October Arrived

After Wizet left, the door to the Headmaster's Office slowly opened.

Dumbledore stood in the doorway with a smile on his lips. After a moment's thought, he raised his wand. "Revelio!"

The tip of the wand trembled slightly, and countless golden wisps of smoke flew out from it, gathering in the air to form a vortex.

The vortex spun slowly, and after a slight sound, it scattered layer after layer of gold dust.

The gold dust swirled in the air, gathering into a figure holding a magic wand—the very same casting pose that Wizet had maintained while standing in the corridor.

Dumbledore looked at Phoenix Fawkes. "His ability to adjust is quite good, isn't it?"

Phoenix Fawkes looks much older and moves much slower than before.

It did not let out a long cry, but nodded slightly, as if in response to Dumbledore's words.

Compared to Dumbledore unwrapping candy, Phoenix Fawkes has a more poignant sense of decline.

Dumbledore seemed to realize this as well, and while eating the candy himself, he also fed Fawkes the Phoenix a berry.

"You've been busy for so long, let me take good care of you during this time."

As October approaches, the Halloween Feast is drawing ever closer.

Unlike last October, this October is accompanied by a damp chill.

A cold, damp atmosphere permeated the campus, making the entire castle look like it had been soaked in water, even the walls were wet.

To avoid getting wet, students are avoiding going outside, at least for Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff.

The Common Room in all three colleges are warm and inviting, and students often return after class to find a spot closer to the fireplace and do what interests them.

Slytherin House wasn't so lucky; their Common Room was right by the Black Lake, and even burning the Common Room brighter couldn't warm it up.

This situation naturally led to the flu, especially among Slytherin House students, who were almost completely wiped out.

During Potions Class, Ron and Harry huddled close together, trying to enjoy the warmth from the cauldron as much as possible.

The flames at the bottom of the crucible danced merrily, casting a rosy glow on their cheeks.

Seeing Snape picking on Neville, Ron muttered, "Snape doesn't even have a cold..."

Harry stirred the cauldron and said in an even quieter voice, "Maybe he's just naturally cold, so he's unaffected?"

"Cough cough cough..." Ron tried to stop laughing, so he quickly replaced it with a cough.

"Heh..." Snape could laugh coldly with amusement. "Disrespecting a professor, five points deducted from Gryffindor!"

Upon hearing this, Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, and they could feel the blush on each other's faces fading.

"Stop talking!" Seamus Finnigan glanced back at Harry. "He's been brewing Invigoration Potion lately to cheer him up..."

Bang!

Before Seamus could finish speaking, his cauldron exploded with a loud bang, and the potion inside burst open, splashing onto him and Dean Thomas.

However, the two did not let out a scream, but instead fell to the ground and fell asleep, enjoying a baby-like sleep.

"Gryffindor, another ten points deducted!" Snape snapped. "Everyone, look at the blackboard! Find out what the sixth step is!"

"The Awakening Potion' requires stirring the crucible three times clockwise! These two 'geniuses' stirred it counter-clockwise, thus producing the opposite effect!"

He bent down to check on the two men, and after confirming that they only had minor burns, he said, "Now... someone needs to take the trouble to get them to the Hospital Wing..."

Harry and Ron's eyes lit up, but they immediately lowered their heads and assumed a serious posture as they brewed Potions.

They are closest to Seamus and Dean, and there's a high chance they can get them to the Hospital Wing.

Snape glanced at Ron and Harry, who were looking down, and said coldly and briefly, "It's a shame that their roommates didn't volunteer."

"Since the gentlemen don't want to volunteer, then... Miss Granger! Miss Pettier! Take our two sleepyheads to the Hospital Wing!"

After giving the order, he resumed patrolling the Potions Classroom, continuing to criticize and deduct points...

Seeing Hermione's resentful expression as she left the classroom, Ron sighed, "What a wonderful job."

"In a way, he really understands us... He actually sent Hermione to the Hospital Wing; she must be heartbroken."

"Who says otherwise?" Harry replied, checking the steps written on the blackboard again before placing the two portions of Wolf's Bane Monkshood into the cauldron...

Seamus was absolutely right; Snape did indeed need to brew a large amount of Invigoration Potion to cope with the sudden flu outbreak.

For this reason, even during his private weekend lessons, Wizet needed to help prepare Invigoration Potion.

If made according to the formula for Invigoration Potion, only one stimulating ingredient, Ginger Root, is needed.

However, Snape was Potions Master. In addition to adding a lot of Ginger Root, he also added a lot of catnip, Peppercorns, wasabi, and mint to the cauldron, which made Wizet's eyelids twitch.

When it came to the last step of the cooking process, Snape still hadn't stopped. He added Sow Thistle Infusion to the crucible as a finishing touch, which made Wizet sweat profusely.

Snape caught a glimpse of Wizet's gaze. "Want to lose points?"

"Professor Snape, I'm thinking about their purpose." Wizet was also finishing up, waving his wand and stirring it three times counterclockwise.

"Nepeta, Peppercorns, wasabi, and mint can actually be used as substitutes for Ginger Root, but wouldn't adding so much at once be too spicy?"

Snape said, "Then dilute it. I don't have that much time to waste on this! I'll only make the Invigoration Potion Invigoration Potion; you can make the rest."

"Professor Snape," Wizet asked curiously. "What about the last Sow Thistle Infusion? Its medicinal properties and Invigoration Potion don't seem to go well together."

Snape a cold laugh. "Gryffindor bored and need something to eat, so this is to whet their appetites."

He cleaned the crucible and began a new round of brewing. "When you deliver the Potions to Madam Pomfrey, remember to tell her that these Potions are specially supplied to Gryffindor!"

"A diluted Invigoration Potion?" Wizet thought of "Ancient Magic: The Balance of Potions".

"Professor Snape, if I add more sweetener to the concentrated Invigoration Potion, will it affect its effectiveness?"

Snape asked, "What are you planning to add?"

Wizet explained her thought process, "I initially considered licorice, but taking large amounts of licorice can also cause side effects."

"Then I thought of honeysuckle and Echinacea infusions. Adding these two herbal infusions in the final step helps retain the sweetness to a greater extent."

Snape thought for a moment and gave an affirmative answer, "Yes, but the method needs to be changed, including the action of waving the wand to cast the spell."