CHAPTER 46

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CHAPTER 46

Daphne, Tracey, and Zabini exchanged impressed glances as they stepped further into the room. Elmi, a grin on his face, gestured to the various stations. "This is where I've been brewing potions and experimenting. It's like my own magical laboratory."

Daphne asked,

"How did you find this room?"

Elmi smiled and said,

"It was a complete coincidence. I needed a place to do my potion experiments, and while I was thinking about it, I passed by this wall three times without realizing it. At that moment, I was constantly thinking that I needed a place to do my potion experiments, and suddenly, a door appeared."

Daphne looked at him with suspicious eyes, and she didn't look entirely convinced, but she didn't have a point to rebate, so she just looked at Elmi. After that, Elmi told them about the deal he made with Seraphina; Daphne and Tracey looked concerned, and Tracey said,

"I don't know, Elmi; I just feel something is wrong with that girl."

Elmi was curious about that, too. Seraphine didn't have many female friends. Most of them were boys, and they would act like her minions even if they were upperclassmen. The only thing that came to Elmi's mind was a magical lineage that would affect man, a Veela, or something similar. He said,

"Don't worry. I don't know why, but she wants to be friends with me, and I don't think she would do something that would jeopardize it."

After they chatted about a bit more, Elmi told them everything he was doing. 

...

With the determination to master the intricacies of the Vivid Dreams Potion, Elmi set to work in the Room of Requirement while his friends watched him work.

Elmi's special eyes, attuned to the magical energies swirling within the potion, allowed him to perceive the subtle nuances of mana. He fixed his gaze on the cauldron, the vibrant concoction within shimmering with mana.

His movements were deliberate and controlled. With a steady hand, Elmi measured the ingredients, carefully infusing the potion with the essence of each magical component. The rhythmic stirring of the cauldron became a cadence, a dance guided by his unwavering concentration, and this time, he was equally careful about stirring and heat control.

Elmi's commitment to the task at hand was absolute. He shuts out any external distractions, allowing the magical currents to guide his actions. The potion, under his meticulous care, began to exude an aura of enchantment. This time, everything was working perfectly, but he could see in the wavelength of the mana in the potion there was something missing; he knew this potion could be easier to make and have a better effect, and he could see perfectly at the moment of completion the proficiency of the mana was dropping considerably.

He picked up the potion and inspected it; pinkish and purple hues danced inside it without any particles, thus showing he had made a perfect potion. Now, he could go to Snape and show him his work. Zabini's voice pulled Elmi from his own world,

"What does that do?"

Elmi was surprised; he thought everyone had left, and he really thought he was alone. This was such a weird feeling, shutting down everything that you didn't even realize people were standing right next to you. He smiled and said,

"Oh, you guys were still here?"

Zabini looked with a confused look,

"We wanted to see what you were going to make; what is that?"

Elmi explained what he was making, and they already knew why, but he had forgotten to tell them what he was making, and they didn't want to break his concentration after seeing how focused he was and they silently waited until he was done, it had taken him one and a half hour to make one small cauldron of it, and ten vials could be filled with this one.

Zabini said,

"I thought I was going to die of boredom; how can you take this, stirring something for hours with one hand and with another? You have to constantly make adjustments to heat."

He shuddered in fear and continued,

"I can never do this kind of torture; please don't call me here next time; I would rather sit through one of Professor Binns's lectures."

...

Elmi arrogantly approached Professor Snape, the carefully crafted Vivid Dreams Potion cradled in his hands. Snape, the embodiment of sternness, raised an eyebrow as Elmi presented the potion.

"Sir, I've been working on the Vivid Dreams Potion. I wanted to show you my progress," Elmi stated with a touch of nervous anticipation. He was expecting to knock the potion master off his feet.

Snape, his gaze fixed on the potion, replied with his characteristic coldness. "Proceed."

Elmi carefully explained his process, the magical intricacies he had mastered, and the nuances he had incorporated into the potion. As Snape inspected the concoction, a subtle shift occurred. His eyes, initially aloof, widened imperceptibly with a growing realization.

"Hmm, passable," Snape muttered dismissively, though his eyes betrayed a hint of awe.

Elmi, catching the slight change in Snape's demeanor, pressed on, "I've been refining the potion based on your notes. I believe it's reached an expert level."

Snape, maintaining a facade of indifference, continued his examination. "Expert level, you say?" He took a measured sip, his eyes never leaving the potion. Elmi, eager for validation, nodded. 

"Yes, sir. I've applied the principles you've written about."

Snape's response was characteristically reserved. "A commendable effort for a first-year," he conceded, though the undercurrent of acknowledgment lingered. Elmi knew Snape would never call a student's effort commendable; this one word was the highest praise Snape would ever give. 

Deep within, Snape grappled with the unexpected revelation of Elmi's prowess. He had anticipated talent, but this exceeded his expectations. Determined not to let Elmi's head swell with pride, Snape maintained the facade of indifference, all the while reveling in the perfection of the potion he held. 

As Elmi continued to speak, outlining his process to the Master Potineer, Snape's resolve solidified. He would take this promising child under his wing, not because Dumbledore told him to, but to turn him into the perfect Slytherin he had envisioned.