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Chapter 568: Class
Chapter 568: Class (Request for Subscriptions, Favorites, and Votes)
"By the way, who are those two girls over there? They don’t seem very happy." Since the previous conversation had been quite serious, Ron tried to change the subject as they walked through the courtyard after finishing their meal, pointing to a pair of girls walking over.
"They are the Montgomery Sisters. Their brother was bitten by a Werewolf, apparently because their mother refused to help a Death Eater." Harry said, his expression darkening. "Although I heard their brother was saved by a Powerful Wizard, he still turned into a Werewolf."
"Oh, I’m sorry. I really don’t know much about their situation", Ron apologized sincerely. He had only meant to lighten the mood for Harry, but he hadn’t expected to hear such a grim story.
"So, Harry, you must get that memory. It’s all to stop the Dark Lord, isn’t it? All these terrible things happening are because of him..." Hermione said, her voice tinged with sadness.
"Don’t be so down, at least Andrew is doing well now", Liam said, trying to comfort Hermione. "Last weekend, when I went to treat the Werewolves, Professor Lupin told me the Montgomery family is doing well in Norway. Montgomery found a suitable job, and Andrew has made new friends."
"I know", Hermione nodded slightly. "But the whole situation is a tragedy. We can’t guarantee that everyone will be as lucky as he is. That’s why I hope Harry can find that memory so we can defeat the Dark Lord and prevent such tragedies from happening again."
"I believe things will get better, and I wish you good luck this afternoon", Liam said. At that moment, the clock in the castle chimed, and Liam hugged Hermione to say goodbye. He then watched her and a group of classmates leave through the castle gates to take their Apparition exam in Hogsmeade.
That afternoon, only four people were in Potions class: Liam, Harry, Ernie, and Draco Malfoy.
"Aren’t any of you old enough for Apparition yet?" Slughorn asked kindly. "Not seventeen yet?"
They all nodded, and Slughorn’s eyes lit up. "It seems this year’s students are a bit older, then. In my time at Hogwarts, the first Apparition exam would usually have more students in my class."
Liam understood why. The year they were born, Voldemort had been defeated. Naturally, people would venture out from their hiding places, unlike the times when Voldemort was rampant, when people stayed home with little to do except eat, sleep, and have children. So, it was no surprise that the birth rate in the magical world was low during that period.
"Well then", Slughorn clapped his hands cheerfully, interrupting Liam’s thoughts, "since there are so few of you, let’s do something fun. I want each of you to brew something interesting for me!"
"That sounds great, sir", Ernie said, rubbing his hands together flatteringly. Malfoy, however, didn’t crack a smile. His father’s imprisonment and Voldemort’s assigned task had clearly put a lot of pressure on him. "What do you mean by ‘interesting’?" he asked irritably.
"Oh, surprise me", Slughorn replied casually. But this didn’t lift Malfoy’s spirits. Liam saw him frown and open his Advanced Potion-Making book, looking disgruntled. It was obvious he thought the class was a waste of time. Sitting in the dungeon was undoubtedly taking away time he could be spending in the Room of Requirement.
A couple of days ago, Liam had checked the progress on the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement. He had also used his recently enhanced understanding of dimensional rules to strengthen the traps he had previously set on the Vanishing Cabinet, improving both their effectiveness and stealth.
Previously, Liam had been somewhat worried that Malfoy might discover the tampering he had done to the Vanishing Cabinet. However, after a thorough inspection, he realized his concerns were unfounded. Malfoy's proficiency in Alchemy was far below what he had imagined. Take the Vanishing Cabinet Malfoy was currently repairing, for example. His progress on this Alchemical device was excruciatingly slow. Liam estimated that the work Malfoy had done over the past half-semester would have taken him no more than two hours.
Apart from the slow progress, the quality of the repairs was also subpar. During his inspection, Liam found that only the core Spatial Transfer Array had been repaired, while many of the auxiliary Magic Runes remained damaged. This meant that while items could now be transferred between the two Vanishing Cabinets, the lack of positioning and protective runes made it highly likely that the items would suffer irreversible damage during the process.
Naturally, under such conditions, it was impossible to transport personnel. As a result, Malfoy now looked much thinner and more haggard than at the start of the term, his skin pale and even tinged with a grayish hue. He was nothing like the arrogant boy Harry had described on the train. It was no wonder, considering the amount of effort he had expended only to find that the Vanishing Cabinet was still unusable and his mission remained unaccomplished. Anyone would be in a similar state.
Liam was no saint, so Malfoy's misfortune actually improved his mood. Additionally, Slughorn had not specified which Elixirs they were to brew this time. Therefore, Liam decided to take advantage of this opportunity to slack off and pass the time by making something simple.
"Ah, this looks wonderful", Slughorn said, clapping his hands as he approached Harry's cauldron, which contained a liquid as golden as sunlight. "Euphoria Elixir, isn't it? What's that smell? Ah... you added a tiny sprig of Peppermint, didn't you? Not quite orthodox, but what a brilliant touch, Harry. Of course, it can counteract the occasional side effects of singing too much or pinching noses. I have no idea where you get these ideas, my boy... unless it's your mother's genes showing through!"
"Oh... maybe", Harry said, adopting a slightly ingratiating tone. "Can I visit you tonight?"
"Of course, my boy, of course. My office door is always open to such a prodigy", the plump Slughorn replied, looking very pleased. His mustache twitched, making him resemble a chubby seal at the zoo. "We can have a little party in my office tonight."
Liam had brewed a nearly perfect Mind Soothing Potion during the class. While it certainly wasn't as impressive to Slughorn as Harry's creative, textbook-defying formula, it was still much better than Ernie's. Ernie, in his attempt to outdo Harry, had hastily concocted his own potion, which had congealed into a purple, soup-like substance at the bottom of his cauldron. Malfoy, like Liam, had spent the entire class slacking off and only managed to brew a passable Burping Potion.
"Alright, the first step is done", Harry said in a low voice as the four of them quickly left the classroom. After watching Ernie and Malfoy turn the corner and disappear, he continued, "Next, we'll have to improvise at Professor Slughorn's office."
"Good luck tonight", Liam said, pulling out the vial of Felix Felicis and handing it to Harry. "This Elixir takes effect immediately, so I suggest you drink it just before you leave to ensure it works at its best."
"Thanks, I hope everything goes smoothly tonight", Harry said, taking the vial and giving a slightly nervous smile. "We've prepared for so long, and it all comes down to tonight."
(End of Chapter)
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