Learning to Grow - Remus Lupin

Chapter 6

"Welcome to your third year of Herbology Class, everyone!" Atlas greeted loudly as all of her students took their seats. Half of the week had already passed and many classes have made their way through her class room. Word had gotten around from all of the other years that Professor Lovell's class wasn't half as bad and that she was actually fun to work with. So as she looked across the room of Slytherin and Gryffindors, all of them had brighter looks on their faces excited to see how their year in Herbology would turn out.

Apparently, they were already having luck with Professor Lupin's class as they had a fun lesson on Bogarts.

So Atlas has to be sure she entertaind them just as much as he did.

But as Atlas glanced across her Wednesday afternoon class, she saw a face that she had been anxious to see. There was no doubt that Harry Potter resembled his father. For a second, Lovell had believed James walked through those doors just like he used to when they were young. But she shook her head to rid of her thoughts and watched as the boy sat next to his bushy haired friend. It seemed that Harry hung out with her and a Weasley boy in their grade like they were glued to the hips. She would always see them eat together or walk together in the halls, discussing matters of every importance. The small bit inside of her was glad that Harry had good friends like his father.

"This year we will be focusing on more practical lessons for handling and caring for your plants. You'll be learning about rare and exotic herbs and their uses in medicine and potions." Lovell briefly explained. "I am very big on learning hands on rather than text books and essays, but don't expect to be let off so easy." The kids looked some what glad as they could feel the pressure of essays falling off their shoulders. " Throughout the year, you will be given a specific potted plant to care for.  It will be your responsibility to research how to feed or take care of each plant but use the information you learn in lessons wisely as you may learn the fundamentals of caring for each one." Most of the kids perked up at this, as it was definitely a new thing. The curly haired girl next to Harry raised her hand immediately after hearing about this. "Yes, Ms..."

"Hermione Granger, Ma'am." She replied with a smile. Lovell has a small feeling she was definitely going to be a teacher's pet.

"Yes, Ms. Granger, go ahead."

"How will we be graded for our plants." She asked nicely.

Professor Lovell smiled, " The health of your plant will determine your grade by the end of the semester. Each week you must write a summary of the procedures or spells you used to help your plant, and document any new discoveries you come by. After Christmas we will be using your plants to discover what properties or potions it can be used in." Walking around the class room, she was yet to see any students not tuning in. " A healthy plant is a good grade, kids. Plants are more than just plain objects. They are just like animals. When you talk to them negatively, they act bad back to you. When you show them love, they flourish and give you what you ask for."

At that, a scoff could be heard near the back of the class room. A Slytherin boy with platinum blonde hair was leaning over and whispering to one of his friends, clearly having something against her words. "Do you not agree with me, Mr. Malfoy." Atlas knew the kids name, there was no doubt such hair could come from anyone else. But also he was the talk of the teachers lounge as he had already gotten his father complaining to the Ministry that one of Hagrid's creatures 'viciously' attacked him. However, he apparently was only scratched lightly for insulting the beast.

Malfoy looked up, not amused by the new teacher. She was only another Hufflepuff push over teacher in his eyes, just as Professor Sprout was. " I'm sorry Professor, but plants don't have emotions. They're just useless objects that crave sunlight and water." He wasn't as rude as she would expect but Lovell had enough experience to know he was a Slytherin know it all.

Atlas stood there with her eyebrow raised, "Well, if you must believe so then my job would be to prove you wrong then. As you see, I've lived with plants my entire life and if I learned anything, it's that they tend to listen quiet well." She walked over to one of her large plants lining the greenhouse walls. It was one of her favorites, as it resembled a Venus Fly Trap that happened to be on steroids. It's mouth was twice the size of her head and it's limbs spread all around the roof and walls of the green house. "This one here is one that I've tended to for five years now. I had brought it from my own garden as it requires special care, a daily feeding of a live chicken each day. Each morning and each night I complement it with the best love I can give, as it gave back roots to help cure common illnesses and injuries from a local village and now for our hospital wing."

Many of the students were off set by the fact that the plant was a carnivore, realizing how strange magical plants really can be, but still amazed at how useful the plant was. "I still don't believe it has any brain of its own. The plant is a dumb as a buldger and would never understand an actual human." Malfoy responded blankly, still not convinced.

"I would watch how you respect different creatures Mr. Malfoy, as we already know how that had gone in the past." The teacher had no sympathy for the boy as she knew he was trying to get her good friend Hagrid fired the other day. Many students snickered at her side comment about him, knowing how much of a twat he was. "But as you say, you may be right. I've never heard Grublin here say a word back to be, so how am I one to disagree that he can understand me." Atlas stroked the head of her plant that protruded from the walls. Suddenly though, Atlas jerked as she thought she heard something. Slowly placing her ear next to her plant she pretended to listen, "Oh- oh , yes. You're absolutely right, I don't blame you, Grublin." She joked.

Her students begged her to tell her what she heard the plant say, or if he really did say something to her. With a smirk, she locked eyes with Malfoy who still don't buy into anything she said. "Grublin says he has a lesson for students who insult him." And with a sudden jolt, the vines that had been slowly crawling up the ceiling, flew down at a rapid speed and curled themselves around Malfoy's torso and limbs. He had no time to escape or even realized what had happened before the plant tugged him into the air with no mercy.

Malfoy let out a shout of surprise and the entire class blew up in loud laughter and screams as the plant dangled him from the roof. He yelled to be immediately let down as his friends tried to pull him free but they could hardly catch him as the plant swayed. "Let me down! Tell it put me down now!" He yelled.

"Well I would tell it to but I don't think plants with bludgers as brains don't listen to me well. Maybe you should try to." Professor Atlas laughed as this moment reminded her of her foolishness in her old school days. Just when she would play pranks on every kid at school with The Mauraders. The nasty Slytherins that would always have something to say about her friends would get the other end of the stick.

"I command you to let me down, plant!" Malfoy told the plant repeatedly, but the vines never loosed and still had him hanging.

"Grublin," Atlas remind him, " really likes students with good manners." It was a side comment as she really wanted to teach the class a lesson. And what better way to show that plants require special attention than to show one hang a kid upside down from her ceiling.

"Will you please let me down.... Grublin?" He exclaimed to the plant aggressively. As soon as he called out its name, the plant stopped swaying him and gently lowered him to the ground onto his feet. Grublin released his snake like grip from around the boy and retracted each limb back up to the ceiling, returning to his natural state.

Malfoy took a second to regain his breath as he was still clearly taken aback by the plant throwing him around like a rag doll. "Once again, Mr. Malfoy, I wouldn't underestimate what a plant can or can't do to you or for you." She told him. The boy was still shaken up by the encounter, but was still very clearly pissed. She knew she was going to have a meeting with Dumbledore about tossing kids around her room with plants, but all was worth it for her first impressions with the kids.

Professor Lovell's class was one lesson the kids surely wouldn't dread going to after that.

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