https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-744-Two-Bottles-of-Amoret-Potion/12539311/
Chapter 745: The Real Vintage Honey Mead
Chapter 745: The Real Vintage Honey Mead
At the school hospital.
Just as Kyle had said, Madam Pomfrey didn't ask what had happened, perhaps because she was too shocked to remember at the moment.
Well, it was quite rare for a professor to be brought to the school hospital by students, even at Hogwarts.
It wasn't until Kyle explained the reason that Madam Pomfrey breathed a sigh of relief.
And when she calmed down, she also noticed that Slughorn and Ron were indeed just unconscious, as Kyle had mentioned.
"Dumbledore always does this, the professors he brings in are getting more and more unreliable..." Madam Pomfrey couldn't help but complain, "Clearly a Potions professor, and yet he ended up consuming something laced with a Love Potion."
Kyle shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Madam Pomfrey's words weren't wrong. Although Love Potions had no distinct taste, they made the color of the food more vibrant and shiny, as if it had been waxed. If one paid close attention, they should have been able to notice it.
Wizards who dealt with potions regularly should have been more aware of this.
Kyle couldn't comment on others, but he could confidently assert that Snape would never make such a basic mistake.
So, Madam Pomfrey's words rang true—Slughorn was indeed unreliable in certain aspects.
After venting her frustrations, Madam Pomfrey asked Kyle to place Ron and Slughorn on two separate beds.
The antidote for a Love Potion wasn't particularly difficult to make. Madam Pomfrey took down a few bottles from the shelf and poured their contents into two cups.
"Oh, dear, I'm out of Pepper-Up Potion. One of you, quickly go and find Slughorn..." Madam Pomfrey subconsciously glanced at the two on the beds and hastily corrected herself, "I mean, go find Professor Snape. He should have some."
"No need," Connor interjected. "If it's Pepper-Up Potion you need, I have some right here."
She handed a sealed potion bottle to Madam Pomfrey.
"Will this do?"
"Perfectly fine," Madam Pomfrey affirmed, opening the bottle and pouring its contents into the cup.
She then plucked a few petals from the dittany plant in the nearby flowerpot, wrapped them in soil, and crushed them into the cup.
In less than five minutes, the two cups of antidote were ready.
Just then, Harry rushed in with a breathless Professor McGonagall.
"Merciful heavens, what in the world is going on here!" Seeing the two motionless figures on the beds, Professor McGonagall's face paled, and she nearly stumbled, but Connor quickly reached out to steady her.
"Thank you, Miss Prince," Professor McGonagall said, clutching her chest. "What's happening in the school? What happened to them..."
"It's alright, Professor. They just accidentally consumed a Love Potion," Kyle explained as he stepped forward. "I think they were a bit too lively, so we had to use the Stunning Spell to bring them here. Well, it was also for their own reputations."
"Just a Love Potion?" Professor McGonagall was taken aback for a moment before she realized what had happened. She then turned to Harry with a speechless expression.
He had burst into her office shouting about an emergency, dragging her along without explaining anything.
Coupled with the commotion and whispers in the castle, Professor McGonagall had almost thought that Death Eaters had invaded Hogwarts.
"I understand your concern for your friends, Potter, but in the future, please state the main issue first when something happens," Professor McGonagall chided him.
Harry nodded awkwardly, realizing that he had indeed been a bit too anxious earlier.
"Alright, Miss Miller, we'll discuss your matter later," Madam Pomfrey said as she carried the antidote over. "If you would, please wake one of them up."
Kyle waved his wand, and Ron immediately opened his eyes.
"Where am I? Where's Romilda..."
"There's no Romilda here," Madam Pomfrey said as she walked over and clamped her hand over Ron's mouth, forcing the antidote into his mouth.
"You could have just made up any excuse to get him to drink it," Harry muttered, watching Madam Pomfrey's actions. "In his current state, it wouldn't be difficult."
Madam Pomfrey acted as if she hadn't heard him. She was in no mood to think of excuses; direct force was more efficient.
Soon, the entire cup of antidote was gone.
Harry watched Ron anxiously. Suddenly, the struggling Ron shuddered and then wore an extremely terrified expression.
"Where am I... Good heavens! What have I done!" He grabbed his hair, wishing he could hide himself in the gap between the headboard and the bed.
"Alright, you're back to normal now," Madam Pomfrey said. "Remember to be more careful about what you eat from now on."
She then picked up the other cup of antidote from the table.
Kyle once again pointed his wand.
Just like Ron, Slughorn started yelling as soon as he woke up.
"Ah... Rosmerta, where are you? You're the cloak in the beauty potion, your hair shines like a fluxweed in a cauldron."
"Oh, does Madam Rosmerta have golden hair?" Connor asked, looking at Kyle.
