I, Hogwarts Week Two

Chapter 521: Better Quality
Hermione glared at Harry.

He returned to his seat in silence.

Harry lowered his head, poured the bright pink poison into the cauldron, and lit it.

What Hermione said was right. He had read the old copy of Advanced Potion-Making by the Half-Blood Prince many times. Compared with the young wizards from other colleges, he had more time to read the original book because Hermione had to stay in the common room for several days to organize the notes in the book.

Harry was sure of it.

There was a chapter about Gobarot's Third Law, but the prince did not leave any notes.

The reason why there is no annotation is simple, because Gobarot's Third Law is not some kind of potion recipe, but a theory.

You have to first identify all the components of the poison and separate them, then find the corresponding antidote, and then prepare a complete antidote according to the volume of each component of the poison.

This is the potion theory that most tests a healer's basic skills.

It requires solid knowledge of potions and herbology, as well as meticulousness and patience.

Just like Hermione.

She raised her wand and waved it vigorously over the cauldron.

No need to chant any mantras.

She has completely mastered the technique of silent spells.

As Hermione's spell took effect silently, the brightly colored poison in the crucible in front of her immediately turned turbid and combined, and the potion split into more than a dozen different streams, floating out of the crucible and poured into the small crystal bottle next to it.

This is the first step in making an antidote, separating the components of the poison.

When Harry saw this scene, there was no need for him to even exclaim, because this was an easy thing for Hermione.

And he
To be honest, he didn't know what to do after lighting the crucible.

At this moment, Harry suddenly heard Ernie behind him, whispering "True form revealed!" to his cauldron.

I immediately followed suit.

At least find something to do.

Otherwise it would be too embarrassing.

But - only five minutes had passed before Harry realized that his reputation as an excellent Potions Master in his class was about to be ruined.

On his first inspection, Slughorn peered expectantly into his cauldron, and was about to give his usual whoop of delight, but drew his head back immediately, coughing at the stench of rotten eggs.

Hermione had a smile on her lips.

She had always thought that Harry and the others' use of the Half-Blood Prince's notes was a 'clever act'.

This is indeed the case. When it comes to demonstrating basic Potions skills like this, Harry is completely at a loss.

At this point Slughorn called out, "Two minutes left, everybody!"

Hearing this, Harry immediately became impatient.

He looked at his crucible in panic, trying to recall everything about Gobarot's Third Law.

But the more you want to remember something, the more you forget it.

It was as if there were many voices popping up in his ears, these voices kept distracting his attention, and just when he was about to give up, a voice suddenly sounded in Harry's mind.

"Potter, what will I get if I add powdered narcissus root to wormwood infusion?" Snape's sharp, sarcastic voice with a kind of cold arrogance echoed clearly.

"Potter! If I asked you to find me a bezoar, where would you find it?"

"Potter, what is the difference between Aconitum naviculatum and Aconitum chamaejasme?"

Harry's expression froze as he suddenly remembered.

First year, Snape had said.

"Potter, narcissus root powder and wormwood can be combined to make a very powerful sleeping pill, which is a dose of life and death. Coprolite is a kind of stone taken from the stomach of a cow, which has a very strong detoxifying effect. As for Aconitum naviculatum and Aconitum davidianum, they are the same plant, also collectively called Aconitum."

"Oh - yes!" Harry's eyes lit up. "Bezoars have a very strong detoxifying effect."

Although this was different from Slughorn's requirement, they were both detoxification, so it wasn't as if he had failed.

Thinking of this, Harry rushed to the storage room quickly and finally found a few wrinkled brown objects within the last time set by Slughorn.

"Well, time... up!" said Slughorn cheerfully. "See how you're doing! Blaise, what have you got?"

He walked slowly around the classroom, checking the various antidotes.

No one had finished, but Hermione was the one closest to success. She had solved fifty-two poison ingredients and came up with an antidote.

As for the rest of us, most of them can’t even separate one.

These guys were just like Harry, after getting the prince's notes, they all relaxed and never put any effort into this theory.

Slughorn's face turned grim.

Because these students who are usually very good have all become "stupid" today.

He walked over to Owen's cauldron and looked down.

"I have to say, Mr. Rozier. Your antidote is perfect."

"Of course, this shouldn't be difficult for you. After all, your attainments as a healer are probably better than mine." Slughorn said, "Sixty poisons are not difficult. The NEWT exam requires students to be able to detoxify at least ninety to one hundred poisons. Okay, Hufflepuff, add ten points."

His voice was somewhat bland and calm.

Because in the eyes of others this is also a matter of course. After all, Owen is a wizard who was awarded the First Class Order of Merlin for curing the infection of [Evil Omen].

After saying that, he walked over to Harry and Ron's table.

He didn't stay in front of Ron's cauldron for long, as the strong smell of rotten eggs made him quickly move away.

