Chapter 42: The Potion Fountain
Chapter 42: The Potion Fountain
Kyle was surprised by Conna's unexpected proficiency in potion-making.
Whether it was brewing Stinging Nettle Solution or grinding Snake Fangs, she executed each step with precision and calm. Kyle, sitting beside her, felt almost useless as he watched the cauldron idly.
In contrast to the flustered young wizards around him, Kyle seemed like he was on vacation.
The truth was, there wasn't much he could assist with. Potion-making, unlike other courses, involved minimal hands-on work. Most of the time, they waited for the potions to brew.
It was like making soup—ten minutes to prepare the ingredients, and two hours to simmer.
Of course, this was assuming everything went according to plan. If not, just creating a standard Nettle Infusion could keep some students busy for half a class.
Take the two Slytherin freshmen to their left, for instance. They had already made seven trips to the storage cabinet for more nettles.
This situation made Snape's expression increasingly grim each time he glanced their way. It was unclear if he felt sorry for the nettles or was angry that his house had produced students with intelligence comparable to trolls.
Kyle looked left and saw one of the young snakes standing up again.
Great... eight times.
"Flora, Walker, I hope you'll use your barren brains," Snape finally lost his patience. He glared at them coldly, "If you can't brew a standard yellow-green solution this time, I'll dunk your heads into the cauldron!"
The two Slytherin freshmen were terrified, especially the unlucky one who had been fetching nettles. He walked as if he were heading to the gallows.
Snape glared at them, then swept his robe and moved to another pair of young wizards.
"What are you brewing? Licorice Syrup? Pour it out and start over!"
"The color isn't yellow enough. Pour it out and try again!"
"Pour it out!"
Snape floated around the classroom like a bat, and wherever he went, wails of despair followed.
As the surrounding students heard the repeated command to "Pour it out and start over," tension rose, and their hands trembled with caution.
Kyle, however, remained unaffected. He stared intently at the cauldron, waiting for the moment when the solution turned from yellow-green to pale yellow, at which point he immediately reduced the flame to a minimum.
Conna, without hesitation, poured in the finely ground snake fang powder.
This step was a success, as a foul-smelling sweet and fishy odor soon wafted from the cauldron.
"Perfect," Kyle nodded, then increased the flame again.
Another long wait ensued.
Kyle turned to Conna and asked curiously, "Have you brewed potions before starting school?"
"No," Conna blinked in surprise, shaking her head. "Why do you ask?"
"You have a real talent for potions," Kyle marveled. "Most new students are a disaster when they first encounter potions, and there's even a chance the cauldron could explode."
"Impossible," Conna clearly didn't believe him.
Kyle didn't explain further; he simply gestured for her to look around.
Conna raised her head skeptically, and it was then that she realized the Potions classroom had descended into chaos.
Young wizards dashed back and forth between the cauldrons and storage cabinets, their once-tidy attire now disheveled. Some even had smoke rising from their hair.
Unaware observers might think they had been hit by a blasting curse.
Moreover, various colored fumes constantly rose from many cauldrons, merging into a strange gray-brown gas that gathered on the classroom ceiling, accompanied by an indescribable stench.
The smell was distinct, a peculiar mix of rotten eggs and burnt wool.
Conna only needed to take two seconds to sniff, and her stomach churned.
"How is this possible? Potion making isn't this simple..." Conna muttered to herself.
She turned her gaze towards the Slytherin side. The young wizards there were all pure-blooded, and with Professor Snape as their Head of House, they should have been excellent at potions...
But what Conna saw when she turned her head was a sight she would never forget.
The cauldron on the table next to her had exploded!
No, it was the potion inside the cauldron that had exploded.
The liquid potion had suddenly started foaming profusely, rapidly expanding until it filled the entire cauldron in the blink of an eye.
But that wasn't the end of it.
The next second, the foam erupted from the cauldron, shooting straight up and hitting the classroom ceiling.
It was a spectacular sight.
"Flora, Walker, you two idiots!"
Professor Snape was furious, but as a professor, his first instinct wasn't to punish the culprits. Instead, he swiftly drew his wand and pointed it at the cauldron, which was still spewing foam.
Read the original version on 69 Book Bar! 6=9+Book_Bar Original Novel.
"Cyclone Sweep"
"Fresh Clean"
...
Under Professor Snape's spell, the cauldron and foam were quickly cleaned up.
After confirming that no young wizard was injured, Professor Snape, in a fit of rage, marched over to the two Slytherin students.
He didn't scold them or deduct points; instead, he grabbed them by their collars and threw them out of the Potions classroom.
"Go see Filch! Detention!"
With Professor Snape's roar, the classroom fell silent once again, everyone keeping their mouths shut, trying not to make a sound.
Kyle didn't have much to do, but to appear less idle, he decided to prepare the ingredients he would need later.
always wanted to get a head start.
In fact, this step wasn't mentioned in Magical Potions and Potables, but Professor Snape required them to make a long, thin cut on the side of the porcupine quills, and the snails also needed to be pre-boiled.
No one dared to ask why, as Ryan had already been deducted three points for his curiosity.
Kyle took the bag of ingredients and chose a well-shaped porcupine quill, deciding to start with the easier task.
To kill time, Kyle cut very slowly, taking over ten minutes to cut a 30-centimeter porcupine quill.
However, this blatant slacking didn't escape Professor Snape's notice.
He silently appeared beside Kyle, picked up a porcupine quill from the table, and looked at the crooked cut on it with a cold smile. "I remember telling you to cut a straight line. What's this? A dried Fire Crab? Or do you not understand what a 'straight line' means?"
Huh? Kyle looked up in confusion, first at Professor Snape, then at the porcupine quill in his hand.
He seemed to have only taken one quill...
Had he lost his memory? Or was Professor Snape trying to find a reason to scold him and took a quill from someone else?
It shouldn't be the case, even though Professor Snape was a bit shameless when it came to deducting points, he wasn't that despicable.
Besides, he wasn't a Potter.
"Pro-Professor..."
At that moment, Conna, sitting next to him, slowly raised her hand, her voice quivering slightly. "I... I cut this one."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
