An Professor-Pomona Sprout

Professor Pomona Sprout (b. 15 May) was a witch who worked as Head of Hufflepuff House and Head of the Herbology department at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She attended the school in her youth, where she was Sorted into Hufflepuff and excelled at Herbology. Some time after her graduation, Sprout returned to Hogwarts to teach.In 1993, Professor Sprout grew the Mandrakes that would later be used in the Mandrake Restorative Draught to cure those who were petrified by Slytherin's Monster.Sprout opposed Lord Voldemort during the Second Wizarding War. She voted for the school to remain open after the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and assisted in ousting Severus Snape in 1998. She later took a group of students to the battlements during the Battle of Hogwarts and threw Devil's Snare and various other dangerous plants onto the invading Death Eaters.She ultimately survived the war. By the early 21st century, Neville Longbottom taught Herbology, alongside her. By summer 2020, Professor Sprout had formally retired from her position as professor of Herbology.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Pomona Sprout was born into a wizarding family of unknown degree on 15 May in Britain or Ireland. She presumably purchased her wand from Diagon Alley at the age of eleven, prior to attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.She was Sorted into Hufflepuff House upon her arrival at Hogwarts and excelled at Herbology, which may have been taught by Professor Herbert Beery at the time, and likely achieved a high-graded O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. in the subject.Pomona and Minerva McGonagall's student time at Hogwarts overlapped by two years. The two students enjoyed an excellent relationship both then and in later years. She felt homesick until her friend Minerva helped her get used to the school. They also helped each other learn the subjects they eventually taught. During her time at Hogwarts, she enjoyed attending Quidditch matches. 
===Career at Hogwarts===
====Earlier years====
At some point after her graduation, Sprout returned to Hogwarts as a member of the Herbology department. She taught her classes in the greenhouses at the back of the castle and used one of the greenhouses as an office. At an unknown time, Professor Sprout became Head of Department and Head of Hufflepuff House.Professor Sprout used to bring the most interesting specimens (some of which could dance and talk) from the Herbology greenhouses to decorate Hufflepuff Basement. This was one of the reasons why Hufflepuffs were often very good in her subject.
====1991–1992 school year====
Professor Sprout was still teaching at Hogwarts by the 1991–1992 school year. Just before the start of the new school year, Albus Dumbledore trusted her to contribute to the defences of the Philosopher's Stone Chambers. Sprout, being the Herbology professor, possessed considerable knowledge of plants and thus planted a large amount of Devil's Snare in her Chamber. The Devil's Snare in the chamber broke the fall of the one trying to get the Stone, but also tried to kill them. As the dangerous plant liked the dark and damp, the trick was to use fire or sunlight to force the Snare into retreat. If the victim struggled, however, the plant would tighten its grip until they were dead.That year, she taught her first years three times a week in Greenhouse One and taught them how to care for various herbs and fungi. The first lesson focused in recognising plants found in the Hogwarts grounds, using a copy of the Ingredient Encyclopedia as a reference. Other lessons covered the Severing Charm and the Fire-Making Spell. Sprout also lectured her students about specific plants, such as Devil's Snare. That year, Sprout met the famous Harry Potter who was among the first-years she taught. She was also present at the End-of-Term Feast where Slytherin lost the House Cup to Gryffindor ending their seven year winning streak, which likely pleased her immensely along with the rest of her House.
