VIII
September, 1991
"Now! Watch carefully children! This is how we fertilize the Giant cucurbimpkins!"
Yvonne, together with the rest of the first year students, follows along as Professor Sprout reaches into the brown sack with her spade and dumps a heaping of mushy compost around the lumpy, orange pumpkin-looking plant in the ground. It instantly comes alive, much to the amazement of the class, and its vines stretch out and sink into the new batch of compost, looking like large claws dragging through its spoils.
The large, round plant is a little over a meter tall, almost standing at their eye level, and seems to rumble with satisfaction as it soaks up the fertilizer.
Professor Sprout calls their attention back to her. "Normally, you wanna' watch out for the vines 'cause underfed cucurbimpkins have been known to grab at you." She lectures before smiling widely and patting at the cucurbimpkin with her gloved hand. "But, these fellas here are just about ripe for the Equinox and well fed. We'll have one last feeding today and then two weeks from now, we'll be learning how to harvest them!"
"Now," Professor Sprout sings, "Put on your gloves, partner up, and grab a spade!"
The class of first-year Ravenclaws and Gryffindors rush to follow her instructions.
It's the first week of classes and this is their third session of Herbology. For the other two sessions earlier in the week, they spent the period in front of a blackboard, going over basic herbology and getting an introduction to plant life. They've also learned a touch about taking care of plants.
This session today is their first go at getting practical instruction in the greenhouses. There are four greenhouses in total on the Hogwarts grounds and each one of them are giant, glass buildings teeming with plant life. The greenhouse they're in now is mildly humid with a long, wide planter bed set into the ground. Spread out over the long stretch of soil is fifteen, giant cucurbimpkins.
Yvonne will certainly be including this in her letter for her mother.
According to Professor Sprout, every year Hogsmeade holds a Harvest Home festival for the Autumn Equinox. It's a grand event that attracts all types of visitors as the whole village joyfully participates to celebrate the second harvest period. Hogsmeade sets up stalls all over the place with local juices and dishes out for sampling. They even decorate the houses and shops with hanging corn dolls and set up plentiful altars full of offerings for Mabon. And it always takes place on the weekend so the older students can attend too.
Of course, the first and second year students can't attend—much to the displeasure of Yvonne—but, that doesn't mean they don't get to participate in the Harvest Home spirit.
Instead, they are given the task of helping Hogwarts with the patch of Giant cucurbimpkins that the school provides to help decorate the village. The docile species of pumpkins is a magical plant that can grow up to two meters tall and has coiling vines that, while sometimes unpredictable, have a certain penchant for music that causes them to twist and twirl. Which means that, come sunset, Hogsmeade lights up their bonfires and the locals enjoy fresh pumpkin cider and music, dancing just as merrily as the cucurbimpkins.
It's the few times of the term where Hogwarts students are allowed to stay out late.
Yvonne desperately wishes Hogwarts allowed the first year students to go. It's only the first Wednesday of the term and her third year might as well be decades away.
While the rest of the class is scrambling for a partner, Yvonne is staring at the patch of cucurbimpkins, caught up in her thoughts. She's never seen such huge plants before and she can't help but marvel at their size. She wonders how often they have to be fed to maintain such growth and whether or not their girth is a mark of magic or good gardening skills. But, how can there be so many in a patch together without issue? Yvonne reasons it must be the talent of Professor Sprout that produces such wonderful results because growing such a large patch of plant's this size can't be easy—with magic or not.
They're beautiful, she decides, smiling at cucurbimpkins. She wishes she could see them in the light of bonfires.
A voice interrupts her thoughts. "D-Do you want to partner up?"
Yvonne looks around and finds Neville standing behind her with a timid smile.
She hasn't seen much of him this week—Gryffindor and Ravenclaw only share two classes, unfortunately—so she hasn't had a chance to really talk to him since their train ride. Last class, she had tried to sit next to him so they could catch up, but she had ended up next to Hermione Granger. She's much too shy to approach him in the Great Hall in front of both of their Houses so it almost felt like her one chance to talk to him was snatched away. She nearly pouted right there in the middle of class.
