"Let's head back. This place needs time to develop."
Anton looked around with a satisfied smile, then turned to Montgomery.
Montgomery stared at him in confusion. "Develop?"
Anton raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Like fruit that falls into a hollow tree and naturally ferments into wine through Nature's unique methods."
Seeing that Montgomery still didn't understand, he rolled his eyes. "You can think of it as a unique method of brewing Potions."
"Oh, I see!" Montgomery said, looking as if he'd suddenly understood, though his eyes were still full of confusion.
What else could he do? Anton had explained it, and he still couldn't make sense of it.
He felt like the books he'd studied at school might have been fake.
Heaven help him, he'd been a top student too!
In fact, every Auror had been among the best at school. To become an Auror, you had to earn the highest marks in five subjects on the N.E.W.T. examinations.
That was a level most Wizards couldn't even imagine.
Most Young Wizards struggled just to earn high marks on their basic Wizarding exams, let alone continue studying for another two years and then earn the top marks on the N.E.W.T. examinations.
"Let's go!"
As soon as Anton said this, Montgomery's vision flickered. He found himself back inside Barrel Cottage.
The place had clearly changed drastically.
The eerie atmosphere was gone. Sunlight filtered through the snow on the window bars, casting a hazy white glow inside.
The mottled walls were riddled with cracks from years of neglect. Water trickled from the gaps now and then, filling the room with a damp smell.
Yet the dampness felt strangely refreshing. It wasn't stuffy at all; it was like water dripping from leaves in a Forest after rain.
Water splashed onto the uneven floor, bursting into