HPS 106 (Patreon)

Chapter 106: Childhood

The cold wind swept through the dungeon, rattling the glass panes, 'clang, clang,' and Sean breathed out a puff of white mist.

He picked up his notebook with a slight surprise, realizing that while he was focused on brewing the potion, Professor Snape had impatiently made some annotations on it.

Although the notes were filled with phrases like, "The work of an idiot," "A moronic choice," and "The timing only succeeded because Merlin was with you," they nonetheless revealed a Potions Master's deep understanding.

Since the appearance of Master Libatius Borage's notes, Sean had sorrowfully discovered a fact, which was that Advanced Potion-Making did not contain the three potions Sean had learned.

A fitting analogy would be—Master Libatius Borage had given Sean a key to unlock a golden treasure chest, but all Sean had in his hand was a tattered wooden box.

They simply did not match.

Therefore, Professor Snape's annotations had come just in time.

By relying on the Improved Ritual and the Guidance Method, combined with Professor Snape's detailed notes, Sean successfully brewed an [Expert] level Swelling Solution in one go.

[You brewed a pot of Swelling Solution with Expert level Skill. Proficiency +50]

[A new Potions Title has been unlocked. Please check.]

Sean felt a slight thrill, and when the cold wind blew past, he instinctively shivered, causing some of the Swelling Solution to spill directly onto the dried nettles on the table.

This was where the Deflating Draught, which Professor Snape had made him learn in advance, proved invaluable; Sean sprinkled the Deflating Draught on the spot, and the swollen area immediately subsided.

"Hmph—"

Professor Snape snorted, watching his unflustered handling of the situation.

After cleaning up, Sean silently opened his panel:

[Title: Potions Initiate]

[Significantly increases your perceptiveness regarding potions, slightly improves your Potions Talent]

'Significantly increases it indeed—'

Sean looked further down with anticipation,

[Wizard: Sean

Potions Talent: Green (Boosted by Potions Initiate Title, original talent was White) Note: The average wizard is Green]

'It seems the next title will be what elevates my talent...' Sean thought silently.

Over the past two months, apart from Herbology, which had reached the initial threshold, Sean had achieved certain results in various other fields.

Compared to his previous one-purple, three-white talents, this was a complete transformation.

After quickly checking the panel, Sean picked up the notebook and recorded the ideas that hadn't completely faded from his mind.

The Guidance Method wasn't comprehensive; the only potions it currently targeted were the Swelling Solution and the Deflating Draught, and even the Deflating Draught still had many areas that could be improved.

Compared to Master Libatius Borage's original method, the Guidance Method added an extra step: the shaping of a Scene Ritual. Like the initial Improved Ritual, it permeated the entire brewing process, where countless subtle preparations and suggestions collectively brought about the final transformation.

As Sean delved deeper into his research, the required details grew more numerous, making him realize that the improvement of Potions Rituals was destined to be a long process.

'No wonder Libatius Borage only perfected a few potions in his entire life.'

Sean knew his time was limited, so he needed to choose his potions carefully.

There were some potions—like the Swelling Solution—whose ritual he would not choose to perfect.

In the corner of the dungeon, after reminding Sean to check the notes, Professor Snape's anger had subsided.

He paid more attention to the faint cold wind and the slight tremor the idiot thought he was controlling well.

He fell silent, watching with an icy gaze as Sean tidied up the desk and prepared to leave the dungeon.

"Stop, Sean Green."

His voice sounded as if it was being squeezed from his throat.

Sean silently halted his steps.

The parchment tightly clenched in Professor Snape's hand was slammed... placed on the desk.

That was because Professor Snape had paused halfway through the motion of slamming it and gently set it down, before he seemingly roared in frustration,

"If you ever again believe those impractical notions and develop a flawed perception of the noble art of Potions! I guarantee, Sean Green, I will have you take your belongings and roll out of this dungeon!"

'At least Professor Snape is willing to let me take my belongings,' Sean inexplicably thought.

He silently collected the parchment, his eyes widening at the annotations covering the back.

As he focused on studying and contemplating them, Professor Snape's sharp eyes immediately noticed the collar of the clearly thin and ill-fitting single-layer robe.

He paused slightly.

Amidst the sounds of mockery, within the slightly trembling body of the young wizard, in that pilled, old-fashioned robe—

Memory rippled like a disturbed lake, reflecting the black-haired figure who entered Hogwarts decades ago.

He walked under the spiderweb-filled eaves, wearing the maternity dress passed down from his mother, the ingrained filth of years saturating the acidic decay of a fallen pure-blood family.

The mocked "Snivellus"... those greasy, lank strands of hair were less a sign of poor grooming and more a silent testament to a filthy sink and a cracked tiled wall.

The Hogwarts school robe had become the first truly clean garment of his life. As the silver-thread embroidered house crest lay against his chest with his beating heart, a strange tremor crawled up his spine.

"Get out..."

He heard his own voice turn hoarse.

Sean didn't notice, merely gave a small bow while holding the parchment, and then quickly left the dungeon.

Leaving Snape alone, silently watching it all.

On the corridor, Sir Cadogan appeared once again at the end of the hall, this time alone, wearing battered and torn armor—definitely because he had been dueling again—and was busy pulling a sword that was stuck in the ground.

He had no idea how the knight had jammed it in, only that the blade was sunk deep into the grass, and though he pulled and pulled with all his might, he still couldn't get it out.

Finally, he flopped onto the grass, pushed back his visor, and wiped his sweaty face.

"You must have a stubborn heart! The hardest part is yet to come!" Sir Cadogan shouted.

Sean looked at the knight, who was drenched in sweat, and silently placed a painting featuring a round stool and a bonfire next to the knight.

The knight's eyes lit up, and he praised,

"Clearly another great expedition, dear Green! We must find our target and then die valiantly in the charge!"

He always seemed unable to mount his horse, or even draw his sword, yet he constantly roared, full of vigor.

Sean silently nodded, knowing the knight was truly capable of such feats.

"Oh, not necessarily..." the knight added before Sean left,

"Little Green, remember this—singing triumphantly through hardship and adversity is not an easy feat, but the silence during hardship and adversity carries equal weight. You will understand that not all lives roar; some courage is unspoken."

The strong wind howled around the castle, and the only thing the corridor and the dungeon had in common were two pairs of eyes that were usually calm.