Mid-October 1894, Evening — Herbology Greenhouse

A retracing of his footsteps through the classes he had earlier in the day lead him back to the Herbology greenhouses where he hoped to find the cufflink he lost earlier in the day. Naturally, of the places he could have lost the rather understated but still important to him cufflink was the Herbology greenhouse. Yes, he had class in the greenhouse earlier in the day. However, he'd been wearing an older sweater and an apron over his dress shirt so it shouldn't have slipped off. Still he looked around shifting things until he saw a shimmer of silver from a pile of tossed plant material.

His eyes widened as he realized that he found something better then the cufflink he’d been searching for - though he did quickly pull that from the dirty rubbish and put it back not he sleeve of his shirt. He found a mandrake seemingly tossed from its pot and silently not screaming. An indication that as he grabbed for it and felt nothing movement wise meant the mandrake was likely dead.

This was it. This was the day he’d been theorizing and dreaming about.

About fifteen minutes later

Out of breath he returned to the greenhouse. His best notebook put on the table so he could write his observations made of the dissection of the mandrake, followed by a serving plate he got from the kitchens and finally both his potions ingredient tools and the few muggle surgical instruments he had from his older brother. Once that was set up he fetched the dead mandrake he hid underneath things and washed throughly before putting it on the serving tray.

It was important to always have the cleanest preparations for a dissection as he ran his hands down the front of his apron that was meant to protect his clothes from the mess that could occur. Then he grabbed his scalpel and made his first cut into the mandrake letting out a sigh of relief as it didn’t move or show any signs of life.

As if it hadn’t been dead the cut that went from just below its neck to most of the way down its belly and was a couple of centimeters deep would have killed it. Then he did a lighter cross cut at about what would have been the center of the chest if it were a human.

The scalpel put down as he leaned over and started peeling the layers of skin back with his face getting ever closer to help him see what was inside the layers of the mandrake as he said “ Butter upon bacon you’re wicked.“ with more excitement and loudness than he realized to the dead mandrake.

Mason Skeeter

  

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After being promoted to Head of house, Mason had been better about being in the school at the end of the day. He used to hide out in the greenhouses, but they had needed quite a bit more work back then. Now things were smooth and he had a decade under his belt. Still, Mason had never wanted to get stagnant in his teaching, to do the same thing year after year, and so he tried to make sure he was keeping things interesting for the students.

As it was, he was working on preparing a new lesson for his NEWT students, setting out the necessary equipment in one the greenhouses reserved for their current projects. His fifth years were progressing nicely on their semi-sentient plant project and he had his younger lessons all mapped out. Before he could close up shop for the night, he had to venture back into one of the other greenhouses to get a couple more things.

The last thing he expected was to hear a voice. He couldn't quite make out who it was, or what exactly they said, but he made his way toward the sound nevertheless. This was of course where he found Mr. Smellie with an unfortunate mandrake splayed open on what looked like a tray from the kitchens. "Mr. Smellie?" He asked, both concern and curiosity clear on his features.

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"Mr. Smellie?”

Surprised he jumped up slightly from leaning over the mandrake with squinted eyes as his fingers pulled away layer after layer from the crosshatch of cuts he’d made pulling the pieces to the edges. Each layer he moved revealed more layers underneath which made him curious when he’d reach organs as the outer layers looked very much how he imagined trees grew. Well with a bit more blood, or did it being a plant automatically make it sap.

He wasn’t sure but he didn’t have time to consider it in the seconds it took to turn and see the Professor. He said quickly surprised to see the Professor “ Good Evening Professor Skeeter. It was already dead before I started dissecting it. I found it in that plant scrap pile over there and gave it a good cleaning and not a peep out of it. “

It didn’t even scream when he cut it. Though his need for a breath in gave him enough time to realize that his last observation would likely go better unsaid.

With a bit of a roll of his feet back and forth shifting his weight in a bit of a slow, but energetically excited motion he continued “ Do you happen to remember this mandrake? In particular was it showing any sign of disease like a cough, breathing issues, difficulty moving any of its. “ Then he paused to consider if the things that he was about to call arms should be called branches.

He decided to go with branches as he continued “Its branches.“ This was a moment he wished he studied the words part of Herbology more than the planting part of it. As he was at a loss for other things to suggest to imply as symptoms that would likely proceed a disease caused death that more evidence of would be found in an autopsy.

  

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Mason wasn't sure he'd ever seen a student want to take apart a plant quite like this and certainly not one of the sentient ones. Then again Mr. Smellie had always proven to be quite curious. "I know," he nodded about the mandrake already being deceased beforehand.

"I do not, it was simply out of its pot when I came in this morning," they were in their teenage phase and therefore rebellious. It could have been trying to get into another pot, nearing it's maturity, but Mason figured it must have fallen too far or gotten too cold. "It was perfectly healthy, as far as I know." Mason wasn't sure if he should be concerned or impressed by Quincy's tenacity here. "My guess is it fell out of its pot incorrectly or that it got too cold." It was mostly a plant after all and without the insulation of the soil to keep the heat in, it may have indeed died from exposure, despite the warmth of the greenhouses.

