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Herbology : Medicinal Plants On an early autumn morning, Greenhouse Two is a comfortable oasis for human and plant alike, though it isn’t time for relaxing. The chill of the later season hasn’t yet fully hit in the shelter of the castle, and the assorted plants situated around the perimeter of the greenhouse are looking still quite perky. But then one who knew the man in charge of them knew he would hardly leave them to look less than content in their surroundings. Instead basking in the morning light as if waiting for the lesson themselves. Also, please remember to label your first post at least with your students name to make it easier to be sure which student and house gets credit. Lesson will officially begin in roughly 24 hours. Responses and Second Question Mini Activity Main Activity |
Xerxes Cadwallader- 1st Year Hufflepuff Xerxes wandered into Greenhouse 2, looking around at all the strange and magical plants that hung in pots along the ceiling or else stood in planters along the walls. He entered the greenhouse and immediately saw his Herbology Professor. "Good Morning Professor." he said respectfully. "How are you today? Its a great day for Herbology." He smiled at his teacher and then walked over and stood at the long trestle table, ready for class to begin. He took out his dragon hide gloves, just in case he would need them today. |
Aurora Bay - Hufflepuff It was early morning, and Aurora hadn’t had the best of sleeps last night. Still, she made her way to the greenhouse ready to take care of some plants. Hopefully this lesson would wake her up and get her more prepared for the rest of the day. ”Morning, Professor!” Rory made her way over to her workbench and took out her dragon-hide gloves. She was ready for whatever was in store this lesson. |
Jasper Buckthorn [Ravenclaw 2nd Year] After a quick breakfast Jasper hurried down to Greenhouse 2 for the next herbology lesson. He had overslept, but he had still packed his dragonhide gloves and notetaking material the night before in his satchel so he was set for the lesson. Entering through the door to the greenhouse Jasper smiled sunnily up at his head of house, and greeted with a wave. "Good morning Professor Cole," before heading over to take a seat near Rora which he murmured "Good morning Rory!" too before sitting down on a bench. To care for plants was always fun, the question now as he curiously peered around was what plants they were going to be studying today. |
Nyle Harden, Hufflepuff (not primary house) Nyle arrived to Greenhouse Two with his satchel slung diagonally across his chest, one strap of it already slipping from his shoulder thanks to his enthusiastic haste. He caught it just in time before it fell and gave a tiny huff of satisfaction through his nose. The early autumn morning had left a bit of pink on his cheeks and the tip of his nose, but inside the greenhouse, the air was warm and kind and utterly perfect. He paused just inside the threshold, offering Professor Cole a quiet, respectful "Good morning," before letting his eyes scan the space. Xerxes was already here. Nyle gave him a small smile and tight wave, friendly but reserved. Then he spotted A younger boy swept in with a beam of energy and confidence Nyle could only envy. Nyle froze, mid-step, and muttered a quiet, "...oh..." to no one in particular. His fingers flexed slightly at his sides then curled into the fabric of his sleeves and gripped the material gently. Realizing he had been standing and gawking, likely somewhere around Rory's shoes, he ducked his head quickly, pretending he hadn’t been aiming for any particular spot at all, and folded himself haphazardly into the nearest stool. A quiet flush crept up the back of his neck—he could feel it like warm ivy—and averted his gaze down to his feet. The spot he had practically collapsed into had enough space beside him for someone to join, but not so central that he’d draw attention... but also close enough that he could admire the way sunlight made red hair resemble fire. He placed his gloves on the table neatly, smoothing them once, then again, and finally set his satchel down beside the legs of the stool with a small thud. He rested his fingertips lightly on the table’s wooden edge, gaze drifting to the perky row of flora basking in the light nearby and wondered briefly if the heat he was feeling in face would be so potent as to cause them to wilt. "Morning, you lot," he whispered to them under his breath as if they were classmates too. He realized then that he had forgotten to greet his potted friends in the indoor garden this morning in his rush to get to lessons and his features paled slightly. They were such needy little things, growing exponentially, and hopefully they would not be too cross with him when he swung by before lunch to check on them. Then he sat, quiet, ready, and listening ― barely, because his heart was drumming in his ears. Once he had his fingers in some soil everything would be just fine. |
Idris Grunt :: Gryffindor What a pretty day! Idris could not help but have this thought resonate in his mind as he practically skipped across the grounds and towards the Greenhouses. He had donned some old clothing, his hair neatly secured under a bonnet. Because who wanted their perfectly fluffy hair to become entangled with branches and leaves? Or just as bad, become filthy with dirt? “Good morning, Professor!’’ the fourth year chirped as he reached Greenhouse Two. “I’m excited to have my brain filled with some more Herbology knowledge today!’’ He flashed the man a smile before heading in to join those who had already gathered there. “Hi, everyone! Hi, Rory!” His fellow fourth year opted to take a seat close by to those there before busying himself with taking his books and writing apparatus out of his bag. Perhaps he could sneak completing some Japanese translations before the lesson started? That worksheet wasn’t going to get itself done, after all. The same went for the Hindi one... Id didn't want to keep Dad D waiting to grade that. |
Arielle Lefroy- Hufflepuff !st Year Arielle made her way to green house 2. It was a lovely day to be with plants. '' Good morning Professor'' Then arriving at the work bench |
Xerxes Cadwallader- Hufflepuff Quote:
Xerxes also saw Nyle enter the Greenhouse. He was about to call out to him as well, but then he saw that Nyle moved toward a girl Xerxes did not know. Perhaps he would let that situation rest for now. Xerxes thought that there might be something going on there........ |
Arielle Lefroy-Hufflepuff !st Year Quote:
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Diego Melo-Dreamer: Gryffindor Diego headed to Greenhouse Two as noted on the notice board. He was feeling a little homesick, after getting the latest letter and picture of his little brother in the garden with his parents. He felt happy, but also felt a little kick to his stomach from missing them. Smiling through the feeling, "Hello, Professor!" entering and waving at everyone he passed by. Soon as he found a seat, he got all settled and fished for his dragon-hide gloves out of his bag before waiting on the lesson to begin. |
