After finishing with the Snargaluffs, Professor Sprout assigned the students to fertilize the plants next.
The fertilizer, Sprout's favorite dragon dung compost, was praised by her as if it were the wizarding equivalent of liquid gold.
But things soon went awry, thanks to Gryffindor's own Cormac McLaggen, who had been unusually quiet until now and finally managed to make headlines.
For reasons known only to himself, McLaggen shoveled a large amount of fertilizer directly into a Snargaluff's mouth.
This enraged the plant, which promptly swallowed him whole.
Luckily, since its teeth had just been removed, McLaggen wasn't bitten, but he ended up dangling upside down, half his body stuck inside the plant.
Several Gryffindor students grabbed his legs, trying to pull him free, but the Snargaluff refused to let go.
An angry Professor Sprout marched over, placed her hand beneath the plant's mouth, and gently tickled it. The Snargaluff shivered as though it were ticklish and spat McLaggen out.
McLaggen landed on the ground, covered in a foul-smelling layer of golden dragon dung compost. To make matters worse, the "golden rain" sprinkled down from above.
With a flick of his wand, William conjured a paper umbrella and held it over his head. Cho, with the quick reflexes of a Seeker, ducked under the umbrella just in time. The rest of the students weren't so fortunate, caught in the downpour.
"Thirty points from Gryffindor!" Professor Sprout shouted, her face red with fury.
Once the commotion subsided, William carefully approached, folding his umbrella, and used his dragon-hide-gloved hand to pick up a plant from the ground.
"Aguamenti," William murmured, washing the plant clean before examining it closely.
It was a Bubble Pod, a magical plant that produced chubby, pink pods filled with shiny beans.
To William, the plant resembled a Plants vs. Zombies Peashooter, as it could shoot or throw its beans at living creatures.
A spark of inspiration struck William—Cedric could make wands that mimicked Bubble Pods, turning them into another hit prank product.
Professor Sprout, however, was livid. She realized that the Snargaluffs had devoured many of her Bubble Pods, leaving her collection greatly diminished.
After Herbology, William and the other Ravenclaws were heading back to the castle when they overheard whispers of another incident.
A flying lesson mishap.
Yes, Madam Hooch's class had also become the scene of an unfortunate accident, starring none other than Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter, and Draco Malfoy.
Unlike last year's broom complaints, Neville had no excuse this time. The school was using newly purchased Nimbus 1700s, all of which had undergone months of testing and break-in periods. The manufacturer even guaranteed a replacement if any quality issues arose.
Yet, even the best broom couldn't save Neville from his inexperience. He was like a rookie driver in driving school—despite the instructor yelling at him to brake, he floored the accelerator instead.
Madam Hooch handled the situation far better than last year. She swiftly cast a Levitation Charm, sparing Neville from broken bones—or worse.
Although Neville escaped unscathed, he was badly shaken, so Madam Hooch decided to escort him to the hospital wing for a checkup.
Unfortunately, this was where she made a critical mistake: leaving a group of unsupervised first-years with their brooms was a recipe for disaster.
Without a teacher watching, Gryffindor and Slytherin students were bound to cause trouble.
Sure enough, Harry and Draco ended up in a standoff.
"So… McGonagall made Harry the Gryffindor Seeker?" William asked, surprised, as they walked through the corridor.
Oliver Wood, who had been trying to keep the news under wraps to surprise their opponents during the match, looked resigned.
Fred, spotting William and Cho approaching, waved and loudly shared the news before Wood could stop him.
"Well, there goes that plan," Wood muttered. "Oh, well. At least Ravenclaw isn't our primary rival."
He was only fooling himself.
The moment William and Cho learned about it, Cedric would know soon after. Their small group rarely kept secrets from one another.
But this transparency had its perks. For instance, the Weasley twins knew all about William's prowess in Quidditch, which was why William didn't bother hiding his skills during the tryouts. After all, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were already aware of his abilities.
"Cho, it looks like you have a new rival," William teased as they walked toward the Great Hall.
"Who, Potter?" Cho scoffed. "Come on, William, he's just a first-year."
"McGonagall is a Quidditch expert. If she chose Harry, she must have her reasons. I trust her judgment."
William added, "Besides, Quidditch relies heavily on talent. Remember your first year? Don't underestimate him."
Cho nodded thoughtfully, resolving to train harder with Cedric. The two often exchanged tips and practiced together, strengthening their partnership.
As Cedric put it: Everything's going smoothly!
When the group entered the Great Hall, they spotted Harry and Ron nearby.
"Well done!" George exclaimed, clapping Harry on the shoulder. "Wood just told us. We're Beaters on the team, by the way."
"Wood said to keep it a secret!" Ron muttered, casting a wary glance at William and Cho.
"No worries," Fred grinned. "William and Cho already know—Wood told them while we were there. Besides, we're not afraid of Ravenclaw."
"Exactly! We're going to win the Quidditch Cup this year," George declared. "You're amazing, Harry. Wood was practically incoherent when he told us. No one will be able to beat us."
"To say that right in front of us—how bold," William remarked, smiling.
"Hey, mate, I know you're good, but Quidditch is a team sport," George replied, grinning.
"Exactly—we're a team," Cho countered seriously. "Ravenclaw is ready to take on Gryffindor anytime."
"Now that's the spirit," George laughed.
Cho raised an eyebrow and smirked, giving Harry an appraising look.
Harry's breathing quickened as he found himself face-to-face with a stunning girl with glossy black hair and a playful smile.
Say something! he urged himself.
He desperately wanted to appear confident, crack a joke, and have everyone burst into laughter at his wit. Instead, he stood there, utterly speechless.
William nearly burst out laughing. Even The Boy Who Lived wasn't immune to Cho's charm.
It seemed Cedric had plenty of rivals, though judging by current performance, Cedric could easily handle ten of them.
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