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Chapter 159: A Truth Serum in the Potion
Chapter 159: A Truth Serum in the Potion
"You're saying... there's nothing but an empty room beneath the trapdoor?"
The next morning, upon hearing this from Kyle, Fred and George's expressions mirrored that of Cedric's—shock, doubt, and disbelief.
The image of the ferocious three-headed dog had kept them awake all night, their curiosity piqued as to what could be worth guarding so fiercely.
Could it be the end-of-term exam papers? Or perhaps Gryffindor's sword!
The twins had spent the entire night speculating, only dozing off as dawn broke.
Now, to hear from Kyle that there was nothing but an empty room beyond the trapdoor, they were more than a little disappointed.
"It can't be," Fred muttered, shaking his head. "There must be more to it. Surely Dumbledore wouldn't just use that room to house a giant dog."
"I think it's just a matter of timing," Kyle patted Fred's shoulder reassuringly. "With the start of the school year, the professors are probably too busy to set up whatever is supposed to be down there. We can always go back later, during the Halloween or Christmas holidays."
"You're right," Fred sighed. "It looks like we won't be venturing there anytime soon. In the meantime, we can focus on finding the last word of the password."
"I think we should just drop it," Cedric said, setting down his pumpkin juice. "Hogwarts is huge, and you might never find it even by the time you graduate."
"No," George disagreed, shaking his head. "The creators of the Marauder's Map wouldn't hide clues to the password in places that are insignificant. Remember, the first clue we found was on Filch's office door—a place only those in detention would go."
"And then there was the pillar in the Trophy Room..."
"...the common rooms of the four houses..."
"...the tallest tower in the castle..."
"...all places that are unique or hold some significance," George mused, stroking his chin. "And we can sense that we're so close to the final answer, but there's still that thin layer of parchment standing in our way."
"Maybe..." Cedric shrugged noncommittally.
He suspected that the final clue to the password might not even exist, or that the whole thing was just a prank.
But Fred and George refused to believe that.
Soon, the mail arrived.
A flock of owls flew into the Great Hall, among them six sturdy long-eared owls that drew everyone's attention.
They carried a slender package, which they delivered to a Slytherin student.
Without hesitation, he opened it, revealing a brand new Nimbus 2000.
"That's right, the Nimbus 2000! The same model used by professional Quidditch teams!"
As the envious gazes of his peers fell upon him, he couldn't hide his pride. "My father sent it to me to celebrate my joining the Slytherin Quidditch team this year. But honestly, even without the best broomstick in the wizarding world, I could still beat everyone here."
His voice carried across half the Great Hall.
Kyle turned to glance at him.
Perhaps the mention of the Nimbus 2000 had stirred unpleasant memories, as they all paused, their faces hardening as they glared at the boy who had received the package, their meals forgotten.
There was also a commotion coming from the Gryffindor table.
Neville had received a Remembrall, a valuable and uncommon alchemical item.
It was infamously known in the wizarding world as a gimmicky item that only reminded you that you had forgotten something without providing any specifics, which could be quite frustrating.
Additionally, the Remembrall was not cheap, costing over a hundred galleons, which was enough to deter most curious witches and wizards.
Kyle also received a package—a small box no larger than his palm, wrapped in parchment.
Along with the package, the owl dropped off a letter.
"As per our previous agreement, I have sent you the items you requested. I hope they are not too late.
May you achieve brilliant results in Potions.
(Your request for the Order of Merlin medal is still under review and will require more time.)
—Pegasus Sascia"
Kyle's eyes lit up at the realization that the package contained potions from St. Mungo's Healer Sascia.
"What's that?" Fred asked, curious about Kyle's excited reaction. "What did you buy?"
"No, these are potions someone gave me," Kyle replied.
"Potions?" Fred and the others leaned in, intrigued.
"Yes... I encountered some trouble at St. Mungo's during the summer holidays," Kyle explained after a moment's hesitation. "These potions are a form of compensation from the Healer in charge."
Due to the Ministry's intervention, the Prophet had only reported that there was a disturbance at St. Mungo's, caused by an unknown individual, with no mention of werewolves.
As a result, neither Cedric nor the Weasley brothers, nor Connor, were aware that Kyle had come face-to-face with a werewolf.
Kyle had chosen not to mention it to avoid worrying them.
"Oh..." Fred, who wasn't particularly interested in potions, picked up a copy of the Prophet and started reading.
However, Cedric and Connor leaned in eagerly, curious about the contents of the box.
Kyle had already unwrapped the parchment, revealing a wooden box that had been enlarged using the Engorgio Charm. It appeared to be only palm-sized from the outside, but when opened, it revealed a spacious interior.
Neatly arranged inside were dozens of small and large bottles—perhaps fifty or sixty of them—and in a separate compartment on the side were various ingredients used in potion-making.
"Are those...ash of fire snake eggshells and petals of the acanthus plant?" Connor exclaimed in surprise.
She recognized these rare and precious potion-making materials from Professor Snape's office, carefully sealed and stored on the top shelves. Any one of these ingredients could fetch hundreds of galleons in Diagon Alley.
Kyle glanced at the ingredients briefly before turning his attention back to the potions.
He noticed something odd about the quantity of potions.
There were too many.
In addition to the potions they had agreed upon, Healer Sascia had included several extras.
For some reason, Kyle even spotted a bottle of Veritaserum, the notorious Truth Serum, tucked away in a corner of the box.
(End of Chapter)
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