"Now that you mention it..." Kyle thought for a moment, "I don't think so. At least not the dazzling gold of fluxweed."
But Madam Pomfrey paid no heed to such details. She walked over to Slughorn and forced the antidote down his throat in the same manner.
A few seconds later...
There was another scream, and Slughorn bent over, trying to hide his large frame under the thin bedsheet.
"It was Rosmerta!" Slughorn exclaimed, covering his face as if he were a frost-bitten eggplant. "She gave me pineapple candies laced with a Love Potion. She knew I couldn't refuse; I've told her as much."
"Are you sure it was Madam Rosmerta?" Professor McGonagall inquired.
"Of course, I am!" Slughorn exclaimed indignantly, and then, with a flexibility that belied his size, he hopped off the bed. "I'm going to find her and get to the bottom of this!"
"Perhaps I should be the one to go," Professor McGonagall suggested, eyeing him. "Everyone is under the impression that you were attacked by Death Eaters, so it would be best if you made an appearance in the castle."
With that, Professor McGonagall exited the hospital wing.
However, once she was out of sight, Slughorn did not follow her suggestion to walk through the castle. Instead, he slumped back onto the bed, his spirits seemingly dampened.
Ron, sitting beside him, seemed to be in a similar state, and the two appeared to have been dealt a blow.
This wasn't unusual, though, as most people who woke up from the effects of a Love Potion often felt this way, especially when their antics had been witnessed by others.
An awkward atmosphere permeated the infirmary.
"Would you like something to drink to lift your spirits?" Kyle offered. "I have wine and mead. Would you care for some?"
"If it's no trouble, I'd love a cup of mead," Slughorn said softly, clearly in need of a drink.
Kyle took out a golden cup and swirled it gently. In an instant, the empty cup was filled to the brim with golden mead.
"A well-cast Refilling Charm," Slughorn commented absentmindedly.
He hadn't paid much attention until Kyle poured the mead into the same cup that had held the antidote.
As the mead left the golden cup, its aroma seemed to fill the room with a subtle fragrance.
"Oh, Merlin..." Slughorn forgot his woes and sniffed eagerly.
"My child, this must be the most authentic oak-aged mead."
"I'm not sure about the oak, but it's definitely aged," Kyle muttered, glancing at the golden cup in his hand.
However, his voice was too soft for anyone but Connor to hear.
On the other side of the room, Slughorn had already taken a sip and was relishing the taste.
Kyle watched him for a moment before asking softly, "Professor, what do you think?"
"It's fantastic!" Slughorn smacked his lips. "I take it back; this isn't ordinary oak-aged mead. It's ironbranch oak, isn't it!"
"Ironbranch oak...?" Harry asked, perplexed. "What's that?"
"It's a magical tree," Slughorn explained, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "It's said that the front doors of Hogwarts were made from it, which is why they've remained unchanged for a millennium. At the same time, it's also recognized as the best wood for aging mead, though it's incredibly rare, even more so than the Whomping Willow."
As he spoke, he took another small sip of the mead.
"Professor," Kyle asked again, "don't you find the taste a bit off?"
"What? Of course not!" Slughorn exclaimed. "This is the best mead I've ever tasted. In fact, if you could pour me another cup..."
Kyle chose to ignore the latter part of his sentence, satisfied that the mead was drinkable. The rest didn't matter.
Ever since he had obtained the golden cup, he had been curious to try the mead it produced but had been hesitant... After all, it had been over a thousand years, and who knew if the mead was still potable?
Now, at least, he could be sure it was safe to drink. He even poured some for Ron.
It wouldn't do to play favorites, as both men had fallen under the Love Potion's influence.
Ron had been eagerly awaiting his turn, and as soon as Kyle finished pouring, he grabbed the cup and downed the mead without even registering what Harry was saying.
Slughorn frowned at this hasty display, believing that such fine mead should be savored slowly. If one wanted to quench their thirst, there was always pumpkin juice.
"Wow... This is amazing! It's so much better than the stuff at the Three Broomsticks!" Ron exclaimed, smacking his lips. Then, he turned to Harry. "What were you saying?"
"Never mind," Harry shook his head, his eyes narrowing as he studied Slughorn.
As the level of mead in the cup decreased, he found himself reluctant to finish it, glancing at Kyle from time to time as if hoping for a refill but too embarrassed to ask.
"Who brought alcohol into my infirmary!"
Just then, Madam Pomfrey stormed in, her sharp gaze scanning the room before landing on Slughorn.
"This is a school hospital, Professor Slughorn, not your office!" she snapped. "Now, take your drink and get out!"
"But, I..."
"Yes, Professor Slughorn, we should head back," Kyle interrupted, not giving him a chance to finish. "When I brought you here, a lot of people saw us, and they seem to have misunderstood the situation. You need to set the record straight."
