[ Chapter X (10): "POINTS = CREDITS, EXPERIENCE" ]
[ "Good afternoon everyone!" ] A plump lady entered the room, cheery, and with a certain vibe that could easily be distinguished as her having fun doing what she does best. She is Pomona Sprout, and she is the Professor of Herbology.
[ "Welcome back to Greenhouse 3, fifth-years." ] She wiped the dirt away from her robes, as she then strolled into the front of the room, the students both Hufflepuff and Slytherin silencing down as she does. [ "Now, I want to remind everyone that this will be the year when you'll be taking your OWLs" ]
In the classroom which is filled to the brim with exotic plants some poisonous and some not, two House colors could be seen; that of Hufflepuff yellow on the left side, and Slytherin green on the right side. In one of the corners, alone, is Torrin.
A quill pen in hand, notebook opened, ready to learn. Like the other students in the room, albeit his is fueled more on wanting to earn points than literal studying— that latter he had done extensively so, not wanting to do more. [ "Who here can tell me what does OWLs mean, anyone?" ]
And right then and there, he saw his opportunity to earn some. So he yelled, doing everything aside for jumping up to his feet that is. Right arm raised, ready to answer. [ "Me-!" ]
[ "I can." ] But weirdly enough, he was beaten to it by someone in the front row, someone who is closer to the Professor which is bad. Someone who is the picture perfect model of a pompous brat.
For a moment the chubby Head of House for Hufflepuff stared at the many hands raised in the room; most from her House, but also some from Slytherin. The latter having the first one who raised.
[ "Go ahead Ms. Parkinson." ] And sadly, to the dismay of Torrin who's ready to accumulate points, he wasn't the first one to raise. First one to scream, sure, but not the first one to raise an arm.
[ "Thank you, Professor." ] She paused, turning around to look at a certain someone as she then smirked, one corner of her mouth raised. Before then continuing, never leaving her black tinted iris on Torrin's for a second.
[ "Ordinary Wizarding Level or O.W.L for short is a series of subject-specific standardized tests taken during students' fifth year to determine if they had mastered magic to the standard level that any competent wizard should have been able to achieve." ] And when she was finished, she gave a small subtle bow to mock Torrin, which was very effective. Easily hitting a nerve.
[ "This bitch..." ] This caused him to mouth words to himself, oftentimes curse words, low enough so that no one nearby could hear.
[ "Absolutely perfect description of what OWLs are Ms. Parkinson, plus 5 points to Slytherin." ] Professor Sprout said, causing the Slytherins except for Torrin to straighten their backs subconsciously in pride, and for the Hufflepuffs to be slightly sad.
[ "Fuck..." ]
The System was unresponsive, even though one of his classmates in the same grade, in the same House, earned points. Yeah, yeah, even though that person is the one he hates. So that means, he needs to earn points for himself; thus paying attention.
[ "Now, now, no one needs to be sad, there'll be plenty more points to be given in the far future." ] Professor Sprout paused, as she then pulled out her wand. [ "Today we'll be having a brief review all about what we learnt, for the past years." ]
She pointed her wand all around the room, and gave a little wand. And in doing so, some plants still in pots, and some who haven't begun to float besides her; all varying in sizes. The students in seeing one certain plant, did they all freeze up.
Professor Sprout who's trying to remember where she would start her lesson, then notices this, as she glanced at the pot that her students are looking at— at an adolescent sleeping Mandrake buried deep inside the pot, can easily be awakened. [ "Oh, right, almost forgot. Earmuffs children, earmuffs." ]
[ "Can never go wrong with them, everything will go wrong without them." ] She did another gesture, and the spare pink earmuffs— about 100 in total, then floated to each and every single student to take. And when she was sure that everyone did have one, did she then finally returned the rest to where they came from. [ "Chop, chop!" ]
Torrin glanced at the pink earmuffs in his hand, then at the other students who didn't seem to be having trouble with the color scheme of it. [ "I don't like pink." ] Then did he decide to reluctantly wear it, as he himself knows how dangerous a Mandrake is.
[ "Can everyone hear me?" ]
[ "..." ] Some nodded, some said yes, while Torrin merely gave a thumbs up from the back of the class, smiling as he could hear her even better with the earmuffs on; no matter how weird that may be.
[ "I'll take that as a yes." ] She nodded, continuing with the lesson as she then started with the plant farthest to the left— to be precise, at a pot of vines and tendrils, snake-like, moving albeit subtle.
[ "For recollection children, who here can tell me what this plant may b-" ] Before she could even finish her sentence, someone in the back— Torrin, already shot up his arms like a certain bushy haired brunette in the future. [ "Alright then, do tell." ]
[ "It's uhh- the Devil's Snare, Professor." ] He answered, easily recognizing it thanks to the moving pictures in the Herbology Book that he read earlier, and also because it's basic common sense— this is literally the first thing first-years learn, like the trio for example, which they used later in the trials.