But, it seems she's not the only one wanting to maintain their momentary friendship.
Smiling gently, Yvonne nods her head. "Of course!" she replies, walking with him to retrieve their spade. Neville smiles back at her with rosy, delighted cheeks.
Professor Sprout is now standing on a pedestal so she can be seen over the tall plants and their giant leaves. "Once you're ready, just choose a cucurbimpkin to work with and start loading up the compost on your spade. One of you will hold the bag—and make sure to keep a tight grip! Some of the vines are sneaky buggers that like to steal an extra snack!" Professor Sprout warns with a wide grin and the class laughs. Professor Sprout is one of Yvonne's favorite professors so far. Not only is she clearly knowledgeable and passionate about Herbology, but she's also very kind and funny.
"While one student is holding the bag, I expect the other to feed the cucurbimpkins the compost. Don't forget—you have to watch for the vines too! They can't hurt you too seriously, but we don't wanna' get caught, do we?"
"No!" The class instantly replies much to the joy of Professor Sprout.
She claps her hands together. "Alright you lot, go 'head. Choose a cucurbimpkin for yourselves and get started."
Yvonne turns to Neville while the rest of their class spreads out across the greenhouse. "Do you want the spade or the bag?" She asks.
Neville fiddles with his robes. "You can pick first."
She hums and nods her head. "I'll take the bag then. I've got two left feet and I don't think I'd be able to dodge a vine."
His face goes pale suddenly and Yvonne rushes to correct herself. "Not that I think anything will happen!" She adds quickly. "Professor Sprout said they're well fed, so I don't think we'll have troubles. Don't worry, Neville."
"Right," Neville swallows and pulls on his gloves before stepping forward to grab a spade. He stumbles slightly trying to lift the heavy object and Yvonne wonders if pairing together two, clumsy children is the best idea.
Together, they heave the big sack of compost over to an especially peculiar looking cucurbimpkin that's green with lighter stripes running down its shape. It's a bit more oval shaped than the circular shape that the other cucurbimpkins have and it has a giant, cream lump on the top next to its stem.
"Huh. It looks like it's wearing a tiny hat." Yvonne marvels, tilting her head to look at the seemingly top hat resting on their cucurbimpkin's "head".
Neville tilts his head as well. "It's a top hat." He adds.
Yvonne hums as a thought occurs to her. "We have a gentleman cucurbimpkin."
Neville blinks for a moment before smiling and bowing slightly to their plant. "Ser Cucurbimpkin, we've come with your afternoon snack." He says, sending her a glance after as if he's worried what she'll think.
But, Yvonne simply covers her mouth to contain her laughter and also curtsies to their plant, following Neville's lead. "Ser Cucurbimpkin." She greets in a serious voice.
"Oy! You two, don't mess about!" Professor Sprout calls out from her place on the pedestal.
Neville and Yvonne quickly jump back into what they're supposed to be doing, following along with their classmates. But, they smile at each other for the rest of class as they catch up and talk about their week so far.
Neville tells Yvonne all about his House and his classes. It seems that the Gryffindors share most of their classes with Slytherin—which makes sense since the Ravenclaws are usually with Hufflepuff—and it makes class into a minefield since Slytherin and Gryffindor are notorious for their rivalry. There's always someone on either side making comments or trading insults. And, as if that isn't bad enough, Draco Malfoy has singled Neville out for some reason or another and the arrogant boy makes it a point to try to humiliate Neville.
"Ugh," Yvonne huffs, shaking her head. "Don't I know it. I have Transfiguration with Slytherin and he and Parkinson are already awful."
Neville sends her a curious look over his shoulder as he dumps another serving of compost for their plant. "Malfoy doesn't like you either? Why?"
"Well, no, not exactly." Yvonne's hands rub at the bag she's holding for a moment as she hesitates. "Before the school year started, I actually met Parkinson at Madam Malkin's."
"Oh." Neville hums in understanding.
"Yes and she wasn't…very nice." Yvonne says.
Neville huffs a bit. "Can't imagine that." He mumbles sourly.
