Green House Trek

"So, what do you think they'll do to Professor Chiron?" asked Harry when he arrived at Potions.

"He'll probably get sacked, and the Dueling Tournament will be off," said Ron dejectedly. He had been really excited for the competition that had been scheduled for that Friday.

"I doubt Dumbledore will fire him immediately," said Hermione, much more practical. "He's not the type to make decisions when he's angry. He'll just keep an eye on Chiron now."

"Good morning, class," said Professor Snape with absolutely no emotion as he hurried through the door and down the isle. "Turn to page two hundred and forty-five." The students all did so, and found that on this page was a simple concoction for treating burns. The ingredients were: eye of newt, flobberworm mucus, and molly. To the class's dismay, they realized that neither flobberworm mucus nor molly was on the list of ingredients to buy, so no one had any.

"You may have realized that you are missing some ingredients," Snape continued. "Wizards must be resourceful. This I hope you learn, if anything this year. Hence, very shortly, you are to join Professor Sprout in Greenhouse 2."

"Um…" stammered Shamus, raising his hand.

"Yes?" grunted Snape.

"What about the flobberworm mucus?"

"Be resourceful," was all the teacher had to say.

* * *

"Okay… this sounds a little odd. Why are we being paired up to be sent into the greenhouse?" asked Ron later on. The students were gathered outside, Gryffindor and Slytherin, which was not the normal Herbology arrangement, but since this was technically an extension of that morning's Potions class, both houses arrived.

"The partners will be: Boulstrode and Pavarti Patel," said Sprout, "Crabbe and Goyle, Granger and Weasley, the other Patel and Finnegan, Malfoy and Potter…" Harry didn't listen to the rest as Draco walked begrudgingly over. He was shocked at this pairing.

"Just don't get in my way, Potter," said Malfoy, walking to their specified entrance.

In a few minutes, everyone was in a group, and they were sent into different parts of the vast greenhouse compound. "Come on," said Malfoy, hurrying up a flight of metal steps to the upper level of Greenhouse 3. "We can see the whole room from here," he explained, actually sounding relatively pleasant—for a moment.

"Is that it?" asked Harry, pointing down at a white object among the foliage below. He looked up, but his Slytherin companion was already bolting down toward the specimen. So much for pleasant.

"You'll have to avoid those—" Harry began, not sure why he was trying to help.

"Shut up!" snapped Draco. "I can do this without your stupid ad—" Suddenly, vines shot up out of the loam and entwined Malfoy, who screamed and dropped his wand. "Let me down, you stupid vegetables!" he yelled at the vines, as if they had feelings to be hurt.

"Having fun?" asked Harry, greatly amused.

"Shut up!" Malfoy bellowed again. After he struggled and panicked a bit, he cried, "Alright! Help me!"

"Hm? What was that?"

"HELP ME!"

Not feeling particularly vindictive that day, Harry drew his wand and raised it high. His arm had healed pretty well, aided by Madame Pomfrey's potion. "Diffindo!" Harry uttered, sweeping his wand downward. Instantaneously, the crazed vines were severed and fell away, oozing a foul yellow liquid.

Malfoy lay pathetically on the wooden boardwalk for a moment, still whimpering and writhing. Realizing that he had been saved, he got to his feet and continued toward the Molly. "Got it," he grunted, and walked toward the exit.

Suddenly, a low drone filled the greenhouse. "What's that?" asked Harry, more to himself than his ungrateful partner. As the buzzing intensified, he spotted a hole in the glass roof. A bulbous vampyr mosp suddenly soared in, brandishing its fangs.

"Why are all our teachers trying to kill us?" whined Draco, still to far from the door to make a successful escape. The winged insect promptly got between him and the exit.

"I don't think Sprout put this here," explained Harry, preparing to strike. "These things are always invading the greenhouses."

Malfoy stifled a screech as the beast dove at him. "Flipendo!" he cried, blasting the side of the mosp. It crashed into the metal walkway above, bringing portions of the rusted mesh down amongst the plants on the ground floor.

The mosp came at Harry then, but he was ready. "Vermiculous!" The bug abruptly changed into a larvae, sent back through its growth stages.

Disgusted and still ungrateful, Draco stomped the fanged worm, splattering it across the wooden planks. Harry knew that the Slytherin would never thank him, so he didn't say a word as he pushed open the door and walked outside.

* * *

"Well, I heard that the dueling club is back on!" announced Ron at lunch.

"Really? That's great!" exclaimed Harry, flexing his newly healed arm. "I'm ready. How about you?"

"I'm set!" replied Ron, excited for Friday.

"Personally, I find dueling barbaric," commented Hermione, but no one paid her any mind.

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