Secrets Of An Animagus

- The Mandrake Leaf -

It all started when Rowena Suggested she tutor Argus one to one.

"You mean like secret lessons?"

"Just think about it Argus..." Rowena explains while they wait outside the green house for their Herbology lesson, "you won't have any distractions-"

"No one laughing at me you mean." He interrupted kicking the dirt with his shoes and glaring at the other students.

"And you won't have to worry about getting it wrong all the time either. You can just... well, try again"

"Rowena, we don't even share the same common room. Where would we practise?"

"Well... I've already thought of that as a matter of fact."

"Where?" Argus asks standing up a little straighter, suddenly more intrigued.

Rowena opens her mouth but then closes it again as soon as she spots Theo making his way towards them, dragging his heavy school bag across the ground.

"This thing... just keeps getting... heavier." He complains, out of breath.

"Do you think my uncle... would put an undetectable extension charm ...on this thing if I asked him? How on earth...do they expect someone... as little as me... to carry all these books around"

Rowena smiles at Theo sympathetically as she and Argus watch him drag his school bag passed the line of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw's and into the green house.

Herbology had to be Argus's favourite subject. They hardly ever had to use their wands in Herbology. Which meant, what could possibly go wrong?

"You've killed it!" Lution cries.

"I didn't mean to-"

"What on earth did you do?" he snaps his temper getting the better of him.

Argus fumbles around with his notes. "I did exactly what the instruction said... secure ear muffs, tightly over ears... place the mandrake in a clean pot... keep fingers away from the mouth... if thrones are visible on sick mandrake, start by removing the thrones and applying the potion medicine first on the leafs and then-"

"NO, no, no! you've done it all wrong! PROFESSOR SPROUT!" Lution yells before continuing, "You have to use the potion medicine before you take off the thrones... otherwise the mandrakes already dead!"

Lution shakes his head at Argus accusingly before turning around to join another table. "Stupid Squib" he muttered under his breath quietly.

Argus sinks his head against the table and signs in defeat just as Rowena comes over to inspect what all the fuss is about.

"What's going on?" she asks before her eyes fall on the lifeless mandrake,

"Oh! Never mind Argus I'm sure professor Sprout can fix him"

"Too late, it's gone a funny colour now... I should have put the medicine on first." Argus admits before accidently pricking his finger on a throne.

"I don't think that would have made much of a difference either. This isn't the right potion." Rowena offers Argus the same sympathetic smile she wore earlier.

"Rowena?" Argus asks quietly, his voice muffled against the table.

"Yes?"

"About those secret lessons..."

                                                                                   *

Rowena had found a very cold, very dirty potions class room down in the dungeons.