Potions Class

Chapter 20 Potions Class

When Ian returned to his dorm, he was able to see his two roommates as he had hoped.

"Hey! I came back and found an extra bed, so I knew it was you. Unbelievable, buddy, you know what? All the girls in the college are talking about you, it's crazy."

By the way, my name is Ivy Felton. There's no secret at Hogwarts that I don't know. Whoever you need information about, I can find out for you free of charge.

The one speaking was one of the roommates who looked rather thin and short, but was clearly cheerful.

"Hello, my name is Andre Hubbard. You can call me Andre."

A tall, thin, typical Ravenclaw boy, quiet and reserved. After greeting everyone, he went about organizing the books he needed for tomorrow's class.

"Ian Titus. You can call me Ian. As you can see, I'm a transfer student. However, because I'm missing too much basic knowledge, I think we probably won't be in class together this school year."

As Ian spoke, he waved the class schedule he had just received from Professor Flitwick.

"Oh my god, this is big news. I bet all the third-grade girls will be so sad that they'll cry when they hear this tomorrow."

Just now, I overheard Anna and the others bragging that she'd be taking class with the most handsome boy Ravenclaw has ever had tomorrow.

Ivy was clearly gloating at that moment.

"But seriously, buddy, among the first-year courses, only Transfiguration is a bit difficult. Transfiguration really requires a feel for it. However, there are Charms and Potions classes. Our previous notes might be helpful to you."

Although our grades aren't the best, we've grasped the first-grade material quite well. If you need any help, just let us know.

After Ivy finished speaking, she glanced at Andrei beside her, who nodded in agreement.

Having witnessed the complexities of human relationships in his past life, Ian cherishes this pure kindness and help.

"Thank you all. I will ask for your help if I encounter any difficulties."

Seeing Ian's unreserved answer, his two roommates burst into hearty laughter.

Actually, friendships between boys are very simple. I respond, you respond, and then we find each other agreeable, and we become good friends.

The three people in the dormitory were like this at that moment. After a brief conversation, Ian was successfully accepted and recognized.

The three of them talked freely about many things, including not only the various eccentric characters at school and famous moments from the past, but also their respective families.

Although Ivy did most of the talking, Ian and Andre listened quietly.

As it was getting late, and to ensure I wouldn't be late for the first day of school, the chat ended at Ian's suggestion, though Ivy was somewhat reluctant to leave.

He lowered the bed curtains and lay down on his own soft bed. The events of the day flashed through Ian's mind like a slideshow.

"This is a good start, I hope everything goes well."

……

On the morning of September 1st, Ian awoke as the first rays of dawn shone through the air.

Gazing at the rising sun in the east, the warm sunlight seemed to bring boundless vitality. Such a beautiful scene could perhaps only be appreciated by the Ravenclaw students living in the tower.

After a quick wash, Ian didn't disturb his still-sleeping roommate. Instead, he took out his schedule and prepared the books for the morning. Hogwarts courses were always held by two houses together, changing every academic year.

Fortunately, Ravenclaw is paired with Hufflepuff this year. Ian is happy about this, keeping Ravenclaw away from the main character and leaving everything to Dumbledore, the mastermind—that's his principle.

After everything was ready, the two roommates finally got up.

Still half-asleep, Ivy glanced at Ian sitting there and exclaimed in disbelief:

"Hey Ian, even though it's only the first day, you don't need to be up this early. Merlin's socks, what time is it? You've already washed up and changed!"

"Haha, maybe I need to familiarize myself with the castle stairs like a new student. The book records that there are as many as 142 spiral staircases in Hogwarts. Nobody wants to be completely confused by them on the first day."

"Alright, you guys hurry up and wash up, and you, Andrei, now that you're up, don't stay in bed any longer."

After Ian finished speaking, he picked up the books he had arranged and went out the door.

……

The first class marked on the timetable is Potions, which I attend with Hufflepuff.

The Potions classroom is in the basement, one of the furthest classrooms from the tower lounge.

Therefore, Ian had to traverse numerous staircases to reach the top floor, and the most challenging part for him was the complicated staircase transitions.

Fortunately, he left early and there were no unexpected incidents along the way. He arrived at the classroom door 20 minutes before class.

