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Herbology, said no one, in the Hogwarts History,"

Saffron related to Lavender's words on a deeply personal level, as she walked across the vegetable patch with Hermione, Lavender and Parvati, on their way to Herbology. Harry and Ron had gone ahead together, their minds still focussed on the Howler and Saffron felt it best to not get on their bad side today, for they were undoubtedly in a snappy mood, in the midst of the immediate aftermath.

"Except maybe Neville," said Parvati fairly, as they approached the rest of the class, which consisted of second-year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, all waiting outside for Professor Sprout. "Shut up there he is!"

Saffron didn't even have to think about who 'he' could be, for when Lavender and Parvati linked arms with a squeal, it told her that Gilderoy Lockhart must be approaching. No one else could trigger such a reaction.

She looked across the lawn to see the squat little Professor Sprout, sporting her usual patched hat and dirty robes, alongside her polar opposite, Lockhart, who was pristine in beautiful turquoise robes with his golden locks gleaming against the sun shining down on him. They were walking away from the tree Harry and Ron had crashed into only last night, the Whomping Willow, which had many branches in slings, evidently due to the damage that was done last night.

"Oh, hello there!" he called, beaming around at the assembled students, Saffron couldn't help but beam back, and she had the feeling most of the other girls and perhaps some boys had similar beams present on their faces. "Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is! I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels . . ."

"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" Professor Sprout, sounded irritable and tired, unlike the woman that thought the disgusting subject Herbology, whom, in spite of disliking the subject, Saffron had grown to like, last year.

"Greenhouse three!" Hermione whispered to Saffron in excitement.

Her excitement was due to the fact that they had only ever worked in greenhouse one before and were now skipping greenhouse two to move onto three. That gave Saffron a bit of an iffy feeling but she reminded herself of her vow to be bold and try, so she did so.

Professor Sprout took a large rusty key from her belt and unlocked the door. Saffron exchanged an apprehensive glance with Lavender who shrivelled up her nose at the scene of the smell of earth and fertiliser. Saffron followed Lavender in and was in turn followed by Hermione and Ron, but she turned around when she heard Lockhart's voice.

"Harry! I've been wanting a word - you don't mind if he's a couple of minutes late, do you, Professor Sprout?"

Saffron arched her eyebrow, looking from Lockhart, to Professor Sprout, to Harry, before going back to Lockhart and staying on Lockhart before someone spoke up.

Lockhart didn't even give Professor Sprout time to reply, he merely said, "That's the ticket," and closed the greenhouse door in her face.

"What was that about?" Saffron asked Hermione, as they took their places on benches, around a large table full of strange plants.

"I don't know," replied Hermione, taking a pair of ear muffs off the bench and handing it to Saffron, before taking her own. "It's a bit strange, isn't it? Harry's lucky though, I can't wait to find out what Lockhart had to say,"

Harry returned not even a minute later, and when he did, Professor Sprout dove right into the class."We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?" Saffron flinched as Hermione's hand shot up like a whip past her ear.

"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," said Hermione, repeating the words she had memorised from the textbook off by heart. "It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."

"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?"

"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it,"

"Precisely. Take another ten points," said Professor Sprout. It was a routine, but Saffron smiled, every point Hermione gained for Gryffindor was positive. The feeling they had last year when they won the House Cup was sensational and she would love to have that feeling again. "Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young."

She pointed to weird greenish plants in the large area. All Saffron knew was that she didn't want to have to touch it.

"Everyone take a pair of earmuffs," said Professor Sprout.

Saffron grinned for she already had a pair in front of her.

"When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered," said Professor Sprout. Saffron took her advice very seriously and put them on as she continued to speak. There was no way she was going to allow herself to get hurt or even worse in Herbology, of all classes."When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs-up. Right - earmuffs on."

Saffron pressed her hands on the earmuffs and looked down at the ground, disinterested as to what was going to happen with the Mandrake things.

She only looked up when Hermione nudged her, signalling that Professor Sprout had given them the thumbs up.

"As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet," she said relaxedly. Saffron heard the word kill and instantly felt faint. "However, they will knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back, make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while you work. I will attract your attention when it is time to pack up.

"Four to a tray - there is a large supply of pots here - compost in the sacks over there - and be careful of the Venomous Tentacula, it's teething."

She gave a sharp slap to a spiky, dark red plant, making it draw in the long feelers that had been inching sneakily over her shoulder.

Saffron had no clue what was going on or what the exact instructions of the lessons were, the only thing that concerned her was not getting knocked out for several hours. She would like a few weeks at the very least before entering the Grey, it was the last thing she wanted or needed on her first day back.

"Me, you, Parv and Neville," Lavender said to Saffron, obviously talking about the group of four. It was more a statement than a question. Saffron nodded and looked over her shoulder and frowned as Lavender and Parvati set off in the quest of ensuring that Neville, the student who was most competent at the practical parts of Herbology, would be able to do the work for them. Saffron spared a look at Hermione, who merely smiled at her as she joined Harry and Ron to find a fourth member for their group. "And what is it about people saying blondes are dumb, hum? This group is going to be genius,"

Neville joined their group without question and with a grin, leaving Dean, who had assumed the three girls wanted him, looking rather taken aback and disappointed.

"You're going to have to show us what to do Neville," said Lavender casually. "We were too focussed on Lockhart to pay attention,"

"We start by filling our pots with compost," Neville told them, Saffron pulled her gloves as far back as possible, not wanting to touch the compost, which, she knew, was dragon dung compost. Lavender and Parvati were equally as tentative.

"You have to find out what Lockhart said to Harry so you can tell us, Saffron," Parvati said to Saffron conversationally, as she slowly filled her pot with the compost. "It has to be something big,"

"Maybe he's going to be his mentor?" suggested Lavender, making Saffron smirk. Harry as Lockhart's mentor? Harry would object to that quicker than anyone else could accept. That was one of the things Saffron admired about him.

"Earmuffs back on, chaps!"

Lavender groaned and Parvati rolled her eyes. Saffron too was disheartened, but she set off to work, following Neville's instructions carefully, but to very little avail. The boy ended up doing all the work, for Lavender downright refused to shove them down whilst Parvati Saffron could hold on for a second before letting go in fear of getting kicked, punched or bitten by the angry plant things.

"Come on, ladies," Professor Sprout yelled over the Mandrakes noise loudly. "Keep up, Neville can't do all the work for you, women are just as able as men in here, no excuses,"

Lavender imitated her behind her back making Parvati and Saffron giggle, but Sprout's words made them try just a hard, and working together, they shoved the Mandrakes into the pots, doing one between the three of them in the same time Neville had done three by himself.

"Sorry, Neville," said Saffron apologetically. "I hate making you do all of it, I just can't do it properly,"

"It's alright," Neville said understandingly. "I don't mind doing it, this is the only class I like so I might as well make the most of it,"

Saffron smiled, attempting to aid him in any way she could, but her efforts were essentially for nought. Neville was actually better doing it himself without any of the girls interfering in his effortless work. So, Saffron waited, waited for the bell to ring out so she could quiz Harry on what Gilderoy Lockhart had to say to him specifically.