Following Snape, Ciel entered the long-missed Potions classroom. Before he could even feel a sense of nostalgia, a cauldron and various tools for processing ingredients were placed in front of him.
Snape said coldly, "I don't have much time for you to get sentimental. Hurry up. Boil-Cure Potion."
Ciel didn't mind Snape's tone. Instead, he looked at the cauldron with anticipation. Last time he tried to brew Boil-Cure Potion with Snape's new concept, he failed several times due to the high complexity of the magic. Now, his magical perception had improved again, and he had the assistance of Platinum-Tier Night Vision. He wondered how it would go this time.
Then, Ciel said to Snape, "Professor, could you close the curtains?"
Snape was stunned for a moment, his heart filled with confusion. Close the curtains? What does Ciel want to do?
But he was never a man of many words. The next second, Snape waved his wand. The heavy curtains covered the windows, and the classroom was immediately plunged into darkness. He didn't use the Lumos Charm himself. For him, he could feel the most detailed magical fluctuations of every ingredient with his eyes closed. He wouldn't miss the slightest detail of Ciel's potion-brewing process.
Snape slowly closed his eyes. He wanted to see what Ciel was up to.
At this moment, the world in Ciel's eyes became exceptionally clear again. Specks of magical light appeared in his vision. He immediately noticed that a few porcupine quills used for brewing the Boil-Cure Potion had quality issues. The magical light points emanating from them were already very sparse.
With a slight turn of thought, Ciel understood this was also part of Snape's test for him. He smiled faintly and deftly picked out these few porcupine quills.
Snape, though his eyes were closed, showed a hint of satisfaction at the corner of his mouth. Treating potion ingredients with care. This is the first step to achieving something in Potions. Any Potions master, before brewing any potion, must ensure the condition of even the most basic ingredients. This was one of the potion insights Snape had summarized over the years. He wasn't good at verbal teaching, but he could use this method to engrave it into Ciel's bones.
However, it seemed that at least in terms of "seriousness and caution," Ciel didn't need much of his concern.
Then, as the liquid in the cauldron boiled, one after another, the potion ingredients were carefully added by Ciel, who had already tried several times. The tangled mess of magic was gradually harmonized.
Snape couldn't help but open his eyes. And at that exact moment, Ciel stopped his actions. A little Lumos Charm lit up, illuminating the clear Boil-Cure Potion in the cauldron.
"Professor, I'm done."
Snape didn't look at the pot of Boil-Cure Potion. A successful brew at a glance, what was there to see? He just looked Ciel up and down a few times. He nodded almost imperceptibly and gave a two-word evaluation: "Not bad."
Next, Snape took out another pile of ingredients. This time, the ingredients were clearly much more numerous than those used for the Boil-Cure Potion.
Snape began to explain, "This is unicorn horn powder, possessing sacred magic. This is moon grass root, with cool and pure magic. These are all ingredients needed for brewing the Sacred Tree Potion. I will demonstrate it for you once, just once. Watch carefully."
So Snape slowed down his movements. One by one, the ingredients were processed to the appropriate state in his hands and then methodically added to the cauldron. It was clearly the most ordinary operation, without any frills. Even a first-year student could replicate these actions. But in Ciel's eyes, every small movement of Snape, every timing of adding ingredients, could no longer be described as fluid. It was... natural. As if it was meant to be that way. Naturally, without any twists and turns.
A pot of silver-white potion appeared in the cauldron. A rich sacred magic emanated from it, mixed with a fragrance like plants, creating a unique sensation.
"This is the Sacred Tree Potion..." Ciel murmured to himself, his mind replaying Snape's operations just now.
At this time, Snape took out another set of ingredients. "Next, it's all up to you."
Ciel took a deep breath and began processing the ingredients. Compared to the Boil-Cure Potion, the difficulty of the Sacred Tree Potion was undoubtedly much higher. Even though his magical perception was now far superior, and with the assistance of Platinum-Tier Night Vision, the brewing process was still very difficult.
A full hour later, what appeared in Ciel's cauldron was not a silver-white liquid, but a grayish-white one. A faint, almost negligible sacred magic echoed within.
Snape said nothing about this. No praise, no criticism. He just looked at the time. "You have ten minutes to think about what you did wrong just now."
Ciel thought without stopping. The moment the ten minutes were up, Snape took out another set of ingredients and said plainly, "Continue."
The second brew also ended in failure. The grayish-white color was just a little lighter. Snape remained indifferent. "Ten minutes for reflection. Continue."
It wasn't until the class bell rang that Snape interrupted Ciel's potion lesson. "Continue tonight."
Ciel looked at Snape's departing figure and said sincerely, "Professor. Thank you."
Snape snorted coldly, but his steps were a little lighter.
After Snape left, Ciel looked at the few failed potions in front of him and shook his head slightly. It would probably take a while of practice before he could truly brew the Sacred Tree Potion. It wasn't something that could be achieved in one go.
This gave him a sense of urgency. After all, although Quirrell had quieted down, it was only temporary. He had slept for three days, so Quirrell's condition must be much better. In a few more days, no matter how strong the effect of the Giant Slothflower was, it would probably disappear. By then, he would have to be on guard when coming to the Potions classroom at night. He must be wary of Quirrell.