"While I do not mind your interest, I would appreciate you asking for permission beforehand next time." The mandrake's place in the scrap pile had been temporary; Mason had planned to see if the nurse needed it for potion purposes.

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He wrote in his notebook a note about the presumed time of death for the Mandrake was sometime over night and it was definitely dead by morning with a note that it was found outside of its pot. While he naturally had questions about how it could get out of its pot he knew the plant to be extra squirmy so refrained from asking.

He said “ The outer layers appear healthy minus what I’d assume being some dehydration on the most outward layers. Though perhaps it could be cold as I read frostbite in humans also can make the skin damaged. “

As it started mostly healthy it was the perfect specimen to begin his analysis of mandrakes which he followed with more notes wishing he was better at drawing than he was.

He’d naturally forgotten asking for permission, as he’d do again as the quicker an autopsy was performed the more one could learn. He said “ In the future what would be the fastest way to ask permission if I find another mandrake, fanged geranium, bowtruckle, or similar plant in the scrap pile. “ Ignoring the fact that the subject minus the use of plants in potions wasn’t one that typically interested him - though being able to actually dissect a mandrake made him more than interested at present.

Then he made cuts to completely remove the top layers of skin - though he debated internally if bark was the right word. With him following up by cutting another few layers down and starting to peel those folds. Smiling he said “ There is a higher coagulation of sap on the right side of the mandrake so it likely rested on its right side after death before being in the pile as it was mostly flat when I found it. Things like that might become less noticeable the longer a delay in examination. “

  

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Mason was impressed with the boy's focus and his precision. "I suppose now that I know you are interested, I can let you know if I find anything of interest." It wasn't as if things of that nature died all that frequently under his care, but if Mr. Smellie was scientifically interested in the inner working of the semi- and sentient plants, Mason had no problems with letting the Slytherin take a look. "But something sent to my office would do the trick in the future." The herbology professor wasn't so sure he wanted Quincy making a habit of this, but wouldn't say no to the pursuit of knowledge.

"I would strongly advise against trying anything with a bowtruckle, however." Mason warned. "They are highly communal creatures," Mason had always regarded them as a creature, not a plant. "And the rest of the clan takes care of one if there is something to happen." As protective as they were about their trees, they were also fiercely loyal to their own kind.

Now that he knew what Mr. Smellie was doing, Mason went back to his lesson planning, moving to the bench opposite where the dissection was occurring, to gather a few things for the next class tomorrow. He listened with mild interest as the young Slytherin annotated his findings aloud. Quincy sounded quite informed on such things and now Mason had to wonder just what the young man's vested interest here happened to be.

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With a smile he said “ I’d greatly appreciate being informed of anything interesting. “ He’d naturally still look himself before class, and anytime he found himself walking by the greenhouses now he found a reason to be interested. As prior his only interest in the greenhouses was potion ingredients and the fact it was a required subject to become a Healer.

As for sending things to his office he just nodded. As he’d certainly try if the opportunity arose, though he doubt he’d be carrying a school OWL around as he wandered about regularly to do the actual sending.

Could he send a paper airplane at whatever window was his office? Maybe with an extra boost of magic. He’d investigate.

He’d not considered the loyalty of the bowtruckles. That would certainly cause a complication later. Blinking he said “ I’ll remember that. Perhaps acting out as if I liked that particular bowtruckle and giving it a funeral with cold base of the little casket to preserve the bowtruckle would be best. That would focus on preservation and then later I could go back and get the bowtruckle once they stop paying attention. “

Considering he was in a greenhouse he hoped bowtruckles couldn’t understand him. As admittedly the only thing he cared about was the mandrake in front of him which he continued carefully cutting and examining the layers.

Then he asked “ In your Herbology studies, besides cutting them up for potion ingredients, have you ever studied the insides of plants? “

This plant had alot of layers of skin for example as he carefully cut down another one with a light cut and pulling back to see more.

  

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As long as whatever he found wasn't of use to the nurse or Valenduris in the potions cabinet, Mason didn't see the harm in letting Quincy have a go at anything that expired in the greenhouses. He still couldn't quite gauge the Slytherin's specific interest in dissecting the plants themselves, but there had always been a scientific air about the fourth year.

"I would stay away altogether, I never quite know what happens when the lose one of their own and I respect that." Mason warned one final time about the bowtruckles. Mr. Smellie would either heed his advice or learn the hard way. There was always the fool around and find out method for consequences.

Mason considered the question before answering. "Not for a while, but in breeding plants it's common." Splicing different trees or seeing if two different varieties of a plant or flower could be crossed often needed a closer look at the basic anatomy of the plants themselves. "Trying to take superior specimens and see what makes them better, things of that nature." He hadn't thought about it in a while. "What is your interest, Mr. Smellie?"

