Pomona Sprout

"I feel that if a single pupil wants to come, then the school ought to remain open for that pupil."

- Professor Sprout after the death of Albus Dumbledore.

Professor Pomona Sprout (born May 15) was a squat little witch with fly-away grey hair who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the age of eleven. She was Sorted into Hufflepuff House and excelled at Herbology, likely attaining an O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. in the subject. Some time after she graduated, Sprout returned to Hogwarts, the school from which she had studied, and became the Professor of Herbology, replacing Herbert Beery, and was also the new Head of Hufflepuff House.

Professor Sprout opposed Lord Voldemort during the Second Wizarding War, though she did not join the Order of the Phoenix, led by Albus Dumbledore. In 1991, she took part in the protection of the Philosopher's Stone, as did six of her colleagues, and brewed the Mandrake Restorative Draught for those who were petrified in 1992 by Slytherin's Monster. She also opposed Dolores Umbridge and her reign over the school in 1995, which the rest of the staff were happy to join her in doing, voted for the school to remain open after the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and assisted in ousting Severus Snape in 1998. Sprout 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 survived the war and had retired by 2017, with Neville Longbottom replacing her.

Early Life
"Hmmm. Let's see... I know. Hufflepuff!"

- The Sorting Hat placing a student into Hufflepuff.

Pomona Sprout was born into a wizarding family of unknown degree and probably lived in the magical world. She presumably purchased her wand from Ollivander's Wand Shop at the age of eleven, prior to attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was Sorted into Hufflepuff House at the Sorting ceremony upon her arrival, sharing a dormitory with other Hufflepuff girls in the basement of the main castle. Sprout excelled at Herbology, which was probably taught by Professor Herbert Beery at the time, and likely achieved a high graded O.W.L. in the subject, maybe even scraping an N.E.W.T. as well. She graduated in her seventh year and left the school for a little while, before returning in a few years time.



Earlier Years
"Four to a tray - there is a large supply of pots here - compost in the sacks over there - and be careful of the Venomous Tentacula, it's teething."

- Professor Sprout teaching a class.

At some point after her graduation, Sprout returned to Hogwarts and took up the post of Herbology Professor, aswell as Head of Hufflepuff House. She taught her classes in the greenhouses at the back of the castle and probably had an office elsewhere in the school.

Her lessons were noted to be almost always practical, with no pure-theoretical classes except in first year. Sprout taught the Severing Charm, Devil's Snare, Bluebell Flames and spiky bushes to her first years, Mandrakes and Abyssinian Shrivelfigs to second years, Puffapods to third years, Bubotubers to fourth years, Fanged Geraniums to O.W.L. students and Snargaluffs and Self-fertilizing Shrubs to sixth years.

Philosopher's Stone
"Three times a weekthey went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learnt how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi and found out what they were used for."

- Sprout's routine with Harry Potter and the other first years.



Professor Sprout was teaching at Hogwarts during 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, planted a large amount of Devil's Snare in her Chamber, which broke the fall of the one trying to get the Stone but also tried to kill them. The trick was to use fire or sunlight to force the Snare into retreat.This year, Professor Sprout took on new students Leanne, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones,Megan Jones, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernie Macmillan, Wayne Hopkins and Zacharias Smith into her House, Hufflepuff. She taught her first years three times a week in Greenhouse One, and taught them how to care for various herbs and fungi, aswell as the Severing Charm and Bluebell Flames, and lectured them on Devil's Snare. One of these first years was the famous Harry Potter, who Sprout was probably delighted to teach.



Megan Jones, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernie Macmillan, Wayne Hopkins and Zacharias Smith into her House, Hufflepuff. She taught her first years three times a week in Greenhouse One, and taught them how to care for various herbs and fungi, aswell as the Severing Charm and Bluebell Flames, and lectured them on Devil's Snare. One of these first years was the famous Harry Potter, who Sprout was probably delighted to teach.

The Chamber of Secrets and Petrification
"We will be able to cure her, Argus. As I understand it, Madam Sprout has a very healthy growth of Mandrake. When matured, a potion will be made which will revive Mrs. Norris."

- Albus Dumbledore consoling Argus Filch.



