Miss Quinn

33 ~ Herbology and Lockhart

The first class was Herbology. The second-years got to go to greenhouse 3, which was exciting. They had spent all of first year in greenhouse 1.

In greenhouse 3 there were pots of strange looking plants set out on the table. Emma stood by Venus, with Hermione on her other side. Professor Sprout told them to put on the earmuffs and there was a scramble to get ones that weren't pink and fluffy. Emma ended up with a pair of blue ones and she put them around her neck. Sprout asked if anyone knew what a Mandrake was and- no surprise here- Hermione raised her hand.

"A Mandrake, or Mandragora, is used to turn those who have been petrified back to their original state. However, a Mandrake's cry is fatal to anyone who hears it." Hermione said.

"Yes, good, ten points to Gryffindor." Professor Sprout said, "Now, these are just baby Mandrakes, so their cry won't kill you, but it will knock you out for several hours. That's why you need to put on your earmuffs." The class patted their earmuffs over their ears and Professor Sprout pulled a Mandrake out of her pot. Emma knew the earmuffs worked well because she couldn't hear anything. She and the rest of the class watched Sprout as she re-potted the Mandrake and filled the pot with soil. When she motioned for the class to take their earmuffs off, they did so.

"That's all there is to it, but make sure to keep your earmuffs on. Alright, get to it." Sprout said.

Emma clapped her earmuffs back on her ears and yanked the Mandrake out of its pot. She noticed Neville had fainted, but continued working. Harry and Ron shared looks of disgust, but Venus and Hermione seemed to be enjoying the work.

Across the table, Draco stuck his finger in a Mandrake's mouth. He was hoping it would earn him some attention from the others, but no one looked at him besides Pansy. The Mandrake bit down, hard, and Draco yanked his finger out of its mouth. Then he re-potted the Mandrake with more force than was necessary. Draco glanced over at Emma Quinn who was already finished with three Mandrakes. He still hadn't figured her out, and it was starting to annoy him. She looked up and met his gaze with a frown. He smirked, not knowing what else to do as he was embarrassed at being caught staring. She tilted her head to the side and glared before looking away. Draco smiled to himself.

Gilderoy Lockhart was a self-absorbed git. Emma needed no more proof of that than what she was doing at that moment. Lockhart passed out a quiz for them to take the first class. And get this, all the questions were about him.

What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?

What is Gilderoy Lockhart's ideal Birthday Present?

What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement?

Emma hated Lockhart. That was final.

Hermione seemed to be enjoying the quiz. Of course, she knew all the answers. Emma glanced at Venus who was having a difficult time not ripping her paper in half.

"Venus," Emma whispered.

"What?"

"What're the answers to all these questions?" Emma asked.

"No idea, I just hope he doesn't get too offended with my answer for his greatest achievement." Venus giggled and showed Emma her paper.

Lockhart's greatest achievement is fooling the Wizarding world into thinking he's amazing.

Emma laughed out loud. Lockhart looked at her and she stopped laughing.

"What's funny, Miss..." Lockhart began.

"Quinn."

"Miss Quinn, what is so funny that you had to disturb the class?" Lockhart asked.

"Oh, nothing. I just remembered something." Emma said.

"Well if you'd like to share...?"

"Oh, no, Professor. It was just a joke my dear friend Venus told me." Emma said.

"Very well, please do not disrupt class again." Lockhart said.

After everyone had finished the quiz, Lockhart collected them and checked the answers.

"Tut, tut, hardly any of you remembered that my favorite color is lilac!" Lockhart said.

Yeah, 'cause nobody cares about your stupid favorite color, Emma thought.

"But, Miss Hermione Granger remembered that my ambition is to rid the world of evil and start my own line of hair-care products. Good girl." He winked at Hermione and she blushed.

Emma and Venus shared a look of disgust. Hermione was obsessed with Lockhart. She and the Hufflepuff girl she was sitting by, Susan Bones, were sighing in delight. Emma wanted to shove a finger down her throat.

Lockhart put the quizzes away and went over to a cage covered in a blue cloth.

"Now, be warned. In this class you may face some of your worst fears. It is my job to help you to face them." Lockhart said, "Now, I ask you not to scream. It might provoke them!" And with that he threw the blue cloth off the cage. A sound of squealing filled the room. The cage started jerking around as tiny blue creatures crashed into its bars. Emma recognized them as Cornish Pixies.

Seamus laughed and said, "Cornish Pixies!" The rest of the class laughed too.

"Freshly caught Cornish Pixies." Lockhart replied, "Oh, you laugh now, but let's see what you make of them!" With that he opened the cage door and the Pixies swarmed the classroom. Emma wrestled with a pixie to get her book back. One pixie took Lockhart's wand and threw it out the window. Two took Neville by the ears and hung him on the chandelier. Hermione was dealing with one that was yanking on her hair. Venus and Ron were swatting at the pixies with their books. Harry was trying to save his ink bottle from dropping on the floor. Even Draco Malfoy was having trouble. He screamed as a pixie messed up his perfectly gelled hair.

Most of Emma's classmates were fleeing the room. Soon Emma was alone with Venus, Hermione, Ron, and Harry. And Neville hanging from the chandelier. Lockhart fled to his office, asking them to get the rest back in their cage. Hermione whacked a pixie away from her and took out her wand.

"Immobolus!" She cried. The pixies froze in the position they were in and Emma grabbed one. She helped the others stuff the pixies back in their cage and then locked it tight. Hermione used Wingardium Leviosa to safely lower Neville to the ground. Then they packed up their bags and left the classroom. Lockhart was a hopeless git. Emma wondered how he'd done all the things he said he did in his books.

"I can't believe him! Making us do what he should've been doing! I mean really, how hard is it to cast the immobilizing spell and stuff them back in their cage?" Venus exclaimed.

"You're absolutely right! Lockhart is the Professor, he should've known what to do!" Emma said.

"I think he's wonderful! He probably just got a little carried away. Besides, that pixie did take his wand." Hermione said.

"Hermione, Lockhart's a self-absorbed idiot. There's no way he could've saved us even if he did have his wand." Harry said.

"Besides, his favorite color is lilac, what do you expect him to do, shoot lilacs out of his wand?" Ron said, shaking his head.

Emma grinned at the thought.