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He nodded. If the Professor didn’t know what happened when they lost one of their own if he found one the professor would never know either way. Though, he also wasn’t sure he wanted to mess with a bunch of bowtruckles considering he’d have to return to the greenhouses till he graduated. Perhaps, he’d wait till late in his seventh year to see if he could get a bowtruckle. His goal of doing well enough in Herbology to become a Healer was more important than any curiosity.

He asked “ What types of characteristics do you look for in superior specimens of plants? Anything specific for mandrakes? “ As if so, those were things he should definitely be looking for too.

He gulped debating if his interest was perhaps stupid. Though considering all the creatures he was interested in were partially sentient that meant they had to have stuff similar to animals. Smiling he said “My older brother is a surgeon. When he was doing his training I used to watch him practice as doing dissections on the cadavers his school had. I figured the sentient plants might be similar to creatures and humans inside. “

He really wasn’t so sure as he continued to just see more layers as he slowly worked his way inside the mandrake.

  

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Well, that was unexpected. Mason had never had the stomach for such things himself, which was part of the reason he preferred plants, but he supposed that it wasn't a bad thing for the young Mr. Smellie to be interested in. "We look for a strong cry," Mason had to reinforce the glass on the greenhouse magically as they matured sometimes. "We watch their habits as they grow. They have such strong restorative purposes in their maturity that he make sure they're growing at the right rate and hitting their milestones." The adolescent stage was the hardest; it was when they were the most mischievous and secretive. "I often find the rounder ones to be stronger." He chuckled. They were not always easy to work with, and he didn't often hear back on the potions brewed with them, but nobody had complained about his stock of them so far.

"What have you discovered so far?" Mason was curious to see what it was that Quincy had uncovered so far in his dissection.

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He took notes of what Professor Skeeter said, but regretted there was no way to know how strong a cry the specimen he had in front of him had. However, he did note it wasn’t made of a perfectly round center. There was definitely a bit of stunting in its lower right side in a small spot.

He said “I guess that is why we have to ensure there aren’t stones in the dirt we put them in. I think this mandrake likely had a stone in it’s pot or something else blocking it from growing a bit when it was younger as some of the layers are squished in this spot while being more round along the rest. An indentation it never grew out of completely though it is more obvious in the deeper layers.“

He continued “ I don’t think that indentation was the cause of death as it grew from there even getting some thicker layers in that area to make it more rounder as it aged. Humans and creatures don’t have as defined layers and go to organ mush while it appears at least mandrakes keep a solidity to their layers deeper in. “

He was still peeling layers and was only half way through, but the layers were getting thinner and he was hopeful soon he’d find what Mandrakes had for organ mush.

  

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Mr. Smellie's astute observations were intriguing. Truthfully Mason hadn't put a lot of thought into what had happened, they were troublesome things to grow and he lost them often enough that he usually presumed it was of their own fault. "I'll have to have the students check the other pots." It would be a good review for his third years. It wasn't unusual for plants to simply grow around obstacles, it was perhaps one of their more unifying qualities. Trees engulfed entire statues or fences that were too close, plants would grow through the cracks in the cobblestones or anywhere else they could find a little purchase. It was of no surprise that even the semi-sentient plants demonstrated the same qualities.

"Was there any difference in that section of the mandrake?" Mason asked curiously. He normally left any slicing of ingredients (after the mandrakes were dead) to whomever was making the potions they were to be used in. Perhaps he ought to put a little more thought behind things like that.

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He hadn’t thought to look at the section where the mandrake seemed to catch up in rounding its layers where it had obviously been restricted at some point. Blinking he leaned over to look at that peel a bit more and the part still connected to the mandrake.

He said “ It is more mushy like the other between layer regions. I suspect water or the plant equivalent of blood travels through these regions as the plant grows. As I don’t see a vein structure. Perhaps some sort of bloating with water is how they compensate as they grow. “

Then he looked up towards the professor and said “ I wish I had a microscope as probably the veins are only visible with that. I figured with the mandrake being bigger than a newt I’d be able to see them. However even in small newts they are more defined. “

He said “ Do any of the advanced Herbology books talk about veins or organs in plants? “ Hopefully, the word advanced would cover up the fact he hardly skimmed beyond how to prepare plants as potion ingredients anything Herbology related out side of class.

  

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Mason had worked with plants directly for two decades now. He had never put quite this much thought into the dissection of a mandrake before. Surely Mr. Smellie was being thorough, but he was bordering on beyond what Mason taught and so therefore slowly creeping into the realm of things he would have to look up.

"Are you keeping detailed notes?" He asked, wandering closer again, assuming the answer was yes. It had to be done in the moment if one could, so that nothing was lost between completion of the experiment and writing everything down. "I can certainly point you in the right direction of the section in the library." Mason thought he knew exactly which volume to suggest.

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