It was July.
Mr. Lupin had been working at Vinson's for nearly two weeks now, and it was proving to be an exhausting experience. Taking care of magical plants is no simple task, and what made it even more challenging was that magic could not be used in the process. Magic could interfere with the plants, and some medicinal plants would lose their properties if exposed to any external magic, which made Mr. Lupin's work even more complicated.
In addition, many of the plants at Vinson's were aggressive by nature. While Mr. Vinson's manual helped, Mr. Lupin was still constantly on edge, worried about being attacked by one of the unpredictable plants at any moment. This often led him to work sloppily, as he was always trying to stay alert.
Fortunately, Mr. Lupin could always ask Mr. Vinson for help whenever he had questions. Mr. Vinson would offer advice without hesitation, which was a great comfort to him.
"Mr. Lupin, don't forget to cast the Bubblehead Charm," Mr. Vinson would remind him.
"Mr. Lupin, don't touch it directly with your palm. Use the back of your hand instead."
"Mr. Lupin, this is No. 1 fertilizer; you should be using No. 3."
"Mr. Lupin..."
In his spare time, Harry would also help Mr. Lupin with some of the work. In fact, Harry was far more skilled at handling magical plants than Mr. Lupin himself! This made Mr. Lupin feel a bit embarrassed, especially since he was the one getting paid for the job.
The reason why Harry was so knowledgeable about magical plants was because Mr. Vinson often asked him to assist with various tasks. Over the past six months, Harry had learned the characteristics and care methods of almost all the plants in Vinson's collection. If not for Harry's deep interest in Potions, Mr. Vinson would likely have kept him busy with work in the greenhouse.
Thanks to the help from both Mr. Lupin and Harry, Mr. Vinson no longer needed to keep a constant eye on the plants. During the day, he set up a desk and chair in the potted plant shop to focus on his duties as a professor — namely, preparing lessons. After all, his primary role at the moment was as the Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts.
Just the previous day, he had received a letter from Professor Kettleburn along with a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The letter included an introduction to the course outline Kettleburn had followed during his time as a professor.
Fire Salamanders, Bowtruckles, Nightshade, Unicorns… the list went on. These were all magical creatures that were relatively safe to work with.
Typically, the Care of Magical Creatures course was only offered as an elective from third to fifth year at Hogwarts. The reason there were no sixth or seventh-year students taking the course was simple — most students chose not to continue the subject after completing their O.W.L.s. Only those particularly passionate about magical creatures would opt to take it further.
At the end of the letter, Professor Kettleburn had written a note to Mr. Vinson:
"You can choose your own teaching style, though it doesn't have to follow mine. Just remember to avoid letting students handle overly dangerous creatures — which is why I've had sixty-two probation periods."
Vison chuckled to himself as he read this. He understood the sentiment — it was far more beneficial to let students learn about magical creatures without putting them in harm's way. Still, sixty-two probation periods? He couldn't fathom how Professor Kettleburn had managed to survive until retirement without being expelled from Hogwarts. Perhaps the Headmaster had been particularly lenient.
As for the course materials, Vison decided to stick with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. After all, the book had been a staple at Hogwarts for years, compiled by Newt Scamander, who had cataloged nearly every known magical creature in the wizarding world. It was essentially an encyclopedia for magical creatures.
While Mr. Lupin and Harry worked in the greenhouse, Mr. Vinson focused on preparing lessons. The sound of the plantation door creaking open caught his attention. Mr. Lupin and Harry emerged at the same time.
Vison noticed that Mr. Lupin appeared more fatigued than usual. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he seemed visibly drained, as though an entire day of work had taken its toll. This concerned Vison. The work at Vinson's wasn't that demanding. Over the past few days, Mr. Lupin had been tired at the end of the day, but this level of exhaustion was unusual.
With a tired step, Mr. Lupin walked toward Vison. "Mr. Vison, I've finished the work for today. Would it be possible for me to leave early? I have some urgent matters to attend to."
He paused, as if weighing his words. "I know I probably look odd right now," he added, almost apologetically. "It's just the heat. I'm feeling a bit unwell, but a rest should do the trick."
Vison studied him for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly. "You don't look well. Are you sure you don't need to rest tomorrow?"
Mr. Lupin shook his head, trying to smile. "It's nothing, Mr. Vison. Just a bit of fatigue. I'll be fine after some rest."
Although Vison was still concerned, he didn't want to press him. "Alright, if you feel like you need to rest, then take it easy. But if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to let me know."
Vison then pulled a small bottle of potion from his drawer and handed it to Mr. Lupin. "Drink this. It should make you feel better."
Gratefully, Mr. Lupin took the potion and drank it in one swift motion. As the cool liquid slid down his throat, he felt a slight wave of relief. But inside, his thoughts were elsewhere. Damn full moon, he thought grimly.
Once Mr. Lupin had left, Harry stood beside Vison, his eyes following Mr. Lupin's retreating figure. There was an unease in his gaze, one that didn't go unnoticed by Vison.
"Mr. Lupin isn't looking too good, is he?" Harry asked, his voice laced with concern. "He seemed off today. He almost stepped on an exploding potato, of all things."
Vison watched Mr. Lupin leave, noting the time. He had a fairly good idea of what was going on. The previous night had been the full moon. This meant Mr. Lupin had transformed into a werewolf, and the physical toll of that transformation often left him weak for days.
"Don't worry too much about Mr. Lupin," Vison said, ruffling Harry's hair affectionately, making it even messier than before. "You should be focusing on the Potions homework I assigned you. How's that Blood-Replenishing Potion coming along?"
Harry's face instantly fell into a frown. Potions again? When had he ever expressed any enthusiasm for the subject? He certainly didn't remember enjoying it.
As Harry sulked, Vison found himself deep in thought. Perhaps, in the future, it would be more humane to give Mr. Lupin a break whenever the full moon came around. It didn't seem right to make him work under such exhausting conditions.
FOR MORE CHAPTERS
patreon.com/Johnybairstow