Chapter 206 - Preparing for Mischief

\In the end, Percy didn't agree to lend his pet Scabbers to Albert, even when Fred said he would pay a few Cauldron Cakes as a fee. This was within Albert's expectations. The Weasley family was not wealthy, but they were kind to their family members and pets, so he didn't expect Percy to agree.

"What do you want to do with the mice?" On their way to Herbology class, Lee Jordan curiously asked about the earlier incident. Why did Albert need live mice, and what kind of experiment was he planning?

"Mandrake." Albert glanced around to ensure no one was listening and explained in a low voice, "I'm using the magical device I showed you earlier to record the crying of the Mandrake. I want to test whether the recorded sound affects the mice."

George's mouth fell open in surprise, and Fred's eyes lit up. When they arrived in front of the greenhouse, Fred asked, "Are you testing whether the Mandrake's cry will cause someone to be unconscious?"

"Yes," Albert nodded discreetly and wore a mysterious smile. "The sound catches people off guard, doesn't it?"

"If it works, one could easily be caught off guard," Fred said as he put away his umbrella and entered the greenhouse. George pretended to shiver, rubbing his arms as if he had goosebumps. Meanwhile, Lee Jordan looked astonished and couldn't help asking in a low voice, "Why do you want to create something like that?"

"Why?" Albert rubbed his chin and thought for a while before earnestly answering, "I feel like I might need something like this."

"You might need it?" The three exchanged puzzled glances, finding it hard to comprehend Albert's words and his thought process.

"I can do without power," Albert whispered, "but I must possess it."

When he said this, Albert suddenly felt like laughing. He knew that Fred and the others might not understand, so while Professor Pomona Sprout hadn't started her class yet, he continued, "You probably don't need a lot of Galleons, but you definitely desire to have a large sum, right? The principle is the same."

"I certainly hope to have a large sum of Galleons," Fred and George exchanged glances and couldn't help whispering to each other.

The Weasley family was not wealthy, and the pocket money they received was very limited.

Shortly after, Professor Sprout began teaching everyone about the Bouncing Bulb, a mushroom with weak toxins and a weak consciousness. As its name suggested, it also had the ability to jump.

It was somewhat like a Mimbulus Mimbletonia but leaned more towards being a mushroom.

"Hogwarts professors are indeed wealthy," Albert sighed as he looked at the Bouncing Bulbs he had received. "Why do you say that?" George reached out and caught one of the jumping Bouncing Bulbs, trying to bury it in the soil.

The Bouncing Bulb didn't inhabit rotten wood; it preferred damp soil.

Hmm, the soil needed to have animal remains, which meant that this mushroom was, in a way, a carnivorous plant.

The rainy season was the best breeding time for Bouncing Bulbs. Professor Sprout was teaching everyone how to properly deal with Bouncing Bulbs and enable them to reproduce artificially.

"This thing is also one of the main ingredients for Babbling Beverage," Albert casually explained. "It's a wonderful potion that significantly enhances the drinker's mental abilities, making it perfect for cheating during exams. Of course, it's not commonly available on the market because if the potion is not prepared correctly, it can cause severe damage to the brain, just like Felix Felicis."

"By the way, the recipe for Babbling Beverage is: snake egg shell, powdered dragon claw, Bouncing Bulb, and a frog's brain." Albert mumbled, "Well, I feel like the ingredients look pretty disgusting."

"Babbling Beverage? What's that?" George had no idea what Babbling Beverage was.

"It's a potion that makes you smarter," Albert explained simply. "After drinking it, you become very intelligent, and even after the effects wear off, your brain's thinking remains slightly enhanced."

"Good stuff!" Fred's eyes brightened.

"Of course, it's excellent stuff, but it's also challenging to prepare. If you make it incorrectly, the potion can be harmful to the brain," Albert explained. "By the way, something as large as the one in your hand would cost three Galleons."

"Three Galleons?" Fred and George's eyes lit up; they had never expected the Bouncing Bulb to be so valuable.

"You seem to be quite aware," Lee Jordan couldn't help but tease. "Are you planning to make Babbling Beverage to make money? I'm sure those rich guys would be willing to pay for it."

"You guessed it!" Albert pretended to be shocked as he looked at Lee Jordan.

Actually, it wasn't really a joke.

If a few days ago Albert didn't have this idea, he certainly had it now, as he noticed two new panel quests on his task board.

Broaden Your Mind

You've discovered a magical potion that can make you smarter. Why not try brewing it? Even though you are already intelligent, taking Babbling Beverage will make you even smarter.

Rewards: 1000 experience points, 1 skill point, and the skill "Active Thinking."

Black Market Merchant

Babbling Beverage is one of the magical potions that the Ministry of Magic strictly prohibits private brewing and usage of. Sell Babbling Beverage to Hogwarts students and help them pass their difficult exams more easily.

Rewards: 500 experience points, 1 skill point, and 100 Galleons.

"Do you know how to make Babbling Beverage?" Fred curiously asked.

"Of course not, I was just joking."

"I'll believe it when I see it." The three rolled their eyes at Albert simultaneously.

"By the way, do you think there might be Bouncing Bulbs in the Forbidden Forest?" Fred suddenly asked.

"It's possible!" Albert thought for a moment and replied, "This season is when Bouncing Bulbs reproduce in large quantities, but finding them is not an easy task. Moreover, you need to know how to preserve them. Most importantly, even if you find them, who are you planning to sell them to?"

The three were stunned for a moment.

Indeed, who would they sell the Bouncing Bulbs to?

They needed to find a market for it to be profitable. If they couldn't sell them, even if they managed to get Bouncing Bulbs, it would be useless.

More extended silence followed.

Yes, that was the most important thing.

If they could process the ingredients into a final product, the price would be even higher.

If they turned Bouncing Bulbs into Babbling Beverage, Albert believed that plenty of fifth and seventh-year students would scramble to buy it.

"How about we give it a try?" Albert looked at the three of them and asked tentatively.

"Try what?"

"Making Babbling Beverage." Albert whispered, "But before that, we need to get our hands on Bouncing Bulbs."

"That's a good idea; we trust your talent in potions," Fred raised his hands in agreement. He enjoyed making money with Albert.

They all regretted the last incident with the Ministry elections.

"With a bit of research, we should be able to brew Babbling Beverage," Lee Jordan expressed confidence in Albert as well.

"But how are we going to get the other ingredients?" George asked. "Buy them with money?"

"We can't buy snake eggs." Albert shook his head. "They're prohibited items; only the black market might have them, but it's easy to be fooled with fake ones."

"Snape's private stores?" Fred suggested. This idea was audacious.

"Hush!" Albert signaled them not to discuss this here, especially the idea of breaking into Snape's private stores; that was practically asking for trouble.

"That's not a bad idea," Lee Jordan smirked. "But it's a bit challenging."

"I think we won't fail." Fred said.

In truth, Fred and the others believed in Albert's ability to succeed. They knew that Albert was highly skilled in potion-making, and he even had correspondence with the renowned potions master, Hector Dagworth-Granger.

This undoubtedly gave them confidence. They all knew that Albert never did anything without meaning, let alone a losing business deal.

Plus, he had the ability and the initial capital.

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(End of this chapter)