47 Chapter 47 "Wolfsbane Potion"

Following lunch, Gryffindor's magical animal protection class commenced.

Hagrid introduced twelve eagles and horses as the magical creatures to study.

Notably, this semester witnessed a more serious Draco, who diligently followed Hagrid's instructions, demonstrating his commitment by bowing to the eagles and horses.

He aimed to successfully ride them and take a circle flight.

Unfortunately, before long, the class witnessed a startling incident. Hagrid was seen urgently rushing Blaise Shabini to the school hospital, carrying a deep, long gash on his arm, with blood trailing down the corridor.

News of the incident quickly spread among the students, revealing that Blaise had been attacked by a falcon named Buckbeak during Hagrid's class.

You might wonder why there were eagles and horses in the classroom.

Well, it was Hagrid's first lesson on magical creature protection, and he brought in twelve eagles and horses to make a grand impression.

Predictably, this class ended in utter chaos.

Despite the Gryffindor students' efforts to justify that Blaise provoked the incident and was essentially asking for trouble, this event cast a dark cloud over the already somber atmosphere at the school.

Skyler, a member of Slytherin, followed them into the school hospital.

He observed Madam Pomfrey quickly tending to Blaise, although the young wizard still appeared pale and complained of the pain in his arm.

He accused Hogwarts of faulty teaching methods and argued for student safety, threatening to report the matter to the Ministry of Magic.

Blaise's mother, Mrs. Shabini, was a prominent widow known to have close connections with high-ranking individuals within the Ministry of Magic.

Rumor had it that even Minister Fudge would accommodate her.

While Skyler privately sneered at this situation, he refrained from intervening.

Draco had initially contemplated informing Lucius, but Skyler's irate demeanor compelled him to abandon the idea.

Skyler, aware that it was unwise to oppose Dumbledore in today's magical world, refrained from taking sides, at least until he matured.

It wasn't until breakfast on Thursday that Blaise reappeared at the Slytherin table to cheers from his fellow housemates.

His right arm was swathed in a bandage and hung from a sling around his neck, resembling a triumphant hero who had endured a fierce battle.

Harry and Ron regarded him with disdain, though Blaise reveled in his own triumph.

As many students in the hall glanced down at the day's "Daily Prophet," Blaise questioned their focus.

Pansy discreetly handed him a newspaper, revealing the latest news about Sirius Black.

Blaise read that Black had been sighted by a Muggle in close proximity to Hogwarts.

By the time the Ministry of Magic arrived, he had vanished and was currently being pursued.

It was presumed that Sirius Black aimed to enter Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Most Slytherin students were privy to advice from their parents, and they understood the situation.

Draco whispered to Blaise, suggesting that Potter was Black's target and Harry might be in for a run of misfortune.

After witnessing omens in Divination class and fearing that his giant friend might be expelled, now Sirius Black was also looming over him.

Upon finishing his statement, Draco wore a triumphant smile as he stood up and made his way to the lengthy Gryffindor table.

With a malicious glint in his eyes, he approached Harry from behind and taunted, "So, Potter, would you like to take on Black all by yourself?"

"What's it to you?" Harry retorted rhetorically.

"Of course, if I were you..." Draco's thin lips curled into a sinister grin. "I'd have done something ages ago. I wouldn't just stay in school and play the good boy; I'd be out there hunting for him."

"What nonsense are you spouting, Malfoy?" Ron interjected gruffly.

"Harry, don't you know?" Draco lowered his voice, his gray eyes narrowing. "Perhaps you're not keen on risking your life; you'd rather leave it to the Dementors to handle him, wouldn't you? If it were me, I'd seek revenge, and I'd track him down myself."

A forced cough was heard, and Skyler approached, getting closer to the group.

Harry and Ron immediately displayed wary expressions, as they didn't think they could match Skyler's status.

In contrast, Hermione boldly stood up, her gaze unwavering. Skyler asked sharply, "Malfoy, this is the Great Hall. What are you doing in public?"

Skyler's frown filled the room with an awkward silence.

He ignored Hermione's provocation and turned to Draco, breaking the silence. "Brother, have you forgotten your father's instructions?"

Draco had already said what he intended to and snorted in pretended annoyance.

He then turned and departed.

Skyler offered Harry an apologetic smile and handed him an invitation letter. "As you all know, Dementors are patrolling outside Hogwarts this year, and the Patronus charm is the only known spell that can resist these dark creatures. It's a peculiar curse. I'm planning to organize a curse exchange event shortly, where I will explain various aspects of the Patronus charm and assist students in mastering it, regardless of their house. I extend the invitation to any students interested in participating. If it piques your curiosity, feel free to join us."

With that, Skyler left the invitation letter and walked away, leaving He Min with an embarrassed expression.

Hermione, watching herself being ignored by Skyler, felt like a punch to her heart.

She couldn't explain why she had acted so confrontationally with him.

She only remembered that, upon seeing Skyler, an irrational anger had surged within her, momentarily overcoming her emotional control.

A few days ago, on the train, she had observed Skyler's intimacy with three girls seated nearby, which had elicited an uneasy feeling.

At the time, she had assumed it was an effect of the dementor's presence and hadn't pondered it much.

But now, the unease returned, this time manifesting as vivid anger.

Recognizing Hermione's unsettled expression, Harry and Ron wisely refrained from saying anything to further agitate her, instead engaging in a hushed discussion about the upcoming "spell exchange" event.

They watched Skyler approach Percy, who was seated at another table, requesting him to help spread the news of the event in the Gryffindor common room.