"And you, Harry," he said, "what are you going to show me?"

Harry held out his hand, and in his palm lay the bezoar.

Slughorn looked down for a full ten seconds, and Harry was afraid he was going to roar, but he raised his head and laughed.

"You're so brave, kid!" He picked up the bezoar and held it high for the whole class to see. "Oh! It's just like your mother... I can't judge you wrong... Of course the bezoar can solve all these potions!"

Hermione was stunned when she heard these words.

She pushed aside the strands of hair on her forehead and glared at Harry fiercely.

"But Professor, Harry didn't make an antidote." Then she added, "How did you come up with the idea of ​​bezoars, Harry!"

"You're right, Miss Granger. But that's the independent spirit a true potion master needs." Before Harry could reply, Slughorn explained, "Perhaps he inherited his mother's savvy for potions and came up with the idea of ​​bezoars.

But -" Perhaps to take care of Hermione's feelings, Slughorn softened his tone, "But bezoars cannot cure all poisons, so it is still useful to know how to prepare the antidote."

"Ten points to Gryffindor," he said. "Harry's choice was the best for taking a risk."

"Professor!" Hermione immediately became dissatisfied. If no one could make an antidote, it wouldn't matter if Harry was the best. After all, fecal stone could really detoxify, and their semi-finished products were useless. But Owen clearly made a complete antidote, but Slughorn still said so. She would think that he was deliberately trying to make her look bad.

"Owen has prepared a complete antidote."

"I know," said Slughorn cordially, "but as far as the poison is concerned, Harry's choice is still the better one."

"Why?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"Because coproliths are cheaper." Owen looked at Hermione and explained, "The duty of a healer or doctor is not just to cure the patient, but to choose a cheaper, more convenient, and more effective method. Compared to preparing sixty antidotes, a coprolith is obviously a better choice."

"Not all wizards can afford the expensive antidote prepared by professional doctors. Take the bottle in my hand for example." He held up the antidote he prepared in a crystal container. "It costs at least six or seven Galleons. This is because most of the materials are provided by Professor Sprout for free. If it were sold outside, even if it cost dozens of Galleons, would the poisoned wizard have the choice to refuse it?"

Slughorn's expression eased, and he said gently, "Yes, Mr. Rosier is right. It is precisely because of these considerations that I think Harry's choice is better. Miss Granger, you may not have financial difficulties, but - in fact, every potion class you take is very 'expensive'."

"I" Hermione frowned, she hadn't expected that at all.

Seeing the little witch's dark complexion, Owen decided to try to save her. So he whispered to her, "As for how Harry came up with the idea of ​​the coprolites."

He changed his tone and imitated Snape's sarcastic voice. "Let's try it again. Potter, if I asked you to find me a bezoar, where would you find it?"

"."

Owen's words were like a key to the past, reminding Hermione of her first Potions class at Hogwarts.

"Believe me." He said with a smile on his face, "Harry Potter, you will never forget what you get when you add powdered narcissus root to wormwood infusion. How to find fecal stone and what is the difference between Aconitum naviculatum and Aconitum chamaejasme? These are the three questions."

"Haha." Hearing that, Hermione immediately burst into laughter.

On the other side, Harry, who was not far away, heard Owen's voice even though it was not loud. His face suddenly became embarrassed, and there was a bit of resentment in his eyes as he looked at the two people over there.

"But this was the first and perhaps the only time that Snape revealed his true feelings to Harry." Owen suddenly continued, "There is an explanation. According to Victorian flower language, the Asphodel that Snape mentioned is actually a lily that looks like a daffodil. Its flower language means "My regret follows you to the grave." And Wormwood means "absence" and "bitter sadness."

He looked at Harry and raised his voice a little, "So if you understand it this way. What Snape actually meant by this sentence is: 'I deeply regret the death of your mother.'"

"."

This startled Harry.

Slughorn's face also changed. He suddenly became hasty, his eyes evasive, and a hint of guilt flashed across his expression.

Just then, the bell rang.

Slughorn showed a look of relief, and he immediately said, "Okay, get out of class is over."

As he spoke, he quickly picked up his fire dragon leather briefcase, turned around and left the classroom.

After class, Harry talked with Owen for a while, mainly about how to get the memory from Slughorn.

But we also talked about Snape.

It was just words, a little awkward, so we didn't discuss it in detail.

As for the strategy to conquer Slughorn, Harry decided to take a one-shot approach. It would be best not to mention the Horcrux in daily life. If the other party was on guard, it would be more trouble than gain.

Owen told him that he could take advantage of Slughorn's debt to him for his mother's death. Although it was a bit immoral, it was indeed a good idea.

Harry agreed.

Soon, in the days that followed, whenever Harry met Slughorn, he would always mention his mother out of the blue, which made Slughorn feel more and more guilty. Specifically, he became more and more fond of Harry.

Even surpassed Hermione for a while.

