Successful Brewing

Sometimes, potion brewing looked so Muggle-like

that many people believed that as long as they followed the steps, even a Muggle could brew potions.

But the truth was quite the opposite.

Even if Muggles had all the ingredients and followed the instructions exactly, they still could not make potions,

because brewing potions always required some magic to guide the process, and sometimes even a wand.

For Scurvy Paste, its magical component came at the very end.

At that point, the wizard needed to make a special gesture and silently recite a special incantation.

It roughly meant:

"Grant this potion the ability to cure scurvy."

As for the preceding steps, Sean was carrying them out.

In the Dungeon.

Thin light cast patches across the stone walls. The Cauldron simmering over a low flame gave off White Smoke and wafts of fragrance.

The empty underground room held only the bubbling of the potion and the soft rustle of Sean turning the pages of "Magical Drafts and Potions."

Professor Snape had made the key points of potion brewing very clear in the first lesson.

Precision and strictness.

Sean flipped "Magical Drafts and Potions" open to the required section.

Though he had already memorized it, he still kept it at his side in case he needed it.

"First step: measure the ingredients, brew the Horned Slugs..."

Before the Cauldron reached its prescribed preheating time, Sean quickly measured out four portions of ingredients to exact standards.

Then, without pause, he began brewing the Horned Slugs.

While they brewed, he followed the instructions to use the tools on the table to crush the Viper Fangs and chop the pre-soaked Dried Nettle.

This was when the techniques he had learned in the Greenhouse came in handy.

He selected and processed the ingredients to acceptable standards with almost effortless ease, even leaving himself plenty of spare time.

Even during that spare time, Sean did not stop. He quickly recorded the quantities and conditions of the ingredients.

He did not even overlook the approximate state of the flame.

Though the Dungeon's Cauldrons ignited automatically, he would have to learn to control flames with a wand sooner or later, wouldn't he?

Sean had always been accustomed to preparing in advance.

"Second step: remove the slugs, add the Dried Nettle and Viper Fangs..."

With time to spare, Sean read through "Magical Drafts and Potions" once more, making sure he would not forget any detail out of nervousness.

The brown-black book, with a Cauldron and steam on its cover, lay open at his side.

Its first page was visible: Basic Brewing Method, This Book Is All You Need.

"Third step: stir twice to the left, then three times to the right. The force must be moderate..."

Sean stirred the brewing potion in a fixed posture, using just enough force to break apart the bubbles.

In truth, he was a little nervous.

Professor Snape could appear at any moment, and his practice might not even succeed.

People were always somewhat afraid of the unknown, and Sean was no exception.

So he was especially serious and meticulous.

"Almost there. Add the slugs, then remove the Cauldron from the heat and add the Porcupine Quills."

The potion brewing had clearly reached its most critical stage. The moment the slugs entered the Cauldron, they melted, and the potion turned a pale blue.

Sean counted silently in his heart:

"Twenty-five, twenty-four, twenty-three..."

Even in that brief interval, Sean did not stand idle. He recorded every detail of the following steps, including the time, the state of the ingredients, the heat, and more.

What came next was the most exciting moment.

Sean stirred the Cauldron, waved his arm, and recited the incantation.

After the Cauldron bubbled for a while,

it became...

a blue-green jelly-like liquid.

Huh?

Why was it blue-green?

Nor had the System Panel made any sound.

Sean knew for certain that he had failed.

But judging from the final result, he had not failed by much.

He frowned deeply. If there had been no problem with the ingredient processing, then the error could only have occurred during the brewing process.

So which part had gone wrong: the stirring, the heat, or the final incantation?

Or had all of them gone wrong?

For no reason, Sean recalled a passage from "Magical Theory":

But when you have mastered a kind of magic,

if you wish to truly unleash its greatest power,

you still need sufficient mental strength.

Sean remembered the wording here—a kind of magic.

Did potions fall under that as well? Were they the same?

Sean knew that his Potions Talent was limited. Just like spells, he might need hundreds of attempts to grasp the technique.

But he did not have much time, nor did he have many ingredients.

Therefore, he had to take a shortcut.

He carefully took "Advanced Potions" from his bag and skimmed through its obscure contents.

Soon, he found a passage that made his Eyes light up.

The Ministry of Magic classified Polyjuice Potion as high-risk magic,

as its effects were greatly influenced by the brewer's emotional fluctuations,

and it required strict supervision.

He did not fully understand what emotions potion brewing required, but nervousness and mechanical repetition were certainly no good.

When the Cauldron was lit and steam began to rise once more,

Sean's tense body gradually relaxed. He told himself,

if Professor Snape discovered him, then whether his practice succeeded or failed, he would be finished.

So would he be finished successfully, or finished unsuccessfully?

The difference was enormous.

His green Eyes grew deep and calm once more, and even the posture with which he stirred the potion took on a strange rhythm.

Sean had always been good at controlling his emotions. Children who could not do that lived very poorly at Holysee Orphanage.

The nettles melted in the Cauldron like rock sugar, and the Venom Fangs hissed as they dissolved into the potion.

Sean used exactly the same heat as before, but this time,

he truly felt as though he was completing a work of art.

The art of potions.

Mist-like White Smoke drifted from the Cauldron, and time slipped quietly by amid the silence and the faint clinking of the spoon against the inner wall.

When Sean added the Porcupine Quills once more,

the extinguished Cauldron seemed to swallow the final ingredient as though merging with it.

Sean completed the ritual with focused attention and recited the incantation.

This time, the Cauldron did not change slowly. It seemed to follow Sean's will,

churning rapidly.

Before long, the liquid became jelly-like, its color turning infinitely close to ink green.

You have successfully brewed a Cauldron of Scurvy Paste to an Apprentice's standard. Proficiency +1

Sean's Eyes shone brilliantly. He stared at the ink green, jelly-like liquid, and the corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously.

Then, without wasting a single second, he carefully wrote every step into his notebook.

He wrote the most important part in especially large letters:

Potions are a precise craft. A Wizard's focus and calm are the key.

Just as he was immersed in reflection and summary,

the torches on the stairs leading to the Dungeon suddenly flickered.

Above the cold steps, the hem of a black robe abruptly swept past.