Chapter 493: Laboratory
Chapter 493: Laboratory
Contrary to expectations, the Alchemy Lab was not cluttered with thick layers of dust. Instead, it was spotlessly clean, as if it had been tidied up just yesterday.
"House-Elves are truly perfect at cleaning!" Hermione remarked, looking around the pristine Laboratory. "It seems likely that the School's House-Elves clean here every day."
"It's more than that", Liam said, waving his hand. Silver Light Points drifted from the rings on his fingers and floated toward the walls. As the light points touched the walls, ripples spread out from them, gradually revealing the wall beneath. Hermione was surprised to see that the Green Brick Wall was like an illusion, slowly fading to reveal a wall made of Translucent Black Stone. The floor tiles and ceiling were also made of the same material.
"What is this?" Hermione asked, looking at the Translucent Black Stone around them.
"Alchemized Obsidian, and it contains a very complex Magic Array. All of this is to ensure the Laboratory maintains a series of balances, minimizing external factors that could affect experiments", Liam explained after a thorough inspection. "Aside from the somewhat outdated facilities, this is the second-best Alchemy Lab I've ever seen."
After quickly crafting a Copper Protective Bracelet, Liam and Hermione left the house. The Laboratory's equipment, though somewhat old-fashioned, still performed all the basic functions required for alchemy, such as crushing, melting, heating, and cooling, with perfect efficiency. Liam decided that for less important projects, he could use this Lab instead of his portable one, which would reduce wear and tear.
After tidying up in the Common Room, they headed to their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the year. As soon as they entered the classroom, they found that Professor Snape had decided to give them a taste of what was to come, warning them that the advanced course was far more challenging than they imagined.
The classroom was typical of Snape's style: the curtains were drawn tightly, and only the dim light from the candles illuminated the room. The walls were adorned with new pictures, many of which depicted people in agony, gruesome wounds, and bizarrely twisted body parts. Even Liam, who had experienced bloody battles, felt a bit uneasy, let alone the other students who had grown up in a peaceful environment. They sat down silently, eyeing the images on the walls with a mix of awe and discomfort.
Snape then delivered a scathing speech, summarizing that most of the students who had passed the exams to get into this class were merely lucky, and that most of them were essentially worthless. He then described Dark Magic in a way that suggested admiration and respect, emphasizing the need for flexibility and innovation when facing it.
Liam, however, believed that the core of combating Dark Magic was to eliminate the Dark Wizard as quickly as possible. For example, the Carrows had indeed mastered a lot of Dark Magic, but when they were targeted in Russia, they didn't even have time to use a single Dark spell before being eliminated. Liam, of course, was not harmed by their Dark Magic.
After this lengthy introduction, the class moved on to learning non-verbal spells. However, Liam and the Reading Club members had already mastered this technique last year, so when Snape gave the order, they automatically split into groups to practice, drawing a few extra glances from Snape.
Just as Liam thought Snape might come over to ask them about it, Harry, the most likely to attract his attention, succeeded in doing so. After a round of sarcastic remarks aimed at Harry and Ron, Snape attempted to catch Harry off guard, but was unexpectedly repelled by a Protective Shield Harry had instinctively cast.
Naturally, this earned Harry a Saturday evening detention in Snape's office. However, this news didn't dampen Harry's spirits for long, as a lower-year Gryffindor student handed him a parchment just after class, bearing a note from Professor Dumbledore. The note instructed Harry to attend a lesson at eight o'clock on Saturday evening.
Liam and Hermione then went to their Arithmancy and Divination classes, while Harry and the others returned to the Common Room to do their homework. The advanced Arithmancy class had very few students; including Liam, there were only six. The content was naturally much more profound, involving a lot of calculations that delved into the fundamental aspects of magic.
Just like science, many aspects of Magic are built on a foundation of mathematics. Unfortunately, even a place like Hogwarts has been infiltrated by Pure-blood Wizards, who have made this subject increasingly unpopular. As a result, only a small number of young Wizards have the opportunity to study it today.
After the Arithmancy class ended, it was time for lunch. The post-lunch break was spent on homework. Fortunately, Liam had managed to create two quills similar to the one Rita Skeeter used, which made writing assignments much easier for him and Hermione.
"Wow, this is amazing. Can you sell us a few?" Ron asked enviously as he watched Liam and Hermione dictate their content, which the white quills scribbled down on parchment.
"This quill isn't suitable for you or Harry", Liam gestured to stop the quill and explained. "To use this quill effectively, you need to have a complete essay in your mind before you start writing. If you try to edit as you go, it becomes very frustrating." He then let Ron try it out.
"You're right. This quill might only be useful for you and Hermione", Ron said dejectedly after using a scrap of parchment. At least a third of the parchment was crossed out, the result of his attempt to use the voice-controlled quill. It was clear that without a well-thought-out plan, it was better to write essays by hand.
With the help of the new quills, Liam completed the assignments for both of his morning classes during the lunch break. After writing the final period, he shook his hand to relax his wrist, then packed up his things to prepare for the afternoon classes.
When Liam and the others left the Common Room, they found the corridor outside in a state of confusion. As everyone rushed out to their classes, many students were still unsure of their new schedules and where to go. Fortunately, Professor Mcgonagall was there to direct everyone to the correct classrooms. Liam saw her holding a parchment and guiding the students.
"Lavender, your Divination class is still upstairs", Professor Mcgonagall called out to Lavender, who was surrounded by a group of first years. She then shouted to students in another direction, "Davis! Mr. Davis! Don't go that way! That's the girls' bathroom..."
Harry and Ron had come out a bit earlier than Liam and the others. Since they hadn't prepared their textbooks and materials, they planned to skip a class. They had come out to take a walk after finishing their homework and to observe the other students preparing for their classes. Seeing the chaos, they were amused.
"Oh no", Ron immediately crouched down, trying to avoid Professor Mcgonagall's gaze. Harry, realizing the situation, also tried to run but was immediately spotted by Professor Mcgonagall.
"Potter, Mr. Weasley!" Professor Mcgonagall had seen their small movements and immediately called them out.
"Potter, I remember you have Potions class this afternoon", Professor Mcgonagall said sternly.
"But we haven't prepared our textbooks and materials, so this class—"
"There are still materials and textbooks in the classroom. You can use them for now", Professor Mcgonagall replied firmly. Then she noticed Liam and Hermione coming out of the Common Room.
"Mr. Liang, I have a task for you", Professor Mcgonagall called Liam over, who looked bewildered. "I remember you're going to Potions class. Take Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley with you. They seemed a bit too cheerful just now."
Liam nodded and led Harry and Ron to the Potions classroom, ensuring they didn't skip class.
(End of Chapter)
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