Chapter 14: The Grinder's Childhood Form

“Oh, what a diligent child. Of course, that’s no problem, but...”

Professor Sprout placed a box of hazelnut chocolates into Sheen's palm, then waved her wand.

The flowers, plants, and dirt clinging to Sheen vanished instantly.

“Every year, there are some young sprouts that want to take root in the greenhouse, but few can endure the repetitive, hard labor indefinitely.”

Professor Sprout tilted her head slightly, a hint of teasing appearing in her gentle eyes.

“I think I could tell you a story.”

“Professor, can it wait until next time?”

Beside them, Bruce's face had already turned bright red, prompting Sheen to look at him with slight curiosity.

“Very well, Mr. Dickinson.”

Professor Sprout's smile grew even warmer.

Hiding behind the nursery, Leon and Pist were laughing out loud.

“Hey, hey, hey! You two!”

Senior Bruce looked as if he were about to ripen completely.

“Oh, was I laughing? Sorry, I just can't help it when I think about someone scrambling and crawling out of the greenhouse...”

Leon laughed even louder.

“Pist, do you remember his sleep-talking?”

“Fanged Geranium, Geranium, help me, Devil's Snare!”

The chubby Hufflepuff senior imitated him with earnestness.

Everyone present chuckled softly, and the atmosphere became lighthearted.

“Alright, alright, I admit the greenhouse is truly dangerous and fascinating. Of course, it's also really exhausting.”

Senior Bruce raised his hands in surrender, looking helpless.

“That is why few wizards can persist in it.”

As he spoke, he kept looking at Sheen, his face full of seriousness.

“Mhm.”

Sheen gave a response.

“I want to try.”

His voice was soft, but carried an unmistakable trace of stubbornness.

...

The greenhouses were always short-handed. Compared to the direct effectiveness of Charms, the interesting and vivid Transfiguration, or the heart-pounding excitement of Quidditch, Herbology had always only attracted the hardworking Hufflepuffs.

However, even the diligent and kind Hufflepuffs wouldn't stay rooted in the dirt forever, let alone deal with dangerous plants.

Thus, Professor Sprout agreed to Sheen's request.

The way she looked at Sheen was no different from how she looked at those once-passionate Hufflepuffs—with a bit of admiration, a bit of joy, and a bit of helplessness regarding what the future might hold.

In the corridor outside the greenhouse.

A long, blue shorthand quill floated in front of Sheen. It was a magical alchemical creation; as long as it was placed vertically on paper, the quill would begin taking shorthand on its own.

Sheen had only bought one, primarily to help him organize his thoughts and record inspirations.

Incidentally, the prices of stationery in the wizarding world were quite expensive; this quill had cost Sheen a full 10 Sickles.

But Sheen had gritted his teeth and bought it anyway.

*No matter how hard life gets, one shouldn't neglect studying,* Sheen thought.

【Step 1: Understand the processing methods for all ingredients in Scabrous Potion】

The quill made a "rustling" sound on the parchment as Sheen wrote down his current goal.

Professor Sprout had already agreed to his request. Just moments ago, Senior Bruce had demonstrated the key points for identifying and processing dried nettles.

Next time, perhaps he could ask about the processing of other ingredients; he thought Professor Sprout likely wouldn't refuse.

Once he understood the processing of the ingredients, the next step would be practice.

Things like heat control and stirring techniques couldn't be learned from books; they had to be experienced personally.

But as long as he succeeded once, he could rely on his panel to grind through the rest.

The plan was feasible.

Sheen put the quill into his bag just as Senior Bruce's teasing voice reached his ears.

“I remember during our first Herbology class, the distinction between mature Madwort stumped a whole group of wizards.”

He watched Sheen recording notes with great interest.

“It looks like you'll be able to show off your skills in the next Herbology class. Professor Sprout won't be stingy with House Points for a little wizard who studies in advance.”

House points?

Sheen didn't care much. House points wouldn't help him earn a scholarship.

Professor McGonagall had said that the criteria for scholarships were determined by the Headmaster, who would make a comprehensive decision based on his academic progress and professor evaluations.

Headmaster Dumbledore was, of course, fair and wise.

Sheen believed that as long as he met the standards, Headmaster Dumbledore would not be stingy with 600 Galleons.

It was also him who had agreed to his scholarship approval without hesitation. If it had been a Headmaster like Black, Sheen would have had to grind the Azkaban trio to borrow money from Dark Wizards.

He had a vivid impression of *Hogwarts Legacy*.

There was a very popular saying in it

“Voldemort is terrifying because he once personally killed hundreds of people.”

“Mhm, and what about the next day?”

Sheen's thoughts drifted. In the orphanage, everyone was an expert at staring blankly.

Before the panel was activated, when he could only lie weakly in bed, Sheen was the same.

Only then did he realize that some silences aren't because one has nothing to say, but because no one cares.

All of this changed drastically after that owl smashed through the drafty window.

Therefore, Sheen cherished the opportunity to learn magic. Even if it was "white trash," he would grind it until it became "legendary."

“Oh, you probably haven't felt the importance of the House Cup yet, but believe me, it's very important. Although we don't mind if the Great Hall at the annual feast is hung with the colors of other houses, Hufflepuff's yellow and black are clearly much better looking, aren't they?”

Senior Bruce spoke with a look of longing.

“Mhm.”

Sheen nodded. Only then did Senior Bruce notice that the little wizard beside him was a Ravenclaw.

He gave a dry laugh.

“Ha, I mean, blue and azure are also quite nice.”

“Yellow and black are very beautiful,” Sheen said seriously.

It wasn't long until the first afternoon class, so Sheen pressed the hazelnut chocolates into the senior's hands and turned into the stairs leading to the History of Magic classroom.

“Thank you, Senior Bruce. Goodbye.”

Only his small voice remained in the corridor.

“A good little wizard. It's hard to imagine he isn't a Hufflepuff,” Leon said with a light laugh, watching Sheen's retreating figure.

“I wonder who said: Professor Sprout...”

“Don't say it...”

Leon's face was covered in dark lines.

Beside them, Mr. Pist merely had the corners of his mouth turned up, unfazed by it all.

...

Having left the greenhouse, Sheen had to consider how to combat Professor Binns' hypnosis.

Although the Shrieking Shack—with all its baseless rumors—had never actually been haunted, Hogwarts was indeed the most haunted place in Britain.

There was no doubt about that, because on these damp islands, it was said that one could see or feel more ghosts than anywhere else in the world.

In the world of Harry Potter, ghosts were also called specters—transparent, three-dimensional images of deceased wizards that existed alongside the living.

Muggles could not become ghosts after death, and no wise wizard would choose to do so.

Only those wizards who "died with regrets" refused to enter the next world, whether due to fear, guilt, or an obsession with the material world.

And Professor Binns' obsession was reading textbooks.

Sheen was certain of it.

(End of Chapter)