Puffapod

Atlas slowly regained consciousness, his head throbbing as he struggled to sit up. Looking around, he saw that the room was still smoldering from the battle he had just fought. He winced as he felt the sharp pain in his ribs where he had fallen on one of the training tools scattered around the room. He knew he had made a mistake in the fight by focusing too much on the wrong targets.

Feeling defeated, he thought it best to take a break from training and tend to his injury. Pulling up his shirt, he noticed a large blue bruise on his side. Examining the bruise, he knew it would hurt for days if left untreated. In his past life, he had relied on traditional medicine to heal his injuries, but he had since learned the wonders of magic. He remembered a potion that could heal his bruise in mere minutes - the Wiggenweld potion. Though not overly complex, it required a few ingredients he did not have on hand.

As a first-year student, he wasn't allowed to leave Hogwarts and venture into Hogsmeade. He would need to ask one of the older students to buy him the ingredients he needed in Hogsmeade. He could order the ingredients from Diagon Alley, but that would be more expensive. He thought about growing his own ingredients, but he had no idea where to start.

Suddenly, he had an idea. The Room of Requirement! He knew that the room couldn't create potions or food directly, but he could use it to grow the ingredients he needed. The more he pondered the idea, the more appealing it became. Not only would it save him money, but it would also conceal his actions. He would still need to buy a few batches of ingredients to heal his current injuries and the ones he would probably get in the next training sessions.

After calculating the necessary ingredients, he realized he would use up all of his funds, leaving him unable to even send a letter home. However, he bargained that maybe giving up one batch of ingredients and keeping a bit of money on the side was probably better. One batch of ingredients would produce eight potions, for a total of sixteen potions with the two batches he still planned to buy. He would need to use them sparingly until his pocket money was replenished and his own ingredients were ready.

As he stumbled out of the room, clutching his chest. On his way to the common room, he tried to keep his expression neutral so as not to show that he was in pain. When he stood in front of the fat lady, he heard a commotion coming from the Gryffindor common room. Curious, he made his way over to investigate. As he approached, he saw Ron in the midst of a heated argument with his mischievous brothers, Fred and George. Apparently, they had played a prank on Ron by tricking him into performing a ridiculous dance in order to access a secret passage. The other Gryffindors seemed to be finding it highly amusing, but Ron was clearly embarrassed and angry.

To make matters worse, it was only after Percy intervened, warning other students not to fall for the same trick, that Ron seemed to realize he had been made a fool of. The whole scene was both amusing and cringe-worthy, and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself, causing his bruised ribs to ache.

Atlas leaned back in his chair and watched as the argument between Ron and the mischievous Weasley twins escalated. He had hoped they would be the perfect pair to snag him some much-needed supplies in Hogsmeade, but their bickering made him think twice. On the other hand, Percy, the Gryffindor prefect, seemed like a safer bet. However, he couldn't risk that Percy would think he planned on breaking any school rules. Atlas felt stuck between a rock and a hard place.

He wracked his brain, trying to think of anyone else he could ask for help, but no one else came to mind. He didn't want to blindly stumble into a conversation with someone he didn't know and end up worse off than he was before. So, he decided to stick with his original plan and ask the twins. Sure, they might crack a few jokes or demand a bit of coin in exchange, but Atlas was confident he could handle them. And if things went sour, he could always ask Percy for help, as he always tried to keep his brothers in check.

After the fiery argument had come to an end, Atlas made his way to the Weasley twins. They looked at him with a hint of annoyance, but when he brought up Hogsmeade, they quickly relaxed. George even jokingly mentioned that he thought Atlas was going to scold them for pranking Ron. The thought made Atlas chuckle, but he quickly regretted it as his bruised ribs started to ache again. He reassured the twins that he had no intention of scolding them and would even be willing to help them prank Ron. Atlas couldn't deny that he had some animosity towards Ron because of his relentless snoring that kept him up at night. Not to mention, he wasn't a big fan of Ron when he read about him in the books, finding him to be an annoying and incompetent friend to Harry.

Atlas' reassurance made the twins smile, and they asked him what he wanted. He requested that they buy some things for him from Hogsmeade, and to his relief, the twins happily agreed. However, they did say that he would owe them one. Atlas agreed and reached for his nightstand to grab the necessary funds.

After the deal was sealed, Atlas retired to bed early. His intense training had drained him more than he expected, enabling him to sleep even with Ron still ranting about his brothers. He slept well knowing that he had secured the ingredients he needed for the Wiggenweld potion.

Atlas woke up early again. He couldn't go to the Room of Requirement due to his injuries, so he took the opportunity to dive back into his potions book. He wanted to be prepared for the next lesson, not wanting to give Snape any chances.

Today was going to be a long day for Atlas. Potions first, followed by a double lesson in herbology, a flying lesson, and ending with astronomy at night. After breakfast, the group made their way to Potions.