Everyone! Class has begun. The first student to arrive wasn’t much of a surprise as he entered the greenhouse. The not-quite new first year puff was definitely an enthusiastic one. “Good morning, Mr. Cadwallader,” he spoke, returning the boy’s greeting with a nod. As for if it was a good day for herbology or not, “I might be a bit biased…but I think most days are good days for herbology,” he remarked with a smirk.” There were very rare cases of days when Marcus would avoid his chosen field. |
Xerxes Cadwallader- Hufflepuff SPOILER!!: Professor Cole Xerxes listened attentively as the Professor opened the lesson. He thought about the teacher's inquiry for a few moments and then respectfully raised his hand. "One time I had a terrible ear infection. It was so bad that my ear drum actually split in two and a bunch of puss oozed out. It hurt a lot and was really gross. My parents consulted a healer and then gave me a funny purple potion. It healed my ear drum immediately. I then had to eat a specific herb with every meal for a whole week to cure the infection." Xerxes lost himself for a minute in the memory of the devastating illness. It was quite traumatic at the time, but with hindsight Xerxes realized that it wasn't soooooo bad. He had survived after all. Still, he didn't like to think of it happening again. |
Aurora Bay - Hufflepuff More people were starting to join in, and Aurora was happy to see them all. She was starting to wake up which was great since Herbology was one of her favourite classes. She did love plants and taking care of them. She was curious about what they would be doing today. "Hey, Jasper!" She said pleasantly. And there was fellow plant enthusiast Nyle coming in as well. He seemed to be a little unsure of where to sit and Rory gave him a smile and a greeting as well. He seemed to be feeling rather awkward, and Rory hoped everything was okay with him. "Hey, Idris!" She smiled at her friend. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The lesson began and Rory listened intently to the Professor. Honestly she could think of a bunch of examples given what her mother did for a living. She raised her hand. "Well, my mother is a potioneer and she's very good at making healing potions. So she's definitely given me a lot over the years. I do remember once I had bad burns on my arms because I got boiling water spilled all over them. She used a healing paste on them, and I felt a lot better." That had definitely been one of her worst accidents. |
Nyle had been idly tracing a soft line over the edge of his dragonhide glove, letting his finger follow the natural curve in the material. His eyes weren’t quite on Professor Cole or really anyone at the moment, but his ears were tuned in and focused. The moment the prompt left the professor’s mouth, though, something in his chest gave a quiet tug―think of a time someone was hurt. His mind gave him too many and yet all roads lead to the same destination. The walls of their home gone eerily still. His father’s eyes—open, but not there. The cold pressure in the air that came just before the scream. The sound of mum chanting something in a voice that both sounded like hers and was also otherworldly. Nyle blinked hard. His fingers had drifted from the glove to the clasp of his satchel, where a small, worn charcoal-grey button was stitched into the side. It had come from one of dad’s older healer coats, had popped right off during a particularly bustling morning. Nyle had sewn it on himself, not well but it still served as a quiet little charm and reminder of the man's perseverance and support. It usually grounded him to brush his fingers over its unevenness, but the second he touched it today his world tilted inward. He would have teetered right off his stool ― something that would have been even more embarrassing that his earlier indecisive gawking ― had he not pulled his hand away quickly. He sat a little straighter and cleared his throat softly, offering something else — literally anything else — instead of the truth clawing at his ribs. For someone with two Healers as parents, his answer felt tame, almost embarrassingly so, like bringing a daisy to a greenhouse full of fire seed bushes. "My mum brews me this tonic with chamomile and ashwagandha when I have bad dreams or can't eat," he said quietly. "She charms it warm, but not too warm, and puts a sprig of mint in so it didn’t taste like feet. She often says if the body won’t rest then the mind could lead the way. And plants, herbs... can help the mind feel safe again." He glanced down at the button on his satchel, fingers fidgeting as he belatedly closed the lid—more for something to do with his hands than any real need. "Oh, er, my mum’s a healer. And also... my mum," he added, a touch too earnestly. "Dad too. A healer and my dad, I mean." As if, for some reason, that clarification had felt deeply necessary. Ears and cheeks roasting for the second or third time this lesson alone, Nyle busied himself with adjusting his posture on the stool. His legs were traitorously longer than they had been the year before and didn’t quite seem to know where they belonged on a stool anymore. He shifted once, then again, trying to tuck one ankle behind the other before abandoning that plan entirely and letting them dangle awkwardly for a moment. One heel tapped the stool leg absently as he finally settled for perching sideways, knees slightly bent and feet angled just enough to look casual and not cramped. Dirt...could he put his fingers in some dirt soon? Please? |
Idris Grunt :: Gryffindor Spotting Diego, Id tilted his head in concern. There was something off about his fellow Gryffindor and he made a mental note to check in the minute the lesson ended. By the time Professor Cole was ready to begin, Id was quite ready to absorb all the information that would be shared today. Not to mention he was ready to make detailed notes of it all. The fourth year thought back to that one particular time, when he was five. It was a memory that would always stick with him. There had been a stray cat. Of course it involved a cat; Id had loved the creatures probably before he could walk and talk. One had wandered into the yard when he was playing. Naturally Id had attempted to pet it despite Jan’s warning. Id hadn’t listened and so the next thing his mind had registered was searing pain where a claw had dug into his skin and raked at it leaving deep red streaks. The pain had been unbearable but somehow he hadn’t yellow or screamed. He just started to cry silently while Jan had hastily led him to their mother and godfather to explain what had happened. Idris raised his hand. “There was a stray cat that once clawed one of my arms really badly. My big brother took me to our mother and godfather. Mum held me to comfort me while Da- I mean my godfather applied Dittany to the broken skin. Afterwards he gave me a potion to drink, which cleansed any bacterial infection in my body from the cat. They gave me kisses after. Mum and my godfather. Not the cat, he ran away.” Was he ashamed of telling that bit about the kiss? Absolutely not! And he still thought about that cat, hoping that it had been treated kindly by any other humans it had encountered despite its feral nature. |
