Sadie decided instantly that she rather liked Professor Sprout. She reminded Sadie of her mum, kind eyes and the little smear of soil on her cheek. Her heart ached for home; as wonderful as Hogwarts was, she missed their little dog and the way her mum hummed around the kitchen. Sadie forced her thoughts to the present, tucking a loose red bang behind an ear.

The Professors were busy placing potted plants on the table, all sorts of strange and familiar flora. Enormous daffodils that trumpeted enthusiastically as they strained towards sunlight, shivering shrubs whose spines looked as sharp as swords, bulbs that hopped enthusiastically in a glass covered tray. 

Sadie wanted nothing more than to answer herself, but nerves had kept her hand in her lap. A reedy little Hufflepuff answered, eying the pot of violet flowers in front of him. Professor Sprout’s encouragement bolstered her confidence and her hand rose into the air.

“Wolfsbane; the leaves are toxic and used to be used to hunt wolves?” Sadie ventured, ears turning pink as eyes turned on her. Why had she said it as a question? She [i]knew[/i] the answer. She’d studied her textbook exhaustively, since it had been the most familiar subject. Professor Sprout smiled sweetly nonetheless, and Sadie could feel her heart beat easing up.

“Correct! Five points to Gryffindor,” she moved on swiftly, and Sadie breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Freyja was slouching beside her, nails drumming a little rhythm on the table. 

The calm was interrupted by a Hufflepuff squeaking terror as a tangle of vines lashed itself around Professor Longbottom’s arm, slithering up to his shoulder and chest with truly remarkable speed. Sadie gaped, the expression shifting rapidly to a grin of delight. No. Way. That was awesome! It occurred to her suddenly that, [i]perhaps[/i], she ought to be less thrilled by this development. But Professor Longbottom looked perfectly at ease, withdrawing a long wand from his pocket.

“[i]Incendio[/i],” he offered calmly, a little tendril of flames curling from his wands, chasing away the plant. Sadie’s grin widened further, eyes alight at proper [i]magic[/i]. She felt Freyja perk up beside her, and she glanced to the Hufflepuff, her eyes glittering with interest. Okay, yes, [i]that[/i] was the reaction people were supposed to have! Even Seine looked impressed, although he seemed less amazed by the magic itself. She glanced over to George, eyes dancing. [i]Incendio[/i], hm? She’d be practicing that tonight, she mused. 

“Devil’s Snare. It fears fire. You’ll be working extensively with it in your third year,” he gently slid the plant further away from shrinking students, “We’ll start smaller.”

Sadie’s grin twisted to a frown of disappointment. Smaller sounded far less exciting than this Devil’s Snare.