Chapter 770: Intelligence Candy
Chapter 770: Intelligence Candy
The day before Easter, which fortuitously fell on a Saturday, the students of Hogwarts were lucky to welcome the Easter holidays a day early.
To celebrate this unexpected gift of time, many students chose to stay up all night, reveling in the festivities. Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were among those who partook in this nocturnal revelry.
The trio indulged in a spirited game of Wizard Cards in their dormitory. Later, they ventured to the Room of Requirement to continue their antics, finally stumbling back to their dorm at 5 a.m., inadvertently waking Albert in the process.
Albert, having just enjoyed a leisurely lie-in, yawned and lazily stretched his arms. He reached for the pocket watch on his bedside table to check the time—7:42 a.m.
"Still plenty of time," he mumbled.
Earlier, Albert had arranged to meet Isabelle, intending to head to Hogsmeade Village together to tend to a house they had renovated some time ago. That place would become an important base for Albert in the coming years and held a special significance for both of them.
And so, another Easter had arrived. Ever since enrolling at Hogwarts, it seemed that each Easter brought its own brand of chaos. Albert hoped that this year would be an exception...
Shaking his head to dispel these thoughts, Albert redirected his attention to Tom's cat bed, forcibly shifting his focus to avoid setting himself up for disappointment.
"Good morning, Tom," he greeted the fat cat, who was already awake but lazily lounging in his bed, his tail gently swaying, indicating a contented mood.
Albert opened the window to let the crisp morning breeze into the dormitory. The weather outside remained less than ideal, with a gloomy sky and a lingering morning fog that Albert suspected was influenced by the presence of Dementors.
His gaze shifted to Tom, who was crouched nearby, noisily munching on his cat food. As Albert began to get dressed, he took a moment to tidy himself up in front of the full-length mirror before heading downstairs for breakfast.
The common room was eerily quiet, as most students preferred to sleep in during the holidays. However, there was one familiar figure—a diligent student named Hermione.
She sat in an armchair by the window, diligently working on her holiday assignments.
What a hardworking young lady, Albert thought to himself, feeling almost guilty about disturbing her. As he prepared to walk towards the entrance of the common room, he hesitated and ultimately changed course, approaching Hermione instead.
"Would you like to join me for breakfast in the Great Hall?" Albert asked.
Hearing his voice, Hermione paused her work and looked up. Seeing Albert, she froze for a moment, as if debating something internally.
Albert could tell that Hermione would much rather spend her precious time on her assignments. With a smile, he gestured towards the entrance of the common room and said, "It's important to start the day with a good breakfast to keep your energy up for studying, don't you think?"
"You're right," Hermione conceded.
She put down her quill, gathered her things, and joined Albert on the way to the Great Hall.
As they passed the dwarf security guard, Albert asked Hermione, "How are you finding the twelve elective courses? Are you adjusting well to the workload?"
"There's never enough time," Hermione replied, her voice carrying a hint of unavoidable fatigue. The shadows under her eyes seemed to have grown darker, a testament to her busy schedule.
"I used to feel the same way," Albert said, empathizing with her plight.
Hermione stopped in her tracks, fixing Albert with a skeptical look, clearly unconvinced by his statement.
Noticing her doubtful expression, Albert paused and turned to face her. "What is it?"
"How did you deal with it?" Hermione asked, her tone conveying mild disinterest.
"I reduced the frequency of letter-writing to free up time, and I made more use of that device," Albert explained as they continued walking. "I essentially stretched my day to thirty-six hours. Of course, there's a downside to this approach—it's hard to maintain intense focus, so you'll need more time to rest. And occasionally, you might encounter tricky situations that require special methods."
"Special methods?" Hermione inquired, intrigued.
"Consuming a small amount of a cognition-enhancing potion can help clarify your thoughts and improve mental clarity," Albert revealed. "However, overuse can lead to dependency."
"A cognition-enhancing potion?" Hermione's curiosity was piqued. She felt she had heard of this potion before and could guess at its effects.
"In your fourth year, you'll learn how to brew this relatively inexpensive and practical potion. Its ingredients aren't too difficult to come by," Albert explained.
As he spoke, Albert reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of candy, intending to offer some to Hermione to try. However, upon realizing that only half the bottle remained, he decided to hand the entire bottle to her. "Here, take this. If you're feeling exhausted, pop one of these."
"What is it?" Hermione asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Just a little something I concocted recently," Albert replied casually. "It's meant to help alleviate fatigue and sharpen your thoughts. I intended to sell them to other students preparing for exams, but I've been too busy lately."
"Is this one of your so-called magical candies?" Hermione asked, her hesitation evident.
"Consider it a prototype," Albert assured her. "I've tested it on myself, and so far, I haven't noticed any side effects. Think of it as an Easter treat."
Hermione was surprised by Albert's insistence, but she ultimately accepted the gift, examining the label on the bottle. "Essential Exam Companion?" she read aloud.
"The remaining candies should last you until the end of term," Albert joked. "Consuming them during exams could be considered cheating, but if you manage to do so without getting caught by the professors, well... that's a different story."
"Do you plan to sell these in the future?" Hermione asked, her interest growing.
"Yes, I think they'll be quite popular among students," Albert replied with a smile. "Of course, they won't come cheap, so once you finish this bottle, you'll have to pay up if you want more."
"I'm sure Harry and the others would love these," Hermione said, unable to deny the appeal of such candies.
Who wouldn't want candy that made you smarter?
Hermione poured a purple candy out into her palm, examining it between her thumb and forefinger. It resembled a regular hard candy, yet it held the promise of enhanced intelligence. "Did you add dragon claw powder to these?" she asked, recalling the ingredient from one of their previous adventures.
"Of course not," Albert replied, shaking his head. "Dragon claw powder is far too expensive for candy-making. These candies contain a cognition-enhancing potion." He made a shushing motion and added in a conspiratorial tone, "Keep that under your hat, will you?"
Hermione's curiosity persisted. "Is the cognition-enhancing potion really that effective?" she asked, knowing that they would learn to brew it in their fourth year. If necessary, she could always brew it herself.
"It certainly works," Albert confirmed with a wink. "But the one in your hands is an improved version, one of the fruits of my victory at the Magical Schools Potions Championship."
Hermione recalled Albert's triumph over all the other magical schools in the championship. The gap in skill was truly astonishing! (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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