This made Ciel frown. "I still have to find a way. To extend Quirrell's recovery time, let him stay in bed for a few more days. Otherwise, it will seriously affect my efficiency. But what can I do? Using the previous method probably won't work anymore. Quirrell isn't a fool; he'll definitely be extra vigilant now."
Ciel pondered various countermeasures in his mind. But until the evening, after finishing the second round of Sacred Tree Potion guidance from Snape, he still hadn't come up with a solution.
Ciel sighed lightly. "If all else fails, I'll try to avoid acting alone in the future. Even when going to the greenhouse, I'll try to go with my aunt and not stay too late by myself. Although it will affect efficiency, it's better than constantly being on guard against Quirrell."
He shook his head, dispelling the distracting thoughts and slight annoyance from his mind. It was useless to fret about these things. It was better to seize the time to improve himself.
Just as he was about to use the remaining ingredients to try brewing the Sacred Tree Potion a few more times, two hurried footsteps, accompanied by the piercing meow of a cat, sounded at the end of the corridor. At the same time came the voice of the castle caretaker, Filch.
"Weasley twins! You caused so much trouble, and you still dare to roam at night? If I catch you, I'll send you to Professor McGonagall and have you expelled! Just you wait!"
Fred and George were currently running wildly in the corridor. Both had only one thought in mind: they had been incredibly unlucky lately! First, they were inexplicably considered the culprits of the prank on Professor Quirrell. Then they were severely punished by Professor McGonagall. Not to mention the point deduction. They had already polished the trophy room seven or eight times. Not even a speck of dust could be found. After all this polishing, let alone roaming at night, they didn't even have time to sleep!
Until tonight. They had finally found a chance to go out for a night stroll, to enjoy some precious freedom, only to be ambushed by the well-prepared Filch. If they hadn't run fast, they would have been caught by him by now. But Filch and his damn cat, Mrs. Norris, were not slow either. The two were out of breath from running but couldn't shake them off. By now, they were really running out of steam. Their hearts were about to jump out of their mouths.
Until they saw the lit Potions classroom ahead. The classroom door suddenly opened. Ciel looked at the two brothers. He felt quite sorry for them. He was the one who did it that day, but these two had taken the blame. He couldn't just watch them get caught by Filch now.
"Come in. I'll cover for you with Filch."
The Weasley twins were overjoyed and quickly hid in the corner of the classroom. Less than three seconds after they hid, Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris, excitedly chased after them.
"I've got you..." Filch shouted. Until he realized the person in front of him wasn't the Weasley twins, but Ciel. He quickly stopped his hand that was about to touch him. "Mr. Sprout?"
Ciel nodded at Filch. "It's me. You're still on patrol so late, Mr. Filch. It must be very hard. But what brought you here?"
Filch was stunned for a moment, his face full of suspicion. "You didn't see those two Weasley brats?"
Ciel said as a matter of course, "This is the Potions classroom, Slytherin's territory, Gryffindor's most hated place. Why would the Weasley twins come here? If you don't believe me, Mr. Filch, you can search the corner. I can't stop you from doing your job. It's just that Professor Snape just finished a potion experiment here, and some materials haven't been cleaned up yet. I hope you'll try not to touch those things. Otherwise, the professor will definitely be very angry."
Hearing this, Filch hesitated. After a moment, he grumbled, "Alright. Those two brats must have escaped to another floor through a nearby secret passage. But I'll catch them today."
Long after Filch turned and left, the Weasley twins came out from the corner. They looked at Ciel with gratitude.
"Ciel, good brother! You really saved our lives this time! If Filch had caught us, we wouldn't be expelled, but Professor McGonagall would surely skin us alive!"
The two spoke cheerfully for a while, then gritted their teeth. "I wonder which bastard played such a prank on Professor Quirrell. Not only did it land him in the hospital, but it also got us into trouble. If I find out who it is, I'll smash a Dungbomb in his face!"
Ciel coughed lightly. "So what are you going to do now? The professors probably think it was you. It will be hard for you to clear your name. Maybe you should stop roaming at night for a while?"
But the Weasley twins said in unison, "Stop roaming at night? We'd rather die! A Gryffindor who doesn't roam at night isn't a Gryffindor."
But it was clear they were also troubled by how to clear their names. "Maybe we should visit Professor Quirrell. We have to make him understand. Although we throw stones at the back of his head, although we make up all kinds of jokes about him, although we did think of replacing his garlic with something else, this time it really wasn't us! It would be best to bring some supplements to help him recover faster. Maybe he'll believe us then."
At this point, the two turned their gazes to Ciel. "It's so late. Ciel, what are you doing in the Potions classroom?" They glanced at the cauldron in front of him. Looking at the grayish-white liquid inside, they became more and more curious. "What kind of potion is this? We don't remember learning this in first year."
Ciel shook his head. "This isn't a potion from the textbook. It's a special potion used in Herbology. I just failed to brew it. It should contain plenty of sacred magic, but now it only has a little..."
