On Friday, November 8th, 1991, Amelia took Sirius to work with her for reasons not yet known to Harry, Amy, Susan, Hannah, and Heather.
Heather had taken the Yellow Quartet into the Abbotts's' greenhouse to give them a practical Herbology lesson.
Harry, Amy, Susan, Hannah, and Heather were all wearing protective dragon hide gloves and Heather led the Yellow Quartet deep into the middle of the greenhouse where several odd, tall, vertical, black plants were standing. These plants had had multiple unattractive swellings.
Heather now dug her hand into her left hand pocket and pulled out five bottles and handed one bottle each to Harry, Amy, Susan, and Hannah while keeping one for herself.
"Today's lesson was suggested to me directly by Professor Sprout the last time I talked to her. Apparently, this was part of fourth year curriculum at Hogwarts, but she feels like eleven year olds can handle it. There is a mild danger involved, but that is mitigated by wearing your protective gloves while you work."
"So, what are we doing then?" Harry asked Heather curiously.
"These plants are called Bubtubbers, " explained Heather, "Their swellings contain a substance called pus. Bubtubber pus is an excellent remedy for acme. Because Bubtubber pus is very valuable, I don't want any of it wasted. What you're going to do is squeeze the swellings on the Bubtubber plants and collect as much Bubtubber pus as you can in your bottles. Understand what to do?"
Harry, Amy, Susan, and Hannah all nodded.
Harry, Amy, Susan, Hannah, and Heather herself all got to work. They unscrewed the caps from the tops of their bottles and put them in their right hand pockets for the time being.
Harry, Amy, Susan, Hannah, and Heather all got to work on a different Bubtubber plant. All of them held their bottles under a swelling and began to squeeze.
Squeezing the Bubtubbers was disgusting but oddly satisfying. As they squeezed, a yellowish green liquid fell into their bottles.
Harry, Amy, Susan, Hannah, and Heather continued to squeeze the Bubtubbers and collect the pus in their bottles until their bottles were just about full, leaving s little room at the top for the caps to go back on.
After Harry, Amy, Susan, Hannah, and Heather had resealed the bottles, Heather said contently, "Good job, everyone. Now, no one who lives at Abbott Manor right now has an acme issue but I'm going to keep one bottle of Bubtubber pus in the house just in case. Professor Sprout is going to drop in after lunch to pick up the remaining four bottles and take them back to Hogwarts. Once Hogwarts closes, Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey plan to take any remaining supplies of the Bubtubber pus left over to my new school next fall."
"That was a good practical lesson, " said Harry approvingly.
"It's very important that you get hands on education, " said Heather firmly, "Memorizing facts out of books is worthless if you can't actually do things. On that note, I have something big planned for next week."
"What is it?" asked Amy eagerly.
"You'll have to wait and see, " grinned Heather, "But it will be very valuable and remarkably interesting. But we have time for another Herbology lesson before lunch. Could you four please wait here while I take these bottles inside."
"Yes, Heather, " promised Harry, Amy, and Susan while Hannah promised, "Yes, mom"
Heather took the bottles of Bubtubber pus inside and returned with a bucket.
"Please follow me to the window, " Heather instructed Harry, Amy, Susan, and Hannah, who obliged.
Positioned by the window was a large and vivid spring green colored plant with lots of lime green colored fruits protruding from it.
"This plant needs to be positioned by the window because it needs lots of sunlight to flourish, " explained Heather, "This plant is literally called the Nutrient Plant and the fruit that grows on it is literally called the Nutrient Fruit. That's because Nutrient Fruit is a major ingredient in the manufacture of Nutrient Potions."
"So?" guessed Susan, "We just pick the fruits and drop them in the bucket?"
"That's right, " smiled Heather.
Heather watched intently as the Yellow Quartet picked the fruits off the plant. When they had filled Heather's bucket she piped up, "Madam Pomfrey is dropping by after lunch as well. She will be carrying the bucket of Nutrient Fruits back to Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey prefers to make her own Nutrient Potions and she's in need of supplies."
"Is Madam Pomfrey good at Potion Making?" Harry asked Heather curiously, "I know she has to do a lot of doling out of potions because of her job but is she a good Potion Maker?".
"Most competent witches and wizards in the medical profession are. Many prefer to make their own potions for more control of how the potions come out because subtle differences in making potions can cause differences such as how powerful a potion is or how long its effects last., " answered Heather.
"That makes sense, " said Harry simply.
At this nanosecond it was now lunchtime.
As Heather was in the mood for a cold lunch, they had a lunch of cold cut sandwiches piled high with lunch meat of ham, chicken, and turkey with condiments of pickles, lettuce, and mustard with sides of lime Jello and cold carrots and crisp cold Budweiser to wash it down with.
As Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey dropped by to pick up the Bubtubber Pus and Nutrient Fruit, Sprout asked, "How's it going, Heather?"
"Fantastic," answered Heather, "I've been very lucky that Harry, Amy, Susan, and Hannah have both kept their promises to me to live lives free of romance, sexuality, and sex and that they have been dedicated, attentive, hardworking students. From a strictly personal standpoint, I'd love to teach the Yellow Quartet for all seven years. I just don't think seven years of home schooling is the best for them socially. I'm pleased to say that the total number of times that Harry, Amy, Susan, and Hannah have disobeyed me since this whole thing started is zero."
"That's nice to hear, " chroused Sprout and Pomfrey.
Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey didn't have much time to stay and chat.
When they had gone, Sirius and Amelia returned home and chorused, "We have news."