Sirius's son

Second-year DADA

The following morning at breakfast, to George's delight and Ron's extreme embarrassment, George won the Howler bet and boasted about it for a few minutes before a more interesting conversation took his fancy.

The whispers and laughter gradually died down and everyone returned to their business. A few moments later, McGonagall started going around distributing schedules to the Gryffindors. Eventually, she got to them and handed them their timetables. "Mister Weasley, Potter, Potter, Black, Finnigan, Thomas, Longbottom, here you go...Miss Granger, here's yours." She was about to go on, but then she turned back to Rigel. "Is it right that you wanted to try out for the quidditch team this year, Black?"

Rigel looked surprised but nodded.

"Tryouts are being held on Friday, right after classes are over. Alicia Spinnet has, unfortunately, decided to quit the team as a chaser. I think that you would be best trying out for that position." And without another word, she walked away to give a few third-year girls their timetables.

Because they were second years, they couldn't have chosen any electives or alternate courses for that year. Thus, all of the Gryffindor second years first class of the year was double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. As Rigel, Harry, Eliza, Ron, and Hermione made their way down to the greenhouses, they could see Professor Sprout talking to Professor Lockhart near the entrance.

"Whats Lickfart doing here?" Rigel scowled.

Harry and Ron snickered. Eliza smiled and Hermione looked at him disapprovingly.

"Professor Lockhart happens to be your teacher. You should show some respect."

"You just fancy him, that's why you're fine with having him as your teacher," Ron said. Hermione just rolled her eyes back at him and stomped ahead.

Lockhart spotted Harry as soon as they got to the greenhouses. "Harry! Elizabeth!" he called. He jogged up to them, making sure that his lilac robes didn't get any dirt on them. He turned to a disgruntled Profesor Sprout. "Mind if I borrow Harry for a moment?"

Judging by Professor Sprout's scowl, she did mind, but Lockhart said, "That's the ticket," and closed the greenhouse door in her face.

Rigel only grimaced and shook his head, already turning to follow Ron and Hermione into the greenhouse they would be working in.

By the time Harry and Eliza actually entered the greenhouse, the lesson was already well underway. "can anyone tell me what Mandrakes are used for," Professor Sprout asked.

Harry shuffled his way over to Rigel and squeezed between him and a Hufflepuff named Justin Finch-Fletchley, a muggleborn who was really quite talkative when the teacher wasn't giving instruction. Eliza settled between Hermione and Rigel.

Hermione instantly raised her hands."Miss Granger?"

"Mandrakes or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative. It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."

"Precisely. Take ten points to Gryffindor," Professor Sprout beamed. "Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young. The worst they could do is knock you out for a few hours. Leaves one with a nasty headache, though."

She explained what they were going to do once they had successfully uprooted their Mandrakes. They would be filling a new pot with fresh soil and then they would have to force their Mandrakes into the new pot, making sure that none of its limbs were broken. She finally told them to put their earmuffs on, counted to three, and then suddenly the air was full of the obnoxious cries of wailing plants throwing temper tantrums

Even though the earmuffs, the Mandrakes' cries were piercing. It only lasted for a few seconds though, because Professor Sprout had started wildly gesturing for everyone to put the Mandrakes back in their pots. She looked quite alarmed. Once they were back in their pots, everyone removed their earmuffs and looked around to see what was wrong. It was Neville. He had fainted at the sound of the Mandrakes' cries.