Herbology Review

[Evelyn Sparrow]

Ken was going to be fine. The knowledge of that alone had lifted a weight off of Evelyn’s shoulders that had been weighing heavily since she had heard. One of the biggest dangers of working with experimental things is that sometimes they just backfire on you. He would need another month at St Mongo’s but after that he should be fine. Evelyn had stayed at his bed side for nearly a month waiting to see if each treatment the healers came up with would work. Finally after an eternity of waiting they found something. He had woken up in the first hour, and regained the ability to talk within the first day. Things were hopeful, and so he told her to come back to the school. She still was at the hospital at least once every weekend, but he was steadily regaining strength, and constantly reassuring her that he would be fine.

So she went back, and found that her job had been given to another professor. It was a shame, but she understood. This close to exams, the staff needed to be there for the students, and she had not been there recently. Although upon arrival she had heard that she was not the only professor who was missing in action. So she was now filling in for someone else as strange as that may be. Apparently she wasn’t the only professor who had been called away in the last few months of the school year. She was however back, and today she was teaching Herbology. Although tomorrow she may very well be handling Care of Magical Creatures, depending on how things went today. This close to the end of the year the kids could use a professor, even if this wasn’t her preferred class.

The greenhouse was open, and a warm breeze was blowing through the windows and the door. At the front of the classroom on top of the professor’s desk there were 7 different plants each spaced out so that they would have enough room to stretch about. Some of them would be obvious to the students for what they were, but other would not be so easily guessed. Evelyn had various safety equipment passed out to each students desk, a conglomeration of goggles, heavy gloves, earmuffs, nose plugs, and hair ties, each student would have their own set of safety gear, and they would all be wearing them. She was sitting at the desk, her own safety gear laid out so that she could easily don it when the time came, waiting for the students to arrive patiently.

[Bryan Kelley]

Bryan had not given much thought to the rumors that there would be some Ministry officials or new professors teaching a couple of classes. During his Hogwarts career, Bryan had become used to the fact that the Professors seemed to come and go and sometimes there were classes were without Professors for a little bit. He frowned at the idea that the school would have some trouble on hiring and keeping teaching staff, but there was something things that just could not be helped. The only thing Bryan saw that he could do in response to all this was just to attend the classes he was signed up for and learn to the best of his ability. This was especially more true now that he had become the Elemental Master of Wind as he felt he needed to be prepared for his role in this war. To do so, he would need to learn.

However, Bryan's common response in attending class did not change. When he entered the room, he arched a brow to note that Professor Sparrow was back in the school, although he was slightly surprised to see her in the Herbology classroom instead of Potions -- but then, wasn't potions currently filled by another? However, he inclined his head in greeting to the woman at the desk, but he did not verbally greet the woman as some of his peers usually seemed to do. After his silent greeting to Professor Sparrow, he walked over to his normal seat near the middle of the room and sat down.

While Bryan waited for the class to start, he pulled out his sketchbook, resting it on the top of his desk. He pulled the pencil out from behind his left ear and placed the tip of the pencil onto the white page as he began to sketch. At the moment, Bryan was concentrating on sketching a variety of symbols that did not really pertain to anything. Instead, he was just practicing designing some things. Bryan sketched lightly, only darkening and shading lines that he felt were finished and not likely to be changed. It was the Gryffindor's habit to bury into his sketchbook before the start of lesson. It gave him something to do rather than sit there rather stupidly. He did not really take the habit of reading his textbook while waiting, as it had never appealed to him.

[Caitlin Collins]

Herbology. It was the only subject that Cait truly dreaded, and at first she hadn't even signed up to it when she had transferred to Hogwarts. She had been planning to take advantage of the fact that in the last two years of Hogwarts, students could take whichever classes they wished to. Unfortunately, she had soon discovered that if she really did wish to pursue her idea of becoming a healer, St. Mungo's required a NEWT in Herbology, as well as a whole load of other subjects. In India she hadn't ever really thought about such things – Vijay had given her tests and the like but there had never really been any worry about exam grades or subjects. Then again, there had been no real thoughts on returning to England.

Professor Sparrow was quite nice though; she had liked the woman ever since the discussion in her office after Cait had been away from school and was behind on schoolwork. Hopefully she would make this class somewhat more bearable than usual. This had been the most difficult class to catch up on due to Caitlin's total inability to memorise plant names and properties and the like, and she still wasn't convinced that she was actually caught up.

Entering the greenhouse, Caitlin was surprised to see that she was one of the first ones there. She sent a smile at Professor Sparrow then sat herself down in the seat opposite Bryan, also smiling across at him. Her wariness and instinctive dislike for him had faded as had her grief for his predecessor, and although there were still lingering remnants it was easy enough to push them aside with logic. He had not chosen his role in the war. She pulled out a notebook and biro, setting them both down on the table with the Herbology textbook before dropping her bag on the floor beneath her feet, waiting for the class to start.

[Alessandro Darko]

With a pile of books in his arms, Alessandro rushed through the corridors on the ground level of Hogwarts, shouting around the stack for people to "Watch out!" and to "Get out of my way!". He was now running late, literally, for Herbology class. He knew he wouldn't be the first student in attendance, as it was now at least 2, 3 minutes past the hour, surely D'rorah or Kerridon would have claimed that title by now. Scowling to himself, he chastised himself mentally for getting carried away in the library and forgetting about the time. "What a dunderhead you are, you silly, silly boy..." he said to himself under his breath. "Honestly...." he added in frustration as he passed through the doorway that led out to the courtyards. He had to make it down the very large hill to the greenhouse and he passed several students on the way (trying to cut in front of them to get to class quicker, as he did not dream of walking in as fourth or fifth. Why it mattered to him was beyond any reason whatsoever, but it was just a matter of principle.

