Adding Firewood to the Fireplace

None of the young wizards could find any information on Advanced Fire Magic.

That was because all books related to it had been placed in the Restricted Section.

Even Hermione, who had worked up the courage to ask Professor Flitwick for a permission slip, was denied.

This time, Ron did not laugh at Hermione, who had been brimming with confidence only to fail to get the slip.

Because he, too, desperately wanted to read about those advanced fire spells.

After learning that Hermione had failed to obtain a permission slip, Luan returned to his seat and began rewriting his homework.

In his original assignment, he had not written about the connections between Fire-based spells, especially those spells related to cooking and daily life.

Although Luan had now joined Hogwarts, he had always believed that magic and ordinary life were two things that could never be combined.

He had never imagined that even the smallest details of everyday life could be connected to Fire Magic.

For instance, Ron often mentioned that his mother used magic to iron clothes.

Living in a world where traces of magic could be found everywhere filled Luan with anticipation.

During Flying Class that afternoon, Luan finally tried flying for himself.

After the lesson from last time, Madam Hooch only allowed everyone to rise six feet off the ground.

That was a height where she could grab the young wizards with a single outstretched hand.

Of course, she also allowed students with a talent for flying to practice freely.

Harry thus became the darling of Flying Class. He flew quickly and steadily, and his laughter filled the sky above the entire lawn.

"Come on! Luan, I know you can do it!"

Harry's voice came from high above, but Luan ignored him.

His broom could not possibly compare to the Nimbus 2000, so he kept himself steadily at a height of six feet.

Though the view from that height was not particularly good, Luan was growing more and more skilled at handling his broom.

He was also gradually getting the hang of basic flying techniques such as turning and sudden stops.

Not far away, Malfoy glared furiously at Harry high above. His broom had also been provided by the school, and he could not even catch up to the tail of Harry's broom.

As for Neville, he alone received nearly all of Madam Hooch's attention.

He was also the only young wizard who spent the entire class practicing how to communicate with his broom.

"Up~"

"Up~~"

"Up~~~"

Amid Neville's repeated cries of "Up," Flying Class came to an end.

That evening, after finishing his Charms Homework, Luan began once more to add firewood to the fireplace.

He had already failed fifteen times. After sweeping another pile of wood shavings into the fireplace, Luan took out five more sticks and began carving.

On Friday morning, Luan got up earlier than usual.

Because today, besides adding firewood to the fireplace, he also had to preview Potions Class.

If studying magic at Hogwarts was joyful, then Professor Snape's Potions Class was the only shadow hanging over Gryffindor's Little Lions.

Even Hermione, the best student among them, was no exception.

Last week, she had answered a question too eagerly and had been judged by Snape to have violated classroom discipline, costing Gryffindor one point.

Thus, the two consecutive Potions Class periods on Friday became the main battlefield where Gryffindor's first-years fought to protect their House points.

Of course, aside from Professor Snape's strict and somewhat biased teaching style, Potions itself—with its heavy workload and emphasis on practical work—was also one of the reasons first-years lost points.

It had only been three weeks since term began, yet Luan was already about to learn his third potion.

This forceful stream of new knowledge every week made one seriously question the professors' intentions.

But Snape clearly did not care about that. As soon as class began, he hurried to the lectern, his cloak swishing behind him.

After taking attendance, he questioned Harry as usual, then launched into another round of belittling.

"Very well. I hope none of you are like Potter, who studied in advance yet still failed to grasp the key points."

After Snape finished disparaging Harry to his satisfaction, he cast another stare at Luan and Neville seated in the front.

"Mr. Longbottom! This time, I hope you will handle every step personally."

Neville swallowed and nodded as firmly as he could.

"Good! Now turn to page seventeen. Today, we will make Healing Cut Potion."

This time, Neville participated from beginning to end, though he carried out every step under Luan's guidance.

"Wait, only add one leaf of Blood-stopping Grass at a time."

"Then add the Healing Fern, just a small section each time."

"Finally, the Calming Flower. Put in the whole flower, and be careful not to grind it too finely."

Neville was using a mortar to process the herbs, while Luan directed him and stirred the cauldron at the same time.

Pure Spring Water and a small pinch of Dragon Scale Powder were simmering over the fire.

This liquid could tighten and contract the skin, helping wounds heal.

After the lesson from their first attempt, Luan did not trust Neville with this half-finished product.

According to the book, this unformed liquid would produce an intense contracting force upon touching the skin. Luan did not dare imagine the consequences.

Add the ground herbs to the cauldron in three batches, then boil over high heat. Just as the liquid was about to turn transparent, remove it from the heat immediately, add a drop of Elf Tears, and stir quickly.

Once the potion turned into a crystalline blue paste, the Healing Cut Potion was successfully brewed.

"Hmm."

That was Professor Snape's highest praise for the results of Luan and Neville's two periods of work.

After class that morning, Luan quickly finished eating and took Bouncing to the edge of the Forbidden Forest once again.

All his little wooden sticks had become ashes in the fireplace, so he needed to prepare another batch.

As for Bouncing, Luan had promised to ask Hagrid for some dried snack worms.

After returning from the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Luan went to the Greenhouse to check on the growth of the three Great Trees.

After Potion Residue was no longer applied, the three Great Trees' growth had visibly slowed.

The small cut Luan had made in the willow had healed, forming a raised bump.

Measuring the bump's position with his fingers, Luan discovered that over the past week, the range of the willow's magical properties had expanded by five inches.

"I think they're still digesting the Potion Residue."

Cedric appeared in the Greenhouse again. When he saw the bundle of little wooden sticks at Luan's feet, he visibly relaxed.

"I think the professor was just worrying too much. She thought you were going to study those plants that have long gone extinct."

Though Cedric did not name her, Luan knew exactly which professor he meant.

During Herbology on Monday, Luan had asked Professor Sprout a few questions about the Great Willow Tree out of curiosity.

He simply had not expected the professor to care so much about what he was doing.

"Of course. I'm still working on Wand Making, but my progress has been slow."

"Don't be discouraged. Wands are the brightest star in Plant Magic over the past two thousand years. I think it would already be remarkable if you could make one in a year."

Luan automatically ignored the timeframe Cedric had mentioned.

He admitted that his Wand Making was progressing rather slowly, but he had never once considered taking a year.

"Of course, I also never expected you to choose Wand Making as your ticket into the club." Cedric shook his head regretfully.

He had thought the club would welcome its youngest member this year, which would also have been a shining achievement in his role as the club's secretary.

But when he saw the determined look in Luan's eyes, Cedric added another sentence.

"Of course, if you succeed, it will be the most impressive ticket into the club since its founding."

Young wizards, please keep reading, and send monthly and recommendation votes.