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Chapter 42: Potion
Chapter 42: Potion
At seven o'clock in the evening, Hermione, as she had done for the past two months, promptly entered Professor Hup's office.
However, this time, she felt a bit uneasy.
Felix looked up and, seeing the young witch's nervousness, smiled and said, "Take a seat. I thought you might take a week off, considering you spend most of your day here."
Hermione mustered her courage and said, "Professor, I'm sorry, but we followed you. We were investigating the Chamber's clues and happened to see you in the Forbidden Forest..."
Felix nodded in understanding, "So, I was a suspect..."
"No, Professor, you're very capable, and we're just being overly cautious", Hermione explained quickly. "Last year, we encountered a professor who was a Dark Wizard and tried to steal the Philosopher's Stone from the school."
"Oh, I see. With such an experience, it's no wonder you're suspicious. However, I must advise you that while your intentions are good, you should also be realistic. Many dangers don't change based on whether a person is good or evil."
Hermione nodded obediently.
The two then spent five mind hours in the Mind Chamber, during which Felix taught her three Runic Scripts.
This duration was carefully chosen to prevent fatigue without compromising learning. Hermione even had the energy to practice for another ten minutes after returning to reality, managing to sketch out the three Runic Scripts with some effort.
"Very impressive", Felix couldn't help but clap in praise.
If he didn't have the Golden Thumb, he might not have been able to match her.
However, he also noticed a flaw in the young witch. The spells she cast always had a moderate power, with little fluctuation—this was good in a way, as it ensured stability and reduced the chance of failure once a spell was learned.
But in other scenarios, it was a drawback. She was unlikely to have a "power surge" and amplify a spell's potency with strong emotions.
In a sense, she was better suited to be a magic scholar, researching and learning spells, rather than becoming an Auror or a spell-casting wizard.
Felix thought that perhaps, after she graduated, he could offer her a position as his research assistant, or even as a partner?
He couldn't be blamed for thinking too much; there were simply too few qualified candidates. This was one of his grievances with Hogwarts and the wizarding world—their training methods were too broad and lacked depth. How many wizards continued to diligently study magic after graduation?
On the contrary, the black market had a fair number of such wizards, but the question was, could he trust them?
If only I could rule the wizarding world... The thought crossed his mind but was quickly dismissed. That wasn't his path.
"Since it's still early, you can head back early or stay and watch a movie?" Felix looked at the time, which was just past nine, and asked the young witch.
Hermione smoothed her hair, "Oh—Professor Hup?" she stammered, "I—I'm curious about some potions and would like to learn more about their background."
"Potions?"
"Yes, you see, in Potions Class, we mostly learn about antidotes and burping potions, but I've read about some advanced potions that have truly remarkable effects..."
"Indeed", Felix considered for a moment. This wasn't a big deal. "Potions, let me think." He waved his wand, tapping it lightly against the ring on his left index finger, and six small vials appeared before him.
"The field of potions is indeed complex and fascinating. Although I've taken Professor Snape's advanced class, I must admit that I still have a long way to go in this area."
Hermione was a bit surprised that Professor Hup spoke so highly of Snape.
"The first one is the Brain Boosting Potion", Felix said, making the first small vial on the left fly to Hermione. "It can significantly enhance the user's mental abilities and improve learning efficiency. In a way, it's somewhat similar to the Mind Chamber."
Hermione looked at the vial in front of her, which was filled with a light blue liquid. She gently shook it, and the liquid glowed brightly like a Lumos spell.
"Many wizards have become addicted to the Brain Boosting Potion due to overuse, leading to an inability to think clearly and function normally", Felix added as he saw Hermione's hand tremble slightly. "However, taking it occasionally is still safe."
"The second one is the Fire Protection Potion", he said, making another small vial, this one containing a purple liquid, fly to her. "Despite its unassuming name, it effectively protects against magical fire."
Hermione suddenly remembered the first-year "challenge" where Professor Snape had set up a series of obstacles.
One of the puzzles was a logic question, and one of the potions' effects was to allow the user to pass through magical fire.
"The third one is Felix Felicis", another vial flew to her, containing the least amount of liquid—only about a third, maybe two or three milliliters. But it was the most beautiful—like melted gold, the liquid would dance like fish when slightly shaken.
"Also known as the lucky potion, it ensures that everything goes smoothly for the user, as if guided by a divine hand. However, overuse can lead to dizziness, recklessness, and an inflated sense of self-importance..."
"Is it very complex to brew?" Hermione asked.
"Extremely complex, it requires at least six months, and any mistake can turn it into a deadly poison", Felix said with a sigh.
"The fourth one is the Wolfsbane Potion. It prevents werewolves from losing their sanity during the full moon. Of course, it's not very useful to me, but I keep it as part of my collection..."
"The fifth one is the Polyjuice Potion", he said, and Hermione's attention sharpened as the vial flew to her. "It seems you've heard of this potion before?"
Hermione whispered, "Professor Snape mentioned it in class. It allows the user to transform into the appearance of another person."
"Exactly. It's a fairly complex potion that takes a month to brew. A standard dose lasts anywhere from 10 minutes to 12 hours, depending on the quality of the potion."
"What about your dose?"
"My dose? It should last about half an hour for one person."
Hermione felt a bit disappointed. It seemed she would still need to brew it herself, which brought her back to the original problem: how to get Professor Snape's signature to obtain the recipe.
Felix continued his explanation, waving his wand to make the last vial fly to her.
"The sixth one is the Love Potion, also known as the Amortentia. Once taken, it will make the user fall madly in love with the person who gave them the potion."
Hermione's mouth dropped open in surprise.
"You'll notice that its method of use is somewhat similar to the Polyjuice Potion: the Polyjuice Potion requires adding another person's hair or body tissue to transform into them;"
"while the Love Potion requires adding your own hair or body tissue to the potion, which is then given to the person you want to fall in love with."
The young witch frowned. "That potion is terrible."
Felix shrugged. "Indeed, it only gives you false love, like a soap bubble—its scent is the exact aroma of what you love most in the world."
Felix waved his wand, and the vial's stopper popped out with a "pop." "You can try its scent—don't worry, it's the purest form of the potion, so it's not very dangerous and won't affect your rationality."
Hermione leaned in and took a gentle sniff. The scent was of books, sunlight, and her home in the Muggle world.
There was one more.
(End of Chapter)
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