https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-121-That-Was-Taught-to-Me-by-the-Half-Blood-Prince/13440610/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-123-Is-This-the-Legendary-Dark-Magic-Shop-/13440612/
Chapter 122: We Are Well-Trained Aurors
Chapter 122: We Are Well-Trained Aurors
Douglas took a deep breath and opened the bottle, taking a small sip. A faint peppermint aroma lingered in his mouth.
Immediately, a natural wave of happiness washed over him, temporarily sweeping away his worries. The frown that had been etched on his face due to the inspection by the Ministry of Magic gradually relaxed.
"Such a strong effect", Douglas murmured with a smile.
Douglas had made Cheer-Up Potion before, but it was far from the quality of what Ivan had just brewed.
Most importantly, while enhancing the effect, it didn't interfere with his normal thinking; it simply adjusted his mood.
"Can this Potion be sold?" Ivan asked after using up the time on the Experience Card and stopping.
"As long as it's marketed well, it will definitely sell like hotcakes. It's much better than what's available in regular Potion shops."
Douglas had to admit that Ivan's Potion-making skills far exceeded his expectations!
Previously, Douglas had been worried that Ivan might tarnish his reputation by selling Potions under his name. Now, he no longer felt that way. It seemed he was on the path to fame!
"Who exactly is this Half-Blood Prince you mentioned?" Douglas couldn't help but ask.
"It's Severus Snape! The Potions professor at Hogwarts", Ivan replied.
"It's him! No wonder. I didn't expect you to be one of Snape's top students at school."
Douglas, of course, knew about Snape, the master Potion-maker.
However, he had heard that Snape despised Gryffindor students, and the rumors had even reached him, so they couldn't be false.
Perhaps geniuses receive special treatment, Douglas thought.
Ivan didn't correct Douglas's misunderstanding because the Potion-making techniques he used were indeed Snape's exclusive methods.
With Douglas's approval, Ivan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the standards for selling Potions were much lower than he had anticipated. This meant the Potions he usually made should also be sellable.
Thus, in front of Douglas's astonished gaze, Ivan, after brewing a few batches of Potions with elaborate techniques, suddenly started cutting the Potions into smaller portions with a knife.
When Douglas asked him in surprise, Ivan claimed he was establishing a Potion grading system, producing regular Potions at different price points so that everyone could afford the right Potion.
However, Douglas didn't know that Ivan was actually regretting buying only five cauldrons. He could only brew about a dozen Potions per hour, which was a waste of Academic Points. Tomorrow, he definitely needed to buy ten more cauldrons!
"By the way, Dean Douglas, can you brew these Potions too?" Ivan suddenly turned to look at the stunned Douglas.
"Um, of course", Douglas nodded absentmindedly, still in shock.
"Then come over and help me brew some regular Potions to bulk up the inventory!" Ivan threw a knife over to him.
Douglas took it in a daze, feeling a strong sense of incongruity.
He, the deputy head of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, was now reducing his Potions to mere filler.
However, to learn some Potion-making techniques from Ivan, Douglas rolled up his sleeves. Although he felt disgruntled, a happy smile still lingered on his lips.
After all, the effects of the Cheer-Up Potion hadn't worn off yet.
Three days passed in a flurry of activity, and finally, the day the system task mentioned, when the Ministry of Magic would come to inspect the shop, arrived.
Ivan's mentor, Douglas, had left the day before, and Aisia was busy with a new research project on gnome puffs. She apparently planned to modify them.
Ivan was puzzled. Did gnome puffs really need modification?
To make them cuter?
Because of this, Ivan was left alone to manage the shop.
In the afternoon, a few yards from the shop, the air distorted, and three figures—a man, a woman, and another man—appeared in a nearby alley.
"This is Knockturn Alley. It looks a bit deserted, but there's nothing particularly unusual about it", the young-looking Wizard, who appeared to be in his early twenties, said with a relaxed tone as he looked around.
"Don't let your guard down, Ellison! Knockturn Alley is the most dangerous place in the entire magical world."
The one speaking was a man with short, stiff hair, looking quite strong, but his words were filled with deep concern.
Seeing the dismissive expression on Ellison, the Auror, he added another warning.
"You've only been Aurors for a short time, so you might not know that the Ministry of Magic launched a crackdown on Knockturn Alley ten years ago, and the result was—"
"What was the result, Captain Delius?" Ellison asked curiously.
"Most of the dozen or so Aurors in the task force were killed or injured. Since then, Minister Fudge has never launched a similar operation", Delius said with a sigh.
"Whoa", Ellison hissed, carefully scanning the area. Although it was empty, he still felt danger lurking everywhere.
"Let's get this over with, and we'll just tell the captain we've searched and found nothing", Ellison said cautiously.
"How can we do that?" Before Delius could respond, the female Auror, who had been silent until now, spoke up sternly.
"We are Aurors, and we can't abandon our mission just because we're afraid of danger! Ellison, have you forgotten why we chose this profession?"
Of course, it's because the pay is higher! Ellison thought to himself, silently criticizing her.
"Sunny, Ellison, stop arguing", Delius, the captain, said, feeling a headache coming on. The Ministry of Magic had assigned him two teammates, one a coward and the other a reckless brute, neither reliable.
Sometimes, Delius wondered if he had been abandoned by the department. Why else would he be given such a dangerous mission and such unreliable teammates?
"Listen to me. We're here to investigate the proliferation of Dark Magic Items. Our target is the shop across the street. Someone reported that many of the Dark Magic Items on the market are sold here."
Here, Delius emphasized his words and continued.
"So, it's definitely a Dark Magic Shop. Once inside, we need to be cautious and not touch anything. Keep your Wands at the ready. We are well-trained Aurors, and no matter what we encounter, we mustn't panic."
The female Auror, Sunny, nodded solemnly, while Ellison swallowed hard, following Delius apprehensively, as if the shop before them were a den of evil.
(End of Chapter)
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