HP: Those Years Sleeping with the Half-Blood Prince

Clearly, Ian's five minutes were not enough. Twenty minutes later, he reappeared looking refreshed. His hair was at least flattened, and he had changed into a simple T-shirt and trousers, looking much more energetic.

"Let's go, let me go to the kitchen and find something to eat, I'm starving."

Ian devoured the breakfast left for him in the kitchen, downed a large glass of milk, and then sighed contentedly before leading Severus through the living room and into the backyard through another door.

"Welcome to 'Bock Labs'," Ian led Severus to the cabin, opened the door, and gestured for him to enter.

"The main users before were my dad and me, but now my dad basically only uses his study. As for me... you know, I basically don't use it. It's up to you to carry it on from now on."

The room was fully equipped, and opposite the potion-making station, there was an entire wall of books.

Ian casually introduced the various instruments and materials to him.

The conditions and professionalism of this workshop far exceeded any of Severus's previous expectations, even surpassing the studios in Diagon Alley in terms of professionalism and privacy.

Here, he could experiment with complex, risky recipes undisturbed, systematically organize his research, and truly put his theoretical theories into practice.

"...Very good," he finally said, his voice a little dry.

Ian smiled, walked to the materials shelf, and pulled out a thick loose-leaf notebook.

"This is the inventory list and usage records, my mom did it. It's a bit wordy, but quite clear. Next to it is the equipment maintenance and basic operation guide, my dad wrote it, it's even more wordy. You can take a look when you have time. So, is there anything else we need to add?"

Severus shook his head. "Perfect."

"That's fine then." Ian closed the catalog. "You can familiarize yourself with it first, think about where to start, I'll go change my clothes, and then we can go for a stroll in Diagon Alley? Some of the materials might not be on the list, or they might be running low on stock, so it'll be a good opportunity to restock."

Ian quickly returned in a light, dark outfit, carrying two dark hooded cloaks.

He handed one of them to Severus.

"Put it on. The weather in London is unpredictable, and..." He blinked, "It might be a bit windy at our first stop."

Severus took the cloak, asked no questions, and quickly put it on, pulling up the hood.

Ian did the same, and both faces were immediately hidden in the shadows.

"Hurry up." Ian grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and sprinkled it into the living room fireplace, whereupon green flames roared up.

"Knockdown Alley, the entrance to Bogin-Bock back alley!"

They emerged from an abandoned fireplace, and not far away was the Borgin Burke store.

"This way." Ian's voice sounded a little muffled under his hood as he walked familiarly toward the shop and pushed open the door.

"Ah, little Borkin, what special thing are you looking for this time? Oh, and you've brought a young friend along." Mr. Borkin's gaze was openly appraising Severus.

"Good day, Mr. Borkin." Ian stepped forward, just in time to block most of Mr. Borkin's view of his companion. "We need to replenish some materials; here is the list."

He handed him a piece of parchment. Mr. Bokin took it and squinted at it under a candle.

A short while later, he put down the list, his smile deepening. "These are all difficult materials to obtain, but Borgin-Bock always has a way, it's just that the price..."

"The price is negotiable, Mr. Borkin," Ian said with a smile. "You're an expert; you naturally know the value of what I'm looking for. Besides..."

He added casually, "If there are any good quality of those rare oriental herbal seeds that you mentioned last time, I'd also like to take a look."

Mr. Bokin's eyes lit up, and he rubbed his hands together faster. "Oh! Yes, yes, a small batch just arrived a couple of days ago. It's in excellent condition and comes from a very... old channel. Please wait a moment, I'll go to the back to get the goods and prepare the items on the order."

He took the list and disappeared into the depths of the stacked shelves.

"You'll get used to it." Only after Mr. Bokin's footsteps faded into the distance did Ian whisper to Severus, his tone returning to its usual casualness.

"Mr. Borgin only recognizes Galleons and good stuff. Although his place has a unique atmosphere, some of the ingredients are either unavailable or of questionable quality in Diagon Alley pharmacies. As long as the money is paid and the goods are exchanged, he keeps his mouth shut."

Severus nodded, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily.

About twenty minutes later, Mr. Bokin arrived carrying several boxes and small bottles.

He placed the items on the counter and opened them one by one for Ian to inspect.

Severus stepped forward and carefully examined the quality of the materials, especially the seeds.

He picked up a seed, examined it against the candlelight, sniffed it gently, and nodded slightly to Ian.

Ian understood and began to bargain with Mr. Borkin.

The process wasn't long, but Mr. Borgin was clearly a seasoned pro, and the final price he agreed on made Severus secretly gasp.

But Ian didn't even flinch when he paid, and even gave me a few extra Galleons as a reward for "notifying me when there's something good next time".

"It's still a pleasure doing business with you, little Bock." Mr. Bock handed over the packaged materials with a smile. "By the way, please give my regards to your father. Things seem to be getting a bit tense in the ministry lately. Several old shops in Flip Lane have become much more cautious. Your father works in the Enforcement Division, so he must be well-informed."

"I'll pass it on, Mr. Borkin." Ian took the things, smiled, and said goodbye to Mr. Borkin.

"Take care, little Burke." Mr. Burke chuckled and opened the back door for them himself.

"Flipping Alley is done. Diagon Alley is much easier now," Ian said, leading him through several winding alleys and finally pushing open a wooden fence embedded in a stone wall.

The cacophony of voices, the bright sunlight, and the sweet aroma of candy instantly filled the air.

They were standing in a bustling side alley, just a few steps from the main street of Diagon Alley.

Ian took off his hood, took a deep breath, and said, "It's more comfortable here, isn't it?"

"Hmm." Severus also pulled down his hood and squinted to adjust to the sunlight.

They first went to Slag & Giggs Pharmacy and bought some common but high-volume basic materials.

As Ian walked out of the pharmacy, he stretched.

"All done. Are you hungry? I'll treat you to a huge ice cream from Florin's Ice Cream Shop to celebrate the official start of our summer research."

Severus wanted to refuse, but Ian had already pushed him toward him.

Sitting under a parasol outside the ice cream shop, looking at the ice cream drizzled with colorful syrup and chocolate chips, Severus held a small silver spoon, somewhat at a loss as to where to begin.

Ian had already scooped out a large spoonful and stuffed it into his mouth, squinting his eyes contentedly.

"Eat it quickly, it'll be a waste if it melts."

Severus scooped up a small spoonful and ate it slowly.

"Oh, right," Ian swallowed a mouthful of ice cream, as if suddenly remembering, "how's the Potions Institute trainee thing Professor Slughorn mentioned?"