Diego Melo-Dreamer: Gryffindor (2) Diego was looking around the classroom, thinking of how lovely it is to be in the Greenhouse. Once the lesson began, He was interested in the lesson, but wasn't really in the mood to think about injuries, since it tied to his family. Least, he didn't think such strong feelings with family would happen with him today. Avoiding eye contact with others in the room, he felt a little small. But he would keep smiling as he raised his hand to the question of when they saw or were injured. Push through. "There was this owl at my.. the shop my Papa works. I was trying to pet the owl before feeding it, because it looked so beautiful. But it took a deep nip in my finger." Suddenly, his eyes felt warm. No.. no, not now. He closed his eyes as if trying to remember. "Anyway, my Papa took a vial of something to clean it and wrapped it in a cute muggle bandaid with dinosaurs on it. And then he made me some mac and cheese, and I felt all better." The image of his parents making the food and looking at him was crystal clear, but the memory didn't make him feel better this time, but worse in the moment. "Erm... may I please be excused? I'm sorry, Professor, I promise to come back." His voice cracked at the last word. Without another word, Diego hopped off and ran out with tears streaming down his face. He just needed a moment to collect himself away from others' sight before he returned. |
Jasper Buckthorn: Ravenclaw Jasper was fiddeling with his herbology book while he waited for the class to begin. His eyes widened with sadness and he felt left out as everyone was greeted by professor Cole, and not him. He supposed his professor just had gotten his surname wrong since he was called Buckthorn and not Blackthorn but it still hurt. Anywho, he just had to forget it when the first question was asked. Mention a time when he got injured or sick, and what was done to heal him. Jasper listened to the other answers thoughtfully before he raised his hand and said "When i was 5 or so I got the chickenpox, and I had itching big and red pox bubbles all over my body that hurt. My mum got some salves and pastes from the mungos healers that soothed the pox spots and took away the ache and itching which made me feel better, it helped." Could they please move on to what plant they were going to be working with Jasper wondered as he watched Diego sprint out the greenhouse door in tears. Shouldn't someone go after him? |
As the first student replied to his question, it was clear that it was a good thing that Marcus wasn’t squeamish given the description that Mr. Cadwallader gave for his memory. Hopefully they didn’t get quite so graphic for all of them. “A two-step approach…thankfully it all worked and you recovered,” he mused with a nod of acknowledgement. He figured he knew which herb was used though the particular purple potion was throwing him off. Ms. Bay’s choice thankfully was a bit more subdued, though the family history was interesting. “Healing pastes can be quite useful for many things.” Burns, particularly aggressive plants under his care. Mr. Harden seemed distracted at first or perhaps lost in a memory at the professor’s own instructions. And then gathered himself. Marcus gave him the time to find his voice which the third year eventually did. “Ah, an unwinding tonic,” he mused with a nod, familiar with something similar at least. Upon hearing the boy’s parents were both healers he was glad for the calmer story rather than anything they may have shared with their son, figuring they had their fair share of cases and experiences. Now Mr. Grunt’s story brought an example he was quite familiar in. “Yes, dittany is also quite useful.” When it was Mr. Melo-Dreamer’s turn, the Gryffindor’s choice of memory started out well enough. Sure, there was the feisty owl, but it was answered with a cleansing potion, a cute bandage and comfort food. The herbology professor hadn’t noted the upset feelings, at least hadn’t been certain of them, until the boy spoke up again bringing him up short. “Um…of course,” Marcus got out, unable to say more to the second year as the lion took off out of the greenhouse as if he hadn’t even cared for permission. The former Ravenclaw stood watching after Melo-Dreamer, unsure of himself feeling horrible to have upset one of his students so much, though he debated asking the boy’s housemate to follow him for support. He certainly was going to at least mention something to Ean so the head of house could keep an eye on his lion cub. --------------------------------- Finally Professor Cole brought himself back to the rest of the class, leaning back on his workstation with both hands and took a deep breathe before turning to the front to face them. “Indeed Mr. Buckthorn, those salves would have certainly have offered comfort.” he agreed on the last answer, correcting the name he had earlier used. No fault of the boy’s, he merely had an acquaintance of the former surname and his brain always seemed to want to mix them up. “Before we continue, I wish to say that it was never my intention to bring up sad or horrible memories,” he remarked truthfully. “I simply wished to try and connect you to the topic of the lesson.” And perhaps he had…a bit too strongly. Maybe he should have suggested the more common, mundane illnesses and injuries and had them work off of that. “Should anything upset you further, you needn’t comment, just sit quietly and participate on what you feel comfortable with.” He wouldn’t push, and he couldn’t think of anything planned further to cause additional distress, but he was covering the possibility. Absently clearing his throat, he stood up straight to his feet and moved on. “Now with every example mentioned, there was either a potion, tonic, paste or simply an herb or essence of an herb like the dittany, that played a role in the healing process. Plants often play a large role in the making of such medicines not only in the magical world but the muggle world as well.” It was one of the times there wasn’t much difference between the worlds other than the types of plants used. “If you’ve been in this particular greenhouse before, you should likely know that the reasoning for each of the specific plants being within is that they play a role in potions, though not just the ones connected with healing.” He was often harvesting from the plants to help keep with the upkeep of potions stores. “Without looking at any of the labels, I would like you to give me ONE plant that has a medicinal property to it.” Perhaps a lighter area of the topic. “It doesn’t even have to be one in these greenhouse as there are far too many to always include here, especially any of the muggle plants you might know.” It was just the most common kept in rotation. ooc: Great going so far. Moving onto the mini activity in 48 hours. |