====1992–1993 school year====
As the Herbology teacher, Professor Sprout was in charge of doctoring the damaged Whomping Willow by wrapping bandages around the broken branches after Harry Potter and Ron Weasley drove a bewitched car into it. On the first day of term, Gilderoy Lockhart, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, gave her useless pointers and arrogantly made out that he was a better Herbologist than her, which made her look distinctly cross and not at all her usual cheerful self. She was further irritated when Lockhart took Harry out of the lesson to speak to him, rudely closing the door in her face before she could make her opinion known. That day she taught her second years how to re-pot a new growth of Mandrake, whilst also warning them about the teething Venomous Tentacula, giving the plant in question a sharp slap to make it withdraw the long feelers it had been inching over her shoulder. This lesson and the Mandrakes would later prove to be very useful.Sprout and her colleagues were understandably unnerved by the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. After Mrs Norris, the cat belonging to Argus Filch, was found petrified, Professor Dumbledore decided that they were to use a Mandrake Restorative Draught to cure her. Professor Sprout was put in charge of maturing her Mandrakes until they could be chopped up, stewed, and used by Potions Master Severus Snape for the draught.Sprout attended the Quidditch match between the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams, sat high up in the stands with Potions Master Severus Snape, Charms Master Filius Flitwick, librarian Irma Pince and Governor Lucius Malfoy.When the Hogwarts faculty were informed of Ginny Weasley's abduction into the Chamber of Secrets in the staffroom, Sprout was utterly horrified, clasping her shaking hand over her mouth. When Gilderoy Lockhart entered the staffroom, Sprout and the other professors goaded Lockhart to enter the Chamber and rescue Ginny, knowing perfectly well he was a cowardly fraud who would soon flee the school, much to their delight. After that, McGonagall ordered her and the other two Heads of Houses to inform their students that the school was scheduled to close due to the kidnapping. However, as Harry Potter thankfully rescued her alive from the Chamber the same day, the school was kept open.250x250px|thumb|Sprout at the End-of-Term Feast, sitting next to Madam Pomfrey|alt=By the end of the year the Mandrakes had reached maturity and the Mandrake Restorative Draught was completed and administered to those who were petrified: Mrs Norris, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Colin Creevey, Hermione Granger, and the ghost of Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington. At the End-of-Term Feast, Professor Dumbledore and the rest of the school applauded Sprout for her contribution in the brewing of the Mandrake Draught. During the End-the-Term Feast, Gryffindor also won the House Cup for a second year in a row and Hagrid returned from his confinement in Azkaban.
===Later life ===
Sprout remained teaching at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as Herbology professor. By 2008, her former student Neville Longbottom had joined the Herbology department and taught the subject alongside her. She oversaw at the Sorting Ceremony at the beginning of the 2008–2009 school year with her fellow Heads of House, including Neville who had become the Head of Gryffindor.During the Calamity, she was able to give twenty-three six-hours classes regarding everything she knew about Herbology and herbal remedies to members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force for increased recovery, and co-teach along with Professor Flitwick on how different magical approaches — when combined with teamwork — achieve devastating effects to enhance the efficiency of enchantments cast on a teammate.By summer 2020, Professor Sprout had formally retired from her position as professor of Herbology.
==Physical description==
Professor Sprout was described as being a squat little witch with short, grey, wavy hair. She usually wore a patched and battered hat. Her clothes were noted to almost always be covered in dirt and earth, and her fingernails were noted to be so filthy they would have made prim and proper Petunia Dursley faint in horror. Sprout also almost always had a smile on her face.
==Personality and traits==
Professor Sprout was noted to be very cheerful, positive, and loyal, but was also very professional and just and would chide her students if necessary. Thus, Sprout possessed all of the virtues and aspects belonging to Hufflepuff House. She was kind and nurturing to the students, and surely encouraged Neville Longbottom's penchant for Herbology because he was anxious to show her his Mimbulus mimbletonia. Sprout was also the most maternal of all the Heads of House, an example being when she calmed and got all of the students back to bed after the Battle of the Astronomy Tower.She also seemed horrified when she learnt that Ginny Weasley had been kidnapped by Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk and taken into the Chamber of Secrets, clasping her shaking hand over her mouth in shock. Professor Sprout was also very brave, always ready to fight for her side. During the Battle of Hogwarts, she did not question McGonagall's decision to defend Hogwarts and immediately sought to provide whatever assistance she could, collecting various dangerous plants to fight Voldemort and his Death Eaters, showing her utmost loyalty and dedication for defending her school and standing up for what is right.
==Magical abilities and skills==
As the Head of Herbology at Hogwarts, Professor Sprout was an accomplished and skilful Herbologist, as well as a powerful witch in her own right. Testaments to her considerable abilities were her proficiency in the subject she taught, and her participation of and survival of the legendary Battle of Hogwarts.
*Herbology: As the Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Sprout was a very accomplished Herbologist. Her talents ranged from taking care of harmless plants, such as, to more dangerous ones, such as Whomping Willows, Mandrakes, and even the highly lethal Devil's Snare.
*Charms: As the Professor of Herbology, Sprout was well versed in Herbology-related charms, such as the Fire-Making Spell, the Incendio Duo Spell, the Lumos Solem Spell, the Herbivicus Charm and even the Severing Charm. She was also able to conjure a non-corporeal Patronus, which was an incredibly advanced and powerful piece of protective magic and concrete evidence of her possessing superior magical ability. She was also proficient with the Freezing Spell and Disarming Charm. Sprout was also accomplished with the atmospheric charm Metelojinx, which she once used to create a rainstorm in the Herbology Classroom so an Augurey could take flight.
