The Fool in Hogwarts

Bonus for 200 PS; the deal for a bonus for every 100 PS still stands for the rest of this week.

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Sequence 7: Magician.

The hands become more dexterous and movements more agile. Even without Beyonder abilities, diligent study and practice would allow one to become a first-rate magician.

Possesses rapid spellcasting techniques. A Beyonder does not need to chant an incantation or infuse spirituality. With a single simple gesture, they can cast the corresponding spell or spell-like ability.

Gains several minor magic tricks, such as exchanging an object held in the hand with one inside a pocket.

The potion formula was as follows:

Main ingredients: one true root from a Mist Treant (100 Galleons), and all the spinal fluid of an Evil-Patterned Black Panther (100 Galleons).

Supplementary ingredients: 60 millilitres of pure water (10 Galleons), 30 millilitres of Mist Treant sap (10 Galleons), 3 grams of powdered Water-Shaped Gemstone (10 Galleons), and 4 drops of Hallucinatory Grass essential oil (water from the River of Forgetfulness, 10 Galleons).

After reading the formula, Vade was speechless.

Each main ingredient cost one hundred Galleons, while each supplementary ingredient cost ten.

He could still afford that with his current finances, but advancing to Sequence 6 would not be so easy.

The Sequence 6 formula alone cost one thousand Galleons, and the prices of both its main and supplementary ingredients would be ten times those of Sequence 7. He needed to develop a new source of income as soon as possible, or his finances would only become tighter later.

For now, however, the most urgent matter was advancing to Sequence 7 and raising his magic to the level of an average adult wizard.

He had yet to find substitutes for either main ingredient. Among the supplementary ingredients, he had found a substitute for Hallucinatory Grass essential oil. Powdered Water-Shaped Gemstone should be available in Diagon Alley and would be considerably cheaper. As for pure water, there was plenty of that in the Potions classroom.

After calculating everything carefully, he could save around twenty Galleons.

When Vade returned to the common room and had barely sat down, Daphne came over.

"What did Quirrell want with you?"

"A divination."

"A divination? He asked you to perform one?"

"What else? I proved my divination abilities last night.

"I must say, Professor Quirrell was very generous. He paid me a substantial sum for it."

"What did he ask you to divine?"

"Well... I don’t remember."

Daphne gave him a resentful look. He could simply have said that he could not tell her. Did he really have to give such a half-hearted answer?

"By the way, Daphne, I’d like to ask you for a small favour."

"What is it?"

"Last time I went to the library, I read several books on alchemy. I’d like to try putting some of it into practice, so I need a few Water-Shaped Gemstones to work with."

"You want to practise with gemstones? Since when have you been so extravagant?"

"I only need one or two gemstones, not one or two heaps of them."

"Only Water-Shaped Gemstones?"

Vade spread his hands. "I’d like to ask for other things as well, but unfortunately, I lack the money."

"All right. I’ll write to my family."

Vade took out several Galleons. "This is an advance payment."

Daphne frowned almost imperceptibly. "Put that away."

"No. I know the Greengrass family doesn’t care about such a small amount of money, but I have no habit of owing people favours."

Vade spoke firmly.

He knew perfectly well that once Daphne agreed to help, she would not care about such a small sum.

However, even if she did not want the money, he still had to offer it. Otherwise, he really would be living off her generosity.

Besides, this would not be a one-time transaction. If he wanted to make serious money through potions and alchemy in the future, he would inevitably need the influence of pure-blood families. It would provide him with many conveniences and spare him considerable unnecessary trouble.

Among the influential pure-blood families he knew in Slytherin, there were only the Malfoys and the Greengrasses. They were aristocrats even among pure-blood wizards and had hardly ever declined.

However, he wanted an equal partnership, not to become their dependant. It was therefore better to keep certain matters clearly settled.

"Is that really necessary?" Daphne asked irritably.

"Very necessary, because this is only the beginning," Vade explained awkwardly. "If I need more materials in the future, I may have to trouble you to write home again.

"I’m very grateful that you’re willing to help me unconditionally once, but you can’t keep helping me for nothing."

"So, are you taking the money or not?

"If you won’t, I’ll ask Draco. Crabbe and Goyle would do as well. They’d probably be delighted to earn some pocket money."

"Of course I’ll take it." Daphne quickly snatched the Galleons from his hand. "I’ll write the letter now."

"Thank you."

The Greengrass family was remarkably efficient. The next morning, a post owl delivered a parcel to the Great Hall.

Daphne opened it and handed Vade two crystal-clear Water-Shaped Gemstones.

He weighed them carefully. Together, they were roughly ten grams.

Before he could thank her, he noticed that Daphne was smiling, yet there were tears in her eyes.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing. It’s my sister’s letter.

"She asked whether I needed any other gemstones. If I do, she said she could secretly go to Diagon Alley and buy them." Daphne did not know whether to laugh or cry.

"You have a very sweet younger sister."

"I’ve always thought so, but she has had to endure great suffering since the day she was born."

Vade sighed softly. "It will be resolved. My divinations are usually accurate."

"But you often say that divination isn’t omnipotent."

"That means you cannot rely on divination completely. But when I say it will be resolved, it will be resolved.

"That is a promise. I will take responsibility for that divination because you were the first person to seek a divination from me after I entered the wizarding world, and the first person willing to believe in it."

Daphne smiled through her tears. "I’ll take that as your attempt to comfort me."

Vade did not mind. Once his Sequence was high enough, dealing with a mere curse would be simple.

Slytherin had two periods of Potions that morning, together with Gryffindor.

Snape gently waved his wand, and dense lines of text appeared across the blackboard, detailing the steps and precautions for brewing a Herbicide Potion.

"There are not many ingredients required for the Herbicide Potion. The main ones are Flobberworm mucus, Horklump juice, and lionfish spines..."

After finishing his explanation, Snape distributed the ingredients and instructed the students to begin brewing. He then focused his attention on Harry Potter.

"Potter, is that how one cuts a lionfish spine? One point from Gryffindor."

"Potter, you must not add too much Flobberworm mucus, otherwise..."

An explosion erupted from the neighbouring table, making Harry and Neville, his partner, shudder.

Seamus, however, seemed accustomed to it. Calmly, he pulled a towel from his pocket and wiped the soot from his face, leaving Ron, who had also been caught in the blast, staring at him in astonishment.

Mate, you’re making me look like the fool here.

"Otherwise, that happens. Five points from Gryffindor," Snape said coldly.

By the end of the lesson, Snape had deducted ten points from Gryffindor and awarded another ten to Vade and Daphne for being the first to complete their potion.

(To be continued.)