As February approached, the snow around the school melted, replaced by cold and damp weather. Gray-purple clouds hung low over the castle, and the continuous cold rain made the lawn slippery and muddy. As a result, the first Apparition class for the sixth graders was moved from the playground to the Great Hall, and the class was scheduled on Saturday morning to avoid interrupting regular classes.

Harry, Ron, and most of the DA members did not attend this course. They had already mastered Apparition last year, but they were not proficient in it because they did not use it often.

Although the Statute of Secrecy has collapsed, the prohibition of underage wizards from casting spells with the Trace as a restriction is still in force, although the punishment has become very light and the Ministry of Magic can hardly spare any manpower. But perhaps it is a habit formed in the past, most young wizards still subconsciously abide by the old laws.

That's why they are not proficient in Apparition.

Professor Wicky Twist, who came from the Ministry of Magic, was a surprisingly pale middle-aged wizard with transparent eyelashes and fine hair.

He was not at all surprised that only a small number of young wizards signed up for his courses. After all, the young wizards of today's Hogwarts were no longer the same. After the Ordinary Wizarding Level Examination, the Ministry of Magic had been spreading the rumor that today's young wizards were the best since the founding of Hogwarts. Some even said that they were the golden generation since Merlin.

The leading figures are even more powerful and exaggerated.

The name of the Magic Princess has long been known throughout the world.

Professor Wicked Twycross worked very hard to get this position. There were a lot of people in the Ministry of Magic competing with him for this position. After all, although he was only a professor of guidance for a period of time, he could tell others that he had taught young wizards like Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, which was a supreme honor.

The DA members did not sign up for the Apparition course, but they still had to take the exam in fourteen weeks, after all, they still had to get the certificate.

From February to March, the weather has not changed much, except that it is humid and windy.

Apparition is not easy to learn. None of the young wizards taught by Professor Wicky Twister, mainly from Slytherin House, have mastered it.

This was normal, as it took Harry and his friends four or five months to barely master it.

Progress on Slughorn's part was limited.

And the Horcrux: Gaunt's Ring.

Dumbledore had not looked for Owen, and no one knew what he had come up with with Barty Crouch.

But judging from the current situation, it should not be very friendly.

To be honest, Owen was actually quite surprised. You know, Dumbledore doesn't have much patience with Horcruxes anymore. If the Gaunt Ring was really in Barty Crouch's hands, the old headmaster would probably do it, even if it meant snatching it away forcefully. It was really strange that it had been delayed until now without any result.

March 1st was Ron's seventeenth birthday. He got up very early that day and left Hogwarts Castle. I didn't see him all day.

Owen didn't want to say that he didn't see Koyatell that day, but that was the fact. He always thought it was strange for the two to stand together.
It seems that our relationship is very distant, not even that of friends.

It's like a boyfriend and girlfriend at all.

If there is any real relationship, Owen believes that a temporary comrade-in-arms is the most suitable one.

But they are indeed together.

Neither side denied it.

All we can say is that Koyatel's background and her growing environment have determined that her personality will never be like that of an ordinary person, it will definitely be weird.

Moreover, she was too strong, although she didn't often show that strength now, but it could be seen from Ron's attitude towards her. He almost never refuted her, and never even spoke loudly.

It seems that their personalities complement each other. And the family atmosphere of the Weasley family is conducive to filling the gaps that Koyatel lacks in this regard.

If she still had family, they would probably be happy for her.

Ron finally returned to the castle before dinner.

They were having dinner in the auditorium.

The guy seemed to have eaten honey. He walked in and sat next to Harry, carrying a lot of things and looking like his soul was wandering outside.

Under Ginny's continuous eye rolling, she smiled foolishly until the end of dinner.

If Harry hadn't been so embarrassed that he took him out of the hall before finishing dinner, Owen estimated that guy would have sat in the hall grinning foolishly until tomorrow morning.

As for Hermione, she was lucky enough not to see this scene because she was still in the library.

But speaking of Hermione, the little witch seemed to have become an adult last year.

Last year on September 19th, just a few days after school started, it was her 17th birthday.

In other words, it is okay to do things that are not suitable for children now, right?

Owen thought about it, but unfortunately his birthday was in June, which meant he was still three months away from becoming an adult.

But it's okay during summer vacation.

the next day.

The early morning sun shone into the Hufflepuff common room, and all the magical plants stretched lazily.

The dance of nature sways to the sound of the fire, elegant and romantic.

Owen went to the auditorium with Hannah, Justin, Susan, and Koyatel.

As soon as I entered the door, I saw Neville talking to some young wizards from Gryffindor.

"Hey, Owen." Seeing him appear, Neville immediately stood up and ran over.

"What's wrong?" Owen said.

"Oh - big news." Neville breathed, "Did you know that Ron was in the hospital? Just last night, he seemed to have been poisoned."

(End of this chapter)