At this moment, several young eagles were already sitting in the Potions classroom, preparing for their lessons.

While surprised by Ian's arrival, they weren't overly curious, since wizards assigned to Ravenclaw don't usually care much about other people's affairs.

However, there are always exceptions, such as Padma Petit, who is somewhat agitated next to Ian at this moment. She is an Indian girl in the original story and a member of Dumbledore's army.

So, will you be attending classes with us all this year?

The one who spoke was Mandy Bloch, a first-year student who was with Padma, who finally asked the crucial question.

The other Ravenclaw girls all turned their gazes toward Ian in unison, as if expecting something.

"Yes, that's right. I think we'll have to take classes together at least this semester."

Ian's answer made the girls cheer.

"Alright, girls, class is about to start. You don't want to lose points on your first day with Professor Snape, do you? We can talk about it after class."

It was obvious that losing points on the first day was unacceptable for the young eagles. After Ian finished speaking, they obediently returned to their seats.

After getting rid of the girls who had clung to him as soon as they entered, Ian finally breathed a sigh of relief. As for the others, Ian didn't plan to get to know them.

He came here to learn magic, not to make friends or play house. Even seventh-grade students are just big kids in his eyes.

As for why he always patiently communicates and chats, Ian actually only has one purpose: to avoid being too different from others.

One of his favorite sayings is, "To blend in with the light and the dust."

After all, they've already taken the initiative to greet you, so why are you still acting so aloof? Besides attracting attention, Ian really can't think of any other purpose for you.

Therefore, Ian's plan for himself at Hogwarts was to avoid socializing as much as possible, otherwise it would make his already limited study time even more precious.

Time always slips away unnoticed. At exactly 9 o'clock, there was a "bang" at the classroom door, and Professor Snape, wearing his ever-present black cloak, strode into the classroom.

He walked silently, waving his wand as he went. With each step he took, windows were closed tightly, and candles in the classroom were lit.

As he walked to the podium and turned around, the last window was just closed. After doing all this, he stood calmly on the podium.

He glanced coldly at the new students in the classroom with a blank expression, and even with Ian, he only looked at him for less than half a second.

He casually picked up the roster on the table and began calling roll. After confirming that no one was late or absent, he said in his cold and indifferent tone, "Very good, it seems you all understand the importance of punctuality."

"You have come here to learn this precise and rigorous art of potions."

"I don't expect you to truly appreciate the wonderful feeling of a crucible simmering slowly over a low flame, emitting white smoke and a delicate fragrance..."

"You will never truly understand the wonderful magic that flows into people's veins and makes their will go haywire..."

Perhaps because Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff belong to the neutral camp, they were not targeted or antagonized by Snape, and they did not suffer the fateful three questions from the Savior.

To Ian and the others, Snape was merely a strict Potions professor at this moment.

But Ian understood better than anyone the power of this tragic half-blood prince in the realm of potions.

So for the entire class, he kept taking notes. A bad pen is worse than a good memory; this is a principle he understood at a very young age.

Fortunately, the first lesson was not complicated; we learned how to prepare a medicine to treat scabies.

Professor Snape wrote all the steps and key points on the blackboard, and after explaining in detail the areas prone to error, he continued in his unchanging tone:

"I see that you've already divided into groups quite consciously, which at least shows that your brains are still somewhat useful. Now, get to work and let me see whose brain can only do this much."

Ian now understood why Potions Masters had such a high reputation and such a small number of practitioners. It was clearly a very lucrative industry, so why wasn't anyone putting in the effort? Were they stupid?

Only after truly learning about potions did Ian realize that brewing potions really does require talent.

The theoretical knowledge, procedures, and processing of medicinal materials are all things that anyone who isn't an idiot can do well. The difficulty lies in controlling the heat and the magical stirring.

Yes, magical stirring. Using one's own magic as a medium, various medicinal herbs in the crucible are stirred, allowing them to fully fuse, decompose, and volatilize. Then, based on magic, the combined herbs undergo a secondary mutation.

In layman's terms, it's called "enchanting," which gives potions their true magical power.

All of the above relies entirely on the potion master's intuition, making it a profession that demands talent.

Simple medicines are fine, like the scabies medicine Ian learned about today, which uses five ingredients: snake fangs, pangolin onions, dried nettles, and porcupine quills. The brewing process only requires grasping a few key points, and you can complete it step by step.

