The next morning, the storm had ceased, but the Great Hall ceiling remained overcast.
Students gathered in small groups, discussing various strange ideas in hushed tones.
"Do you think an Ageing Potion could trick the judges?"
"Don't be silly, Dumbledore personally set the standards, how could it be so easily broken?"
"What about Transfiguration? Turning yourself a bit older?"
"Don't make your Headmaster Dumbledore laugh."
Hermione sat next to Charlie, diligently spreading jam on her bread.
Ron sat down opposite them with his plate, glanced at Hermione's meal, and smirked.
"Oh, eating again?"
Hermione rolled her eyes without looking up.
"None of your business."
Ron awkwardly retracted his neck and began gnawing on his bacon.
He comforted himself, thinking a good man doesn't fight with women.
Just then, Justin and Ernie also came over.
Their faces were full of curiosity, clearly brimming with questions.
"Charlie," Justin leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"Do you have any way to get around the age limit?"
Ernie nodded along.
"Yeah, you must have a way, right?"
The surrounding students, who had been discussing among themselves, immediately perked up their ears.
Some pretended to eat, but their eyes were fixed on them.
Charlie took a bite of his baked potato, chewing slowly.
"A way?" He lifted his eyelids.
"There are too many."
Justin's eyes lit up, and Ernie leaned in even closer.
"Intimidate the judges," Charlie held up one finger.
"If the judge is a person, threaten them to let you pass."
Justin's smile froze.
"Threaten the organizers," Charlie held up a second finger.
"Tell them if they don't let you compete, you'll tear down the competition venue."
Ernie's mouth twitched.
"Force the Ministry of Magic," Charlie held up a third finger.
"Go directly to Fudge and make him order the age limit to be canceled."
The eavesdropping students around them were dumbfounded. Can we talk about things that humans can actually do?
After breakfast, Hufflepuff's first class was Herbology Class.
Students successively entered Greenhouse Three. The humid, hot air assailed them, mixed with the scent of soil and various plants.
Professor Sprout stood in the center of the Greenhouse, a brilliant smile on her face.
On the table in front of her were several large flowerpots, their contents covered by black cloth.
"Today, we are going to learn about a very useful plant," Professor Sprout pulled back the black cloth.
The students collectively gasped.
It was a pile of dark, slimy things, looking exactly like giant slugs, emerging from the soil and wiggling slightly.
They were covered in large bulges, filled with liquid, stretched taut and bulging, shining with a greasy sheen under the lights.
"These are Bubotuber," Professor Sprout's voice was still cheerful.
"Today, we are going to collect its pus."
Justin's face instantly turned green. "What?"
"Pus, Justin, pus," Professor Sprout repeated, as if afraid he hadn't heard clearly.
Justin closed his mouth.
Professor Sprout began distributing tools: dragon-hide gloves, small bottles, and some cotton cloths.
"Gently squeeze the bulges and let the pus flow into the bottle."
She demonstrated, squeezing a bulge until yellowish-green liquid flowed out, emitting a pungent stench.
"Remember to wear dragon-hide gloves; undiluted pus will corrode skin."
The students put on their gloves and began working with pained expressions.
Ernie held a Bubotuber, his fingers trembling.
Hannah covered her nose, tears almost welling up.
Justin simply closed his eyes and squeezed randomly.
Charlie looked at the Bubotuber in front of him, motionless, absolutely refusing to touch the thing.
He placed his hand in an empty flowerpot nearby, which contained a few seeds.
Professor Sprout walked over and saw Charlie hadn't moved.
"Charlie, why haven't you started yet?"
As soon as her voice fell, the seeds in the empty flowerpot began to sprout.
Tender green shoots broke through the soil, growing at a visible speed.
Within seconds, two thick vines shot up from the ground, their tips branching out like fingers.
Charlie slightly raised his hand, and the vines immediately moved.
They flexibly reached towards the nearby Bubotuber, their branches wrapping around and precisely finding the bulges, giving a gentle squeeze.
The yellowish-green pus flowed into the bottle, perfectly targeted.
The entire process was clean and efficient; Charlie's fingers didn't even touch those disgusting things.
The surrounding students stopped their actions, staring dumbfounded at the scene.
"Genius!" Professor Sprout clapped her hands.
"This is true Herbology; not only must you understand plants, but you must also learn to utilize them!"
"Because of Charlie's performance, Hufflepuff gets ten points!"
The surrounding students looked at Charlie with longing eyes.
Those two vines were so flexible, as if they had minds of their own, every movement precise.
But no matter how much they watched, it was useless; they simply couldn't learn it.
Transfiguration could indeed create vines, but making them precisely squeeze the bulges? That would severely test their operational skills.
Forget it, they'd better just squeeze them by hand.
"Be careful, children," Professor Sprout raised her voice.
"This pus is the best medicine for acne."
She patted the small bottle in her hand.
"Give the pus to Madam Pomfrey; she will formulate it into a potion to remove pimples."
The Greenhouse suddenly fell silent for a second.
The next second, the girls, led by Hannah, had their eyes light up.
"It can remove pimples?"
Hannah raised her hand and touched her forehead, where a few fresh small pimples were emerging.
Being in her adolescence, she was very concerned about the skin on her face, wishing she could make all the pimples disappear with her wand.
Now that there was a pimple-removing potion, who cared how disgusting it was?
The girls' eyes suddenly gleamed fiercely. Little Bubotuber! Just you wait, Grandma's going to squeeze you dry!
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