Harry Potter and the Great Old Ones

Chapter 574 Application of Fructus Felicis

“Please continue,” Investigator Tyella said gently. “I’m not some old hag like Dolores Umbridge. My purpose as an investigator is simply to explore the loopholes and deficiencies in Hogwarts’ past educational methods and knowledge system. This is a systemic problem in the wizarding world over the past hundreds or thousands of years, not just your problem. Please rest assured and don’t be nervous. This investigation will not affect your personal reputation in any way. Please continue your lecture.”

“Oh, oh… okay, okay…” Horace Slughorn silently wiped away non-existent cold sweat, then continued—

“Hmm… I, where was I… Oh, right, right.” Horace Slughorn lightly patted his forehead and said, “This little bottle of Felix Felicis is enough to keep you lucky for twelve hours. From dawn to dusk, everything you want to do will be lucky.”

As he spoke, Horace Slughorn shook the bottle in his hand again.

“But at the same time, as a qualified teacher, I must warn you…” Horace Slughorn emphasized the word “qualified,” “Felix Felicis is forbidden in every organized competition… such as Quidditch, exams, elections… so the winner can only use it on an ordinary day… and then wait to see how that ordinary day becomes extraordinary!”

“Professor Slughorn!” Student Tierra raised her hand again.

"What is it, Tiera?" Horace Slughorn asked with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"So how do you test for it?" student Tierra asked. "Since it's banned in major competitions, exams, and elections, how do you test if someone has used Felix Felicis?"

"Hmm... Yes, there will be special spells and reagents... To be precise, before everyone participates in major competitions, there will be people who use these kinds of spells to prevent anyone from taking potions like the Felix Felicis."

"What about before the exam? Or during the election?" Tiera countered. "If someone takes only a drop of potion during an exam or election, enough to last an hour or even half an hour, how would we detect it?"

“This…this…” Horace Slughorn stammered, “There really isn’t a good way to do this during the exam…but if you’re not good at speaking, but suddenly become good at the election…it’ll be easy to slip up afterwards. After all, if this is really a major election, your competitors will quickly notice something is off about you during the election process. Even if they can’t notice it at the time because of the effects of the Felix Felicis, they will definitely slip up in retrospect.”

“After all, as I explained before, an overdose can lead to carelessness and dangerous overconfidence. Even on the first use, it can cause excitement, fanaticism, arrogance, and excessive talkativeness,” Horace Slughorn explained, secretly relieved that Tyella had finally asked a question a student should ask. “This is easily seen through by astute wizards.”

"So, Felix Felicis has a very serious effect on the emotions of those who take it?" student Tierra asked. "Does it only amplify emotions like excitement, arrogance, and fanaticism? Or does it strengthen and amplify the emotions unique to each of us?"

“I…I don’t quite understand your question…” Horace Slughorn asked.

"For example, after Voldemort took the potion, he would become more cruel due to its effects; or a kind-hearted person who cares about the world would become more kind-hearted after taking it? Or an easily angered person would become more easily angered after taking it?" Tierra asked. "Or would everyone who took it exhibit the same fanatical emotions?"

“This…” Horace Slughorn hesitated before saying, “Because there are so few recorded wizards who have taken Felix Felicis so far, and the records on this matter are too vague… so I’m really sorry… I don’t know the answer to this question either.”

“Okay, thank you, Professor Slughorn,” said student Tierra, who then began writing something in her notebook. “So, can the Felix Felicis be used to fulfill prophecies?” Tierra asked again.

“Wh...what?” Horace Slughorn was taken aback.

“I mean… can Felix Felicis be used to bring prophecies to life?” Tierra said. “Like Harry.”

"Huh? What?" Harry was also taken aback, not understanding why Tyrell had suddenly called him.

“For example, according to that famous prophecy…” Tiera said slowly in a solemn and deep voice, “the one with the power to conquer the Dark Lord is approaching… born into a family that has defeated the Dark Lord three times… born in the seventh month… the Dark Lord marks him as his formidable enemy… but he possesses a power that the Dark Lord does not understand… one must die at the hands of the other, because neither can live, only one can survive… the one with the power to conquer the Dark Lord will be born at the end of the seventh month…”

“According to the prophecy, Harry will surely defeat Voldemort,” Tierra said. “But clearly, Harry’s current strength is no match for Voldemort’s.”

“But what if Harry drinks the Felix Felicis and then faces Voldemort?” Tierra asked. “Then could Harry kill Voldemort right now?”

“Ah…this…this…this…” Horace Slughorn began to stutter again.

Even Harry, standing next to Tyella, stared wide-eyed in shock, dumbfounded as he looked at Tyella.

“Or perhaps we should look at it another way…” Tierra asked, “How did Voldemort end up drinking the Felix Felicis?”

"Could Voldemort use the effects of the Felix Felicis to break the prophecy?" Tierra asked again.

“Although, in theory, the prophecies should come true… even so, prophecies ultimately belong to the future,” Tiera said. “But now there are too many factors influencing the future. Does the Felix Felicis potion possess a power strong enough to affect causality and influence the entire future?”

"This...this...this..." Horace Slughorn wiped the real cold sweat from his forehead. "I don't know..."

“Theoretically speaking, during the twelve hours after taking the Felix Felicis, you can have any wish and achieve anything, but… but the prophecy will definitely come true… this… this… this is…” Horace Slughorn stammered, unsure how to explain.

“That creates a paradox, doesn’t it?” Tierra said to Horace Slughorn. “That’s very interesting.”

(End of this chapter)