https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-119-Compensation-and-the-Order-of-Merlin/12538230/
Chapter 118: The Greatest Potioneer
Chapter 118: The Greatest Potioneer
If there was one thing Umbridge couldn't stand, it was being ignored. The feeling of being the center of attention and the object of awe-filled gazes was what drove her to climb the ranks to her current position.
Now, just half a step away from becoming the Deputy Minister, she would be the second most powerful person in the Ministry. How dare those people call her a "nobody in the Ministry"? Did they not know who she was?
Umbridge trembled with rage. "I am Dolores Umbridge!" she said in a shrill voice. "Head of the Ministry's Magical Law Enforcement Patrol and a member of the Wizengamot!"
"So, you're a department head," Kyle said, feigning unease and shifting his feet slightly. "Does that mean you can take responsibility for what you said earlier?"
Umbridge held her head high, about to retort—
"Ahem, I believe that's not what Dolores meant," Fudge interrupted, coughing lightly. "She's just overly concerned for the boy. After all, it was unwise of a young wizard to attempt to defeat werewolves. Running away would have been the wiser choice."
"I quite agree with you, Cornelius," Dumbledore said gravely. "But what about the dismissal she mentioned earlier..."
"Of course, I was just joking," Fudge said, laughing it off. "Dolores merely wanted to remind the boy to be less reckless in the future, right...?"
Fudge glanced subtly to the side, his eyes conveying his meaning.
Umbridge quickly caught on and maintained a fake smile, continuing in her sickly sweet voice, "Yes, Minister, I'm honored that you understand my intentions. These young wizards nowadays are too full of themselves. Just because they got lucky with their exam results, they think they can take on werewolves? He needs to learn his lesson and know what he should and shouldn't do if he wants to live a long life."
"I'll keep that in mind, ma'am," Kyle said, his face also twisted in a fake smile. "Also, at your age, wearing such colorful clothing really makes you look younger."
Umbridge glanced down at her pink cardigan, not thinking much of it, assuming Kyle was complimenting her. She held her head high and walked away.
It was Saetia, the school principal, who raised an eyebrow and looked at Kyle with interest, having caught the subtle mockery in his words.
She knew this young man was poking fun at the Ministry official for trying to act younger than she was.
But it was true.
Soon, the Aurors returned.
"Rufus, what's the situation?" Fudge asked.
"It's a werewolf," Scrimgeour whispered. "And he was admitted to St. Mungo's just yesterday."
"A werewolf..." Fudge frowned, anxiously fiddling with his hat.
He dreaded to think of the panic that would ensue if the news got out that werewolves could transform during the day.
As the Minister of Magic, he would surely face heavy criticism.
No, this information must not be leaked.
Fudge's eyes narrowed, his expression slowly hardening as if he had made a decision.
"Mr. Minister, shall I take this young man to rest now?" Saetia stepped forward and indicated a young healer standing beside her. "The Aurors can direct any questions to Healer Hebe, who will fully cooperate with their investigation."
...
The sixth floor of St. Mungo's housed the tea room and shops.
Headmistress Saetia led Kyle and Dumbledore to a private room and ordered a cup of tea for each of them.
Dumbledore took a sip and remarked with pleasant surprise, "It's my favorite blend. I thought you might have forgotten."
"Five lumps of sugar, I remember," Saetia replied nonchalantly.
"Unless something unexpected happens, our Minister will likely take that werewolf into custody," Saetia said nonchalantly.
Dumbledore set down his cup. "Cornelius tends to get anxious when faced with such situations."
"Never mind that, let me tell you what I know," Saetia continued. "That individual arrived at St. Mungo's yesterday afternoon, claiming to have been scratched by a werewolf. But out of caution, the healers placed him in a special ward under close observation."
"Last night was a full moon," she went on. "He didn't transform then, so they moved him to a regular ward."
St. Mungo's had a well-established procedure for handling cases like werewolves; such individuals would never be housed with regular patients unless it was certain they were not infected.
This explained why the werewolf had escaped from the neighboring room.
Kyle nodded in understanding.
It was peculiar that the werewolf hadn't transformed during the full moon but had done so during the day... This was indeed a puzzling development, and the healers probably hadn't anticipated it either.
"Is this a mutation?" Kyle asked.
"Most likely not."
Saetia's expression turned solemn. "When I came here earlier, I detected a very distinctive potion scent in that werewolf's blood."
"A potion?"
"Yes, and it resembled Wolfsbane Potion." Saetia frowned, deep in thought. "But unlike a regular Wolfsbane Potion, this one contained woad oil and... some other ingredients."
Woad oil...
Kyle was familiar with this substance.
Just as there was Dark Magic within the realm of spells, there existed a similar branch in herbology—and woad oil was one such ingredient.
Aside from potions laced with curses, regular potions had no use for such toxic substances.
One could say that if an Auror detected woad oil in a potion, the wizard possessing it would be sentenced to at least a year in Azkaban.
Kyle looked at Headmistress Saetia across the table and exclaimed, "Just from a whiff, you can tell what potions someone has ingested?"
"Wolfsbane Potion and woad oil are rather unique," Saetia explained. "They can stain the soul, so their traces linger for longer."
"Kyle, you probably don't know this, but Pegasus is one of the greatest Potioneers of the last two centuries."
At that moment, Dumbledore leaned closer to Kyle and whispered, "I've always wanted her to teach Potions at Hogwarts, but she feels that St. Mungo's needs her more."
Although Dumbledore had deliberately lowered his voice, in the confined space of the private room, even a whisper could be heard.
"Albus... why are you telling him this?" Saetia asked, a hint of exasperation in her voice.
"Slughorn is also one of the greatest Potioneers... and that young man, Snape, his talent is not far behind mine," Saetia said with a hint of resignation.
"Not the same, Pegasus," Dumbledore took a sip of his tea and said softly: "One can never have too many good professors."
......
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
