Upon hearing this serious warning, the young wizards nodded obediently. Sprout felt much better. Thankfully, there were no Gryffindors in this class; otherwise, she wouldn't dare bring that rowdy bunch of lions into Greenhouse 3.
Everyone followed Sprout in line as they entered the greenhouse, and soon gasps filled the air.
"What is that?!"
"It looks so scary!"
In the closest cultivation area to the door, a row of peculiar pale yellow plants had split open their wide mouths, filled with sharp teeth as the students entered.
"Snapping cabbages, keep your distance, children," Sprout warned. "Their teeth are extremely sharp; they can even pierce a dragon's hide."
Some young wizards turned pale from fright, which was exactly the effect Sprout wanted. There are so many dangerous plants in the magical world, and being overly curious about them can lead to danger.
She led everyone to the innermost row of vegetable beds, raising a jar of plants.
"Does anyone know what this is?"
In Professor Sprout's class, Wayne was more enthusiastic than in any other subject. As soon as she asked, he immediately raised his hand.
"Lawrence, why don't you tell us?" Sprout encouraged him.
"It's sneezing grass, a toxic plant that can cause encephalitis and lead to rashness and impulsiveness. It's a primary ingredient in confounding potions and sneezes."
"Very good, well explained." Sprout added two points for Hufflepuff.
"I hope everyone remembers what Mr. Lawrence just said—this grass is poisonous. Don't think it resembles coriander and just toss it into your food…"
Hannah awkwardly pulled back the hand she had extended toward the sneezing grass, pretending nothing had happened.
Sprout clearly understood what kind of behavior her young wizards had. The first reaction upon seeing a plant was to pop it into their mouths. Generally, when there's no major risk, she would just turn a blind eye.
If they had a little taste of it, so be it; after all, she had been in their year once too. But sneezing grass was different. Its dangers were significant and could easily harm their minds.
Sprout did not want to end up seeing a group of young badgers just sitting around giggling foolishly.
To ensure safety, Sprout elaborated on her instructions and even repeated the precautions. Then she allowed the students to take out their tools to loosen the soil, fertilize, and apply growth-enhancing potions on the sneezing grass. A portion of the harvested plants would be handed to Snape for Potions class, and the rest would be sold to shops in Diagon Alley to bring in some funding for the school.
Sprout specifically paired Wayne with Hannah, making them a team, to keep an eye on the biggest foodie of their house.
Seeing the tears welling up in the girl with the pigtails, Wayne's face twitched.
Wake up, girl.
You really can't eat that.
Wayne focused intently during this class, and only at the end, when Sprout told everyone to return their tools, did he finally shift his gaze away from Hannah.
Once everyone had left, Wayne stayed behind alone.
"Is there a problem, Lawrence?"
"Professor, could you give me some seeds of the snapping cabbage?" Wayne looked at his head of house expectantly. "I want to brew a batch of steel potion."