Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 45 Potions

October 23, Wednesday.

This is the day when first-grade students use telescopes to observe the night sky, learning the names of different stars and the orbits of planets. It is said that much magic is related to celestial phenomena.

Loren noticed that today's moon was just past full, with a slight waning.

Last night was a full moon. Grandpa Bates must have already tried the wolfsbane medicine. I wonder how effective it was.

Loren gazed at the bright light of Mars, his mind preoccupied with Grandpa Bates, and decided to write him a letter. Grandpa Bates, however, couldn't contact Loren proactively; he always had to reply after Loren wrote back.

Hermione also noticed the moon tonight. She moved closer to Loren, gently patted his arm, and said nothing.

A warm feeling welled up in Loren's heart. He looked up and smiled at Hermione, "I've already had the wolfsbane medicine delivered by Hanhan. Grandpa Bates shouldn't be too upset last night."

Last time at the clock tower, Loren talked about the wolfsbane potion.

Although Loren seemed fine, Hermione stayed by his side, not mentioning werewolves. They simply talked about how beautiful the moon was after the full moon, and the light on Mars…

On their way back to the lounge, the group ran into Professor Quirrell.

The smell of fermenting garlic grew stronger over time; Quirrell could smell it from one end of the corridor, while Loren and the others could smell it from the other.

The students slowed their pace, intending to wait for Professor Quirrell to leave this floor before proceeding through the corridor.

George and Fred followed Professor Quirrell furtively, eager to try on his scarf, but they didn't get a chance to do so until Quirrell went upstairs.

Loren and the others had encountered this scenario many times before, and everyone was looking forward to the twins embarrassing Quirrell.

The front row seats in Defense Against the Dark Arts class are now completely empty.

Last time, Hannah Abbott of Hufflepuff was unlucky enough to arrive late and sit in the front row. After class, she couldn't walk and was taken to the school infirmary, pale as a ghost.

Although Mrs. Pomfrey said it was because she ate something wrong the day before, everyone believed that Professor Quirrell was the main cause.

Simo wholeheartedly agreed, "If I weren't so strong, I would have ended up in the school infirmary last time."

Ron analyzed the situation and concluded that as Professor Quirrell's scent became even stronger, the second row would no longer be suitable for seating.

"Just you wait, one day Quirrell will have all the students in the school infirmary," Ron said.

From then on, everyone would arrive at the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom an hour early. Those unlucky enough to miss a seat either squeezed into the back row or pretended to be sick and went to the school infirmary.

Percy hesitated about whether to tell Professor McGonagall about the matter, believing that as a student he shouldn't criticize a professor, and ultimately chose to do nothing. The twins said they would get Percy into the front row sooner or later so he could get closer to Quirrell.

The matter just dragged on like that.

……

The twin brothers were very disappointed to see Quirrell escape their ambush range, and each of them said something:

"Soldier Fred, we've let this serious threat escape once again!"

"Yes, Commander George!"

Then they exclaimed in unison, "I've got another brilliant idea!"

Seeing the twins perk up again, Loren and the others walked away laughing and joking.

Hermione noticed something: "Have you noticed that Professor Quirrell seems paler?"

Ron grinned, his eyebrows flying. "It must be a vampire who found him and sucked his blood!"

Harry added with a laugh, "So he fermented even more garlic in his scarf, hoping to ward off the vampires."

"Hahahaha!" The surrounding classmates were amused by the joke.

Seamus questioned, "But vampires in the magical world aren't afraid of garlic."

Ron quickly thought of another possibility: "He's planning to marinate himself so that the vampires will be too disgusted to drink his blood!"

Everyone was amused again, and even Hermione's attention was diverted.

As Loren laughed, he recalled the plot: Voldemort and Quirrell were about to collapse, and it seemed they were about to go to the Forbidden Forest to hunt for prey.

Loren planned to give Hagrid a heads-up.

……

During lunch on Friday, Loren received a reply from Grandpa Bates.

The letter stated that although the transformation would still leave the user feeling weak for a period of time, the user would be able to control their body and avoid harming others even without going to the cave or locking themselves up.

Grandpa Bates plans to start a trip, to visit his hometown, and then perhaps go to other old places he remembers.

The letter's ending questions Loren, suggesting that Loren deliberately put something in the medicine that made it so bitter that even a seventy- or eighty-year-old couldn't stand it. Coupled with the statement that sugar absolutely could not be added, it seems even more like a prank.

"You better pray you don't get caught by me, or Grandpa will squeeze sheep bile into your mouth."

Loren smiled at Grandpa Bates' childish words; it seemed the wolfsbane potion had really relaxed him a lot.

Loren was very supportive of Grandpa Bates's trip. The werewolf problem had kept him trapped in the mountains for decades, and it was a good thing that he could finally be free and travel around.

……

That evening, unlike usual, Loren arrived at Snape's office in a joyful mood.

"Come in."

Once again, Loren was detected without knocking, leading him to suspect that wizards of a certain level possess extraordinary perception.

Snape wasn't grading homework; he was replying to a letter.

Loren sat down opposite Snape, where a graded paper was already laid out on the table. It was the one-foot paper Loren had submitted last time. Although it had been padded out a bit, the main points were still derived by Loren based on Snape's teachings, and it wasn't just a verbatim recitation.

The annotations above are very detailed, and Loren benefited greatly from reading them word by word.

One person was writing a letter, and the other was reading a paper; a harmonious tranquility settled over the office.

Loren has accepted Snape, putting aside the grudges from decades ago, and the Voldemort and Death Eaters; he is now a qualified Potions professor.

After Snape put the letter into the envelope, Loren put down his paper and immediately expressed his gratitude to Professor Snape, and told him about Bates' good condition.

Snape did not reply immediately. He looked at Loren, his eyes still calm, but without the cold-blooded, predatory look he once had.

"Potions, a great science. The lucky ones can glimpse the secrets to glory, immortality, and rejuvenation. You happen to possess a tiny, insignificant talent."

"Walk this path with reverence, all for your own sake."

Loren felt that Snape was saying something nonsensical and childish again, but his tone made people think about it involuntarily.

Voldemort chose Horcruxes, Nicolas Flamel used the Philosopher's Stone, and is there really a path to ultimate magic with potions?

Before Loren could think it over, Snape began today's lesson.

(End of this chapter)