Snape's departure was just as swift as his arrival, leaving Sean standing there, bewildered, clutching ten gleaming Galleons as he muttered to himself under the watchful eyes of the gossiping portraits:
"What was that about, Professor Snape…"
"Hahaha—little Green, don't tell me you think that gloomy—oh, and brave—fellow's gone mad—hahaha…" Sir Cadogan was as audacious as ever.
Then, as always, the commotion shifted elsewhere.
Sean walked on silently for about a hundred meters, and even the surrounding portraits backed away by two frames,
because Snape, returning from wherever he'd gone, looked even darker than the storm clouds outside the windows.
"Madam Violet, will the knight be all right?" Sean whispered to the kindly woman in the white underdress.
"What do you mean by 'all right'? Being burned? Sent into a painting full of trolls? Or perhaps…"
Madam Violet smiled sweetly as she spoke, completely unfazed by the terrifying things coming out of her mouth.
"Oh, he'll survive, at least. As for anything beyond that, well…"
Sean bowed his head in silent mourning for Sir Cadogan for three seconds, then left the corridor.
His wails echoed down the hall well into the night.
On his way back to the common room, Sean pulled out the strip of paper, using it to distract himself from the endless staircase:
[As I've said before—truth never compromises. The wizard who seeks it will always find it. When the improved ritual sharpens a wizard's senses, a talented wizard will perceive those wondrous changes. Ignorant fools will forever wallow in the rot of tradition, but true potion masters never cease their exploration. You may wonder why improved rituals are so rare—]
Curious, Sean flipped the page, and even climbing the staircase didn't feel as tiring anymore.
[You must remember—spells and potions are connected by a fundamental thread. You should notice this when you use your will to guide the process. As you might have guessed, I've done the necessary work. For every improved potion ritual, I have recorded a unique method of will guidance. Those who come after should understand—this was Master Polachi's greatest breakthrough in the mysterious art of potion-making! Next, I shall reveal the true secret of why potions are filled with magic—]*
Sean held his breath.
The ritual and will-guidance methods were meant to work together?
The prize pool was still growing… the significance of this discovery was skyrocketing…
Sean couldn't help but marvel—The vastness of magic lay in this: when a wizard full of yearning stumbled upon a new path, they would open a book and find that someone had already put it into words long ago.
Sean quickly copied down every detail of the method, word for word.
He was standing before a treasure vault, a vault built from the lifetime of exploration and wisdom of a wizard considered one of the greatest potion masters in history.
When Sean checked his panel, he noticed just how far he'd progressed in potions:
[Title: Potion Novice]
[Scabies Potion: Apprentice Level (210/300)]
[Progress: Brew three beginner-level potions to unlock the Beginner title in the Potions domain]
The Scabies Potion was nearly at the Beginner level. It was time for him to brew other potions, grind more experience, and unlock that new title.
Magical Draughts and Potions described several potion recipes: Antidotes, Scabies Cure Potion, Forgetfulness Potion, Herbicide, Sleeping Draught, Swelling Solution, Awakening Potion…
Their difficulty levels were similar, and their prices were mostly within a few Galleons.
However, those were all standard-quality potions—roughly at the [Expert] price tier.
Higher-quality potions could fetch several times the value.
Once the quality reached a certain threshold, the price soared to near astronomical levels.
Sean thought, maybe that was why potion masters didn't waste time brewing low-level potions, while low-level brewers lacked the skill to make high-quality ones.
Just like his [Expert]-level Scabies Potion, which was worth a full ten Galleons—
enough to make his money pouch swell significantly overnight.
Late that night, the purple, weathered cover of Advanced Potion-Making fluttered open in the wind, and a strip of paper floated down like a dancer, landing beside the sky-blue curtains.
[That's right, the journey continues, We still haven't found that ultimate, The answer to the true nature of potions.
However, by chance, We discovered something unusual. Could this be the beginning of a new era for potions?
— Borage]
...
On Monday, the Ravenclaw students were unusually silent, because they had to face a double Potions class first thing in the morning.
Under the intimidating presence of a certain Potions Master, this had naturally become the most dreaded class of the week.
"Oh, Sean, slow down, slow down."
Justin fumbled as he followed Sean's lead in brewing. He always felt that every time Sean brewed a potion, he made some new improvement, making it difficult to understand even when he looked at Sean's notes.
"Mm, Terry, are you saying we're still processing the ingredients while next door they've already finished their potion?"
Michael stirred the slugs with a skeptical look, as if saying, 'Do you take me for a fool?'
"Yes." Terry's gaze landed on Justin, who was holding the cauldron to catch the potion, and he confirmed it once more. "I find it hard to believe... I believe it now, Terry."
Michael followed Terry's gaze, then quickly turned back with an earnest apology.
"Terry, I deeply apologize for doubting you and Sean. Do you think we could ask Sean for some tips after class?"
Just as the first Potions lesson was about to end, Professor Snape strode toward the back row, frightening the little eagles and badgers into shrinking their necks.
"Barely acceptable—" His voice was still as cold as ever. "One point—each."
Sean watched the potion with [Beginner] proficiency. He actually hadn't helped much—
This also meant that Justin seemed to have quite a talent for Potions.
When the second lesson began, Professor Snape suddenly announced that they would be learning a new potion—Swelling Solution.
The announcement sent those who had just barely learned to brew Scab Potion into a wave of screams, which were swiftly stifled by a single glare from Snape.
Only Sean's eyes grew brighter.
"Swelling Solution—an apparently simple potion that in fact demands extreme precision and intellect."
Snape's low, smooth voice echoed through the dungeon, instantly silencing the last whispers. He paused slightly, a mocking smile curling at his lips.
"Of course, for most of you, that is undoubtedly far too high a bar. So, if any of you dare lose focus for even a moment..."
The young wizards jolted, immediately snapping to attention.
Swelling Solution required three ingredients: bat spleens, dried nettles, and puffer-fish eyes.
Sean had only worked with one of them before, so when Professor Snape began preparing the ingredients, he didn't even blink.
---
If you can, support me on pa treon:
Pa treon. com/ RightTranslations (No spaces)
Up to 50 chapters ahead.
You can also support by leaving a review