Little Moneybags

As Tierra sorted and inspected the potion ingredients one by one.

"Tierra, what are these?" Harry's shaggy little head craned over curiously.

"Potion ingredients," Tierra said. After thinking for a moment, he added, "You can't keep making Hermione angry like this. I'm planning to brew a restorative potion. It should help you concentrate while studying."

"R-really?" Harry asked. It wasn't that he disliked studying, but like any child, when he failed to make progress in a subject for a long time, he lost interest in it.

"Don't bother," Ron said with a roll of his eyes. "With Snape around, there's no way we won't lose points."

"And instead of trying to use this to win over your little girlfriend, you should just listen to her in class. Stop insisting on that weird brewing method of yours," Ron added.

Since Tierra was the only person in Gryffindor that year—the only one among both the boys and girls—who could endure Hermione's endless chatter for long periods, everyone thought he was pursuing Hermione.

Even Hermione thought so. She had once solemnly told Tierra that there was nothing in her heart but studying.

"Um... are these ingredients expensive?" Harry asked.

"Not really," Tierra said. "Only thirty or forty Galleons."

They actually cost twenty Galleons and ten Sickles.

"T-that expensive?" Harry said. Then he pulled a handful of Galleons from his pocket and awkwardly placed them in front of Tierra. "T-there are thirty Galleons here. Um... you shouldn't have to pay for all the potion brewing yourself..."

"No need, Harry." Tierra was ecstatic inside, but his face remained perfectly calm. He put on a troubled expression. "There'll definitely be leftover ingredients. We can sell the extra potion we brew to..."

"Take it, Tierra." As if gathering all his courage, Harry pushed the handful of Galleons toward Tierra.

"You've already helped us so much! You helped me review my lessons, helped me deal with Snape's questions, and now you're helping me brew potions. I-I can't just keep taking things from you for free. Take these Galleons. If it's not enough, I still have plenty more."

Children's friendship was just that simple and unpretentious.

"We're friends, Harry. You don't have to worry so much about this." As he spoke, Tierra swept the pile of Galleons into his pocket.

At breakfast a week later, Tierra entered the Great Hall carrying two jars of potion before Potions class.

"Morning." A week later, Little Witch Hermione was no longer angry. She had started sticking close to Tierra again, though she was still rather cold toward Harry and Ron.

"Is this the potion you brewed for them?" Hermione asked curiously, looking at the two glass jars in Tierra's hands.

"Yes." Tierra set the jars on the table.

Of the potions in the glass jars... one was the Calming Draught from Intermediate Potions. The other was Tierra's own version, made after reading Principles of Potions. Based on his understanding and his experience brewing Huris Potion, he had added Balnearia Mushrooms, Dried Billywig Shells, and Fire Feathered Serpent scales, while increasing the amount of Valerian Sprigs powder in the Calming Draught.

The original Calming Draught was pale purple and gave off a faint fragrance similar to lavender. Tierra's improved version, meanwhile, was deep red and carried a rich, pungent smell.

"What's in the red jar?" Hermione asked.

"It's also a Calming Draught," Tierra said. "It's an older recipe from Principles of Potions. I tried brewing both as practice."

Tierra did not say that it was a potion he had improved himself. Otherwise, he would have to face Hermione's endless questions again.

In any case, Tierra knew Hermione would never look at Principles of Potions again. The day after Tierra returned it, the unwilling-to-admit-defeat Hermione borrowed the book.

But on the third day, it appeared on the library shelf again.

Even for Tierra, who had studied chemical engineering principles, instrumental analysis, biochemical reaction engineering, and physical chemistry at university, Principles of Potions was somewhat difficult to understand. Hermione had not even attended high school.

"Does it work?" Hermione asked.

"I gave Scabbers a little, and it seemed pretty effective... at least... Scabbers didn't die," Tierra said. He had no way of judging Wormtail's condition.

After Peter Pettigrew showed no unusual reaction after drinking it, Tierra had taken a sip himself as well.

But...

Nothing happened. Just like when he drank the original Calming Draught, Tierra did not feel his concentration improve at all.

Yet after Harry and Ron drank the original potion, they both said it was very effective.

Tierra guessed that perhaps, after taking Huris Potion, he had developed a resistance to the Calming Draught.

But there was no way to verify that, so Tierra could only let it go.

Tierra had finished brewing the original Calming Draught three days ago, but the improved version had not been completed until last night.

For that, he had to spend another five Galleons at the apothecary on ingredients for the Calming Draught, as well as sulfur, iron powder, aluminum powder, and other materials for making explosives.

Considering Harry's eventful school life ahead, Tierra decided not to focus solely on the Calming Draught. He planned to develop several kinds of magical bombs.

Hmm... perhaps he could exchange ideas with the Weasley Twins more often in the future.

"Give me some." After draining the remaining orange juice from her cup, Hermione pushed it toward Tierra.

"Um... actually, I wanted Professor Snape to assess it first this afternoon..." Tierra said as he opened the glass jar containing the purple potion and poured some for Hermione.

"It's very effective." After drinking it in one go, Hermione felt a coolness wash through her mind. It was as if she had just awakened from a long winter hibernation, and everything around her became vivid and bright.

"It's good that it works." Tierra smiled. Harry and Ron had said the same thing.

"Can you teach me how to brew it?" Hermione asked.

"Sure," Tierra said dismissively. "But we've used up all the ingredients. Maybe next time."

As Tierra and Hermione talked, more and more people gradually entered the Great Hall. Many fifth- and sixth-year students had risen early to study for their O.W.L.s.

"Hello, Hermione. Hello, Tierra." Percy, with his curly hair, spotted Hermione and Tierra and greeted the two first-year wizards with a smile.

"Good morning, Percy."

"Good morning, Prefect."

Percy smiled at Tierra again. Clearly, he was very pleased by Tierra calling him "Prefect."

Percy liked these two first-year students very much. They studied hard, followed the rules, and most importantly, respected him as a prefect.

They were far more likable than his two troublemaking twin brothers and his dim-witted little brother.

"Prefect, there's something about Transfiguration that I don't quite understand. Could you explain it to me?" Tierra took out the Transfiguration notes he had prepared beforehand and spread them across the table.

In the original film, Percy was portrayed quite prominently. He was the odd one out in the Weasley family, completely lacking a sense of humor, a study addict and workaholic, yet highly ambitious and extremely concerned with appearances.

Thus, a simple "Prefect" from Tierra, along with the occasional admiring look, was enough to wrap him around Tierra's finger and make this study fanatic take time out of his already limited free time to answer some of Tierra's questions.

Tierra's knowledge was indeed extensive, but it was also a mishmash. On one side was the materialist scientific worldview from his previous life; on another was the Three-Dimensional Theory of Magic, which he had encountered first in this life; and lastly, there was what he was currently learning at Hogwarts, which Tierra called classical Magical Theory.

Tierra had run into a problem with the virtual spiritual dimension involved in Transfiguration when turning living things into dead objects and dead objects into living things.

To turn a dead object into a living animal or plant, rather than merely an organic body of flesh, the Three-Dimensional Theory of Magic stated that one had to construct a virtual spiritual dimension.

It was not a true spiritual dimension, but a virtual soul, much like a computer program.

Tierra had hit a bottleneck in constructing it, so he could only consult an older student through the Hogwarts textbooks.