Herbology

Next Morning Chris, Ginny and Colin entered the Great Hall and took their second-year time-table from Professor McGonagall. 

"Aghh!" Chris made a face in irritation. "Our first-class is Herbology. I can't do this." 

"Herbology is a good subject, Chris," Ginny said eating her breakfast. 

"But I don't like it," Chris answered. 

"And it's double Herbology," Colin said chuckling. 

"Colin, don't, or I'll never help you at potions," Chris said with a cold stare. 

"Sorry!" Colin said hurriedly and concentrated on his breakfast. 

"It's ok Chris. You will survive." Ginny said smiling. "And look we have our Defence Against the Dark Arts class after Lunch." 

"Great! This day couldn't get better." Chris said sarcastically and put her head on the table. 

"Why? Is it because you snapped at Professor Lupin yesterday?" Colin grinned. 

"COLIN!" Chris said angrily. 

Ginny laughed. 

"Forget it, Harry, Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been. He came back all weak and shaking… They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there." Chris heard George speaking to Harry, a little far on the table. 

"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," said Fred. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, the first game of the season, remember?" 

Chris perked up hearing them.

"Do you want to try for Quidditch this year?" She said suddenly changing her expression into a grin. 

The spoon fell from Ginny's hand. Colin gave multiple expressions: surprised, thoughtful and happy. 

"But we're just in the second year Chris," Ginny said quietly. 

"Harry was in the first year when he joined the team," Chris replied. 

"But he is different," Ginny grimaced.

"He is not any different exotic animal, Ginny. He is also a human like us." 

"But —?" 

"Ginny, it's your childhood dream to play Quidditch. C'mon, it'll be fun. I'm trying." Chris said smiling.

"You are?" Ginny looked surprised. 

"Yep." 

"For what? I mean Gryffindor Quidditch team have very good players. We'll not able to beat them." Ginny said sceptically. 

"Ginny! Let's try at least. I'll try for a chaser. You?" Chris said. 

"C'mon Ginny. It's just a trial." Colin said enthusiastically.

Ginny sighed. 

"Fine. We'll try together," she said finally.

Chris and Colin cheered together. 

"I'll talk to Wood and ask him when is the trials," Chris said grinning as they left for their Herbology class. 

Professor Sprout was a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair; there was usually a large amount of earth on her clothes and her fingernails. 

"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said Professor Sprout in her usual cheerful self. There was a murmur of interest. They had only ever worked in greenhouse one before — greenhouse three housed far more interesting and dangerous plants. Professor Sprout took a large key from her belt and unlocked the door. Chris caught a whiff of damp earth and fertilizer mingling with the heavy perfume of some giant, umbrella-sized flowers dangling from the ceiling. 

'I can do this.' She repeated in her mind. 

Professor Sprout was standing behind a trestle bench in the centre of the greenhouse. About twenty pairs of different-coloured earmuffs were lying on the bench. 

"We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?" She said and soon lots of hand shoot in the year.

Of course after what happened last year almost everyone knows what's a Mandrake. Professor Sprout asked a Hufflepuff girl. 

"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state." The girl answered. 

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

This time Professor Sprout asked a Gryffindor boy. 

"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," He answered. 

"Precisely. Ten points to 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 colour, were growing there in rows. 

"Everyone takes a pair of earmuffs," said Professor Sprout. There was a scramble as everyone tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy. Chris, Ginny and Colin took the pink and fluffy ones by choice because they were comfortable. 

"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 earmuffs on." 

They snapped the earmuffs over their 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 the 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. 

'You can do this' Chris repeated in her brain and took a deep breath. 

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 you, However, they will knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you wants 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 — there is a large supply of pots here — compost in the sacks over there — and be careful of the Venomous Tentacula, it's teething." 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. 

Chris, Ginny, and Colin were joined at their tray by a black-haired Hufflepuff boy. 

"Hi. I'm... Melvin Catterick." He said nervously. "You're Chris, aren't you?" 

Chris nodded with a smile and boy suddenly turned pink. Ginny and Colin chuckled. 

"Hiya. I'm Colin Creevey." Colin said. 

"Oh! Yes. I've heard about you last year." He replied and shook hands with Colin. 

"I'm Ginny Weasley," Ginny said shaking hands with him. 

"Yes. Yes. Of course. Nice to meet you all." Melvin said again glancing towards Chris. 

Chris moved her eyes towards the work at hand. As they began filling their plant pots with dragon dung compost, Ginny whispered in Chris's ear, "You got a new admirer." 

Chris rolled her eyes. 

Melvin tried to talk to Chris few times but Chris politely ignored him. 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; Chris spent whole fifteen minutes trying to squash a particularly fat one into a pot. By the end of the class, Chris, like everyone else, was sweaty, aching, and covered in earth.