Chapter 204: The Gamp's Gold for Potions
The dungeons always made wizards pull their robes tighter than anywhere else in the castle.
Tila the Bowtruckle had burrowed into the padding of Sean's pocket and refused to peek out again.
Bowtruckles rarely followed a wizard away from their trees; the last person to achieve this was an old Hufflepuff gentleman.
So far, Sean wasn't sure if the living conditions he provided made Tila feel secure. He decided he would have to build a small habitat for Tila when he returned; living in his robes indefinitely wasn't a sustainable solution.
A gust of cold wind rushed in as Sean opened the door from the darkening staircase.
There was no firelight in the dungeons. The cauldrons, usually bubbling, were cold and silent, just like Severus Snape, who stood motionless against the wall.
"Professor Snape."
Sean's arrival brought a sliver of life to the room. He deftly began organizing the ingredients.
Shrivelfig, daisy roots, caterpillars, wormwood, leech juice, rat spleens, hemlock essence...
After sorting the left storage cupboard, Sean had gathered all the ingredients for a Shrinking Solution.
The Shrinking Solution was a magical potion that caused living things to shrink or revert to a younger state. It typically appeared as a bright green, acidic liquid.
It could be used against large monsters with high magic resistance or to transport livestock—shrinking a whole herd of pigs to fit into a wizard's pocket.
This potion would help Sean perfect the Bowtruckle ritual. After all, it was easier for a wizard a few inches tall to transform into a Bowtruckle than for a wizard over a metre tall.
Next, Sean gathered ingredients for a Re-growth Potion, which could heal dead or dying plants by stimulating cell growth.
Through the rituals involved in brewing these potions, Sean's keen intuition hoped to glean some necessary insights for the Bowtruckle transformation ritual.
Potions and Alchemy were connected by this fundamental thread.
The fire beneath the cauldron seemed to be the only light in the dungeon. Professor Snape hadn't lit any candles, and only faint moonlight filtered through the windows.
He was already irritable, and seeing Sean clumsily attempting the Shrinking Solution for the first time only fueled his annoyance.
"Foolishness!"
As a renowned Potions Master in the wizarding world, how could his... be such a blundering wizard?
For a long time after that incident ended, he hadn't been able to accept it.
Even though the boy's talent was gradually revealing itself, it was still too slow, far too slow.
Slow enough that he feared he wouldn't live to see that day.
"Put down your cauldron... Sean Green, you had better watch closely!"
His billowing robes swirled rapidly as he strode to the adjacent cauldron in two seconds. His movements carried a condensed elegance born of long practice. Sean didn't blink, daring not to miss a single detail.
"Hmph—for the next batch, you may employ your somewhat decent method."
Professor Snape watched Sean mimic his actions, step by step completing the Shrinking Solution, before giving an almost imperceptible nod.
"If your brain is larger than an almond, you'd best perfect the modified ritual before you attempt it."
From boiling to simmering, Sean's brewing technique reached the standard of an Apprentice.
The next step was to adapt to the specific potion, guiding the wizard's mental strength to enhance the potion's quality.
This was exactly what he had been researching in the library recently.
He succeeded quickly, raising his proficiency with the Shrinking Solution to Apprentice level in one go.
Afterward, he took out his notebook and wrote "Shrinking Solution (Incomplete)" after "Cure for Boils," "Swelling Solution," "Deflating Draught," "Cheering Charm," and "Common Antidote."
Since inheriting this knowledge from Master Libatius Borage's hidden notes, Sean had been continuously supplementing the ritual content.
Alas, it was an extremely lengthy process. Just modifying one ritual had infinite variations. The most effective way to find the truly correct result was likely to possess keen talent.
Sean sensed he had reached the limit of his current talent.
Creation was somewhat rough, but improvement was nearly endless.
As Sean frowned, the notebook he had left in the dungeon floated in an arc into his hands.
"With talent comparable to a troll..."
Professor Snape let out a cold, sneering laugh. The dungeon was left with only the rustling sound of Sean flipping through the notebook.
For a moment, only one thought remained in Sean's mind—just how high was Professor Snape's talent in Potions?
But he quickly cast aside useless questions and continued studying the Re-growth Potion.
"Wh... Fool! Watch closely!"
Professor Snape's roar echoed in the dungeon again.
Cauldrons boiled and settled; this was the constant cycle of the dungeon.
When Sean prepared to leave the dungeon, armed with sufficient understanding, Snape's gaze grew even colder.
"Given your foolish performance in the field of Potions, you'd best not mention me—ever!"
The cold wind rushed down his throat. As he spoke, the dungeon seemed to grow even darker.
His expression became even harder to read in the gloom.
"I understand, Professor." Sean replied.
Professor Snape gave a heavy, cold snort.
Sean tidied his desk and left the dungeon.
Before leaving, he stopped abruptly. "Professor, what level is considered not foolish?"
Snape paused. A complex expression flashed across his face, instantly replaced by a mask of feigned disdain.
"When you can win the Gamp's Gold for Potions, aside from those somewhat decent studies in the field of willpower."
He stated a nearly impossible standard.
The Gamp's Gold for Potions?
Sean had seen this award mentioned in the biography of Master Borage in his History of Magic books.
It was awarded almost exclusively to the most outstanding Potions Masters of the decade.
With his current talent, he couldn't even touch the edge of the standard.
At the dungeon door, Sean nodded calmly.
"I understand, Professor."
Outside the Dungeons.
Sir Cadogan was hugging his pony, clearly drunk.
Violet was supporting the Fat Lady nearby. She had actually drunk the knight under the table, though she wasn't much better off herself.
Right now, she was recounting some amusing anecdotes about Professor Minerva McGonagall.
As Sean passed by, Sir Cadogan parted forlornly from the ladies. He stood alone at the dungeon entrance, muttering words too fast to be clearly understood:
"Yes, Severus Snape. What else can you do? The Big Cat can be open and aboveboard... but you can only stay as far away as possible... You think it's protection—Hah! Of course, that's all you would think..."
It was still snowing at Hogwarts.
Severus Snape needed no one to know what he kept buried deep inside.
(End of Chapter)
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