It Worked

Mrs. Greengrass entered the room carrying a small bottle and a letter. The bottle contained a dark red liquid that gleamed in the sunlight.

"This is a letter from your sister, take a look."

Astoria's eyes lit up. She took the letter, read it quickly, and the excitement on her face slowly faded.

Astoria took the bottle and shook it. "My sister said it works, so I'll give it a try."

Astoria didn't ask any more questions. She had tried similar medicines too many times, and each time they claimed to be effective, but each time there was no real change.

She unscrewed the bottle cap, and a faint scent wafted out—not the smell of medicine, but a blend of herbs and some indescribable fragrance.

"Follow along with the movements first, then drink your medicine," Mrs. Greengrass said softly.

Tom was afraid that words wouldn't be enough to explain it, so he specially drew a magic demonstration diagram. The little stick figure on the paper made every move clearly. Astoria looked at it and couldn't help but laugh.

She obediently got out of bed and practiced with them, but she was out of breath after completing one set of movements, which made Mrs. Greengrass's heart clench.

After resting for a moment, Astoria picked up the Potions and gulped it down. The liquid was thick and a little sticky as it slid down her throat, but it didn't taste bad.

Soon, a surge of heat welled up from her stomach and spread to every part of her body. Her body felt like a dried-up riverbed suddenly filled with water, and every cell seemed to be cheering.

"It really works!" Astoria's eyes lit up.

Mrs. Greengrass stood up excitedly. "Quick, do it again to neutralize the medicine!"

Fifteen minutes later, Astoria did it twice in a row, without blushing or panting, and her pale face even had a faint blush.

"That's wonderful, that's really wonderful!" Mrs. Greengrass hugged her daughter tightly, tears streaming down her face.

She never imagined that the person who would save her daughter would be a first-year student at Hogwarts.

Astoria clenched her fist; it used to be weak, but now it had strength.

She jumped down from the windowsill, her feet landing with a steady thud, unlike before when they would float lightly.

"Mommy, I want to go for a walk." Astoria's little face was flushed, and she smiled sweetly.

"It's cold outside..."

I'll just walk for a little while.

Mrs. Greengrass looked at the rosy cheeks on her daughter's face, and tears welled up in her eyes.

She went over, hugged Astoria, and buried her face in her silver hair.

"Okay, let's walk for a bit, wear something warm."

Astoria obediently let her mother put on her coat and tie her scarf.

She pushed open the manor door, and a cold wind rushed in, but she didn't shrink back like she used to.

She stood on the steps, took a deep breath, and felt the cool air carrying the scent of earth and grass.

She hadn't smelled this scent in a long time. Before, she was too weak; she had to wear several layers of clothing when she went out, and she'd be out of breath after just a few steps.

In her letter, Daphne said she would give Tom five thousand Galleon for his medicine. The lady didn't think it was expensive at all; on the contrary, she thought it was too cheap.

Although it cannot be said that it can be cured completely, she is willing to spend any amount of money as long as her daughter can continue to be comfortable.

The letter said that they needed the eyeballs of the Sphinx as material.

The Greengrass Family possesses countless artifacts, but for such time-sensitive Potions ingredients, they only have a few old specimens left, which are no longer suitable for use in medicine.

Even if you go to collect it temporarily, these rare materials from the gray area aren't something you can just get whenever you want.

Mrs. Greengrass returned to the room and went to the cupboard. The cupboard was old, and the paint on the wood was peeling off.

She took a pendant off her neck; the sharp point pierced her finger, and blood dripped into the crack of the cabinet door.

The cabinet door opened.

Inside were thick stacks of parchment, each sheet yellowed and curled at the edges. She reached down and pulled one out.

A few lines of text were written on the parchment, in an old-fashioned handwriting in Old English. Her finger traced across the paper, and the corners of her mouth slowly turned up.

This medicine couldn't be bought for five thousand Galleon, and she decided to buy it long-term, no matter how much Tom wanted.

As for the Sphinx's eyeballs, she'd have to figure out a way to get them.

She glanced out the window; Astoria stood on the lawn, arms outstretched, head tilted back, letting the wind ruffle her hair.

Mrs. Greengrass smiled.

On Monday morning, Daphne shoved a heavy Dragon Hide into Tom's hands. When Tom opened it, he was completely dumbfounded.

I weighed it in my hand; it was at least five thousand Galleon, Winky, and stacked neatly.

"Tom, it really works!" Daphne jumped up with joy.

"Mom said Astoria's face had regained its color, and she ate a whole plate of pasta for dinner! Before, she could only eat a third of it, and I was worried she would starve."

"I told you this medicine was reliable." Tom waited until she had finished jumping around before shaking the Dragon Hide sack in his hand, his tone full of doubt. "But what's with this money? I didn't say there would be a charge."

"The cost of the medicine? I can't just take such a precious Potions for nothing," Daphne said with a smile.

"Mom is already helping you find the ingredients. From now on, each bottle will cost five thousand Galleon. Don't think it's too little."

It costs five thousand Galleon a bottle. He previously sold it to Phoebe for only one thousand, and that was only because of the "life-saving grace."

She also said that if you need any materials, just tell her and she will collect them all. She added that it's a lot of money, and it's not safe for you to carry it all with you.

"So she's planning to give you a vault, you can just take from it."

Tom fell silent. Just how rich were the Greengrass family? How could they talk about five thousand Galleon as casually as they talked about five thousand Knut?

He realized this might involve core family secrets, but he didn't ask. It wasn't that he was afraid Daphne wouldn't tell him, but rather that he felt the silly girl herself didn't know.

"Daphne." Tom suddenly straightened his face, his tone becoming very serious.

The girl tensed up. "What's wrong?"

"I told you this Potions was a gift for you; I won't take your money."

Daphne opened her mouth to speak, but Tom raised his hand to stop her. "I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush, let me finish."

"I'm not short of money right now. I haven't used up all the money you gave me before. You also know that I still have the materials for the fire dragon, and selling them will bring in a considerable sum of money."

Tom looked at her. "Given the relationship between us, if I asked you for money, would you lend it to me?"

Daphne replied decisively, "Of course!"

"Me too. Astoria is your sister, so she's my sister too. If your sister is sick, should her brother pay for her medicine?"

Daphne's eyes reddened.

"So from now on, as long as Mrs. Greengrass can get the materials, I will help Astoria refine them, and you don't need to pay me."

Tom paused for a moment, "But I must warn you, the tonic has a resistance rate; it will lose its effectiveness after a maximum of fifteen to twenty bottles."