The following year, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley drove a bewitched car into the school's Whomping Willow. As the Herbology teacher, Professor Sprout was in charge of doctoring the damaged tree by wrapping bandages around the broken branches. On the first day of term, Gilderoy Lockhart, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, gave her useless pointers and made out that he was a better Herbologist than her. Sprout was made unhappy further when Lockhart took Harry out of the lesson to speak to him. That day, she taught her second years how to re-pot a new growth of Mandrakes and Mandragora. She awarded twenty points to Gryffindor because of Hermione Granger's answers as well.

After Mrs. Norris, the cat belonging to Argus Filch, the caretaker, 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 growth of 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 by Charms Master Filius Flitwick and Governor Lucius Malfoy. When second year Slytherin Draco Malfoy had an accident and came off of his broom, Sprout looked very shocked and worried, while Lucius looked ashamed.

By the end of the year, the Mandrake Restorative Draught was completed and administered to those who were petrified; Mrs. Norris, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Colin Creevey, Hermione Granger, Penelope Clearwater and Nearly Headless Nick. At the End-of-Term Feast, Professor Dumbledore and the rest of the school applauded Sprout and Poppy Pomfrey, the matron, for the Anti-Petrification Potion.

Cedric Diggory and The Triwizard Tournament
Professor Sprout was still teaching at the school during the 1994–1995 school year, despite the ordeal with Sirius Black the previous term. That year, the Triwizard Tournament was held at Hogwarts and one of the Triwizard Champions was sixth year Hufflepuff Cedric Diggory, whom she knew very well.



Sprout taught her fourth years how to squeeze pus from Bubotubers during the first lesson of the year, and had to tell Seamus Finnigan that they were squeezing pus twice, because he thought he heard otherwise. By the end of the lesson, each student had collected several pints, which Sprout gave to Madam Pomfrey since it could be used to remedy acne.

At some point early on in the school year, Professor Sprout told the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, "Alastor Moody", how good Neville Longbottom was at Herbology. Moody then gave Neville a book on plants and fungi called Magical Mediterranean Water Plants and Their Properties.

As Cedric was not the only Hogwarts Champion, Professor Sprout seemed to act coldly towards Harry Potter, who had mysteriously been entered into the Tournament. At the end of the year, when Cedric was found murdered, Sprout spoke with his parents; Amos Diggory and his wife, since she knew their son best as Head of his House. She attended the Cedric's Memorial Feast and believed Harry and Dumbledore's claims that Lord Voldemort had been reborn.

O.W.L.s and Dolores Umbridge
"The teachers were of course forbidden from mentioning the interview by Educational Decree Number Twenty-Six, but they found ways to express their feelings about it all the same. [For example,] Professor Sprout awarded Gryffindor twenty points when Harry passed her a watering can."

- Professor Sprout after Harry's interview in The Quibbler.

The following year, Dolores Umbridge was made Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, though all of the staff despised her, including Sprout. For her first lesson with her Ordinary Wizarding Level students, Sprout lectured them on the importance of the exams and had a practical which involved using Dragon dung Fertiliser. She also set them a long essay for the following lesson.

Soon after, Sprout had to tell Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger off after a bouncing bulb they were supposed to be planting broke free and hit Harry in the back of the head after bouncing off the greenhouse glass.

After Harry took part in an interview for The Quibbler to deliberately disobey Umbridge, Sprout approved of him and awarded him twenty house points after he passed her a watering can to show her approval. After Sybill Trelawney, the Divination Professor, was fired by Umbridge, Sprout, McGonagall and Flitwick guided her back to the castle.

Sprout managed to show Professor Umbridge her capability of teaching and avoided being sacked herself. She was later relieved to have Umbridge removed from the school, and welcomed Professor Dumbledore back as Headmaster. Sometime this year, Sprout held career consultations with her Hufflepuffs.

The Death of Albus Dumbledore


Prior to the 1996–1997 school year, Professor McGonagall remarked that Sprout was going to be delighted to see Neville Longbottom back with an Outstanding O.W.L. To start off the year, she taught her sixth years about various extremely dangerous plants, and permitted them to swear loudly if the Venomous Tentacula bit them from behind.