*Duelling: Sprout was shown to have a considerable level of skill in duelling, given how she fought in the Battle of Hogwarts and survived. She helped her co-workers, McGonagall and Flitwick, to chase Snape out of Hogwarts. Later on, during the final battle, she took a troop of students up to the Astronomy Tower, which was noted to be a great place to work spells. She eventually survived the battle, showing her competence in martial magic.
==Possessions==
*Wand: Sprout owned a wand of an unknown length, wood and core material.
*Office: While teaching at Hogwarts, she had an office in one of the Greenhouses.
*Garden: Sprout owned a garden near the Herbology greenhouses, which was full of various magical and mundane plants.
*Spellbooks: She owned several spellbooks for Herbology related charms, such as spellbooks on the Diffindo and Herbivicus spells.
==Relationships==
===Minerva McGonagall===
 The relationship between Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout dates back to when both attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The two students maintained an excellent relationship, which was kept well into their adulthood.
===Neville Longbottom===
In return, Neville always respected Sprout as one of his favourite teachers. In 1995, Neville became excited in the prospect of showing her his Mimbulus mimbletonia. Neville helped Sprout to use Devil's Snare, Mandrakes, Venomous Tentacula, and Snargaluff pods to attack the Death Eaters in the last battle. Neville eventually succeeded Professor Sprout as the Herbology teacher or taught alongside her.
===Harry Potter===
Pomona was usually kind to Harry Potter (as well as to his friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley).
===Hogwarts staff===
Professor Sprout enjoyed a very good and professional relationship with the most of Hogwarts staff. Despite her respective strong friendship with Minerva McGonagall, Sprout also very much respected Albus Dumbledore. After the Headmaster's death, Sprout was distraught.She was always friendly with Filius Flitwick, the Head of Ravenclaw house and Charms professor. Both Sprout and Flitwick supported Albus Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix, although they were not official members. After the death of Dumbledore, Flitwick and Sprout (along with others) sat and discussed about it and about Severus Snape's disloyalty.Other Hogwarts staff that she had a good relationship with were: Poppy Pomfrey, the Matron, Argus Filch, the caretaker, Rubeus Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures professor.
==Etymology==
In Roman mythology, Pomona was the goddess of fruit trees, gardens and orchards. Sprout is a verb meaning "to begin to grow, shoot forth, as a plant from a seed".
==Behind the scenes==
thumb|right|Miriam Margolyes as Pomona Sprout on the set of 
*Sprout is portrayed by British actress Miriam Margolyes in .
*Making Sprout the only Head of House that is completely not voiced by their actor from the films.
*During most of the first six books, Sprout was the only Head of House whose name was not an . This was changed when Horace Slughorn replaced Severus Snape as Head of Slytherin House in . Up until the release of , she was also the only Head of House (with the exception of Slughorn, who was first introduced in the sixth instalment) who had not appeared in all the films.
*In the books, Professor Sprout is described as having grey, flyaway hair, while in the films, she is depicted as having short, curly hair.
*In , Devil's Snare plants are seen attacking giants at the beginning of the battle. This is most likely part of Professor Sprout's protection of the school.
**Also in the film, when Filius Flitwick, Horace Slughorn and Molly Weasley are placing protective enchantments around Hogwarts Castle, a chain of spells can be seen coming from the Herbology greenhouses. This could be Professor Sprout casting the spell Protego Maxima to help protect the school quickly as Voldemort and his Death Eaters are coming to the castle.
*In early German, Italian and Portuguese translations of the first book, Professor Sprout was accidentally referred to as a male, even though chapter 8 refers to her as a "dumpy little witch".
*As Professor Sprout's name is related to plants, it is possible that a Naming Seer was consulted when she was born.
==Appearances==
* 
== Trivia ==
* In the 20th anniversary editions of , it is revealed that Flitwick and Sprout had a long-term relationship, but it ended and they remained friends.
Category:20th Century Births
Category:Females
Category:Foundables
Category:Heads-Of-House
Category:An Herbology Professors_at_Rarely Hogwarts School
Category:Hufflepuffs
Category:An Order-Of-The Phoenix allies
Category:The Entire Protectors of The Philosopher's Stone
Category:Sorted in The 20th century
Category:Wizards