"Well—remember when I said I had two left feet? I tripped in front of her and she made this whole showing about it. Of course, she recognized me the first day of class and now—" Yvonne sighs, suddenly annoyed at the thought of the other girl.
Pansy Parkinson is going to be a thorn in her side, Yvonne can already tell. The Slytherin girl made such a scene in Transfiguration upon see Yvonne in class and the only reason Yvonne didn't have to hear her loudly recount that day in Madam Malkin's to all the Slytherins in her vicinity was because Professor McGonagall promptly told her to stop her chattering.
By their next class together though, it seemed like Parkinson and Malfoy were making it a point to sit right behind her and whisper about her the whole time. And Yvonne didn't have the same luck with Professor Binns that she had with Professor McGonagall. It's like their ghost professor would continue his History of Magic lessons through anything—including his own death, apparently.
"Yeah," Neville sighs. "She does me too. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, I asked Professor Quirrell if anyone could die from a gnome bite and she wouldn't stop laughing about it! Even after Professor Quirrell asked her to stop." Neville complains as he gives Ser Cucurbimpkin another serving of food.
Their top hat wearing cucurbimpkin is happily digging through the piles of compost they have provided, vines snaking through the smelly dirt.
Yvonne is giving Neville a curious look when he turns back to her and the boy's cheeks flush red once he notices. "A gnome bit me once and I was sick for weeks after, I swear!"
Before she can reply, Professor Sprout is clapping her hands to call their attention again.
"Alright! We all finished?" She asks and takes a glance around to see all the cucurbimpkins digging into their nosh. "Good, now that our cucurbimpkins are eating, it's time to give them some entertainment! Everyone, come grab an instrument!"
Yvonne blinks and shares a confused glance with Neville as Professor Sprout waves her wand and a pile of small instruments appears at her feet. There's handheld drums and shakers, a small guitar and violin, and even a couple of recorders.
The rest of the class seems just as puzzled as them because no one moves forward.
Professor Sprout puts her hands on her hips and laughs at the look of them. "What are you lot gawking at? Don't you think the cucurbimpkins deserve a treat for growing this big? Come on, come on! Grab something and start playing! You didn't think I brought us down here to just fertilize some plants, did you? I can do that on my own!"
Easily, the first years all form up into a queue, one-by-one choosing an instrument. By the time Yvonne gets in front of the pile, all the drums and shakers are gone, but she doesn't mind. Without hesitation, she goes for the melodica. It's a miniature piano with only about two scales worth of "keys" and there's a sprout on the top where she has to blow into to produce sound.
When she and Neville are back in front of Ser Cucurbimpkin, the Gryffindor boy has a brass triangle in his hand along with a tiny stick to hit it with.
"Okay listen up!" Professor Sprout announces once they're all back and settled in front of their plants. Her dirt smeared cheeks are stretched wide and her waves of grey seem to fluff with delight.
"Lucky for you lot, cucurbimpkins are not pernickety so simply let your heart do the work and play them something." She starts, before continuing into her lecture. "You'll learn as the years go by that intention is the most important component of magic and Herbology is no different! Magical plants know when, or when not, you have a good heart. Now let's hear a song!"
The next twenty minutes descend into the worst uproar of noise that Yvonne has ever heard in her life. Half the students don't really know how to play their instruments, so they're all just banging and plucking in an explosion of chaotic songs. Most of them are out of tune and off beat. However, most importantly, most of them cannot stop laughing.
Yvonne herself is struggling to produce even the most squawkish of notes because she can't stop laughing at how horrible they all sound. Even as the madness goes on, Professor Sprout is swinging her wand to and from, like she's conducting their pandemonium. And, every once in a while, the clear ringing of Neville's triangle will cut through all the noise.
Unlike most of their class, Neville can freely play his instrument even as he shakes with laughter.
That being said, the cucurbimpkins truly seem to not care. Their vines are all squiggling and wiggling to the ridiculous tune.
When the lesson sadly comes to an end, Professor Sprout vanishes the instruments and sends them off with an upbeat smile and a cheery wave. All the students are chattering over the exciting lesson as they make their way back into the castle. Neville and Yvonne walk together until they reach the first floor of the castle. While Ravenclaw has a free period, the Gryffindors are on their way to Magical Theory.
