This story started out as part of "At Hogwarts Under Compulsion" and was going to come after Chapter 6, but it became too much of a rabbit-trail, so I cut it. However, the concept intrigued me, so I've made a separate story of it. The previous situation and cause for Brian's distress as discussed in the first several paragraphs occurs in the other story, so "The Green Crucible" will make more sense if you read at least chapters 5 and 6 of "At Hogwarts Under Compulsion."
Standard Disclaimer: Everything and every Character that you recognize from the Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. Rowling. Unfamiliar characters and this particular situation belong to me. I get no remuneration of any kind for this story except the compliments, if any, from the readers.
As always, comments and criticisms are greatly appreciated.
ASSIGNMENT
"Come in, Mr. MacDougal," said Professor Dumbledore. Even when he spoke quietly his deep voice seemed to fill any space he occupied.
Not many students were invited to the Headmaster's office; fewer still enjoyed the visit. However kindly he might look, Dumbledore was still the Headmaster and that position alone made a visit to his office a weighty matter. MacDougal quickly reviewed events of the past few weeks to try to find out why he'd been summoned. It had to be on account of that smart-ass little first year. Doesn't anybody around here have a sense of humor? The elephant trunk hex was just a joke: things like that happened all the time. When the whole religion thing ran through the school, he had only done what everybody else at Hogwarts was doing. Even some of the professors had participated. Well, perhaps he went a bit overboard telling the kid how his parents had died... but it was true. How was he to know the kid would go mental over it? Anyway, after two days it seemed the whole thing had blown over.
Then he got called to the Headmaster's office. It didn't help Brian's nervousness that around the cornice of the room were displayed portraits of previous Headmasters of Hogwarts, all looking down on him rather like a jury. Explanations and excuses started rushing through his brain.
"Please sit down," said Dumbledore, indicating a comfortable leather chair across from his desk. Then he opened a folder of papers and started perusing them.
MacDougal sat down stiffly on the edge of the chair. After a moment, he began, "Please, sir, I can explain…"
"Explain?" Dumbledore interrupted, looking up. "I don't see how you can explain something I've told you nothing about as yet." He turned his attention back to the papers. " 'Brian Alistair MacDougal, Slytherin House, fourth year, shows aptitude for Potions and Charms, good marks in classes…' hmmm, they dipped a bit last term, eh?"
MacDougal nodded, completely at sea as to where this interview was going. Clocks, or other instruments in the office, ticked a quiet, albeit complicated, background. Dull sunshine came in the windows but didn't brighten the atmosphere of the office. In fact, Dumbledore seemed to be the only thing in the office that was relaxed.
" '…also good at research and figuring out problems. Social skills…' " (at this, Brian's stomach tightened noticeably) " 'typical for a young man his age' " Dumbledore closed the folder and looked at MacDougal.
Ever alert for clues, Brian studied the Headmaster's expression. It was calm, even slightly inclined toward the positive. He could see no signs of annoyance or anger or disapproval, and the knot in his stomach relaxed a tiny bit.
"Mr. MacDougal, there are many things which need to be learned that do not fit easily into Hogwarts' curriculum. Therefore, I occasionally step in and, with the teachers' approval, give extra work to some students. I'm giving you an assignment that I expect will last the rest of this term and possibly go into the spring term." Dumbledore got up from his desk, walked over to a bookshelf and got a small box which he brought back to his desk. Sitting down, he again addressed the student.
"These are seeds of the Hesseth plant. I want you to cultivate them, discover what makes them grow better and stronger, and discover some uses for them. Now before you are properly annoyed at such a simple project I will point out that I respect your intelligence very much. The Hesseth is not well known, but there are references to it in some very ancient manuscripts. These references suggest that it has significant magic or can be used significantly in magic, therefore it is worth your time to investigate. Also, although it appears to be a simple plant, it is very difficult to grow, therefore it will require all of your Slytherin cleverness to figure out how to cultivate it. Finally, I will tell you that the few times it has been grown well have been under unusual, even surprising, conditions. I regret to point out that I've removed all references to these successful growing techniques from our library, but there is still enough information for you to work with. Do you have any questions so far?"