Aurora Bay - Hufflepuff Rory smiled and nodded at what the professor said in response to her. Healing pastes were very useful, and she felt lucky that her mother had all sorts of things for her and the rest of the family if they needed it. Suddenly a boy left the greenhouse, clearly upset about something. Rory was worried, and hoped that he would be okay. Clearly the discussion had stirred up some not so nice feelings. The lesson moved on, and Aurora raised her hand to answer the next question. She thought that she’d mention something from a muggle plant. ”Ginger has a lot of medicinal benefits. It has antiviral and antibacterial properties. It’s great for when you have a cold or fever. It also helps with digestion and nausea. It has a lot of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.” Okay, that was more than ONE property, but it was a very useful plant. |
Xerxes Cadwallader- Hufflepuff Xerxes listened attentively to the Professor as he continued the lesson. When another question was asked of the class, he thought about it more a few moments and then raised his hand. "Well the Mandrake is a powerful restorative. Its used in many potions where a person has been cursed or transfigured in order to return them to their original state. As for Muggle plants, many fungi are used in Muggle medicine. Even penicillin is derived from a fungus and is used to cure bacterial infections." Xerxes said, in answer to the question. |
Idris Grunt :: Gryffindor Poor Diego. Idris felt sorry for him though he wasn’t sure what the issue was. If he had to guess, he would deduce that it had to do with his housemate’s family since he tore up while mentioning them. At least Diego’s bestie, Viano, went after him. One was always safe when their bestie was around. Cue him sneaking a glance at Paul. While Idris wasn’t upset by his memory, he understood why a few of his classmates would be by theirs. So, Professor Cole need not worry about him! He was a-okay! And as the man continued, pointing out that particular fact about Greenhouse two, he thought back. Yes, he had only figured this out late in his third year. Growing up with Dad E meant that Id was familiar with many plants with medicinal properties. The Lion raised a hand. “There’s Bubotuber pus which is used to treat really bad acne. It can be made into a salve, though it would have to be diluted since it could be dangerous if it came in contact with unprotected skin. The pus is also used in the brewing of the Healing Potion.” |
Nyle stayed unusually still after Diego left, the third year's his eyes fixed on the spot where the boy had been just moments before, his thumb brushing absently over a bit of dried moss he’d brought with him for texture. He didn’t know Diego well, but that didn’t seem to matter. Something about the way the moment cracked open felt familiar and his stomach twisted at the rawness of it. It reminded Nyle of how some of his own memories had the same trapdoor effect...and it nearly had for him at the first question as well. You’d think you were just telling a story, and then suddenly, it hurt or things feel overwhelming. Nyle instinctively half-rose from his stool, glancing toward the door. "Should someone go check on him?" he asked, not loudly, but earnestly. His voice held a genuine crease of worry. "Sometimes it’s worse being left alone when you’re upset. It’s… I don’t know. It helped when someone just sat with me. Even without saying anything." He said it without thinking and the moment it was out there he shifted slightly, busying himself again by trying to coax his long legs into a position on the stool that didn’t leave his knees knocking the underside of the workbench. His limbs hadn’t quite kept pace with the rest of him over summer. When the professor moved things along, he shifted on his stool awkwardly once again and raised his hand a bit hesitantly. "Um, well, the two I mentioned earlier are chamomile and ashwagandha," he began quietly. "They both help ease the body and mind back into balance." His brow furrowed thoughtfully as he went on, more comfortable now in the subject. "Chamomile very common but it’s gentle and reliable in helping relax the nervous system without dulling it too much. It’s especially good for people who aren’t sleeping because their thoughts are too loud. Mum puts it in tonics and teas, especially for people recovering from things that messed with their nervous system....like cursed artifacts or residual trauma spells from Dark magic. It’s got these flavonoids, like apigenin, that bind to receptors in the brain and help promote sleep and reduce anxiety. It doesn’t knock you out, though. Just kind of smooths the edges. And ashwagandha, well, it’s not native to here, but we grow it in pots near the kitchen...its a root and, er, adaptogenic. It’s more of a tonic herb over time than immediate but it works well. Helps with long-term stress... especially if your body’s stuck in fight-or-flight even after the danger’s passed." A faint smile tugged at his mouth, the kind that didn’t reach all the way to his eyes but meant something anyway as he brushed a bit of dirt off the side of his satchel. How he had managed to get through all that without his own voice cracking was a bit of a wonder. He supposed his talks with Healer Deshawn were working more than he realized - hopefully Iris' with Uncle Cox were doing the same. |
Jasper Buckthorn: Ravenclaw Jasper sat on his bench, and wondered if Diego was okay since he hadn't come back yet. It was good to see that at least another housemate who he didn't know the name of had gone after Diego to see if he was all right. Jasper gazed up front and tuned in to what Professor Cole was saying being glad that he now called him by his correct surname. He understood that it was easy to mix up when a professor taught hundreds of students. The class moved on and Jasper raised his hand to chime in with a plant answer that yet hadn't been mentioned. "There is lovage that is supposed to have medicinal properties all though i don't know what they are. My mum uses it in cooking sometimes though." |
Mini Activity Awaiting responses, Professor Cole moved to the blackboard he usually had propped up in the corner of whatever greenhouse he was teaching in at the moment for notes. Ginger from Ms. Bay got a nod of acceptance and added to the board by his own handwriting. “Indeed…often a good ingredient in tea as the hot water helps the soothing work on whatever ails you.” Mandrakes and various mushrooms from Mr. Cadwallader were also added to the board as were the characteristics and uses being shared by the young Hufflepuff. “Right on both counts…” he agreed. As for Mr. Grunt’s submissions on bubotuber pus he nodded in confirmation. “Dilution always key to the safety of it.” The man saw Nyle almost move to stand from his stool, heard the question raised quietly by the third year, and simply shook his head in response at first. For he had also seen Viano go after his fleeing companion but hadn’t gone on and drawn attention to the action nor had the professor tried to reprimand him for not asking permission. It was a moot point and he was hardly going to punish him for assisting a clearly distraught fellow student, especially if they were close enough to be friends. “I assure you, he isn’t alone Mr. Harden,” he remarked quietly in hopes of soothing the badger as they continued with the lesson. As for his suggestion of plants, he was of course correct in repeating what he had mentioned earlier. Chamomile and ashwagandha added to the list with ease along with the given uses. “Good try, Mr. Buckthorn,” Marcus remarked, accepting the lovage as an answer and choosing to add his own knowledge to the mix. “It is actually used for a variety of medicines for ailments ranging from stomach and kidney complaints to gout and other inflammatory issues.” With the last example given by the students, the herbology professor stopped writing and stepped away from the board to properly address the class once more. “All good examples for sure, though there are still quite a bit to learn about. Especially one is quite useful in a potion involving the healing of bones.” With quidditch players around, that might be a good hint. Quote:
