novelcrest Chapter 348 Man-Eating Ivy
Chapter 348 Man-Eating Ivy
Chapter 348 Man-Eating Ivy
Then, Sean turned around and wrote "Benefits of Sterilization" on the blackboard, listing several key points.
Hermione was focused on taking notes, while Ron glanced at Harry with a puzzled look on his face.
Sean continued, "First, spaying/neutering can reduce an animal's aggression. Often, unneutered animals exhibit stronger territoriality and aggressive behavior due to hormonal influences, which can lead to fights between pets."
"I bet this isn't what you care about, especially the Slytherin students." Sean smiled slightly, his gaze sweeping over Draco Malfoy sitting in the back row.
Malfoy instinctively chose to avoid Professor Phillips's gaze.
Sean didn't seem to care and continued, "Secondly, spaying/neutering can prevent certain health problems, such as breast cancer and prostate disease. This not only helps the pet's health but also reduces veterinary expenses."
Upon hearing this, Hermione could no longer contain her wildly growing curiosity and raised her hand.
"Professor, can pets get these diseases too?"
Sean nodded slightly, giving a encouraging smile.
"Yes, Hermione, that's a very good question." He glanced around the classroom and, seeing that Hermione's question had piqued the interest of many students, explained further, "Although we may not treat pets with the same level of care as we treat humans, they still pose physical health risks."
"Diseases like breast cancer and prostate disease can actually occur in many cats and dogs."
"In fact, sterilization can significantly reduce the incidence of these diseases, especially if sterilization is performed when the children are young."
Hermione nodded seriously and busied herself writing down every word Sean said.
Harry glanced furtively at her notebook, thinking that Hermione would go back and carefully read through the contents.
Ron seemed a little distracted, muttering to himself, "My God, I never knew there were so many risks involved in having a pet."
However, the thought that his spotted cat might end up in the belly of a cat made him suddenly look sad.
Seeing this, Harry quickly patted Ron's thigh to comfort him.
Draco Malfoy, sitting in the back row, crossed his arms and wore a nonchalant expression, seemingly uninterested in this Muggle knowledge.
But if you look closely, you'll notice that his gaze occasionally slips towards Sean, clearly not as indifferent as he appears.
Sean didn't miss these subtle gestures, but he just smiled and continued, "We must remember that whether it's a cat, a dog, or any other pet, they all depend on us to provide good care."
"Spaying and neutering is not just about controlling the numbers; it's about health and making a responsible choice for them." He paused, then his eyes took on a hint of mockery. "Of course, if your pet is one of those rock monsters that Professor Quirrell keeps, then you might need to consider some different methods."
A few soft laughs rang out in the classroom, and the air seemed to lighten slightly. As third-year Hogwarts students, they naturally understood the meaning behind Professor Quirrell's joke.
Surely no one in this room is unaware of the significance of that statement?
Really? Really?
Hermione lowered her raised hand, a satisfied expression on her face.
Ron whispered to Harry, "If Quirrell's stone golems need to be sterilized, it's definitely not a job I'd want to help with."
Harry suppressed a laugh and quietly nodded.
Just as the students' emotions had calmed down, Sophia suddenly spoke up, her voice carrying clearly throughout the classroom, "Professor, in the magical world, how is sterilization done differently from the Muggle world? Can we use some kind of magic to prevent these diseases from occurring?"
Sean's eyes lit up; he was very interested in this question.
He gave Sophia an approving smile. "Very good question, Sophia. Sterilization is similar in some ways in the magical world and the Muggle world, but there are also significant differences."
"In the Muggle world, sterilization is done surgically, while in the magical world, we have some different methods."
He walked to the blackboard, picked up the chalk, and drew a simple magic symbol.
"For example, we can use certain spells to temporarily or permanently suppress a pet's fertility."
"However, this kind of spell requires a high degree of precision, and some magical creatures do not react to magic as consistently as ordinary cats and dogs, so we need to be especially careful."
He paused and looked at the students below the stage.
"Sometimes, magic isn't necessarily the best solution, especially when it comes to the natural needs and health of living beings."
"Therefore, many wizards still choose to spay or neuter their pets using Muggle methods, which is a safer and more stable approach."
"A spell? Runes?"
This time, Hermione didn't even raise her hand, but Sean wasn't angry at all; instead, he happily added five house points to Gryffindor's score.
"For example, Niven is even older."
Sean had seen this form of incantation in ancient Egypt.
But the reason it is called a "prototype of a spell" is because it looks different from the spells that are now widely recognized in the magical world, so Sean reminded him again.
"However, the risks of using this magic are not small, especially for certain magical creatures. Therefore, I personally prefer to use Muggle surgical methods, which are safer."
Crabbe let out a disdainful laugh upon hearing this.
"Muggle methods? Do we really need to treat our pets with such low-class methods?"
Sean heard the voice, stopped talking, and turned to look at him.
"Mr. Crabbe, you may not understand, but for us, it's not just about hierarchy, it's about responsibility and respect for life."
"Whether it's the Muggle method or the magical means, the ultimate goal is the same: for our friends to have a healthier and happier life."
"There's no difference in quality on this point."
Crabbe didn't say anything more, but the fleeting look of surprise on his face clearly showed that he was somewhat taken aback by Sean's answer.
The classroom fell silent again. Sean looked around and finally spoke.
"Okay, that's all for today."
"After we go back, I hope everyone will think about how we can better take care of our friends."
"Whether we use magic or other methods, our goal is the same: to ensure that every life receives the respect it deserves."
As the bell rang, the students began to pack up their things, and the classroom became lively.
Hermione was still discussing sterilization with Harry, while Ron shook his head and said, "Hopefully we won't have to talk about pets anymore... Scabbers is gone."
