Chapter 577: A Break
Chapter 577: A Break
The evening's conversation had left everyone exhausted, so Liam and the other two quickly returned to their dormitories to sleep. However, the overall content of the evening's discussion was mostly good news, especially for Harry, who was unaware of some of the details. The next morning in Charms, Liam noticed Harry excitedly whispering to Ron, a smile on his face. Sometimes, ignorance truly is bliss.
"I think we need to improve our strength at least one step further to complete Professor Dumbledore's mission", Hermione said to Liam through the Phoenix Mark. "At the very least, we need to wait until you create the Philosopher's Stone."
"I call it the Rose Madonna", Liam corrected her, then continued, "Actually, with our current level, we can already attempt this, but the success rate is at most fifty percent. We can't risk our friends' lives on such odds."
"You're right. Since the situation doesn't seem urgent, we can wait a bit longer", Hermione agreed. As she spoke, her elbow accidentally bumped Liam, causing his wand to wobble and a shower of petals to fall from the sky.
"Be careful!" Liam quickly put down his wand and brushed the petals off Hermione's shoulders and head. "This is much better than last time. When I waved my wand wrong, Flobberworms rained down from the sky."
"That sounds awful", Hermione wrinkled her nose, as if recalling the slimy, disgusting worms. She then plucked a petal from Liam's head. "We must have been lucky this time—"
"Alright, you two, save your conversation for after class", Professor Flitwick wobbled over, interrupting them. Being a small man, Liam hadn't seen him approach. "This is class time, so less talking and more work... Now, please demonstrate today's lesson."
Liam and Hermione simultaneously raised their wands and waved them at the vials of vinegar in front of them. Instantly, the liquids in both vials turned deep red, and a scent of wine wafted from the vials.
"Very good", Professor Flitwick nodded. "But it's best to stay quiet during class, for the sake of others—"
Before he could finish, a loud explosion came from behind them, and everyone flinched. Professor Flitwick calmly removed his hat and shook the glass shards from the top, then looked at Ron, who had caused the commotion. "I think your homework for today will be more practice."
After Charms, they had a rare moment of free time. However, as soon as they returned to the Common Room, Liam and Hermione were already discussing and writing on a piece of parchment.
"Did Professor Flitwick just assign written homework?" Ron asked, looking confused.
"I don't think so", Harry scratched his messy hair. "They might be writing something else. They often bury themselves in a pile of scrolls, and I think they write more in a week than we do in a month."
"Don't worry, I'm not doing homework now. I'm just writing a shopping list for Fred and George to buy us some things", Liam said, finishing his last stroke on the parchment and looking up at Ron.
"Are these things related to the Order of the Phoenix?" Harry asked in a low voice, checking that no other students were paying attention.
"Sort of", Liam replied, folding the parchment and slipping it into an envelope. He then wrote the address of Weasley's Joke Shop in purple ink. "Mainly because I saw how well Harry used Felix Felicis yesterday. I decided to gather the materials to make some myself. I think if we have Felix Felicis, it will be easier for everyone to survive the battles with Death Eaters."
"You guys are impressive", Harry and Ron were both amazed after hearing Liam's explanation. Harry had looked up the method for making Felix Felicis in Advanced Potion-Making before, and the book stated that it required six months of slow brewing, with the raw materials being extremely costly. Few people had the means or skill to brew such a potion.
"After all, everyone fighting against the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord faces immense psychological pressure and life-threatening situations. As someone who isn’t on the front lines, the best I can do is to try every possible way to increase everyone’s chances of survival." Liam smiled.
"Liam, you’ve done so much for everyone. Compared to you, I feel like I’m not living up to my role as the Chosen One." Harry said, pulling a small bottle out of his pocket. "By the way, I only took a small sip of Felix Felicis yesterday. I’ll give the rest back to you. I was thinking about taking another sip to go to the Room of Requirement."
"I don’t think that’s a good idea. Don’t waste such a valuable resource." Hermione took the small bottle of Felix Felicis from Harry and handed it to Liam to store. "Luck can only help you so much. From the tasks Professor Dumbledore gave you, it’s clear that Slughorn can be persuaded; you just haven’t found the right approach. So, drinking Felix Felicis has its uses. However, the powerful magic in the Room of Requirement, which is connected to Hogwarts Castle, isn’t something you can easily overcome. The remaining Felix Felicis might save a few lives for the Order of the Phoenix members on the front lines."
"Alright, you’re right." Harry shrugged helplessly, but Liam and the others knew he hadn’t given up on figuring out what Malfoy was up to.
May slipped by quietly, and the Gryffindor Quidditch players spent each day discussing tactics or training intensely. They needed to score 300 points to win the Quidditch Cup. This also led to a new order for Liam: his new Focus Incense received a large number of orders. According to Harry, since the team started using the incense, the players’ excessive anxiety and sudden, unexplained fits of nausea had largely disappeared.
The best part was that, due to the incense’s popularity in the school, Madam Pomfrey, out of safety concerns, asked Liam to submit samples for her to test. The results were excellent. Madam Pomfrey not only deemed the product beneficial but also placed an order for the Hospital Wing, effectively advertising the incense.
At Liam’s suggestion, the Weasley Twins combined the new Focus Incense with the Sleeping Incense Liam had created the previous year, selling them as a set. Their advertising slogan was simple: "Use Focus Incense during the day for better concentration, and Sleeping Incense at night for a good night’s sleep." Though the slogan was a bit cliché, it was clear and straightforward.
The first Study Group meeting of early June began, with all Reading Club members gathered. Several members had new injuries, a testament to their dedication since Liam had taught them combat magic. It was inevitable that some would get hurt.
"Neville, I have to say this again, you don’t need to push yourself so hard." Liam looked at the burn mark on Neville’s left arm and advised him. "Even though we have potions that can heal the wounds completely, the pain from burns is unavoidable."
"Thanks for your concern, Liam", Neville smiled. "But I can’t afford to slack off. I know I’m not the smartest, so to do my part in this war, I have to work harder than others."
"Alright, if that’s your choice", Liam thought for a moment but didn’t continue to persuade him. Instead, he stood on the platform and announced that all Reading Club members could buy healing elixirs at cost price from Weasley’s Joke Shop.
"May everyone make it through this war unscathed", Liam silently wished as he watched his classmates cheer.
(End of Chapter)
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