“Any idea what Mrs Silverwood is doing for Care of Magical Creatures?” Apple Bloom asked as the five girls made their way to their first class of the year. Her favorite is herbology.

“It’s going to be a meet the ponies session,” Isolde offered. “I kind of overheard. They were looking for volunteers. She wanted to start with beings not human, who historically get along with wizard kind.”

Louise couldn't help but crack a smile as she pushed open the door to go out to where the greenhouses were located. Brand new buildings greeted their eyes. “Wow, these are nice.”

“Donated by the Swan family,” Isolde said proudly. Her father was always keen to push his authority about but it never once occurred to him to help anyone. Now that she was a member of the Swan family she felt like she had something to be proud of.

They opened the door to the new classroom a short time later to find that they were the first to arrive. The room had high tables with a shelf underneath and stools sat around the table. The walls were adorned with numerous flashy charts, and the cupboards were filled with a variety of pots, and hand-held gardening tools.

The girls picked out a place to sit as Hufflepuff students trickled in followed by the Gryffindor boys showing up last.

“Good morning class,” Professor Sprout called as she entered the room. “I have got a special assignment for you. As you all know things have been a bit out of sync since last year’s incident.” She continued as she walked up to the head of the class. “Well… it turns out that Leaping Toadstools love petrified organics, and we’ve got a greenhouse full of them. You will hopefully remember that they are used in invisibility potions, pepper-up potions, and a rather dubious brain potion deemed useless by the Ministry of Magic.” She stopped in front where she continued. “Other uses include reducing cancerous growths, lowering cholesterol, building strong bones, and overall good health.

“The one downside to these wonderful little shrooms is that as soon as they are ready to be harvested, they start to bounce. You see their tops are made of rubber and their bottoms are made of springs. Or so it would seem. You will need to be very stealthy in gathering them because the slightest tremor or flash of light will cause them to launch into the air.

“Now, there are burlap bags to your left in a bin as we exit. I need everyone to grab two bags each and follow me.”

Professor Sprout walked back down the center aisle, pointed to the bin, opened the door, and went out to the path in front of the building where she waited for the class to file out and join her. She checked to make sure everyone had their required bags, more than one of the Gryffindor boys had to go back in to get another bag, and then she guided them to a greenhouse. The new greenhouses were enormous with two levels and the one they’d gone into was no exception.

“We’ll be going down to the lower level,” Professor Sprout announced as she opened the door.

They could see a vast field of plants stretching out before them up on their trestles as they turned to go down a ramp to the lower level. A door waited for them. Like everything else it had been done in the Victorian style complete with a stained glass window on it. Professor Sprout opened the door to reveal a vast field of mushrooms growing in diffused dappled light of many colors. The light itself came from colored crystals set in the ceiling and wide slits along the top of the walls in which windows could be opened to allow outside air in. The mushrooms all had red caps with speckles and the scene before them made the three Crusaders think of some of the darker areas of the Everfree where little grew. All three felt an involuntary shiver as they looked out into the darkened chamber.

“Now, before I set you loose,” Professor Sprout said in a quiet tone. “To gather them up, all you need to do is reach out and pluck the mushroom. But… make no loud noises or heavy footfalls. Startle even one, and it’ll start a chain reaction that will go on for days. Everyone in, quietly, and I’ll be back in a bit to check on you. Afraid I’ve other projects to deal with.” She waited until everyone had filed in, closed the door, and made her way to the exit.

“I suppose we might just as well pick a row and get started,” Louise offered as she made her way further into the greenhouse.

“I don’t recall anyone putting you in charge?” Edmond Fernsby asked derisively.

“No one did.”

“Seems a reasonable enough suggestion to me,” Isolde offered. “That way we won’t get in each other’s way.”

“Don’t mind him,” Angus offered as he made his way farther into the greenhouse.

“Hang on,” Colin said excitedly.

“Colin, what…?” Apple Bloom began as Colin whipped out his camera.

“Ah, Colin, maybe you shouldn't?” Isolde protested.

“Just one little picture…”

“Colin, no!” one of the Hufflepuff students pleaded as Colin leveled the camera.

Flash!☼

Two things set off Leaping Toadstools, vibrations, and flashes of light. The worst part is that the things bounced every which way with no rhyme or reason for direction.

“You idiot!” Hugo yelled as everyone ducked for cover under the trestles. A move that soon became less than ideal as numerous mushrooms soon found their way under the long tables. Isolde started grabbing mushrooms and stuffing them into one of her bags.