"You're right," Slughorn agreed, finally remembering Professor McGonagall's earlier words. Perhaps his improved mood had something to do with it, or maybe he feared Madam Pomfrey would confiscate his drink. Either way, he chose not to linger and stood up, cup in hand, to leave the hospital wing.
The others followed suit.
Upon their return to the castle, Kyle discovered that things were indeed as Professor McGonagall had described—the place was in disarray.
"Professor Slughorn?"
"Are you alright?"
"You're alive?"
The buzz of voices grew louder, filling the hall with a hum of speculation.
"Quiet, everyone, quiet!" Slughorn called out as he stepped into the center of the hall. "I appreciate your concern, but I assure you, it was just a minor mishap while brewing a potion. Nothing to be alarmed about."
"Then why did you lose consciousness?" someone asked.
"Good question," Slughorn replied. "Remember how I always emphasize the importance of focus and undivided attention when brewing potions? Well, that's what happened. One wrong step with certain potions can be quite dangerous."
Despite the skepticism in the room, Slughorn's lively demeanor convinced most students, and the tension gradually eased as they accepted this explanation.
With the misunderstanding cleared up, the students began to disperse, leaving only the five of them in the Great Hall.
"I suppose I've fulfilled my task now, haven't I?"
Slughorn sat down on a bench, addressing the remaining group. "I have a small request. Could you all please forget about today's events? Or, at the very least, refrain from mentioning them to others?"
"Of course, that's not a problem," Kyle assured him. "But Professor, how could you not notice something like a Love Potion?"
Slughorn turned away, clearly not wanting to relive the embarrassing incident.
"Let's just put it behind us, shall we?" he said softly. "Let's pretend none of this happened, and that you didn't see me this morning."
"Yeah, yeah..." Ron eagerly nodded along. "And please, don't tell anyone else, especially Lavender. I don't want her to get the wrong idea."
"Sorry, Ron..." Harry's gaze flickered. "But the truth is, Lavender already saw you this morning when she came to give you a birthday gift. You told her to go away because you were on your way to meet Romilda..."
Ron's face paled, and he opened his mouth, emitting a trembling whimper.
"Damn it..." He buried his head in his hands. "Why would Romilda Vane give me a Love Potion? I don't even know her!"
"I think it was meant for me," Harry muttered. "The chocolate cauldron was her Christmas gift to me, but I threw it under the bed because Hermione warned me about the Love Potions she bought."
"Then why did you give it to me!" Ron exclaimed, confused.
"I didn't!" Harry quickly explained. "Remember this morning when you got out of bed and accidentally kicked some of your gifts under my bed?"
Harry's words jogged Ron's memory.
Indeed, he had found the chocolate cauldron while gathering his gifts, and since it was still wrapped, he hadn't thought much of it and had taken it along with his other presents.
Moreover, as they hadn't been allowed to go to Hogsmeade for a while, he had been longing for chocolate, which was why he hadn't been able to resist taking a bite.
"Sorry." Ron lowered his head again. "But you really should've gotten rid of it with a Vanishing Spell instead of just tossing it under the bed."
"I... I forgot..." Harry murmured.
"Is it your birthday, Ron?" Connor suddenly asked.
"Yeah, it is." Ron sighed heavily.
"Sorry, I didn't know, and I didn't prepare a gift." Connor rummaged through her small bag and pulled out a bottle. "Here, this is a Love Potion antidote I made earlier at the school hospital. Consider it my birthday gift to you so that you won't have to go through something like this again."
"Wow, thanks." Ron's face lit up as he took the bottle, grateful for the thoughtful gift.
"And here's mine." Slughorn also produced a bottle, filled with a magical potion.
Whether it was because of their shared experience or as a form of hush money, he presented Ron with a small bottle of Felix Felicis, the golden liquid sparkling in the bottle and capturing Ron's gaze.
"Luck Potion?!?" Ron exclaimed, his voice rising in surprise. "You're giving this to me?"
"Of course." Slughorn seemed reluctant but nodded anyway. "Just make sure you don't..."
"I won't tell anyone about today, I swear!" Ron asserted firmly.
"Well, here's mine." Kyle also presented his gift, which, compared to Connor's and Slughorn's, seemed a bit modest—a large box filled with Honeyduke's candies and chocolates.
However, his gift was neatly packaged with a golden-red ribbon, indicating that it had been prepared in advance.
"Thanks, I haven't had these in two months..." Ron said, his eyes lighting up as he dug into the box. "My mom wouldn't let me go to Diagon Alley, and Fred and George haven't been sending me any treats either."
Having received three gifts, including the precious Luck Potion, Ron's mood improved significantly.
He immediately popped a Creamy Caramel into his mouth and shared the chocolates with Harry, as he didn't want to see any more sweets for a while.
...
(End of Chapter)
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