But this is only the content of the first potions class for a first-year wizard!

Compared to the Felix Felicis, which takes half a year to brew and is made from a mixture of hundreds of strange ingredients, the difference is like a firefly vying for the moon's brilliance.

"Miss Petit, please give me the porcupine quills, and then please untangle that bundle of dried nettles and select three relatively intact ones to place on the table..."

During the brewing process, Ian basically confirmed that he did have some talent for potions, the most important thing being that he could clearly feel the changes in them.

That feeling of divine inspiration, every step just right, is like a mother sensing her child's needs, precise and timely.

When a person is fully focused on doing something, they often ignore the changes around them and even become unaware of the passage of time. Psychology calls this state "flow".

At this moment, Ian was in a state of flow; he was in a world where only the changes in the potions and the herbs that seemed to have life and could speak were in his mind.

What Ian didn't know was that Professor Snape had been standing behind him for a long time.

In fact, after Professor Snape finished walking around the classroom and gave a scathing critique of some of the most appalling combinations, he had already noticed Ian's condition, a condition that every Potions Master was familiar with.

Snape knew a bit about this student. Although it was the first day of class, Professor McGonagall had told the other professors about Ian's situation after the opening banquet.

Hopefully, they can be more tolerant and not overlook the fact that the other person has never actually been exposed to magic because of their age.

What surprised Snape was the student's talent in potion-making.

That effortless, perfectly timed movement presents a heavenly beauty, with every gesture possessing its own rhythm.

Turn off the fire, let it cool, and then prepare to put it into the pre-placed transparent glass bottle.

After finishing all this, Ian let out a long sigh of relief. Brewing potions seemed simple, but in reality, it was extremely mentally taxing.

"Great! Ravenclaw gets a point!"

Ian was startled by the sudden sound.

Suddenly, Professor Snape appeared behind them, picked up the freshly bottled potion, shook it gently, and opened the cap to let the aroma diffuse, thus more accurately judging the potion's effects.

Ian was very happy about Snape's extra points; he didn't care about the so-called house points.

Rather, he cared about Snape's approval; the potion that earned him points was also a testament to his talent for brewing.

With little time left in the class, the other students gradually finished their cooking tasks.

There were no explosions or overturned crucibles. A few attempts at cooking failed, but Professor Snape just gave them a stern scolding and ridicule.

"A summary of the key points for preparing the scabies medicine, and the inspirations derived from its formula, no less than 12 inches, to be submitted before the next class."

"By the way, Mr. Titus, could you stay for a moment?" Professor Snape called out to Ian after assigning the homework.

Ignoring the sympathetic looks from the other hawks, Ian walked straight toward Snape upon hearing this.

"Professor Snape, hello. You can call me Ian." After saying that, he waited quietly for the other party to explain his intentions.

"Very good, Ian. Of all the scabies potions you brewed this lesson, only yours reached perfect quality. That's why I kept you behind. I want to ask you, what does potion mean to you? And how do you feel when you brew it?"

When faced with this kind of question, Ian chose to answer based on his own conscience. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Professor, you may know my situation. This is my first time encountering magic and potions. To me, potions are magical wonders."

After a slight pause, Ian continued:

"I love this kind of magic. When brewing potions, I can focus on its transformations and feel the demands of the various magical materials. Everything seems to have a life of its own. Finally, looking at the finished potion, the sense of accomplishment is captivating."

That's my honest answer, Professor.

After saying that, Ian looked at Snape, who was lost in his memories, and politely remained silent.

……

After a long while.

"If you really like potions, I'll write you a reading list, in the order of the table of contents, and you can borrow them from the library yourself."

If you have any questions, you can come to my office every Saturday afternoon between 4 pm and 6 pm to ask me.

"Thank you, Professor. I will carefully read and study according to your recommendations."

Ian was genuinely grateful for Snape's help. To be fair, Snape was indeed a great mentor to him.

He is knowledgeable, experienced, and concise, yet every word he utters hits the nail on the head and identifies the key issues.

Of course, if you overinterpret him from the perspective of a savior, he'll just be a greasy old bat, spewing venom everywhere.

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(End of this chapter)