“Now for a change in pace, I’d like you to each come forth and take a packet of cards,” he instructed, motioning to a backet he pulled out from under his worktable where he had stashed them. “Half of the cards have pictures of medicinal plants…the other half the potential uses of each. Your task will be to see if you can identify the pictured plant and if you can match them to their uses. Don’t worry about how you do…sometimes it’s interesting to see how observations can lead to guesses. We'll discuss the correct answers afterwards.” SPOILER!!: PictureCards SPOILER!!: Uses ooc: Lovely contributions everyone. We will hopefully move onto main activity Saturday afternoon EST so have fun. |
Xerxes Cadwallader- Hufflepuff Xerxes smiled and clapped his hands together in delight when Professor Cole put both of his suggestions up on the blackboard. He watched as the teacher added other medicinal plants to the list. Then Professor Cole offered the class a bucket with stacks of cards in it. Xerxes took a stack and returned to his seat at the large trestle table. He took the binding off the stack of cards and laid them all out. Half of the cards had pictures (mostly of what appeared to be flowers) on them and the other half contained descriptions of where the plants were from and their uses in healing potions, balms, and tinctures. Truthfully, Xerxes had absolutely no clue what any of these plants were called, nor what they were used for. He began to pair them up, merely guessing at which card matched which description. First, Xerxes focused on the card with the white flower, thinking about how it looked and trying to pair it with an appropriate description (not that he had any inkling of the correct answer). He finally landed on the description: "Southern Europe. Reduces Inflammation. Speeds the healing process, especially wounds." Next, Xerxes picked up the card with the yellow/orange flower in it. He had no clue what to pair it with so he closed his eyes and pointed at a random description card. His finger landed on: "Native to Asia. Ingredient in Skele-gro." Third, Xerxes laid the card with the sinister-looking blossoming bulb on it. Of all the plants on these cards, this one looked to be the most magical, or maybe just the least Muggle. Therefore, he matched this card with the description: "Wandcore. Often in liquid form, used on open wounds." Xerxes picked up the fourth card and laid it out directly in front of him on the table. This card contained a picture of a tiny yellow flower, with many blooms on a single stalk. There were only two description cards left, so now he thought to himself "Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe. Catch a dragon by its toe. If he breaths fire, let him go. Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe. This one!" His finger landed on the description: "Native to Eurasia, the Middle East, and North America. Good for digestion, arthritis, and excites nervous system." Xerxes then put the last picture card in his array. There was only one description left, so no decision or debate was necessary. He placed the last description card, which read: "Native to Mediterranean. Ingested; helps counteract spells.", on top of the picture card. This completed his matching exercise. Though he was not confident in the accuracy of his matches, he was at least confident that he had completed the mini-activity in its entirety and according to the instructions given. "Professor Cole," Xerxes said out loud, raising his hand and looking around to catch his Professor's attention. "I think I've completed the assignment. Did I get any correct?" He gestured to his matched cards and held his hands out like the assistant in a Muggle game show would do to introduce a fabulous prize. "I did my very best." Xerxes explained, smiling and beaming up at his teacher. |
Diego Melo-Dreamer: Gryffindor (3) As soon as Diego left the Greenhouse, he sat down by the door to weep in peace. He just needed his Baba in the moment, and would've preferred to be left alone since it was embarrassing to have another witness him be this soft. But he didn't dismiss anyone, especially one of his close friends coming over to check. Without Baba, he nodded before allowing the feelings of missing his family to overcome him, as he sat up, knees to chest, head buried in forearms. Last year, he managed okay with the feeling of being homesick, but now it was a little more difficult since he had gained a new brother who added to the weight of people he missed. Moments like these made him wonder if he should've been in Gryffindor... I'll be okay.. After a few minutes, Diego wiped his red eyes, took a handkerchief out to wipe his nose before he headed back in the Greenhouse. Rather than sad, he felt a mix of relief, numb, and a slight case of being mortified. His smile wasn't as bright as before, but enough for him to know he'll be able to handle the rest of the class. Arriving back at his seat he was back in time to hear the instructions before they were ordered to collect the packet of cards. Once Diego approached the desk, he said quietly, "I'm sorry for disrupting and leaving the class, Professor.. I just needed a moment, and I feel okay now. Thank you for letting me do so." He took the packet of cards with another thanks before heading back to his seat to sort them out. Diego spread them across the table. The first one, looked like Clematis flammula, which was part of Europe & North Africa, so he slide the approach card matching. The second... Isn't this marigold? His Papa was much better at Herbology, and he was still learning things. The third one looked like Fanged Geranium, which was a part of Skele-gro. So he matched that... as for the others, he stared hard, trying to decide on the rest. |