Startled, Brian tried frantically to grasp at any association that he could turn into an intelligent question. "May I ask Professor Sprout for help?"
"All of the resources of Hogwarts are available to you, just as they are for all students. Of course, you will document your research. I shall expect a twelve-inch roll of parchment from you every two weeks documenting your investigations and conclusions. This assignment is in addition to your regular schoolwork. Good work here will add value to your marks, but will not compensate for slacking off your regular studies."
MacDougal was finally beginning to get a grip on what was happening. He instinctively sought a direct path toward his goal. "May I ask you something, sir?"
"Certainly."
"You said you've removed references to this plant from our library, so you must have seen them. Will you tell me in what general direction to approach this?"
Dumbledore smiled warmly. "It's good to see that not all students have forgotten the value of a direct question to an admitted source of information. Let me see, how shall I word this? It seems that the most successful growths of Hesseth had very little to do with herbology as we recognize it. You asked if you were allowed to inquire of Professor Sprout. Again, I say that all of Hogwarts is available to you, but don't limit yourself. Be prepared to find information in places you don't expect, even in places you don't particularly want to find it."
Brian's expression melted from business-like inquiry to thorough confusion. He hadn't really expected to trip up Professor Dumbledore, but he had hoped to get a bit more concrete information from him. Whatever could he mean, "in places you don't particularly want to find it"?
"Good, good," rumbled Dumbledore good-naturedly. "I've startled you. A teacher's fondest hope is to startle his students into actually thinking. Well, here are the seeds. I shall expect your first report in two weeks. Off you go, now."
MacDougal stood up and accepted the box from Dumbledore. Tick, click, t-click-ickity, click-tick, cl-ti-ick-ck, tickity, clickity, tick, tick… The wheels of the instruments in the office were nothing compared with the wheels spinning in MacDougal's brain. He walked slowly toward the door, curiosity (Why me?) wrestling with self-preservation (Don't stir anything up, you fool!) in his mind. As he got to the door, he turned back to the Headmaster. "Sir, is there… any particular reason you chose me for this project?"
Well, thought Dumbledore, that shows some courage and perhaps a bit of conscience. "This is something of an experiment. As I mentioned before, there are many things which need to be learned that don't fit into our present curriculum. Your teachers and I agreed that you could handle the work, and your history here at Hogwarts made you one of the logical choices." Dumbledore smiled and nodded, indicating that the interview was over. He turned his attention to another folder on his desk.
"Thank you, sir," said Brian, and he left closing the door behind him. He suspected that Dumbledore's answer had been evasive but he didn't have the nerve to pursue the matter any more.
When the door to his office closed, Dumbledore looked up from the blank pages in the folder and smiled pensively after MacDougal. "He didn't completely accept that last answer you gave him," said one of the portraits, a Headmaster who had been in Slytherin House himself. "Do you really think he won't figure it out?"
"Of course he'll figure it out, Phineas," said Dumbledore pleasantly. "I'd be disappointed in him if he didn't. The real question, however, is whether or not he'll learn from this project. As we all know, recognition of facts is sometimes unavoidable, but learning is always optional."
The Hesseth Plant – Initial Findings
Hesseth has been found in almost every part of the world, but is most common (if I may use the term for a decidedly hard-to-find plant) in areas with a moderate concentration of people. It is somewhat less common in areas of high concentration (e.g., large, dense cities) and is almost never encountered in uninhabited areas.
Structurally it is a viney plant with heart-shaped leaves occurring in opposing pairs along the vine. At a glance, it is very similar to several common vines used for decoration around buildings and walls. I have not yet grasped the differences well enough that I could be certain of identifying this plant without some assistance. There are few reports as to how large the plant will grow. Some indicate it remains a single vine, climbing a wall or snaking through a field. Others report it branching out to the point of covering the side of a building.
Upon recommendation from Professor Sprout I have planted five of the seeds in ceramic containers in soil characterized by 1) sand, 2) clay, 3) loam, 4) slight saltiness (as if near the sea), and 5) slightly acid loam (as if in a forest). When the seeds sprout, the containers will be moved to locations with differing amounts of sun, wind, and water.
References to the use of Hesseth in magic, so far, are very infrequent and very inconsistent. In 1832 a witch seems to have used …