Chapter 153: I Have a Friend
Chapter 153: I Have a Friend
Hagrid held the bottle over his head, eyeing the ruby-like liquid within curiously. "Special rat tonic?" he murmured, still baffled by the notion that even pet rats now had their own specialized tonic, and a special one at that.
He inspected the bottle in his hand once more. While he didn't doubt Kyle's words, the process from start to finish had taken over half an hour, and with only one bottle as the end product, its quality was assured. He just couldn't quite wrap his head around it.
After all, rats were the most common and inexpensive type of pet. In Diagon Alley, their price was less than half that of a toad, and they were even cheaper than a decent bag of owl treats.
Moreover, pets rats also had the shortest lifespan of all, generally living for only seven years... Interestingly, this was also the same duration that young witches and wizards spent studying at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Other pets, like toads, cats, and owls, could live for over a decade, with owls often living much longer.
As a result, few young students paid much attention to rats, let alone spend money on customized tonics for them.
"Yes," Kyle confirmed, packing up the stove and crucible back into his bag. He stood up and explained, "This is for the Weasley family's pet rat. It's been several years now. Every year at the start of term, Percy would come to me for it."
"I only just remembered that the rat became Ron's pet this year. It seems Percy forgot to tell him about it," Kyle added.
"The Weasleys' rat?"
Hagrid wasn't very familiar with Percy, but he knew Ron, the youngest boy in the Weasley family, who had come to Hogwarts with Harry just yesterday.
But did he have a pet rat? Hagrid tried to recall, vaguely remembering that Ron's pocket had seemed full when he arrived. But the next second, he wasn't so sure anymore. After all, his attention had been mostly focused on Harry, so it was normal that he didn't remember every detail about Ron.
Hagrid returned the bottle to Kyle and asked, "Apart from rats, can you brew tonics for other pets as well?"
"Of course," Kyle replied. "I can do all four types of pets allowed at Hogwarts."
"What about others, like magical beasts?" Hagrid inquired further.
"Magical beasts are possible too," Kyle said thoughtfully. "But it depends on the type. Large beasts like Ronan's would be out of the question... Of course, they don't need to drink any tonics anyway."
"What about spiders?" Hagrid blurted out.
Kyle looked at him, a thoughtful expression on his face. "What breed?"
"The eight-eyed giant... er, I mean, just a regular spider, but slightly bigger," Hagrid stammered, his voice becoming vague and evasive.
"Bigger... just a bit?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.
Hagrid nodded firmly. "Yes, just a bit bigger!"
Kyle fixed Hagrid with a steady gaze, and just as he started to look a little guilty, Kyle drew out his words, "Wouldn't..."
Before the disappointment could fully register on Hagrid's face, Kyle continued, "...but I could try researching it."
"What?" Hagrid asked, not quite processing what he'd just heard.
"I could try making a few attempts to see if I can formulate a suitable tonic for them," Kyle explained. "I've done this a few times before. If you need it, I can give it a shot."
Hagrid, now understanding, exclaimed delightedly, "That's wonderful... I mean, if it's not too much trouble."
Although most of the precious herbs had been relocated to Professor Sprout's greenhouses, the vast expanse of the Forbidden Forest meant that rarer specimens could still be found if one ventured far enough.
"I have plenty of herbs here, so there's no need to search for more. However..." Kyle furrowed his brow, "...you'll need to get me a sample so I can test the potion's effectiveness."
Hagrid's eyes shifted uneasily. "Well... wouldn't a regular spider do for a test subject?"
"No!" Kyle shook his head. "Different species react differently to potions. Even a slight mistake can turn a remedy into poison. Take belladonna root, for instance. It's highly beneficial for a Mottera rat, but fatal for a common rat."
"Oh..." Hagrid hesitated.
The reason he wanted the spider tonic was to help Aragog, the eight-eyed giant spider he had kept as a pet for fifty years. Aragog was getting old, and Hagrid had been searching for a way to prolong his life. A tonic seemed like the perfect solution.
However, there was a problem. The eight-eyed giant spider was not just any magical creature; it was a highly dangerous XXXXXX-level creature that was forbidden to keep as a pet.
There was no way Hagrid would reveal Aragog's existence to Kyle. He might be able to convince Aragog or his descendants not to harm Kyle, but what if someone else found out? Kyle would undoubtedly be expelled, just like Hagrid had been years ago. Moreover, Aragog and his clan in the Forbidden Forest would surely face eradication.
As these thoughts flashed through Hagrid's mind, his expression became resolute. Just as he was about to give up on the idea of the spider tonic, Kyle spoke up thoughtfully.
"Wait... if it's a venomous spider, their venom might actually be useful."
Hagrid's emotions were all over the place, like a rollercoaster ride. Just when he thought he had calmed down, his excitement soared again.
"Can't you just say everything at once?" Hagrid grumbled, looking at Kyle.
"I wish I could," Kyle explained. "It's just that I'm not a big fan of spiders, and my knowledge of them is limited to a book I read a few years ago. It's been a while, so I need to take my time to recall the details."
Hagrid's anxiety returned. "So, about the venom you mentioned..."
"That part is true." Kyle fixed his gaze on Hagrid and suddenly smiled. "It seems you have a venomous spider as a pet."
"No, not me! I don't have one." Hagrid's voice rose in pitch as he shook his head vigorously. "I mean, a friend of mine... yes, a friend, he's interested in venomous spiders, and I'm asking on his behalf."
"Oh, I see. It's your friend, then." Kyle nodded in understanding.
"Y-yes... a friend," Hagrid stammered, his ears turning red. He turned his head away and quickly changed the subject. "How much venom do you need? I'll go and... I mean, I'll ask him to prepare it right away."
"It's hard to say," Kyle mused after a moment's thought. "It depends on the efficiency, but to be safe, the more the better."
(End of Chapter)
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