Oooooooh fun! Nyle played this game sometimes with the herbs grown in their garden back home! Or something like it. Usually it was more matching seeds to the image of the plant they would grow into but still along the same line of thinking. Also studying for Herbology exams had him leaning into making similar sorts of study guides ― which came in real handy for one of these plants in particular and his fingers still had the occasional phantom pain from where it had chomped him. The bite marks were gone at least, which lead him into being able to identify another one of the images. Or, well, at least he was pretty sure he had identified it. The Hufflepuff tilted his head as he studied the picture cards he had fanned out over his station, the top row for the plant images and below them the cards bearing the descriptions, and rubbed his hands together as the mental gymnastics began. He was very confident that the white flower was wild rue. The plant was wiry and wild-looking, small yellow-green flowers clustered on branching stalks...though he was not certain at first which description best matched it so he would hold off doing that for the time being and hope that process of elimination would treat him well. He moved to the second picture, eyes lighting up slightly at the flash of bright orange petals. Definitely Calenduleae, the distinct coloring made him confident enough in that choice but how resinous the center looked in the image pushed him even further towards the conclusion. It was easier to match this one to the description as well, it was grown in their home garden for a reason and we use it in some homemade healing salves for minor cuts and irritated skin. Nyle hesitated at the next image and squinted a moment before feeling a tad embarrassed he hadn't recalled it immediately ― his fingers certainly took great pleasure in reminding him while they brushed across the image. Chomping Cabbage. Yup. Right. That pesky bit of flora. If only he had better aim with his spell casting he might not have such a visceral reaction to the image and his face much less scrunched up. The next image with yellow flowers gave him pause. Yellow yarrow? Wait...no...Ajania? The leaf shape was giving him more Ajania the more he squinted at it but it had always come across as more an ornamental bit of flora for some reason. Yellow yarrow did grow in the areas listed specifically on one of the cards...so, maybe he would stick with that for now...but he wasn't nearly as confident as he had been with the others thus far. Finally, he reached the last card with unmistakable purple flowers. Or, well, he hoped they were as unmistakable as he believed! Cunila, dittany, and the bread and butter to every healer or witch and wizard who wanted to heal something. Though the description he was certain it belonged to included wandcore in the description and that was throwing him. He had never heard of dittany used in such a way but that certainly did not mean it was not true. He hardly knew everything there was to know about everything, after all. Iris was the one who knew all about wandlore, or at least knew loads more about them. So, a little uncertain but more certain of where one description belonged over the other, the third year arranged his cards into five sets of pairs on his station and leaned back to reflect upon his decisions. He soon glanced up at the professor, expression both sheepish and quietly proud. He wasn't sure he got all of them right, but... it had been loads of fun. Like memory work, only with more petals...which was always a bonus. Photos!: Nyle's card arrangement |
Aurora Bay - Hufflepuff Ooooh, it was time for an activity! Aurora was excited and ready to do this. She had a lot of knowledge of healing plants because of spending so much time helping her mother with potion work over the years. Her mother had taught her all about the different ingredients that went into potions and what their effects were. So she was quite sure that she would manage to do a good job on this. Taking her cards, she looked over them carefully. Then she got to work. Right away she saw that the first plant was wild rue. Wild rue is used for digestion and arthritis. It also has the ability to excite the nervous system. Her mother explained to her that this was because of harmala alkaloids. There was more to it than that, but Aurora honestly hadn't fully understood it. She was still confident enough to place the two cards together. The second plant she immediately identified as Calendula. That plant has a number of uses, and especially when it comes to skin conditions and the healing of wounds. It has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It also is native to southern Europe. That was two down and three to go. The third plant was definitely Chomping Cabbage. There was no way to mistake it. Aurora knew that it was native to Asia and was also an ingredient in Skele-gro. She placed the cards in the correct spot then moved on. The next plant was the only one that made her slightly unsure. She squinted at the image before glancing at the cards that listed the different uses. She knew that Moly is a plant that helps counteract spells when ingested. But it was a white flower with a black stem. That didn't fit with any of the images. Hesitantly she placed the cards together, though she wasn't confident. The last plant was Dittany. There was no doubt about it. It was the only wand core that had its liquid form used for the care of open wounds. She confidently placed the cards together then waited for the next part of the lesson. She couldn't wait to get working with the plants. |
Idris Grunt :: Gryffindor Id felt as though he might go a little dizzy with all the information being provided. Yes, it was sort of overwhelming, the good sort. Maybe he could turn this into one of those bonding moments with Dad E; they could talk about plants and healing. What a jolly, extra length conversation that would be! For now, the Lion busied himself by making his notes. By that time, Diego had returned. Idris gave him a look that wasn’t pity but understanding. Yep, he was surely going to check up on his Housemate later on. As professor Cole instructed, the fourth year got himself one of the packets of cards from the bucket. Already he was absolutely excited about the task of ‘matching’ the pictures with the words. It shouldn’t be too difficult, should it? Hopefully his knowledge on medicinal plants would be sufficient today. If not… then he’d be learning, right? Once seated again, Idris got to work. SPOILER!!: Id’s work! |
Jasper Buckthorn: Ravenclaw When Professor Cole mentioned the other uses of lovage to the whole class Jasper felt a blush come up his neck. If it was used to treat inflammatory things why did mum use it in cooking? Strange. Best not to dwell on that he told himself as the first mini activity was presented in the form of what Jasper viewed as a sort of plant memory where he had to match the right flower to the right description tricky, but fun. Jasper went up front to get his cards, and then back at his seat he began matching the flowers and descriptions with energy and curiousity. The white flower he wasn't sure on but it looked like wild rue and that matched with native to the Mediterranean and counteract spells. The big orange flower he first wanted to say sunflower on, but landed on Calendula in the end since sunflowers weren't orange. He matched the Calenduela as coming from southern Europe and speeds the healing of wounds. The brown plant Jasper immediatly identified as a chomping cabbage since his grandpa had grown some on his windowsill at home from time to time. That plant was native to Asia he knew as well as an ingredient of the Skele-gro potion. The fourth yellow flower Jasper hoped was dittany since it was the only plant he could think of. He debated on which of the two descriptions that matched but in the end chose the one that listed good for arthrits and exciting the nervous system... The last purple flower he couldn't identify the name of Jasper was a total blank on that, the only thing he had to go on was the remaining description say that it was a wandcore. When done he checked over his matches one more time before sitting back in his seat to wait for the correct answers. Jasper had a tiny feeling that he had mismatched some pairs. SPOILER!!: Jaspers work |