Finally on her own, Yvonne goes to the one place she hasn't gotten a chance to explore—the library. She's seen it in passing, of course. Penelope had given them a tour of the castle on their first day of class and had pointed out all the important features of Hogwarts along the way. Except, Yvonne's habit of stumbling and straying was immediately known to the fifth year Prefect so Penelope made her stand next to her the whole time while they traveled around the castle.
Now with her own freedom, Yvonne nearly runs through the corridors, taking stairs quickly to get to the library. Her glance from Monday was not enough—she wants to explore how many sections and special collections Hogwarts has. She wants to count each stack and try to find the best nooks for her to tuck herself into.
It doesn't take long for Yvonne to reach her destination. Professor Sprout let them out early so it's only just as she makes it to the library that the rest of the students start filling the hall.
Smiling, Yvonne steps under the towering archways and enters into the land of books.
The chunky heel of her dress shoes tap softly against the polished, marbled floors as she steps into the well-lit room. The entrance of the library is cozy and grand with giant, stained glass windows following the walls on both sides and a roaring marble fireplace in the right corner of the room. As she peers deeper into the library, from floor to ceiling, there's rows and rows of mahogany bookcases filled to the brim with tomes and novels. In the isles are different display cases and archaic instruments of the Magical World.
As she walks further into the entrance, a circular, ornate desk is tucked near the entrance and behind the counter is Madam Pince, the librarian. Yvonne realizes she's the same witch she saw at the Welcoming Feast, still dressed in all black and wearing a feather hat. She's staring down with beady little glasses perched on her hooked nose. Yvonne tries to smile politely, but the pursing of Madam Pince's thin lips implies it's not well received.
Not wanting to get in trouble, Yvonne hurries into the library further, bypassing all the rows of tables that take up the main area of the library. There's some other students here and there, with books spread out in front of them or with a quill in hand.
Yvonne hurries by them too, head down until she's hidden by the towering bookcases.
Lining the bookcases are built in desks with little lamps built in for self-study and there's even more tables scattered throughout. Yvonne passes by row after row, carefully looking down each aisle to try to get a sense of the entire place. A small wooden sign built into the side of the bookcases denotes what the row is dedicated to. There's magical theory and method, politics and philosophy, invisibility and intangibility, a section on the different beast, beings, and spirits, a section for each class Hogwarts offers and then some. It takes her a while to find the couple rows worth of Magical history, all catalogued by the continent and country. And special sections—like the ones dedicated to Dragons and religion—are even deeper in the library, with their own area and separate, freestanding bookcases.
All in all, it's everything Yvonne hoped it would be and then some.
It's peaceful and relaxing, the smell of aged parchment is strong but the scent is so familiar to Yvonne that she nearly melts when she ducks into a section, pulls a random book from the shelf, and cracks it open.
She doesn't even mind the dust she has to cough through because all of it is so out of this world. It's so fantastic that Yvonne couldn't have dreamed it even if she tried.
"Absolutely brilliant," she whispers to herself with a smile, eyes trailing over the wall to wall rows of books.
Her father certainly wasn't lying when he said she would love this place.
Putting the book back in its place, Yvonne continues on her exploration of the library, weaving in between different sections and crisscrossing aisles until she reaches a stained glass window that makes her stop. It's a depiction of a parliament of owls taking off into the air but what really catches her eye are the two wingback chairs with a table in between them.
"It's perfect." She breathes out as she steps forward and settles herself in the comfy, upholstered chair. She sinks perfectly into the well worn cushion and sighs.
This is certainly going in her letter to her father.
A/N: I'm feeling better and once again breezing through chapters :D Enjoy this little snippet of Herbology fun with Neville and some more world building in terms of the pagan roots of magic in HP. I hope that you all enjoy some of the lore, I tried my best researching things but I def took some creative liberties here and there.
Also! Did we catch the Cinderella reference? In my head, I imagine someone saw the dancing cucurbimpkins and used it for inspo for the magical carriage ahah
As always, favorite, follow, and drop a review *mwah*