Sean tidied up his textbooks and handouts, smiling as he watched the students leave the classroom one by one.
He sighed softly, hugged the book to his chest, and slowly walked out of the classroom.
He was about to head towards the office on the other side of the castle when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him, followed by a familiar voice calling out, "Phillips, could you come here for a moment?"
Sean stopped and turned around to see his respected Professor Sprout.
She was wearing her signature worn-out straw hat and walked towards him with a look of urgency on her face, holding a twig that she had broken off from somewhere.
"Professor Sprout?" Sean asked with a questioning smile. "What happened?"
Professor Sprout was all smiles, but his brow was slightly furrowed, clearly indicating that he had encountered some trouble.
She waved the branch in her hand and said urgently, "We've introduced a new batch of plants called 'Man-Eating Vine' in the greenhouse, and they're a bit unruly. I need an extra pair of hands to help control them. I remember you know a bit about these plants; could you come and help me?"
Sean smiled and nodded: "Of course, Professor Sprout, it's my honor to be able to help."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Professor Sprout said with a look of satisfaction, then turned and strode quickly toward the greenhouse.
Sean followed closely behind, still holding his previous textbook in his hand, his steps steady, a faint smile on his face.
Professor Sprout was pleased that when he encountered trouble, his first thought was of his outstanding graduate, rather than seeking help from McGonagall or Snape.
The two walked through the dark corridor toward the greenhouse. The humidity in the air grew stronger, and they could even smell some unique plant fragrances and the scent of earth.
As they approached the greenhouse, Sean could vaguely hear some commotion coming from inside.
"They're particularly difficult to deal with today," Professor Sprout said with a hint of helplessness as he pushed open the greenhouse door. "You know, plants like the man-eating vine can be a bit temperamental sometimes. Especially in damp weather, they just won't listen to you."
Sean chuckled softly and replied, "Yes, these little ones are a bit willful, but that's precisely what makes herbalism so interesting, isn't it?"
Upon entering the greenhouse, Sean immediately saw several vines writhing in the air, waving like live snakes. Several senior students were trying to control them with spells, but they were clearly struggling.
The vines seemed to be enraged, with sharp little thorns even growing on the edges of their leaves, making them look extremely restless.
"Here they come!" Professor Sprout clapped her hands loudly to get the students' attention. She gestured for Sean to come and help. "Class, let's welcome Professor Phillips to help us. He's quite knowledgeable about these plants!"
The students reacted as if they'd seen a savior, quickly making way for him. Sean smiled and nodded, then swiftly walked to the man-eating vine.
"The man-eating vine usually becomes restless due to a lack of proper nutrition or stimulation from its surroundings," Sean said gently, placing the book on the worktable beside him and taking some pre-prepared plant nutrients from the basket handed to him by Professor Sprout.
"What the man-eating vine prefers is a peaceful and orderly environment." He raised his wand and waved it gently, a soft incantation quietly escaping from his lips.
The vines seemed to sense some kind of soothing, and gradually stopped writhing violently, like a small animal being gently comforted, slowly retracting its dangerous thorns.
Professor Sprout nodded with satisfaction, then turned to the students around him, gesturing for them to continue cooperating: "See? Sometimes, gentle methods are more effective than force."
Sean continued applying nutrients to the plants, then gave a relaxed smile: "Hopefully everyone has learned something today—control isn't always necessary; sometimes..."
The surrounding students nodded in agreement.
Just as everyone was beginning to breathe a sigh of relief, Professor Sprout suddenly glanced at the clock hanging in the greenhouse, his expression turning slightly anxious.
She looked at Sean, her brows furrowing slightly.
"Oh, I almost forgot—I have to see Professor McGonagall; I have some urgent business to discuss." She gave Sean an apologetic smile, then turned to the students. "Students, I must leave for a moment, but I'm confident Professor Phillips can handle these plants. You can all go back to the common room now; Professor McGonagall and I will be back as soon as we're done."
The students seemed hesitant, but under Professor Sprout's instructions, they slowly left the greenhouse with their equipment, walked through the humid air, and headed towards the garden outside.
As Professor Sprout adjusted her straw hat, she said to Sean, "I'm leaving the greenhouse in your care, Phillips."
"These man-eating vines are just a bit temperamental, but as long as you have patience, they won't cause any major trouble."
Sean nodded and smiled, saying, "Don't worry, Professor Sprout, I'll take good care of them. You can go about your business."
Professor Sprout breathed a sigh of relief, patted him on the shoulder, and then hurriedly left the greenhouse.
With the greenhouse door closed, only Sean and the quiet plants remained inside.
A quiet atmosphere gradually enveloped the entire room, with only the occasional soft rustling of the vines and the gentle breeze from outside the window echoing in the air.
Sean handed the nutrient solution aside, picked up his wand, and continued to deal with the remaining man-eating vines.
He skillfully adjusted the power of the spell, each swing of his wand seeming to be a dialogue with the plants, causing the vines to obediently droop down, no longer resisting the touch of the potions.
"Alright, little ones, no one's going to hurt you," Sean murmured to himself, as if comforting the plants.
He watched as the vines gradually unfurled, and the leaves, which had been tightly curled up, slowly unfolded, as if they had finally come to trust the wizard before them.
The greenhouse grew quieter and quieter, the humid air carrying a faint fragrance of flowers and grass, making one feel exceptionally peaceful.
Sean sighed softly, suddenly feeling a rare tranquility.
Perhaps because of the many ups and downs of life at Hogwarts, such moments of solitude seem all the more precious.
only-
Ten minutes later, he will completely abandon this absurd idea.
It only takes ten minutes!