising his voice, he announced to the students, "Alright, everyone, we've got five minutes before we head to the next greenhouse!"