As soon as Ciel finished speaking, the Weasley twins' eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait, Ciel. You're saying these potions contain sacred magic? That means they're very effective against dark creatures? Professor Quirrell is afraid of vampires and zombies, those are all dark creatures. If he applies this stuff to the back of his head, wouldn't he not need to wear that garlic-smelling turban? This would be much more convenient for him!"
The two became excited and exchanged a glance. "Maybe this way, he'll believe the prank really wasn't our doing."
Then, the Weasley twins looked at Ciel with longing.
Ciel was also stunned. Have Quirrell apply this failed Sacred Tree Potion to the back of his head?
Gradually, his eyes also lit up. Wouldn't this be perfect for weakening Quirrell? Genius! The Weasley twins were truly geniuses!
Then, Ciel unhesitatingly gave all the failed Sacred Tree Potion he had brewed today to the twins. "You can take it all. If it's not enough, come to me for more. I have to brew this stuff every day recently."
The twins' eyes showed emotion. As expected of a Hufflepuff. Ciel is such a generous and good person!
The two quickly took the failed potion, their hearts full of anticipation. "If Professor Quirrell sees this, he'll definitely be very happy. He'll surely say a few words for us to Professor McGonagall, right?"
The next morning, Quirrell was still enduring the itching pain all over his body in the ward. His expression was extremely gloomy. It had been three days, and the itching showed no sign of subsiding. How much longer would he have to endure? What a terrible life!
Just then, Professor McGonagall walked into his ward. What surprised him even more was that she had brought the Weasley twins with her.
Quirrell's expression immediately became agitated. Professor McGonagall quickly comforted him, "Quirrell, don't get excited. The Weasley twins are used to pranks, it's really too much. I've already deducted a lot of points from Gryffindor and punished both of them. Fortunately, they are not bad children. This time, they came to bring you a gift. I've already checked it. There are no pranks this time, it's really something useful for you."
As she spoke, she had the twins take out a large bottle of grayish-white potion. "This is Sacred Tree Potion. Although it's a failed batch, it still contains a lot of sacred magic."
The Weasley twins chimed in, "We've inquired. Taking it internally is good for the body. Applying it externally can have a deterrent effect on dark creatures. Professor! Try applying some to the back of your head!"
At this moment, Quirrell nearly jumped out of bed. Apply this stuff to the Dark Lord's face? Try it? If I try, I'll die! You innately evil Gryffindor brats. Are you trying to kill me!
However, just as his expression twisted and he was about to curse out loud, Voldemort's voice sounded in his mind. He was also cursing, but at Dumbledore. "This is definitely Dumbledore's arrangement again. A test! A dirty trick! This damn old fool, if we refuse, he'll definitely notice something is amiss. It must be so, no one knows Dumbledore better than me!"
Quirrell was stunned. He asked carefully in his mind, "Ah? Then, Master, what should we do?"
Voldemort gritted his teeth. "Apply it."
Only then, under the gaze of Professor McGonagall and the twins, did Quirrell carefully dip his finger in some of the failed potion. He reached into his turban and applied it to the back of his head.
And just as the potion touched the back of Quirrell's head, it was like a wound touching alcohol, only ten times more intense. A strong stinging pain immediately swept over him, making Quirrell grimace.
The Weasley twins watched with anticipation. "Professor? How is it?! Professor, what's wrong? Are you uncomfortable?"
Quirrell quickly controlled his expression. "Comfortable! So comfortable! I feel very at ease, the potion you brought is so useful to me."
The twins' faces were full of joy. "That's great. Professor, this potion was just brewed, its effects are at their best. You should quickly apply it all or drink it all. If it's inconvenient for you, we can help you."
Professor McGonagall also nodded repeatedly. "Yes. Quirrell, give them a chance to prove themselves."
Quirrell's cheeks twitched. "No. I mean, I'm so touched. But this kind of thing, let me do it myself."
As he spoke, he picked up the large bottle and poured it into his turban. "Ahhhhhhh!" he immediately let out a scream. Under the gaze of Professor McGonagall and the others, he squeezed out word by word through his teeth. "So... good! So... very... good! Hiss! I could even go for another bottle, so comfortable!"
The twins were overjoyed. "Really? Professor, let us do it! We'll bring you a bottle every day from now on until you're fully recovered."
Quirrell was stunned. His face suddenly turned pale. "Ah?!"
The twins, as if afraid he would refuse, said, "Professor, it really wasn't our prank. Let us prove it to you."
In Quirrell's mind, Voldemort's voice sounded. "Damn Dumbledore! Damn it!!! Just wait, one day, when you're dead, I'll dig up your grave! That scheming old goat! Quirrell, agree to them."
Quirrell could only tremble and nod his head with tears in his eyes. "Okay! Then I... thank you."
Time passed day by day. In the blink of an eye, another week passed. A vast expanse of white covered the area around Hogwarts Castle. A bitter cold wind blew through the corridors. Ciel looked out the window and took a deep breath.
"Less than two weeks left. Christmas is coming."
[Chapter Complete]
***
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