Explore the greenhouses

The Herbology greenhouses seem like an easy place to find rue. As a plant that is commonly used in antidotes, it’s clear to you that Hogwarts will have some plants. However, beyond the plants that you’ve studied in class, you don’t even know where to start. Luckily, you know just the person to ask.

“Hey, Neville”, you say as you drop down beside him on a couch in the Gryffindor Common Room.

Neville jumps in surprise.

“Harry!” he exclaims. “Don’t scare me like that!”

You grin at him.

“Sorry”, you reply. “Anyway, I need your help.”

You notice that Neville immediately looks worried. You don’t blame him. You can’t remember the number of times that Neville has been caught up in some scheme of yours. He has sometimes found himself in the Hospital Wing because of it.

“I promise it’s not dangerous”, you say.

“Sure”, Neville replies, though he still looks dubious. “What is it?”

“I’m looking for some rue”, you explain. “I’m sure there’s some in the Herbology greenhouses, but I don’t know where to look.” You pause for a moment. “Hell, I don’t even really know what it looks like!”

“Wait here a moment”, Neville says.

He races up to his room and comes back down shortly with a massive book. You look at the cover – 1001 Plants and Their Descriptions. No surprises here. Neville flips through the pages until he finds the one he’s looking for.

“‘Rue is a small shrub with bluish-green leaves and yellow flowers’”, he reads. “‘It is native to the Mediterranean region, but currently has a worldwide distribution, particularly as an ornamental herb. It has a preference for warmer climates and dry soil. As a potion ingredient, rue is used in a range of different antidotes, though in large doses, it can be poisonous. Rue is also a key ingredient in—’”

“Let’s see”, you say quickly, pulling the book out of Neville’s hands.

The picture in the book shows an ordinary looking plant, to your eyes. Neville can probably pick it out from a distance, but to you it looks nothing special.

“‘Warmer climates and dry soil’?” you repeat. “Which of the greenhouses have those conditions?”

Neville’s eyes have lit up.

“Let’s go down and look”, he suggests.

The greenhouses are deserted, luckily. You stare at the glass structures and the plants within. Looking through all of them would take a long time.

“Greenhouses 6 and 9 would be my best guesses”, Neville says, running a professional eye across the row of buildings. “Temperate and arid plants. Of course, it might be in Greenhouse 1”, he adds.

You raise your eyebrows at him.

“It’s sometimes taught to first year students”, Neville responds to your unspoken question. “Easy to grow, hard to kill you.”

Now, you have to decide on a strategy. You could stay together and investigate the greenhouses as a team or you can each go your own way in the hopes of covering more ground.