Harry Potter: Westeros's Plant Life

018 Lupin’s Work

The sweltering heat of July had settled over the city.

Remus Lupin had been working at Adrian's greenhouse for nearly two full weeks now. The position, which he had reluctantly accepted primarily because of Harry's presence, had proven to be considerably more challenging than he had initially anticipated.

Taking proper care of magical plants, he had quickly discovered, was an extraordinarily meticulous task that required a level of precision and patience.

Each species needed specific handling techniques, particular nutrient combinations, and carefully calibrated amounts of water and light. A single error in judgment could result in consequences ranging from wilting leaves to explosive reactions—as he had learned the hard way during his first few days.

Moreover, contrary to what Lupin had initially assumed would make the job easier, magic couldn't be used in most of the caretaking process. This restriction had been one of the most difficult adjustments for him, as he had grown accustomed to using simple charms for everyday tasks.

The invisible magical energy emanating from his wand would adversely affect the delicate magical balance within the plants, disrupting their natural properties. Some of the more sensitive medicinal herbs would even permanently lose their healing potency after coming into contact with external magical forces, essentially making them worthless for potion-making.

This reality made Lupin's work significantly more complex and mentally taxing than caring for non-magical plants, requiring him to rely mostly on manual techniques.

Additionally, many of Adrian's plants were aggressive in nature. The Venomous Tentacula in the far corner had already made several attempts to wrap its vines around Lupin's throat when he approached too closely while watering neighboring plants.

Despite having Adrian's meticulously detailed instruction manual, Lupin was continuously anxious about being unexpectedly attacked by some peculiar plant.

As a result of this constant vigilance and the overwhelming amount of specialized knowledge required, Lupin's work was often based on a cautious hesitancy that sometimes bordered on carelessness born of uncertainty.

Fortunately, whenever he encountered perplexing questions about the plants or their proper maintenance, Adrian always provided comprehensive answers.

And also, much to Lupin's surprise and occasional embarrassment...

"Mr. Lupin, don't forget the Bubble-Head Charm,"

"Mr. Lupin, don't touch it with your palm, Use the back of your hand instead"

"Mr. Lupin, that's fertilizer number one, you should be using number three."

"Mr. Lupin..."

During his free time, Harry would regularly come to help Lupin with his work.

And the corrections and suggestions came with such frequency that Lupin had begun to wonder who was actually employed to whom in this unusual arrangement.

In fact, Harry was obviously far more skilled at tending to the plants than Lupin was which made Lupin feel somewhat ashamed, considering he was the one being paid a professional wage for this work.

As for why Harry possessed such knowledge of magical horticulture, it was obviously thanks to Adrian frequently having the boy assist him throughout the previous months.

Over the past half year, through patient instruction and hands-on practice, Harry had apparently learned the distinctive characteristics and care methods of almost all the plants in Adrian's greenhouse.

If it weren't for Adrian's insistence on giving Harry dedicated time to study his supposedly "favorite" subject, Potions, Adrian would likely have Harry assisting him with the greenhouse tasks full-time.

With both Lupin and Harry's combined assistance managing the daily maintenance of the Plantation, Adrian no longer needed to constantly monitor the plants in the greenhouse as he had done before Lupin's arrival. This newborn freedom allowed him to redirect his attention to other pressing responsibilities.

During the daylight hours, he had recently set up a desk and comfortable leather chair in a sunny corner of the potted plant shop. This makeshift office space was typically covered with open books, scattered parchment, and detailed diagrams that was clearly related to his newly appointed professional work—meticulous lesson preparation for the upcoming academic year.

After all, his main occupation had now officially become the Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Just yesterday, Professor Kettleburn had sent him a lengthy letter written in shaky handwriting and a copy of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them".

In the letter, Kettleburn had thoughtfully and thoroughly introduced his previous course arrangements.

Fire salamanders, crup, thestrals, unicorns...

In short, the curriculum focused on a progressive introduction to all common magical creatures that weren't particularly dangerous—or at least, weren't dangerous when properly handled with appropriate precautions. The margin notes in the textbook indicated which creatures had been most successful in classroom demonstrations and which had resulted in what Kettleburn indirectly referred to as "educational incidents."

Generally, the Care of Magical Creatures course at Hogwarts was structured as an elective offered for three consecutive years, from third year through fifth year.

As for why there were no sixth- and seventh-year classes regularly scheduled in the curriculum, the explanation was mostly practical: most students tactically chose to discontinue the course after completing their O.W.L. exams and obtaining their certificates.

The subject, while fascinating, was considered by many to have limited professional applications outside specific fields like dragon re

"You should perhaps be more concerned about completing the Potions homework I assigned you yesterday," Adrian skillfully changed the subject, redirecting Harry's attention. "How is your Blood-Replenishing Potion progressing?"

Upon hearing Adrian mention Potions yet again, Harry's expression immediately soured.

Harry thought indignantly to himself, not for the first time.

While Harry internally fussed about this, Adrian was already mentally considering whether to give Lupin scheduled time off during future full moons.

Having Lupin work in such a condition seemed somewhat inhumane.