https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-130-Witch-Hunter-and-Collective-Cheating/13684859/
Chapter 129: Experiment Failure?
Afternoon Potions class was shared with Hufflepuff. Wade was paired with Theo again, standing beside the cauldron as usual, with Liam and a Hufflepuff boy working on their left. Michael and Padma were positioned at the front.
Wade noticed Padma had initially refused to acknowledge Michael—but after a few whispered words and a quick secret exchange, her expression shifted from annoyance to delight.
So that’s how it is… Wade thought, shaking his head slightly.
Michael liking Padma wasn’t surprising. He’d shown interest in other attractive girls before. They’d reconciled today—sure, it would only be a matter of time before they argued again. But love, like drinking water, was something only the one who tasted it could truly understand. Maybe they were just the kind of couple who bickered constantly yet still couldn’t live without each other.
He didn’t dwell on it further. With Theo, he headed to the back storage cabinet to collect today’s potion ingredients.
As he reached into the dark cabinet, a sudden thought struck him. He plunged his hand deep inside and pulled out two battered copies of Advanced Potion-Making.
“What’s this?” Theo asked.
“Probably old textbooks from past students,” Wade said, flipping through them casually.
One of the books was filled with cramped, messy handwriting—tiny, illegible scribbles covering every blank space, even the margins between paragraphs. He tucked it into his backpack without hesitation and returned the other, mostly untouched, to its shelf.
During the potion-making process, Theo kept hesitating, as if holding back something.
“After dinner,” Wade whispered, “we’re meeting on the Eighth Floor of the Castle.”
Theo’s eyes instantly lit up.
…
When Theo saw the Room of Requirement—despite his pure-blood wizard background—he was visibly stunned. Then, upon spotting the Vanishing Cabinet, his jaw dropped.
“Is this the Castle’s Vanishing Cabinet?” Theo asked. “I heard it was broken.”
“I fixed it,” Wade said. “I was supposed to run an experiment with Remus today—Remus Lupin, he’s my private tutor. But now I have to go to Professor Sprout for detention…”
Theo nodded. “Then I’ll handle the experiment. How should I contact Mr. Lupin?”
Wade pulled the Book of Friends from his spellbook and handed it over, then gave Theo a few crucial safety instructions.
With time approaching nine o’clock, Wade left immediately. He hadn’t even reached the second greenhouse entrance when Professor Sprout arrived.
“Herbology is the foundation of potion-making. Transfiguration, Divination, and even alchemy often involve plant-based components.”
She opened the greenhouse door as she spoke. “But talented young wizards often focus only on a plant’s healing properties or toxicity, overlooking its deeper significance…”
A wave of humid, earthy air washed over them. Lush greenery swirled in vibrant layers, painting a living tapestry of life.
Smiling, Professor Sprout turned to Wade. “Wade, do you know how a plant begins to sprout?”
…
The detention—technically a tutoring session—ended, and Wade left the greenhouse with a quiet, profound awe.
In his hand, he held a single seed—a common dandelion.
It had been grown alongside various magical plants, so it carried a faint trace of magic. Not enough to turn it into a true magical plant, nor to grant it special abilities. But it did make the seed stronger during its growth phase than ordinary dandelions.
That was the way it should have been.
But now, in the palm of his hand, the dandelion seed sprouted. It grew rapidly—leaves unfurled, tiny yellow flowers burst open in seconds, then withered, collapsing into a fluffy white seed head.
A breeze swept through, carrying the seeds away. The stem and leaves crumbled to dust, leaving only one seed slowly settling back into Wade’s palm.
The same cycle repeated—again and again—as if a video had been fast-forwarded.
Life…
Wade murmured the ordinary yet extraordinary word, and something stirred in his mind.
Not just herbs. Not just animagus transformations. Even biological alchemy—suddenly, it all clicked into place. He’d gained a spark of insight.
…
With time still before curfew, Wade first returned to the Room of Requirement. Theo hadn’t left yet—but he wasn’t happy either. He looked troubled.
Hearing the door creak open, he turned, sighed, and said, “Wade, the experiment failed.”
“What?” Wade froze, stepping forward. “What happened?”
He examined the Vanishing Cabinet closely. The magical rune circuit remained intact—no flaws, no disruptions.
“I don’t know,” Theo admitted. “It works sometimes… but not always.”
Before him lay a parchment listing every test: what was passed through, and whether it succeeded or failed.
“We ran fifty trials. Thirty-seven succeeded. Thirteen failed. Roughly one in five failed.”
Theo’s notes were meticulous. Wade scanned them. The failures didn’t increase with the magical intensity of the object—there was no pattern. It was pure randomness.
“But the good part,” Theo added softly, “is that even when it failed, nothing was damaged. The item or creature just… stayed inside the cabinet for a while.”
He looked up at Wade. “Do you think there’s still something wrong with it? Maybe we should ask Professor Mor?”
Wade shook his head. “I’m certain it’s fixed. I even improved it using Mr. Scamander’s methods. But… maybe I missed something. Or maybe the components just don’t mesh well. If I can’t figure it out myself, I’ll have to consult a professor.”
Could it be… that every magical element needs to be restored to its original form?
But no—Newt’s method was clearly superior. It didn’t require watching a hornlight ring. Wade could tell that much with his own magical knowledge.
He studied the cabinet again and again, but couldn’t detect any flaw.
Consulting Professor Mor was an option. But if possible, Wade didn’t want to go that route.
It was like an ordinary student wouldn’t run to their teacher and ask, “Hey, what’s the coolest way to sneak out of school?”
Theo watched Wade silently, lost in thought. Though he didn’t understand what Wade was seeing in the dark cabinet, he stayed by his side, trying to spot a pattern in the failed attempts.
Then—suddenly—Theo noticed something.
“Wade,” he said, “you said you improved this Vanishing Cabinet…”
“Yeah,” Wade sighed.
“Then…” Theo hesitated, unsure whether he was right. “Did you… also improve the other one?”
Wade spun around, eyes wide. Then, with a forceful slap to his forehead, he exclaimed:
“I’m such an idiot! Theo, you’re a genius!”
At last, he understood why the experiment kept failing.
(End of Chapter)
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