Ron-Weasly book 1. V2 part 7-1

I grunted, took a huge bite of his toast, and mumbled contentedly:

"Yeah. These are all greenhouses. The professor's Spraut got a lot of stuff growing there. Not just oranges, but in general... well, it's like a piece of the south right under the glass."

Neville, who was sitting next to him and diligently crumbling a piece of bun for some invisible mouse, suddenly looked up and quietly, but with noticeable pride, added:

"Oranges are the sweetest in the second greenhouse right now. I helped collect them myself. And there are lemons, figs... and mint is so thick that if you put it in a little tea, it immediately warms your soul."

Harry smiled:

"It's like you're talking about the house."

Neville blushed a little, but he didn't look away:

"Well, for me, greenhouses are almost a home. It's quiet there. And everything alive. Even if it's prickly or poisonous, it's still... well, like it's trying to grow. And I'm used to tinkering with my grandmother in our greenhouses, they've been with the Longbottoms since ancient times. We are the main suppliers of medicinal herbs in Mungo."

I glanced at him, then back at Jem:

"And most importantly, it's delicious. I wish they could bake buns there right on the spot."

Neville didn't pay any attention to the joke — he was already talking about greenhouses again, and there was that quiet excitement in his voice that appeared when it came to plants: And sage, and St. John's wort... Professor Spraut says that you need to prepare for winter in advance. Colds will start as soon as the wind starts blowing from the mountains. Supplies are already being prepared in the fifth greenhouse: herbs are being dried, syrups are being infused, and ointments are being made. Everything so that Madam Pomfrey doesn't have to run around and find where to get what she needs."

He paused for a moment, as if remembering something, and added softly:

"She once said to me, "Neville, if it weren't for your herbs, I'd go crazy here. Students are always catching colds, falling off brooms, and we should always have a supply." So... I'm trying. To make it happen.

Harry looked at Neville in a new way — not as someone who was always dropping textbooks and blushing when addressed, but as someone who was quietly, without unnecessary words, doing important things.

"So it's this jam," Harry tapped the jar with his spoon, "It's not just jam. It's... part of this very preparation."

Neville nodded, as if that was the right explanation:

"Yes. Mint in tea, rosehip syrup, and even those bouncing brownie bulbs are used to make a paste that helps if your throat hurts. Everything is connected. Greenhouses feed, treat, and... well, keep you warm, even if it's a blizzard outside."

I chuckled after chewing:

"Okay, we're convinced. Now I'm going to think that I'm not just eating jam, but... a strategic reserve against winter."

Neville smiled, just a little, almost imperceptibly:

"That's good. It tastes better then."

Harry took another bite of toast, and now the taste seemed deeper to him: he could feel the warm greenhouses, the caring hands of the housekeepers, and the quiet work of Neville, who harvested herbs in advance so that no one would freeze or get sick.

It was still pouring rain outside, but inside the Great Hall it was bright, noisy, and cozy in its own way. And it seemed that as long as Hogwarts had greenhouses where oranges ripened in the middle of winter, and someone like Neville remembered the supplies for the Healing Wing, no amount of cold could really get inside.