The first to make a run for it was Edmond Fernsby. The Hufflepuff girls followed, and to their credit, the Hufflepuff boys outlasted the Gryffindor boys.

“They respond to vibration right?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Ya, but they don’t launch themselves in any predictable direction,” Sweetie offered.

“Maybe they’ll respond predictably if we use Equestrian magic?” Louise suggested.

“Pony up?” Isolde asked.

“It’s round-up time,” Apple Bloom stated with firm conviction and transformed herself.

“Let’s do this!” Louise shouted and transformed. Sweetie and Isolde were next. A moment later the four ponies burst forth and started running around, Sweetie, Isolde, and Louise following Apple Bloom’s orders as Ginny watched from her hiding place.

“This is fun!” Isolde shouted as they raced about. Up and down the isles they went, followed by going back and forth, and it was working. The leaping toadstools had gone from leaping in random directions to moving as a single herd.

Onward the herd was driven, closer and closer to where the bags waited. All they had to do was dive in and start filling bags.

“Alright, I’m back…” Professor Sprout called as she opened the door. “How’s everyone... doing??? Aaaaa!!!”

“Close the door!” Scootaloo called. Scootaloo the filly. Professor Sprout heard the voice of Louise coming out of a fillie’s mouth while hundreds, possibly thousands of mushrooms stampeded right for the door she was standing in.

Professor Silverwood took Aerie’s introduction of Magical Creatures Class out to a small paddock in the barn area where a group of pegasi eagerly awaited. The class was introduced to the ponies, every last one capable of speech, and curry combs handed out. More than a few were astounded by the revelation that pegasi could talk but the assignment of brushing the volunteer ponies soon proved therapeutic.

“Goyle, you didn’t seem too surprised that ponies could talk.” Aerie prompted the boy.

“This is Runya,” he offered indicating a handsome young red roan stallion who’d pared up with him. “When I’m at home, he’s my responsibility. To be honest I used to think of him as mine. I know better now. I confess that it never occurred to me that the only reason they don’t all take off and leave is because they like us. I found out that he could speak last summer.”

“I was worried about him,” Runya offered in a baritone voice that threatened to send shivers up and down Aerie’s spine. “His brushing was a bit rough.”

“Draco was a friend. I now know what a bad influence he was on us, but he was still a friend. At least I thought so.”

“I’m sure he thought of you as a good friend too.”

“Um… what am I hearing?” Hermione asked as she looked about. Indeed several of the ponies were now looking in the general direction of the greenhouses, ears erect. And then they saw it, coming around an old partially tumbled down wall, a hard-to-define gray mass, and the sound emanating from it was likened to that of thousands of tiny suction cups popping free.

“Fly, you fools!” one of the young mares exclaimed and lept into the air, her wings nearly missing the boy who’d been brushing her a moment before. Runya snatched Goyle by the front of his robes, hoisted him up to his back, trotted clear of the group, and took to the air as well. Other ponies were taking flight, some with, and some without riders.

Aerie had been among those left behind, she transformed into her pony self even as Nova Silverwood galloped past, horn alight. Aerie lit up her horn and lifted off the ground while snatching up Ron and Hermione in her magic.

“No, don’t blast them!” Scootaloo called as she galloped after the horde, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Isolde were right behind her each with gunny sacks across their backs. “We need those!”

“What?” Nova Silverwood said as the mushrooms bore down on her. "Mushrooms? Ack!!! Hey, get off!" Mrs Silverwood had been swarmed by the little mushrooms.

"Let me just get those..." Apple Bloom offered as she began sweeping mushrooms into one of the bags. The rest of the mushrooms fanned out into the space and stopped. A few made some half-hearted bounces but it was clear that they were worn out.

"Put me down," Ron protested just as Ginny and Professor Sprout turned the corner.

"Professor Silverwood..." Professor Sprout called and slowed to a walk. "Well what do you know, let them run and they wear themselves out. Now if I just knew where the rest of my class went."

"Collin took a picture, the mushrooms started jumping, and most of the class left," Sweetie explained.

Professor Sprout looked at the little unicorn foal talking to her and promptly passed out.

Author's Note

Finally, I got one done.

No, not dead yet. What I thought I'd try doing is working on an old abandoned story that never got posted. And then come back to this at a later date.

I'm also spending a lot of time just enjoying the summer, and that included spending the better part of yesterday on a kayak out on a lake. No thoughts were given to ponies that day.