Not long after, Sprout had her sixth year class harvesting Snargaluff pods. She chided Harry, Ron and Hermione for being slow; as they were still strapping on their protective gear (and talking), while Neville had already harvested his first pod. The trio's first pod bounced free while they were trying to open it, and rebounded off the glass roof of the greenhouse, knocking Professor Sprout's battered hat off.



Later on in the year, Sprout helped pick leaves of some sort for the new Potions master, Horace Slughorn, at twilight on the vegetable patch when the plant was particularly efficacious. She left towards her Greenhouses after she had collected enough for Slughorn's third year class, with some spare.

At the end of the year, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower took place, with the Death Eaters invading Hogwarts and fighting against the students, teachers, Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix. Professor Sprout likely participated, as did Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick and Rubeus Hagrid.

After Professor Dumbledore's death, Sprout met with fellow staff members Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick, Horace Slughorn and Rubeus Hagrid to discuss the future of Hogwarts. She was a staunch advocate of keeping the school open, stating that Dumbledore would have wanted it so. She also supported the suggestion that Dumbledore should be laid to rest at Hogwarts, though no Headmaster has ever received a burial there before.

Sprout attended Dumbledore's funeral and led the Hufflepuffs down there too, looking cleaner than she ever had been before; without a single patch on her usually battered hat.

Headmaster Severus Snape and the Carrows
"Tentacula. Devil's Snare. And Snargaluff pods... yes, I'd like to see the Death Eaters fighting those."

- Professor Sprout prior to the Battle of Hogwarts.

Prior to the start of the 1997–1998 school year, Severus Snape was made Headmaster of Hogwarts while his fellow Death Eaters, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, became the Muggle Studies and Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers respectively. Despite the school now in the grasp of Lord Voldemort, or perhaps because of it, Professor Sprout returned to the castle to teach and protect the students.

The Carrows were put in charge of all discipline and punishments, though Sprout and the staff never sent students to them if they could avoid it. She also, with the other Heads of House, protected the pupils from Alecto and Amycus.

One night, Sprout, with Professors Flitwick and Slughorn, heard a disturbance in one of the corridors and, still in their night-clothes, went to find out what it was. They found McGonagall duelling Snape to the death, and, after being defeated by the three of them, Snape then ran into a classroom, chased by Flitwick, Sprout and McGonagall, and flew out of the window, escaping them.



Aware that Lord Voldemort would soon attack the castle, Sprout and the other professors set to defend the school and the students. Sprout retreated to the greenhouses, collecting various dangerous plants, and, with the help of a dozen of her students (namely Neville Longbottom), lobbed Mandrakes and everything else over the battlements and onto the Death Eaters. She took a troop of of-age students up to the Astronomy Tower, where they could easily work spells and drop plants such as Venomous Tentaculas and Snargaluffs.

Sprout also witnessed the duel between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort in the Great Hall and, after Voldemort's spell rebounded on him, Sprout, Flitwick and McGonagall all reached to hug Harry at the same time, while everyone else joined in.

A celebration feast was later held, but no one sat in their proper places; teachers, parents and students were all jumbled up. It is likely that Professor Sprout sat by the Hufflepuffs, since she was their Head of House.

Later Life
Sprout presumably remained teaching at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as Herbology professor, though by 2017 she had been replaced by Neville Longbottom. It is likely that she did not retire from her position until she felt a capable teacher could replace her, only stepping down when Neville expressed interest.

Physical Description
"Professor Sprout was a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair; there was usually a large amount of earth on her clothes, and her fingernails would have made Aunt Petunia faint."

- A description of Professor Sprout in 1992.

Professor Sprout was described as being a small and squat woman with grey, flyaway hair and wearing a patched, battered hat. Her clothes were noted to almost always be covered in dirt and earth, as were her dirty fingernails. Sprout also always had a smile on her face, being very cheerful and merry, and only stopped smiling when she was in the presence of Gilderoy Lockhart or Dolores Umbridge.

Personality and Traits
""The heir of Slytherin," said Professor McGonagall, who was very white. "Left another message. Right underneath the first one. 'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever' ." Professor Flitwick burst into tears. Professor Sprout clasped her hands over her mouth."