[ "Spot on, Mr..." ]
[ "Thorpe, ma'am." ]
[ "Yes, Mr. Thorpe, spot on." ] Professor Sprout couldn't seem to remember ever having a student with a surname like that, and funnily enough, this is supposed to be the fifth year she'll be teaching this set of students. Yet... She couldn't remember him.
[ "That'll be plus 3 points to Slytherin." ] But she does have a recollection of this certain student, and weirdly enough, this may be the first time she heard him speak. So her curiosity peaked at the moment; and also because she wants to encourage this certain student to recite more, participate more.
[ "But, student, while you're at it, please do remind the class the characteristics and weaknesses of the Devil's Snare." ] She then continued, [ "If you'll like." ]
[ +3 HOUSE POINTS FROM PROFESSOR SPROUT (HERBOLOGY) = 15 CREDITS, 45 EXPERIENCE ]
[ "That's..." ] At the moment, Torrin is more focused on the text that appeared in front of him, which made him have shifty eyes. Changing instinctively even with him trying not to look at something only he can see, [ "Yes, yeah. I can do that, Professor." ]
[ "The Devil's Snare, it's uhh- an extremely dangerous magical plant known for its ability to quickly ensnare and construct any creature that touches it." ] He paused for a moment, trying to remember word-for-word what the description said. [ "And apparently if left unchecked, they'll be able to quickly grow in dark places. Their weakness is that of light, or warmth, or fire." ]
[ "Great memory, Mr. Thorpe, plus 3 more points to Slytherin." ] The plump Professor pointed at him, as she then clapped her hands, genuinely happy that one her student still remembers, and that someone who she only sees as quiet and is usually alone, finally willingly participates in her class.
[ "Like what Mr. Thorpe said, the Devil's Snare fears light, you all should remember as we had studied this in your first years. Remember?" ] Some students, scratched the back of their heads in hearing that. Actually not fully remembering, or not at all remembering anything about past lessons.
Torrin wasn't included in that bunch as this is his first lesson in Herbology, he hadn't gone to the lecture from first year to fourth year. But thanks to him studying earlier, he knows what they studied, or at the very least what was taught to them by Professor Sprout in that four year span.
[ +3 HOUSE POINTS FROM PROFESSOR SPROUT (HERBOLOGY) = 15 CREDITS, 45 EXPERIENCE ]
While smirking at the System's prompt, he could see someone looking back at him from the front of the greenhouse turned makeshift classroom. And that certain someone could be seen looking at him with annoyance, her nails slightly digging to the palm of her hand. [ "Don't act so surprised now..." ]
It was after all Prefect Parkinson, who insulted him a day prior, perhaps due to what this version of him did to her in the past. Or perhaps due to his lineage, or perhaps because she felt like it. Still, he hates her for it. So he gave her a subtle yet very noticeable middle finger, annoying her greatly.
It wasn't just her that was surprised, even some of the Slytherin glanced back to look at him. Some Hufflepuff too, albeit less. So surprised that some have their mouths agape. And in seeing that, Torrin merely gave them a shy nod, as he then focused back on the lesson— on Professor Sprout talking.
[ "How stupid was the original me...?" ] Not just stupid, but also uncooperative perhaps, lonesome, and also not one to have friends— none has yet to greet him in Slytherin aside for Parkinson, which is somewhat hostile. So yeah, apparently the original Torrin Thorpe was the Mr. Lonely of Hogwarts.
While listening to Professor Sprout talk about the Chinese Chomping Cabbages, with one trying to bite her fingers. Someone entered the room, a student, a girl, Hufflepuff and very loud. [ "Hiii, Professor Sprout!" ] Someone who made Torrin's eyes wide in seeing. [ "What did I miss?" ]
[ "No... bloody way." ] For a second he forgot how to breathe, as his eyes then darted to the figure in the entrance, so did the eyes of others in the room. Professor Sprout meanwhile looks like she's half relieved and half dismayed exactly at the same time, as she then scolded the said student.
[ "I'm in the same year as... her?!" ]
[ NYMPHADORA TONKS LVL. 27 ]
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[ FUN FACT: Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be called simply by her surname was born to Andromeda and Ted Tonks. Her mother, Andromeda, was a member of the pure-blood family of Black, sister to Narcissa and Bellatrix. She is also a Metamorphagus from birth, a rare ability that can be used to physically change her hair color, facial feature, and overall appearance at will. In theory, this rare ability is said to be inherited through blood, in this case from the Black Family. ]
[ 11/08/2025 ]
[ 11/09/2025 ]