Chapter 561: A New Discovery
Chapter 561: A New Discovery
The October sky was overcast and dreary, with signs of impending rain. But the gloomy weather did not dampen the students' spirits nor deter them from their trip to Hogsmeade.
Not a single student would pass up the chance to enjoy a day of fun in Hogsmeade before returning to Hogwarts for the grand Halloween feast, making the already wonderful celebration even more memorable.
On the way to Hogsmeade, Albert and Isabel passed the time with a conversation about Wolfsbane Potion, making the journey anything but boring.
Suddenly, a group of Ravenclaw girls, including Katrina and her friends, walked by. The girls giggled and whispered amongst themselves, seemingly discussing Albert and Isabel. A few of them even kept glancing back at the couple.
However, the pair paid them no mind and ignored their curious gazes, continuing their conversation until they arrived in the village of Hogsmeade.
"Let's go to Honeydukes first!" Albert said, pulling Isabel's hand as they turned into the sweet-smelling shop, crowded with students.
In a corner of the candy store, Albert spotted a group of people sucking on some sort of ice lolly, causing their feet to float a few inches off the ground.
"Let's go try one too," he suggested.
Just as they were making their way towards the corner, they unfortunately ran into Katrina and her friends again. One of the girls even approached Isabel while she was choosing some candies and enthusiastically greeted Albert.
"You're quite popular," she said softly.
"Too much fame can be a burden," Albert sighed, walking over to a cotton candy machine and starting to shape the sugary treat. "Have you ever tried this?"
"What are you doing?" Isabel asked curiously, noticing Albert's actions.
In just a moment, Albert had crafted a flower out of the cotton candy, which he then presented to Isabel.
"It's a Muggle trick," he explained.
"It's so beautiful, I almost don't want to eat it," Isabel said softly, admiring the cotton candy flower.
Just then, several girls approached Albert, hoping he could make them similar cotton candy flowers.
"Sorry, we have to go," Albert politely declined, gathering the candies they had chosen and heading to the counter to pay. Then, amidst a chorus of disappointed sighs from the girls, they left the candy store.
"If you were to teach this little trick to the owner of the candy store, he might be very willing to give you a 5% discount the next time you buy candies," Isabel suggested, admiring the cotton candy flower in her hand.
"Let's not do that," Albert replied. "I'm not Professor Lockhart, and I don't particularly enjoy being surrounded by a crowd."
The couple then made their way to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, a popular spot for couples. There, they ran into Percy and his companion, Miss Penello, who seemed quite interested in the cotton candy flower that Isabel was holding. Percy then took his girlfriend to Honeydukes, presumably to buy her the same treat.
"I'm afraid Miss Penello will be disappointed," Isabel said, setting the cotton candy aside and ordering two cups of milk tea. She then steered the conversation towards beauty potions.
In fact, there were quite a few similar beauty potions in the wizarding world. The original concept was proposed and developed by a witch named Sacrisa Twiggwood in the last century, but none of these potions could truly preserve one's youth.
Across the ocean, Miss Katherine had also made little progress in her pursuit of creating a potion to maintain one's appearance. Developing such a potion was no easy feat.
Sometimes, a little bit of luck was needed in the research of potions.
Albert intended to seek inspiration from the ingredients of beauty potions and the Mandrake, as with complex potion-making techniques, it was possible to brew a concoction that could delay aging.
However, whether this actually worked or not, Albert wasn't sure. Nonetheless, he shared some of his research ideas with Isabel.
Just then, a bolt of lightning split the sky, followed by the distant rumble of thunder.
The rain poured down in sheets, causing people on the street to scurry for cover. The tea shop was soon filled with students seeking shelter from the downpour.
After spending an hour in the tea shop, the couple decided to leave when the rain showed signs of letting up. They intended to visit Dervish and Banges to buy a few things.
As they stepped out of the tea shop after paying their bill, Albert spotted a familiar figure.
"Mr. Hector Dagworth," Albert said, taking Isabel's hand and quickening their pace to catch up with the man about to turn the corner.
"Albert, what a surprise!" Hector stopped in his tracks, looking at Albert with a hint of astonishment. His gaze then shifted to Isabel, standing at Albert's side, and he smiled as he asked, "Aren't you going to introduce me to your companion?"
"This is Isabel, my girlfriend," Albert said, making the introductions. "And this is Mr. Hector Dagworth, a renowned Potions Master I mentioned to you before."