After that, he spoke to Penelope to disseminate the news to the Ravenclaw common room and enlisted Cedric to post the information in the Hufflepuff common room.

While these three individuals weren't particularly close to Harry and his friends, they had formed some acquaintances during the Merlin's Trial.

Requesting them to help publish the notice on the bulletin board was a favor they wouldn't likely refuse.

Harry appeared taken aback by the invitation and hesitated.

Ron, on the other hand, cynically suggested that it must be a Slytherin scheme and strongly advised those around him against attending.

If they wanted to learn the spell, he contended, they could approach the professors directly, or consult the library for the information they required.

There was, he argued, no need to participate in Slytherin activities.

Meanwhile, Hermione regarded the invitation thoughtfully, her expression inscrutable, leaving her true intentions a mystery.

After breakfast, the young wizards from Slytherin and Gryffindor congregated in the dungeons for their Potions class.

"Today," Snape declared as he strode into the underground classroom with an air of gloom, "we shall be brewing a Shrinking Solution."

His black robes billowed like a cloud, almost like a sinister flower blooming in the air.

With a flourish of his wand, he conjured the preparation process and key points onto the silent blackboard.

"The primary ingredients for the Shrinking Solution include daisy root, fig skin, and wolfbane aconitum," Snape continued.

His tone remained as somber as ever, yet a discernible layer of displeasure tinged his voice. "Potter!" he suddenly called.

Harry stood up, his expression perplexed.

"Tell me, what distinguishes monkshood from wolfsbane?"

"I'm sorry, Professor," Harry replied with utter innocence. "I don't know."

"I recall that during your first-year potions class, Potter, I posed this very question," Snape remarked, his eyes dark and cloudy with ire. "Yet, in the past two years or so, you have shown no improvement whatsoever. Your reputation, it seems, prevents you from recognizing yourself..."

"Why don't you prepare to note down what I shall say!" Snape ordered, turning to the class. Everyone hastened to fetch quills and parchment.

"The daisy root serves to condense the essence and is frequently used to elevate the concentration of the potion, thereby extracting the raw material's essence. Fig skin, with its mild medicinal properties, mitigates the rapid effects of concentrated potions, minimizing potential harm to the user. It's widely used in oral restoratives. As for Wolfsbane, it aids in transformations, which are commonplace in Shrinking Solutions. This ingredient plays a pivotal role in compound concoctions, such as transformation agents, shapeshifting compounds, wolfbane potion, and the like..."

"Excuse me, Professor," Hermione raised her hand.

"Ah, Miss Granger? What's on your mind?" Snape turned to face her, his dark eyes regarding her with an ineffable undertone.

All the students present sensed the anomaly: when had he ever inquired, "What's on your mind?" of Hermione?

Unperturbed, Hermione asked, "Professor, what type of potion is the Wolfsbane Potion? I haven't encountered any mention of it in my potion books."

"An excellent question, Miss Granger," Snape seemed intent on pursuing his unexpected behavior to the fullest, surprising his students even more. "Asking this question demonstrates your dedication to learning relevant knowledge. I shall award Gryffindor five points."

The entire classroom burst into commotion.

Jaws dropped, and it was likely the first instance of Hermione—or even Gryffindor—voluntarily posing questions in a Potions class.

Not only were points not deducted, but they were also rewarded.

Ron began pulling at his ears; Harry removed his glasses and vigorously rubbed his eyes; Neville's hand, holding the fig, hung in the air; Draco, distracted, sliced the daisy root unevenly, nicking his index finger.

Skyler likely discerned Snape's intent and let out a low snort.

Snape scanned the room, his eyes traveling over the students seated awkwardly.

After a moment of focus on Skyler, he asked, "Skyler, would you care to provide an answer?"

After considering all the information he had about the potion, Skyler responded loudly, "The Wolfsbane Potion is a newly invented potion created last year by Damocles Belby. Belby was also invited to join the Association of Extraordinary Pharmacists and obtained the title of potion master. This potion is specifically designed to treat werewolves. While it can't completely transform a werewolf back into a regular person, it does allow a werewolf to maintain their sanity during the full moon."

"To be effective, this potion must be consumed in a full cup daily, starting from a week before the full moon. However, the potion has its downsides. Its ingredients are extremely expensive, making it unaffordable for most werewolves. Additionally, due to the highly toxic nature of Wolfsbane, the potion's preparation process is quite intricate. Any error during preparation can result in a deadly poison, which is why it necessitates the expertise of a skilled potion master. It's an extremely challenging potion to make." Skyler answered nonchalantly.

"Excellent response. Slytherin earns fifteen points!" Professor Snape replied.

As they observed Skyler's competence in answering Snape's question, Hermione pressed her lips together tightly, her mind filled with thoughts.

Among them, the idea of not giving up was the most fervent.

Soon, Snape's teaching style reminded everyone that he remained the same old Snape.

Neville endured ridicule, Ron faced blame, and Harry remained on the edge.

This brought the students back to reality, causing their speculation that "Snape must have taken the wrong potion" to vanish into thin air.

The brewing of the Shrinking Solution proved to be quite challenging for the third-year students.

Neville almost failed due to an excessive addition of leech juice and mouse spleen.

Snape even threatened to have Neville consume his own potion as punishment.

Thankfully, with Hermione's help, the mistake was rectified.

When testing the potion, Trevor the toad successfully transformed back into a tadpole.

This discovery surprised Skyler because he had always assumed that the Shrinking Solution's purpose was simply to reduce the size of the user.

He hadn't expected it could restore a creature to its juvenile form, sparking his curiosity about other potential applications for this potion.