Surprisingly, potions went better than Atlas had expected. He was able to answer all of Snape's questions, despite the professor continuing to target him and Harry while ignoring Hermione completely. Atlas felt that he could even relax when the questions stayed at this level. His attitude quickly changed when Snape handed him a parchment with exclusive extra homework. It wasn't complex, but it was a tedious list of things that could go wrong while brewing the forgetfulness potion. Most things were so unlikely to happen if not intended that even Neville would find it hard to fail a potion that much.

As they made their way to the greenhouse, Atlas couldn't help but curse Snape and his own mother. The rest of the group listened in sympathy.

As soon as the group opened the door to the greenhouse, a wave of hot, moist air greeted them. Professor Sproud was already waiting inside, ready to start the class. The greenhouse was divided by two rows of tables, each one filled with various gardening tools and two flowerpots per person. In one of the pots was a beautiful flower with green petals and pink and purple blooms that caught Atlas's eye.

Professor Sproud gestured for them to take their places, and Atlas quickly made his way over to Neville, knowing that his herbology skills were top-notch. Seamus and Dean joined him, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione settled on the other side of the table. It turned out they were sharing the class with Ravenclaw, who arrived a few minutes after the Gryffindors, probably having had to trek a bit further to reach the greenhouse.

As Professor Sprout began her herbology lesson, Atlas couldn't help but stifle a yawn. Sure, he appreciated the importance of magical plants, but he couldn't help feeling that it was just glorified botany. Nevertheless, he kept his opinion to himself; he didn't want to offend the kind Professor Sprout. With a chipper introduction, the professor explained the basics of herbology to the class. Atlas nodded along, knowing most of the information already. After all, growing up in a family with a biology professor and a potion brewer had its perks.

The lesson began with a simple question: what type of plant was in the pots before them? To Atlas's amusement, only Hermione, himself, and a Ravenclaw girl named Lisa Turpin knew the answer. But it was Hermione who Professor Sprout called on to answer, and of course, she got it right, earning Gryffindor five points. The follow-up question about the properties of the plant was answered by Lisa.

With an eager look on her face, Lisa began her explanation of the Puffapod plant. Her brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her braces shone in the light as she spoke. According to her, the Puffapod plant was used in a variety of potions, but one had to be careful while harvesting them. Even the slightest touch on the violet flowers could cause spores to spread, which would make the harvester dizzy. Interestingly enough, these spores were particularly effective against trolls, as they were allergic to them. Lisa further explained that the spores were simply a defense mechanism for the plant.

To everyone's amazement, Lisa blew on the pink flower, and it spit out a few beans. She went on to explain that these plants would spit out beans in heavy storms that would immediately take root when they hit the ground, and if one wanted to store them, they needed to be stored on soft feathers or in water. However, feathers were apparently the better option, as the beans would die if they were stored in water for too long.

Professor Sprout was impressed with Lisa's answer and awarded Ravenclaw ten points.

Atlas was intrigued by Lisa's knowledge of herbology and made a mental note to remember her name. He wondered if she was just a side character who was good at herbology or if she was an overall talented and knowledgeable witch. Either way, Atlas believed that unexpected signs of excellence were always worth taking note of, as they could be indicators of a boon or personality change that the hero would have.

Professor Sprout continued her lesson by assigning the class the task of harvesting the beans from the Puffapod and planting them in the pod next to them. Although the task seemed easy, the class quickly became chaotic. Ron's beans landed in Harry's hair, causing a few minutes of struggle to get them out, while Seamus accidentally spit on the violet petals while blowing the pink flowers, leading to a small explosion of spores. Professor Sprout scolded him for his carelessness and flicked her wand to clean up the mess.

The greenhouse was buzzing with excitement as everyone planted their Puffapod beans with the utmost care. Professor Sprout made sure to explain everything to the last detail, even how the beans had to be planted just right to sprout. Neville was carefully patting the soil around his beans with his chubby fingers, clearly enjoying the lesson.

The professor then went on to explain how to harvest the leaves of the Puffapod using the severing charm, Diffindo. She demonstrated the spell and wand movement, but unfortunately, the class had to end before they could try it themselves. Atlas made a mental note to master the non-verbal version of the charm, just like he intended in Charms class.

As the class ended, Atlas eagerly anticipated lunch. He sat between Seamus and Hermione when she received an owl with the Daily Prophet. Atlas couldn't help but recall that there should be an article about the break-in at Gringotts. He racked his brain, trying to remember the exact date of the incident. With all the changes happening at Hogwarts and Quirrell's bizarre behavior, Atlas couldn't be certain that the break-in even occurred.

Atlas made a mental note to investigate the matter further. If the break-in didn't happen, it would raise some serious questions about Quirrell's true intentions. Was he after the Philosopher's Stone or not? And most importantly, was he really Voldemort? However, as he recalled Harry's pained expression when he saw Snape and Quirrell in the Great Hall on the first day of school, Atlas dismissed the thought that Quirrell wasn't Voldemort.