Main Activity Leaving the students to their thoughts as they each come up as directed for their cards, Marcus took a moment to make sure everything was in place for the final activity. His attention was grabbed, however, as Mr. Melo-Dreamer made his reappearance inside Greenhouse 2. “All is forgiven for I am sorry my question caused upset,” he answered just as quietly, lightly waving off the thanks. “Though know if you ever need to talk, you can reach out to me.” Or any staffer for that matter. They were there to help, not just for classroom matters after all. Once settled with his tasks as the Gryffindor returned to his seat, the herbology professor began a slow circuit around the perimeter of the greenhouse to observe the thought processes as guesses and matches were made before each of his charges. At Xerxes’ call and raised had, the man in question moved over to see what the first year had come up, glad to remark something in the positive. “I’m sure you did, Mr. Cadwallader,” he assured the boy with a smile. As a first year only in the second month of Hogwarts, he was hardly expecting him to get all of them correct as he was learning. “And you did get the fourth one correct.” He continued around, the work of each of the gathered students was a mixed bag of answers. The professor encouraging each and every one with the ones they got right. “Great job, Mr. Harden” he remarked to the third year Hufflepuff who had successfully matched all ten cards to each other. “Good work, Ms. Bay, Mr. Grunt” he said, complimenting each in turn with a nod, the two of them having three of the five pairs matched. There appeared to be some confusion with the other two, though not the same two which was interesting. Finally he came up to Mr. Buckthorn and his work. “Great job, Mr. Buckthorn” he remarked, the Ravenclaw having gotten all his cards matched as well. All in all, it seemed as if everyone was grasping some of the varieties of healing plants and characteristics. Returning to the front, Marcus turned his board around where he had kept the correct answers presented for all to see including the plant names. “Everyone did well for what they knew,” he encouraged as he stepped back, giving them a few minutes to copy stuff down in their own notes if they hadn’t been correct previously. Quote:
“As the dittany is the easier of the two, younger students and anyone truly not comfortable with the bubotuber are to work with that. Leaves are to be harvested either by cutting with some shears” a box stashed nearby for use. “Or a careful Diffindo,” he instructed, demonstrating by casting on one of the plants nearest him. “While it is its most aromatic and strongest when first in bloom it is useful regardless of what time of year it is harvested. " “As for harvesting the bubotuber pus, it requires a bit more patience. However, I would encourage older students to at least give it a try.” A little patience and practice never hurt someone. “You’ll need pails,” he instructed, motioning to the pile by the plants,” and wear your dragonhide gloves at all times as undiluted pus causes skin irritations where the diluted helps with skin conditions. Simply massage and squeeze one of the protrusions and you should get results.” The professor slipping on his own gloves and working a little bit on one of the plants to demonstrate. The petrol-like smell not bothering him in the least from experience as it started to leak into the pail he held. “You may begin.” ooc: Sorry for the delay…dealing with a personal issue. We’ll be wrapping up Wednesday. Have fun! |
Aurora Bay - Hufflepuff She had managed to do a good job. Despite not sleeping well the night before and getting herself a little confused. Aurora was rather pleased with herself all things considered. It was finally time for the main activity. Since she was a Fourth Year she would be working with the bubotubers, leaving the dittany for the students who were on the younger side. It wouldn’t be a problem for her just as long as she was careful. And the dragonhide gloves would keep her skin protected. After putting on her gloves, Rory grabbed a pail. She was ready to start harvesting now. |
Idris Grunt :: Gryffindor Idris wasn’t sure if he had it all correct but the important thing was that he had done his best. While waiting for Professor Cole to move things along, he passed the time by drawing a tiny Nesquik on the top right corner of his book. He missed his little teeny, tiny baby. Oh, Nes wasn’t anywhere far, just somewhere in the Castle or some other part of the Grounds. When he finally did check the board, Id saw that he had three out of five right. He was quite delighted because in his eyes, that was quite excellent. Beaming, he happily drew a heart next to Nes with a flourish. Then he pulled on his gloves because this Lion had every intention of working Bubotuber Pus. That is… fourth years were considered ‘older students’, yes? And not fifth years and up? Since Cole hadn’t specified, Id would just roll with it. The Gryffindor grabbed a pail before skipping off to the Bubotubers. |
Xerxes Cadwallader Xerxes paid close attention as the Professor gave the class their instructions for the main activity of today's lesson. They were going to be harvesting today. The Professor gave the students two different choices; one easier and the other more difficult/advanced. Being a first year student, Xerxes knew his choice was clear as day. He would pick Dittany. Xerxes put on his dragon hide gloves (which were slightly overkill for such an innocuous plant) and grabbed a pair of shears. He began by identifying the freshest bloom on the stalk first. Professor Cole had said those leaves were the most efficacious. Once identified, he took his shears and began to cut. Soon he had a sizable pile of fresh Dittany leaves. He took his pile over the large trestle table and added the freshly picked leaves to the larger pile being made by all the other students in the Greenhouse. "All in a day's work!" Xerxes said to no one in particular. He looked around the Greenhouse, taking in all the sights of magical plants and students harvesting. As he observed, he wiped a smudge of dirt from his forehead. |
Aurora Bay - Hufflepuff Carefully Aurora went about the process of massaging and squeezing the protrusions of the plant so that she could gather the pus in her pail. It was just her luck that she was working with bubotubers when her mind was muddled do to a lack of sleep. The last thing she needed was to accidentally get some on the parts of her that weren’t protected by the gloves. She was still glad to be here though, because it was one of her favourite classes. And she was working really slowly and carefully so that all of the pus made its way into the pail. As she worked, she fought off the urge to yawn. |