- Professor Sprout's horror in 1993.

Professor Sprout was noted to be very cheerful, positive and loyal, and seemed to possess 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. She also seemed horrified when they 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. She has been seen unhappy very rarely throughout the series. Such times were when Gilderoy Lockhart once tried to tell her how to doctor a Whomping Willow, claiming she was doing it wrongly, and when Dolores Umbridge had taken over the school.

Abilities and Skills
"Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow. But I don't want you running away with the idea that I am better at Herbology than she is!"

- Gilderoy Lockhart on Professor Sprout in 1992.

Master Herbologist: As the professor of Herbology at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Sprout was a skilled Herbologist. Her talents ranged from taking care of harmless plants, such as Umbrella Flowers and Wiggentrees, to more dangerous ones, such as Whomping Willows, Mandrakes and Snargaluffs.

Master Potioneer: As the Herbology Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Sprout had a skill in potion making as she was highly familiar and accustomed to the various ingredients required for potion making. This fact is exemplified when one considers that she allowed the Potions Club to be based in her greenhouses.

Duelling Mastery: Professor Sprout may have also had some skill in dueling and Defence Against the Dark Arts, since the former Herbology Professor fought in the Battle of Hogwarts and survived. Also during that battle, she took a troop of students up to the Astronomy Tower, which was noted to be a great place to work spells.

Minerva McGonagall
The relationship between Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout is largely unknown. Both are professors at Hogwarts and for the most seem to have a amiable, albeit professional relationship. When Umbridge stands to speak during the welcoming feast after her introduction by Dumledore, the two professors are both taken aback at this, and even exchange glances of disapproval. Furthermore, during the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998, Pomona was shown to have similar traits and the same views on protecting the Castle. It is, however, unknown whether they had a colleague/colleague relationship or a friendship.

Neville Longbottom
"Apparently, Professor Sprout told Professor Moody I'm really good at Herbology."

- Neville Longbottom

Pomona was always friendly with Neville Longbottom; she was quite impressed of his skill in Herbology. According to Alastor Moody (Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise) Sprout told him that Neville had an skill for Herbology.

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.



Cedric Diggory
"Harry thought even Professor Sprout seemed distant with him - but then, she was Head of Hufflepuff House"

- Sprout in 1994

Because Cedric Diggory was a Hufflepuff student, Professor Sprout respected him. When Harry Potter became the second Hogwarts champion in 1994, he felt that she had became distant with him as she was supporting Cedric. When Cedric Diggory was killed, she spoke to his parents, as she knew him best.

Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley
"Quite enough chat over here! You're lagging behind, everyone else has started and Neville's already got his first pod"

- Sprout to Harry, Ron and Hermione in 1996

Pomona was usually kind to Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Shortly after Harry's interview is published in the Quibbler, Professor Sprout, rewarding him for his bravery in speaking out, awards Gryffindor house twenty points when he hands her a watering can. She helped defend Hogwarts to give time for Harry to find Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem.

Etymology

 * Pomona was the goddess of fruit trees, gardens and orchards in Roman mythology
 * Sprout is a verb meaning "to begin to grow, shoot forth, as a plant from a seed"

Behind the scenes

 * The first physical appearance of Professor Sprout in media was in the PC/PS1 video game of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. This was long before any actress had been cast as Sprout, so her Pomonasproutmainimageee.jpgrance was completely different from the later films and games. Sprout appeared as a short, not-really-overweight witch with straight black hair pulled back in a bun, a cheery face and emerald green robes. On the PS1 video game of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, also before an actress was cast as Sprout, she was featured as a short witch (a bit taller then the eleven-year old Harry Potter) wears her red hair in a long plait down her back.
 * Pomona Sprout was portrayed by Miriam Margolyes in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It has been confirmed that she will appear in the film adaptations of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
 * During most of the first six books, Sprout was the only Head of House whose name wasn't an alliteration. This was fixed when Horace Slughorn replaced Severus Snape as Slytherin Head of House. She is also the only Head of House except Slughorn who has not appeared in all the films. Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick, and Severus Snape have.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)

Notes and References
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