Finally, after a quick jog with books still in hand, a bespectacled Alessandro Darko burst through the greenhouse doorway in a huff, nearly toppling over with the weight of the books he was carrying. "I'm here! Professor! Sorry I'm a tad late, but as you can see, I've really been brushing up on my herbology and what-not, see, look at these books I've checked out of the library: Herbology Abroad the Globe, Dwindle's Diagrams of Dangerous Dendroids, Sympathy for the Devil's Snare, The Book of Roots and their Properties -- which includes sections on the six different uses for Mandrake root and gurdyroot, and my favorite; One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phillida Spore." He said, taking a breath after that long, yet rapid speech. With a very alert glance, Alessandro noticed Bryan and Caitlin already in attendance, and then furrowed his brow. Wasn't it supposed to be Dee and Kerridon who had beat him to the punch? He quickly changed his expression when he realized he may be coming off as rude, and then raised his eyebrows up high and smiled from behind his peculiar specs, and then took his hand out from beneath his stack of books (almost dropping them) to wave. "Hi Cait! Bryan!" he said vigorously.

Now he was faced with a dilemma. Who to sit next to. Caitlin was conveniently opposite from Bryan, as was the complete split in his decision making ability. He wanted to sit next to Bryan because he felt like he ought to get to know him a bit better, but he already knew Caitlin and for some strange reason he felt drawn to her almost like a magnet, so he went with that feeling and sat directly beside her, plopping his books down on the floor next to his stool, and pulled the one on top up onto the desk and he began to read diligently until class began or someone addressed him.

[Keaira O'Connell]

The suns glow pressed warmly against the various bits and pieces of Keaira’s exposed flesh. It was May after all, and even if Keaira was feeling as depressed as if it were the middle of winter, it wouldn’t do her any good to be bundled up trying to warm a chill that would never leave her. Zane had been gone too long. She didn’t know what he was up to, or where he had gone, but it unnerved her, and she feared for him more and more each day. She felt certain that one night she would wake to a horrible dream to find that he was really gone, and there would be no returning for him. It left her chilled to the bone just thinking about it. To a casual observer her summer school uniform was perfect, but such a casual looker would not have noticed the slight wrinkles in her skirt, or the fact that the tie around her neck was slightly uneven. Small details that Keaira would not have missed, left the outfit unfinished, and were quite uncharacteristic of the Slytherin Prefect.

Still it didn’t seem to bother her outward portrayal of who she was. Only those that knew her to the upmost degree would pick up on the sloppy uniform, and the way her eyes didn’t hold the full value of her smile. Sometimes that smile was perfect, but it was only a trick to get you to believe in it. Keaira was not a happy person, and no number of smiles would change that. The trip to the greenhouse was one that Keaira made slowly, soaking up the suns warmth, even if it did her no good. On the way there she was nearly trampled by one Alessandro Orion Darko, who in his haste didn’t even recognize her. She tried not to fault him too much, considering his condition, but it was difficult. She had done some looking into spells that might help him, but as of yet Keaira had not come up with anything that would return him to normal. Perhaps later she would try looking up another option that might help him.

The greenhouse doors were open, which was fine with Keaira; it could get exhaustingly hot in those building towards the end of the year. It had been a while since Keaira last remember coming through the greenhouse to take a lesson, but with the staff disappearing here and there it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Keaira was however surprised to see that the professor behind the desk was Professor Sparrow, the former potions teacher. Seeing her actually brought a true smile to Keaira’s face, she was actually quite fond of Evelyn Sparrow, as the professor had been more than cordial, and helpful to Keaira over the years that she had served as potions teacher.

“Good to see you back Professor Sparrow, I’m glad Hogwarts still had a place for you to teach even if it’s not in potions.”

[Benjamin Ellis]

Ben wandered at a leisurely pace down to the greenhouses, his bag hung over his shoulder carrying some textbooks and revision notes. He might not be the best pupil, and he didn't generally put much effort into studying for exams, but he did at least do a little bit of work. He was enjoying the feel of the sunshine on his face as he walked across the grounds. It had always been a pleasant time of year for him before he came to Hogwarts; he could feel summer coming as it warmed up, although he couldn't see the sun. As such, his uniform was hardly exemplary – although to be honest, Ben was never exemplary. His tie was short and not done up properly while his shirt wasn't tucked in with the sleeves rolled up and the top few buttons undone. H is robe was nowhere to be seen and he was also wearing sandals; hardly appropriate footwear to go with his school uniform.

Stepping into the greenhouse just after the Slytherin prefect he didn't really know, he gave a cheery smile to the Professor and stepped past Keaira who was talking to her, setting himself down in the seat besides Alessandro. He would have sat down next to Bryan normally, being all alone, but he seemed quite caught up and happy in his drawings, while the Ravenclaw looked a little flustered. [red]"Hi,"[/red] Ben greeted him with a smile, leaning back in his chair and not bothering to get his books out for now.