Suddenly, Atlas's mind was struck with an unsettling possibility. What if Quirrell, Voldemort, and the hero were all the same person? It would certainly explain why everything was so topsy-turvy. He shuddered at the thought. If that were true, then there was no point in trying to kill the hero. He might as well sit back and enjoy his new life. Perhaps the prophecy would lead Harry to do the job for him, as there was no way Atlas could take on a Voldemort on steroids, even with trickery.

Before he could finish his meal, Hermione showed him an article in the Daily Prophet. Written by none other than the infamous Rita Skeeter, the piece criticized Hogwarts' current curriculum and suggested reforms. Skeeter even claimed that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher openly advocated for studying the Dark Arts in class. Atlas was surprised that Skeeter had mentioned Quirrell, who may or may not be Voldemort, as well as other past teachers who were dark wizards. He realized that there had been chaos at Hogwarts for years, even before Harry arrived.

Despite the disturbing news, they headed to flying class, and Atlas couldn't help but wonder if the same events as in the original story would unfold. He decided that he wouldn't intervene, though, as he didn't want to alter the course of events more than they already were. He wondered if history would repeat itself and if Quirrell would still try to curse Harry's broom. It would be an important indication regarding his recent question regarding Quirrel. He remembered that for everything to happen as it did, Neville would need to lose the Remembrall he had gotten the day before. He did worry a bit about that, but calmed his conscience by saying that Madam Pomfrey would fix him in minutes. Atlas facepalmed himself for not thinking of Madam Pomfrey earlier. He realized he could just make up an excuse to visit the infirmary and get his bruised ribs healed. As long as he didn't make it a habit, it wouldn't be suspicious. He made a mental note to go to the infirmary after flying class. Maybe he could even cheer up Neville when he went there.

The flying lesson happened almost exactly the same way as in the original story, with the exception that Hermione didn't call Harry an idiot after he went after Malfoy.

After Professor McGonagall took Harry away to make him the next Gryffindor seeker, the rest of the class was left standing on the training field. Atlas turned to Hermione and announced that he was going to visit Neville in the infirmary. Hermione and Dean offered to come with him, but Atlas insisted that it wasn't necessary and that too many people would only cause a commotion. Before the group could argue, Atlas was already on his way to the infirmary.

As he reached the door, it suddenly sprang open, and Madam Hooch almost ran over him. She questioned what he was doing there and why he wasn't waiting for her on the training field. Atlas replied that the lesson was already over and he wanted to check on Neville's well-being. Madam Hooch's stern expression softened a bit, and she informed him that Neville was fine and should be out in a few minutes. She still stepped out of the way, and Atlas entered the infirmary.

Inside, he saw Madam Pomfrey giving Neville a green smoothie-looking drink to replenish his energy after his bone was healed. When Madam Pomfrey noticed Atlas, she asked if he was a patient and which teacher was careless this time. Atlas explained that he wasn't exactly a patient and only came to visit Neville, but if she wanted, she could heal him up as well. He then lifted his shirt a little to show his bruised ribs. Madam Pomfrey promptly called him over and declared that not a single student would leave her care with injuries. She let him sit on a bed next to Neville and asked if he wanted some privacy when she applied the tincture. But Atlas declined and took his shirt off. The bruise still had a dark blue shade, and as Madam Pomfrey applied the tincture, she asked if he wanted to share how he got hurt.

Atlas wasn't keen on revealing the real reason and lied that he fell out of bed due to his roommate's dragon-like snoring and landed on his bag that had a glass bottle in it. Madam Pomfrey looked at him sceptically, but he continued with his story, adding that he originally planned to brew a Wiggenweld potion to heal his bruise but didn't have the materials yet, and then Neville happened to have an accident.

Madam Pomfrey looked at Atlas with a raised eyebrow, still unsure if she believed his story. However, she decided not to press the issue. After all, she had heard countless tall tales from students over the years and had learned that it was often best to let them save face and not meddle in others' businesses. She mused that she could probably retire early if she had a Knut for every time a student lied to her about how they got injured.

But Madam Pomfrey was not one to dwell on such things. She was a skilled healer, and her attention was quickly drawn back to Atlas's bruise. She explained that the tincture she was applying was actually a form of the Wiggenweld Potion, made into a tincture to make it easier to apply precisely. Atlas looked intrigued and asked if she would teach him how to make it.

Madam Pomfrey couldn't help but smile at the young wizard's eagerness to learn. "I think you'll need a bit more experience under your belt before I can start to teach you. But if you're still interested in a year or two, perhaps we can revisit the idea."

Atlas watched as Madam Pomfrey applied the tincture to his wounds, marveling at how quickly they began to heal. But before he could even fully appreciate the potion's effects, the door to the infirmary burst open, and in walked Professor McGonagall, Professor Quirrell, and a group of injured fifth-year students.