"What brings you here?"
"I need a Snallygaster egg, and I thought I'd drop by to see Mr. Kettleburn. I heard he's unwell."
"You sold this house to Mr. Kettleburn?" Albert had already guessed the reason.
"Yes, I heard he was planning to retire, so I offered him my place in Hogsmeade," Hector explained with a smile. "As you know, I rarely come to this side, so it's just a waste to keep the house."
After consulting with Isabel, the two followed Hector down a secluded street to the house from their previous visit.
The place was well-maintained, with the weeds in the garden replaced by vibrant flowers, and a small shed built alongside it.
"I thought Professor Kettleburn would be resting at the hospital," Albert remarked.
"Mr. Kettleburn couldn't bear to leave his beloved creatures, so he returned," Hector replied.
Their host was a house-elf, likely sent from Hogwarts to care for Professor Kettleburn's daily needs.
Professor Kettleburn was delighted to have visitors and casually chatted with them about the recent happenings.
"I read in the newspaper that Mr. Damocles has released the Wolfsbane Potion." Professor Kettleburn looked at Hector with confusion, assuming he was the one who invented the potion.
"It was Damocles' idea to use the poison of the wolfsbane plant to create a potion to counter werewolves," Hector clarified with a smile. "The potion itself has existed for a long time, but there were issues with the ingredients and formulation. Later, he invited us to help improve it, and I recall Albert here being a great help."
Professor Kettleburn looked at Albert with surprise, who merely shook his head, indicating that he had only provided suggestions at the time.
"However, it's quite expensive, and I doubt werewolves can afford it," Professor Kettleburn remarked, shaking his head. "By the way, how many Snallygaster eggs do you need?"
"One... no, make it two," Hector said, deciding to be prepared for any eventuality.
"I'll have Clark bring them to you," Professor Kettleburn agreed without hesitation, letting out a soft sigh. "There should have been eight Snallygaster eggs, but for some reason, when I checked, two were missing."
"Were they stolen?"
"I don't know. I can't quite remember," Professor Kettleburn admitted.
Albert's eyebrows furrowed slightly, reminding him of the troublesome Lockhart, especially since he needed Snallygaster eggs for his infamous hair potion.
"Perhaps you gave them to Professor Lockhart? I recall his hair potion requiring Snallygaster eggs," Albert bluntly placed the blame on the most suspicious candidate.
"Snallygaster egg hair potion?" Hector raised an eyebrow.
"Professor Lockhart gave me a bottle last time, and I haven't used it yet. It's right here," Albert said, taking out the potion from his chameleon-like lizard skin bag.
"I've heard of this concoction being sold on the black market," Hector inspected the bottle. "It's said to be somewhat dangerous to use, but the effects are remarkable. Still, I'd hardly call this even a half-finished product."
"That's a shameful waste," Kettleburn chimed in, clearly disapproving of Lockhart's potion, which primarily consisted of Snallygaster egg yolks. "I can't fathom why Dumbledore agreed to have him as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"Alright, let's not get worked up. You should focus on getting better," Hector soothed, and after the house-elf brought the Snallygaster eggs, they bid farewell to Professor Kettleburn.
"Do you think it was Professor Lockhart?" Isabel asked after they parted ways with Hector.
"Don't you find the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher suspicious every year?" Albert replied, changing the subject. "Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"
"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks for a drink, and then we can head back," Isabel suggested after a moment's hesitation. "Have you ever asked that Mr. Hector about the beauty potions?"
"Of course," Albert didn't hide the truth. "He mentioned that a witch named Sacrisa Twiggwood, who specialized in beauty potions, had similar ideas and even spent a lot of time researching them, but she never succeeded."
"That makes sense. It's not something that could be achieved easily," Isabel agreed.
"If you want, I can help you ask around," Albert suddenly offered. "Perhaps the descendants of Sacrisa Twiggwood still have her old research materials."
Albert felt that seeking inspiration from others might just lead to success.
While relying on luck wasn't ideal, it was worth a try.
"To be honest, I think you want to see it too!"
Isabel gave Albert a look, but nodded in agreement, hoping that the witch's notes and research records hadn't been lost.
Most wizards didn't value knowledge as much as one might imagine, especially when it came to things that couldn't make them money. Sacrisa Twiggwood's beauty potions were no longer considered a secret.
(End of Chapter)
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