Everyone has their rebellious phase, and our Slytherin Snake King was no exception.
As for the title "Half-Blood Prince," Sean knew that if he were to breathe a word of it in front of Snape, he would likely find himself strung upside down in the Great Hall for three days and three nights, with not even Dumbledore able to intercede. It was a secret he intended to keep.
So, Sean wasn't planning on telling anyone about finding this old textbook; he just needed to quietly pocket it.
"Sean, do you know whose old textbook this is?" Blaise asked, observing his friend's thoughtful expression. Over a year of friendship had taught him to recognize when Sean was onto something.
Sean nodded slightly. "I probably do."
"Whose?" Blaise pressed, genuinely curious about the mysterious title, "Half-Blood Prince."
"If there's no surprise," Sean replied, a faint smirk playing on his lips, "this old book should belong to our Head of House."
Blaise's smile froze. He immediately recoiled from the book, as if it were a dark artifact, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and revulsion. He wanted nothing more to do with it.
Sean chuckled, shaking his head. "Blaise, it's just a book. What's so scary about it?"
"Anyway, it has nothing to do with me," Blaise retorted, still keeping his distance. "I haven't seen this book, and I don't know any Half-Blood Prince. If you want to read it, keep it yourself; it's none of my business."
With a small smile, Sean casually tucked the old textbook into his bag. He couldn't remember where it had been before, but now that he had stumbled upon it, he wasn't about to let it go. This book was a treasure trove, not just for the unique spells like Levicorpus and Sectumsempra penned by Snape himself, but also for his refined potion-making processes. It was an invaluable find.
"Alright, the supplies are ready," Sean announced. "Let's go to the Room of Requirement. We'll be there for a while."
"I'll be your assistant," Blaise offered readily. "Just tell me what you need me to do."
It was already late, well past curfew. To avoid detection, Sean cast a Disillusionment Charm over himself and Blaise, and they slipped quietly through the darkened corridors until they reached the seventh floor. This time, Sean's request to the Room of Requirement was specific: "A room where I can brew multiple potions simultaneously."
Pushing open the heavy door that materialized, Sean stepped inside and let out a soft sigh of admiration. The room was perfectly appointed. In the center stood a curved table with five gleaming cauldrons already in place. Beside each cauldron were shelves laden with various tools and neatly organized potion ingredients, ensuring maximum efficiency.
"Alright, the station's set," Sean said, rubbing his hands together. "Let's begin."
"What potions should we brew first?" Blaise asked, rolling up his sleeves.
"While my mind is clear," Sean replied, "let's tackle the more troublesome ones."
"Understood. Let's start!"
Five potions, five cauldrons. Sean efficiently arranged the materials for each brew on their respective shelves, then began the meticulous process of preparing them with knives and mortars. Once the ingredients were prepped, Blaise lit the fires beneath the cauldrons, adding the various components according to Sean's precise instructions as Sean himself began the intricate brewing process.
They worked tirelessly, taking mental recovery potions when needed and resting briefly on the nearby sofa when exhaustion set in. Over time, batches of freshly brewed potions began to accumulate. As the night wore on, fatigue began to take its toll, and the quality of Sean's potions started to slip, with nearly 40% falling short of his usual standards. While such a failure rate might be acceptable for others, for Sean it was a clear sign of his fatigue.
After taking two mental recovery potions back-to-back, Sean rested briefly before resuming his brewing. The next batch of potions was simpler, allowing all five cauldrons to brew the same potion simultaneously, increasing both speed and accuracy. It was an assembly line operation, and both speed and accuracy became very high.
Sean and Blaise labored through the night. Meanwhile, Andy struggled to rest in his own room. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. If Sean hadn't instructed him to delay the potion buyers until noon the next day, Andy might have truly endured a sleepless night, even though he managed to snatch a couple of hours of intermittent sleep.
He lost track of time. It was only when noises from the common room stirred him that Andy finally rose, refreshed himself, and made his way to the Great Hall. Outside of meal times, the Great Hall served as a common space where students from all houses could gather and converse. Andy conducted his usual business here, waiting for his customers to arrive.
But today, Andy was waiting for someone he least wanted to see.
"Andy," a voice purred, "there's still a turn for the better."
Andy looked up, his expression flat. "Robbins, if you have nothing to do, stay away from me. I don't want to see you."
Robbins was tall and thin, with scattered hair and glasses, giving him a somewhat gloomy appearance. He smiled, a thin, unpleasant curve of his lips. "Andy, if you are willing to completely give up the inheritance rights of the Pucey family, then I can guarantee to make up for the potions you owe immediately. You can live quietly at Hogwarts and, after graduation, manage a shop, living comfortably. I envy that life. It's a pity I come from a declining small family, unlike your bright future."
"Is that why you and Dorian set me up?" Andy's voice was low, dangerous.
Robbins' face stiffened, forcing an unpleasant smile. "Andy, don't say 'set up.' I have to consider myself. I'm not you. Even if I fail, I have a way out. I can't fail, so I have to look out for myself. Though I let you down, I had no choice."
"Alright," Andy said, his voice cold. "From now on, we go our separate ways."
Robbins' face completely darkened. He looked at Andy, was silent, then sneered, "I'll see what your persistence costs you. I hope you don't regret it!"
[Chapter Complete]
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