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Chapter 129: A Failed Experiment?
Chapter 129: A Failed Experiment?
In the afternoon, it was time for Potions class with the Hufflepuffs. As usual, Ved and Theo partnered up, standing in the corner while Ryan and a Hufflepuff boy worked alongside them.
Michael and Padma were at the front.
Ved noticed that Padma was initially reluctant to acknowledge Michael, but after he whispered something to her and secretly slipped her a small object, her anger turned to delight.
Oh, I see...
Ved shook his head discreetly.
It wasn't surprising that Michael liked Padma, but he also had a soft spot for other pretty girls. The couple had made up today, but it was only a matter of time before they started arguing again.
However, when it came to matters of the heart, only the individuals involved truly understood the dynamics of their relationship. Perhaps they were simply a bickering pair of lovebirds?
Ved didn't dwell on it further and instead joined Theo in heading to the back storeroom to gather the potion ingredients they needed for class.
As he gazed at the dark cabinets, something occurred to him, and he reached into one, feeling around until his hand landed on not one but two tattered copies of Advanced Potion-Making.
"What's this?" Theo asked.
"Looks like old textbooks used by previous students," Ved replied, flipping through one of the books casually.
One of the books had scribbles all over the blank spaces, even in the narrow gaps between paragraphs. The handwriting was tiny and ugly, making it difficult to decipher.
Ved tucked this particular book into his bag and placed the other one, which had minimal notes, back into the cabinet.
While brewing their potions, Theo seemed hesitant to speak, as if there was something on his mind.
"After dinner, let's go to the eighth floor of the castle," Ved said softly.
Theo's eyes lit up instantly.
...
Theo was astonished when he laid eyes on the Room of Requirement, even though he came from a wizarding family. And when he saw the Vanishing Cabinet, he was left utterly speechless.
"Is this the Vanishing Cabinet of the castle?" Theo asked. "I heard it was broken."
"I fixed it," Ved said. "I was supposed to conduct an experiment with Remus today... Oh, Remus Lupin, he's my private tutor... But now I have to go serve detention with Professor Sprout..."
Theo nodded. "Then leave the experiment to me... How do I contact Mr. Lupin?"
Ved removed the contact page for Remus from his notebook and handed it to Theo, along with some instructions.
As it was approaching nine o'clock, Ved immediately set off. He had just arrived at the door of the second greenhouse when Professor Sprout appeared.
"Herbology is the foundation of Potions," she began as she opened the greenhouse. "Transfiguration, Divination, and Alchemy also often involve the application of herbs."
"But gifted wizard apprentices tend to focus only on the healing or poisonous effects of herbs, neglecting their other uses..."
"However," Professor Sprout continued, "the less noticeable parts of plants are often the foundation of their life. For example..."
A rush of humid air greeted them, along with a vibrant tapestry of intertwining green plants.
Professor Sprout smiled and asked, "Ved, do you know how plants germinate?"
...
After his detention—or supplementary lesson—with Professor Sprout ended, Ved left the greenhouse, his mind reeling with a mix of emotions that he couldn't quite put into words.
In his hand, he held a seed that the professor had given him—a simple dandelion.
Its parent plant had been cultivated alongside many magical plants, so this particular seed had also absorbed a faint trace of magic.
This magic wouldn't transform it into a true magical plant or endow it with special powers; it would only make it slightly hardier than its non-magical counterparts during its growth period.
What was intended was this.
But at that moment, the dandelion seed in Ved's palm sprouted, grew, and unfurled its leaves one by one.
Without any water or soil, several tiny yellow flowers blossomed swiftly, only to wither and transform into fluffy white spheres within seconds.
With a gentle gust of wind, the dandelion seeds scattered, and the withered stems and leaves seemed to turn to dust, leaving only a single seed that descended slowly into Ved's palm.
The same process repeated itself once more, like a video on fast-forward.
["Life..."]
Ved murmured this simple yet profound word, a glimmer of insight flashing in his eyes.
It wasn't just about herbs, but also Animagus transformations... and even biological alchemy... He had gained some inspiration for them all.
...
There was still some time before curfew, so Ved headed to the Room of Requirement.
As expected, Theo hadn't left yet, but he didn't look happy; instead, he seemed worried.
Hearing the door open, he turned and sighed, "Ved, the experiment didn't work."
"What happened?" Ved paused in his tracks and walked over to ask.
He examined the Vanishing Cabinet closely and noticed that the magic circuits were still intact, with no signs of defects.
"I don't know what's wrong. It works sometimes and then fails at other times."
Theo had a piece of parchment in front of him, listing each item they had attempted to send through, along with whether the transmission was successful or not.
"We tried a total of fifty times. It succeeded thirty-seven times and failed thirteen times. On average, it fails once or twice out of every five attempts."
Theo had recorded everything meticulously. Ved observed that the failures didn't increase with the amount of magical power contained in the objects, making the failures seem completely random.
"But on the bright side, even when it fails, the items or creatures being transported don't seem to suffer any damage. They just end up staying inside the cabinet for a while."
Theo looked at Ved and asked softly, "Is there something we missed during the repairs? Maybe we should ask Professor Mori for help."
Ved shook his head. "I can assure you it's fixed. I even made some improvements based on Mr. Scamander's teachings... Of course..."
He continued, his voice laced with frustration, "There might be something I overlooked, or perhaps the two cabinets aren't fully compatible... If I can't figure out the problem on my own, I'll have no choice but to seek the professor's guidance..."
Perhaps he would have to restore all the magic to its original state?
However, Newt's method was undoubtedly superior, and Ved could tell as much without relying on any protagonist halo, simply based on his own magical knowledge.
He examined the Vanishing Cabinet over and over again but still couldn't pinpoint the issue.
Seeking Professor Mori's advice was an option, but if possible, Ved wanted to avoid that route.
It would be like a student in an ordinary school asking a teacher, "Which posture looks cooler when I'm climbing over the wall to skip class?"
Seeing Ved deep in thought, Theo remained quietly by his side, even though he didn't understand what Ved could possibly be observing about the black cabinet. Meanwhile, Theo's mind wandered to the evening's experiment, wondering if they could deduce any patterns from it.
Suddenly, he noticed something.
"Ved," Theo said, "You mentioned that you improved this Vanishing Cabinet..."
"Yes." Ved sighed.
"Then..." Theo hesitated, unsure if his guess was correct, "Has the other cabinet been improved as well?"
Ved turned to him sharply and then smacked his forehead.
"How could I be so stupid... Theo, you're a genius!"
He finally understood why their attempts kept failing!
(End of Chapter)
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