Chapter 570: Drinking
Chapter 570: Drinking (Request for Subscriptions, Favorites, and Votes)
"Did you guys notice that Harry seemed a bit strange after he took the potion?" Ron asked Liam and the others, a bit bewildered, after Harry left. "I've never seen Harry like this before. Are you sure that bottle wasn't some kind of crazy Elixir?"
"It might be a side effect of Felix Felicis", Liam said. "Professor Slughorn once mentioned that after drinking Felix Felicis, you feel like everything is under control. Harry's attitude just now might have been influenced by the Elixir. However, if you drink too much of this Elixir, it can affect your brain. The feeling can turn into dizziness, recklessness, and dangerous arrogance."
"Sounds pretty bad", Ron shrugged, then looked at Liam and Hermione. "So, I hope Harry succeeds this time—by the way, what are you guys planning to do next?"
"We, we thought we'd take a walk around the castle. We've been so busy these past few months, we haven't had a break. So today, we want to relax a bit", Liam and Hermione exchanged a glance before answering.
"Alright, have a good evening. I'm heading to the Common Room to find Lavender." With that, Ron stood up, opened the door, and left the empty classroom.
"Now it's just the two of us", Hermione smiled, her lips curving slightly. "Today, whether it's your improvement in strength or my passing the exams, it's all worth celebrating. So, where do you think we should go for a walk?"
"Let's go to the classroom where we hold our Study Group", Liam thought for a moment and said. "We can have something to drink and chat there. We've been so busy lately, I feel like it's been a long time since we've had a normal conversation and relaxed together."
"Of course, it's wartime, and to achieve our goals, we have to work hard for a long time. I think once this war is over, we won't have to be so busy anymore", Hermione said, standing up and pulling Liam to his feet. "But of course, in the current situation, any chance to rest a little is a good thing. Let's go upstairs now."
Soon, the two of them arrived at the classroom, which was empty and spacious. Liam waved his wand, merging three desks into a large table and turning two stools into milky white armchairs, placing them on either side of the table.
He continued to wave his wand, adding cushions, tablecloths, and various decorative items to the table and chairs. He then opened his dimension pocket and used the Magic Commander to have various gold and silver vessels fly to the table and settle into their proper positions.
"Try these pastries; they come from the Palace of Versailles", Liam pulled out a chair and invited Hermione to sit down, then took a seat at the opposite end of the table and introduced the pastries. "And they are from the most prosperous period of the Palace of Versailles during Louis Xiv's reign."
"The pastries are a bit too sweet", Hermione complained after taking a bite of a single almond macaroon from a pink porcelain plate on a silver tray, but she still finished the whole piece.
"Well, sugar was a luxury in those days. As noble-style pastries, they naturally used a lot of sugar", Liam said, finishing the small piece of cream cake in his hand in two bites. Indeed, the amount of sugar was a bit much by modern standards.
"It's fine; we can give these pastries to the children in the World of Ice and Fire. They love these sweet treats, especially Daenerys and Leanna. If the Temple Matrons didn't control them, they would definitely eat too much sugar."
"You don't need to worry too much. They'll soon reach the age where they start caring about their appearance, and they'll naturally control their intake of sweets", Hermione chuckled. Next, Liam and Hermione began discussing the interesting events that had happened in various worlds, and the atmosphere at the table gradually became harmonious, a long-lost sense of relaxation settling over both of them.
Of course, by then, the pastries on the table had been replaced with those made by the Elves of Middle-earth, and even the bottles of wine on the table had become Aged Elven Fruit Wine and Mead. Since they had classes the next day, only these non-intoxicating drinks were suitable for them.
As Liam and Hermione were laughing about a funny incident in the Radiation World, the door to their empty classroom suddenly knocked.
"It can't be curfew time yet, right?" Liam glanced at his watch and said, "Could it be a prank? This classroom is in a remote corridor; usually, no one passes by here."
"Regardless, we should check it out." Hermione stood up and opened the door, only to be surprised by Professor Slughorn, dressed in a dark green velvet robe and a flashy tie. Harry, looking somewhat resigned, stood behind him.
"Ah, are you two hiding here to drink in secret?" Slughorn observed the room and said, "No worries, no worries. I was quite fond of alcohol at your age too. I understand the feelings of young people like you, so I won't tell anyone about this."
Liam noticed that Slughorn seemed more excited than usual tonight. As Hermione conjured more chairs for Slughorn to sit down, Liam leaned in and whispered to Harry, "Weren't you supposed to be at a gathering in Slughorn's office tonight? Why are you here now? And why does the professor seem different tonight?"
"It's like this", Harry replied in a hushed tone. "I was chatting with Professor Slughorn in his office and drinking some wine. Then, as we were drinking, he noticed the bracelet you lent me on my wrist and started asking about it. A voice in my head told me to bring him to this classroom, so I told him the bracelet was made by you. That's how we ended up here. As for why the professor seems different, it might be because he doesn't usually drink during his classes."
A voice in his head? Could Felix Felicis have such an effect? Liam pondered the effects of Felix Felicis as he sat down at the table with Harry. If Felix Felicis was guiding Harry here, it meant this place could make Slughorn open up. Liam felt he just needed to support Harry.
"By the way, speaking of drinking, you must try this fine Honey Mead I brought." Slughorn pulled a bottle from his robe and uncorked it.
"I've checked it; there's no poison", he assured the others, pouring the drink into each cup. "After poor Robert's incident, I had a House-Elf taste every bottle of my wine."
Hermione frowned, disapproving of Slughorn's method of using a House-Elf to test for poison despite his many potions expertise. However, considering Harry's goal for the night, she kept quiet.
"Children, let's toast to a better tomorrow." Slughorn raised his glass high after pouring the drinks.
"To the future", Liam and the others echoed, raising their glasses. Harry pretended to take a sip, while the others took large gulps. However, Liam and Hermione subtly removed the alcohol from their drinks using their own methods.
"Hey, Liam, I saw a Magical Defense Bracelet with Harry. He told me it was made by you. Is that true?" After finishing his drink, Slughorn, under the influence of alcohol, bluntly stated the reason for his visit.
"Of course, Professor", Liam replied with a tone of pride and satisfaction. "It's the latest experimental version of the bracelets I've been consigning at Weasley's Joke Shop. I thought Harry, being a celebrity, would be a good way to promote this item."
"Oh, that makes sense." Slughorn nodded. "I once spent a significant amount of gold on a bracelet from their shop, though yours is different from the ones sold there, so I didn't recognize it at first."
Slughorn rolled up his sleeve to reveal a gold bracelet. Liam recognized it as the top-tier defensive bracelet he had consigned at the shop, of which only eight had been sold so far. It seemed the professor indeed lacked a sense of security.
(End of Chapter)
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