Kartik Joshi - Ravenclaw Herbology wasn't one of Kartik's best subjects but he wasn't terrible with it either and he could see the benefits of being able to distinguish the different types of plants. Although as a seventh year he wasn't sure what he wanted to do yet, but he could see the beneficial properties of plants. When his head of house started off the lesson, Kartik was brought back to when him and his sister were sick a few years ago, the warm vegetable soup and tea was all he could stomach. It wasn't a formal potion in the potion class sense, but it was healing potion in offering comfort to him feeling better. He listened as his classmates gave off plants with healing properties. But his mind still on the soup and tea, he couldn't really offer any unique plants. Harvesting bubotuber pus and dittany leaves? Intriguing. Donning his dragonhide gloves, Kartik massaged the plant leaf, but it was difficult to do so with the gloves. He knew it was for his protection wearing them but it definitely didn't make them easy. He used the shear to cut off a piece of one of the bubotubers and gave a squeeze - followed by a little cough as he caught a whiff of the odor. |
Idris Grunt :: Gryffindor Before he got started, Id double checked that his gloves were securely in place. He did not want to damage his hands, mainly for the reason he was sure to cry before the entire class. But now he was getting to work, gingerly handling the bubotuber. His nose was already wrinkled; this was him bracing himself for the odor that was to come. Idris followed Professor Cole’s earlier demonstration, starting with the massage. He supposed that the purpose of that was to loosen up the pus so it drained easily? He made a face at that but decided he’d try to find out the answer later. The Gryffindor, using both his hands, applied pressure to the Bubotuber as it was held over the pail. A second later the contents began to ooze into it, wafting the strong petrol-like odor at him. His nose wrinkled further. Aside from the odor, this activity was going along quite well. That was why after Id was finished with that Bubotuber, he moved onto another. |
Aurora Bay - Hufflepuff As Aurora worked, she noticed thar Idris was having a hard time with the strong petrol smell the bubotubers gave off. They definitely did stink, though she wasn’t really bothered by it. Sometimes you just had to deal with that kind of thing. And in time you’d get used to it. Currently she was thinking more about when she’d be able to take a nap. The lesson should be finished soon. As it was she was about finished with the bubotuber she had been working with. Rory had gathered quite a bit of pus, but she could collect some more. She moved on to the next plant and began the process all over again. Massaging and squeezing the protrusions while making sure that she didn’t get any of the pus on her. |
Diego Melo-Dreamer: Gryffindor (4) Diego really appreciated the words of Professor Cole. He was considering talking with his Head of House, but the cloud of not wanting to bother was strong in the moment. For now, he'd focus on the lesson as he smiled and nodded with a thanks. Diego then jotted down the correct answers into his notes, and he had gotten two of the answers correct. Now it was time for the nitty gritty of the activity. Diego decided that he would work on collecting the dittany and if he did well, then he could tackle on the Bubotuber pus. He put on the dragonhide gloves, before going over to the dittany leaves. He saw the first year use the shears, but maybe as a second year he could work on Diffindo. He would just have to make sure he didn't slice his own hand in the process. Ahem. Taking the pail to hold under the leaves, he aimed his wand mimicking what Professor Cole did, "Diffindo!" and the leave was sliced... in half. Okay, at least it worked. So this time he worked a little higher to get a full leaf. "Diffindo!" Much better. On to the next. |
Class Dismissed The second-year Gryffindor seemed to be in a calmer place at the moment, the professor echoing the boy’s nod at his thanks and letting the scene be truly in the past. Marcus was back on his feet to move around the working students if he was needed for assistance or anyone had any questions. However, it seemed like all was going well as they divided into two groups on either side of the greenhouse with ease. He did have to bite back a chuckle at some of the reactions he was seeing at the bulbotubers’ rather aromatic liquid sludge, the former Ravenclaw highly amused. At least he didn’t have anyone truly turned off by the work. No more upsets on his watch today. Soon enough, the clock reached ending time and the herbologist returned to the front to gather their attention once more. “And with that, we should have a decent collection of both dittany leaves and bubotuber pus,” Professor Cole remarked with a smile as he leaned his hands on the workstation before him after glancing at his watch. “Great job everyone. I’m sure Professors Feirgrund and Carter will appreciate the assistance in keeping their stock well supplied.” As well as any teenagers dealing with a bad case of acne. Who knew…maybe one of those collecting the pus would be in need of their own hard work at one point in the upcoming months. “Class is dismissed once you’ve finished cleaning up and bringing what you worked on to me.” ooc: Thank you all for coming! Thread will remain open for a day in case you want to post wrapping up and leaving. |
Jasper Buckthorn: Ravenclaw Jasper listened attentively as the right plants and descriptions were announced by Professor Cole. 3 out of 5 wasn't a bad score considering that this was his first year still at Hogwarts. For the main activity they could either work with harvesting dittany leaves or bubotuber pus. He knew the petrol smell of the pus was pretty intense even if it was fun to squeeze out the pus from the bubotubers he went for the dittany leaves instead. Professor Cole had said they needed to harvest both plants and with a overflow of elder students Jasper who surely would go for the pus he got himself a pair of shears, and headed over to the dittany plants to get to work. Pulling on his dragonhide gloves he then picked up his shears and began to carefully cut off the dittany leaves one by one. The smell of dittany was thick in the air too Jasper noted in this part of the greenhouse. After some time with his shear he pulled out his wand to try the Diffindo spell. It took a moment to remember how Professor Cole had demonstrated before he mimicked the wand movement and aimed his wand at the nearest dittany leaf "Diffindo!" Jasper casted, thinking yay silently when the spell worked. He kept on cutting off his dittany leaves in a slow, but careful fashion until class was dismissed. Jasper quickly cleaned his workstation, handed in his harvested leaves and pair of shears before leaving with a "Goodbye Professor Cole!" on his way out. |
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