Harry's Gratitude, Repaying the Improved Potion Recipe Loan

"...because of the trust you've placed in me, I can't allow myself to teach you knowledge that is wrong or careless."

Lucien's words struck Harry like a bolt of lightning, leaving him frozen on the spot.

Before entering the magical world, Harry had lived at his aunt's house, always the child who was disliked and mocked.

After he came into contact with magic, he had suddenly transformed into "the Boy Who Lived." The way most people treated him was more like curiosity toward a legend.

Sometimes Harry really wanted to shout, I'm Harry. I'm just Harry!

He had never expected Lucien to value his trust so much, to respect him like this.

"Lucien, I... I'll study seriously!"

"Thank you!"

Harry didn't know how to express the emotion and joy in his heart. In the end, it all came together as a promise and a thanks.

Lucien patted Harry on the shoulder.

"Don't think too much for now. Keep studying."

Harry nodded hard and, following Lucien's guidance, began adding the ingredients one after another into the cauldron to brew.

This time, he had no hesitation or confusion, and brewed the potion earnestly.

In the end, a cauldron of pale-blue liquid with a faint shimmer was fully refined.

After glancing at its color, then gently wafting over its scent, Lucien nodded.

"Give it a try. Your first potion."

Harry was a little excited. With a slightly trembling hand, he scooped up a spoonful of potion and poured it into a small metal vial.

That was probably one dose. Harry swallowed, then downed the Vision-Clearing Potion he had brewed with his own hands in one go.

Watching Harry's manner, Lucien found it amusing.

How had this kid managed to drink medicine with the air of someone chugging a whole bottle?

A faint blue light appeared in Harry's eyes, then vanished in a flash.

Taking off his glasses, Harry looked around the room, his voice excited.

"I can see clearly! The potion I brewed worked!"

"Thank you, Lucien, thank you!"

Perhaps because of the Vision-Clearing Potion's effects, combined with the removal of his glasses, Harry's emerald-green almond eyes looked even brighter.

Lucien felt very gratified. Besides Harry, Snape probably ought to thank him even more.

A potion like the Vision-Clearing Potion wasn't difficult, and Lucien believed that Snape could even brew a potion that would permanently cure nearsightedness.

Then why couldn't Snape have given Harry a bottle?

If he couldn't bring himself to do it openly, he could just secretly mix it into Harry's food.

What, could it be that Old Bat wanted to see those emerald-green eyes, yet didn't dare remove the barrier of the glasses and look at them directly, afraid he would think of her, who could no longer open her eyes, think of the her who had passed those eyes down to Harry?

"You did very well, Harry. You're actually quite suited to studying potions."

Lucien directly praised and encouraged Harry. He knew very well that for a child of this age, appropriate positive encouragement was important.

Sure enough, excitement immediately surged onto Harry's face.

"Ah, thank you. I, I—Lucien, it's because you taught me well!"

Lucien nodded lightly. A teachable child.

"All right. Now, without me watching, brew the Vision-Clearing Potion again by yourself."

Harry froze, then let out an "Ah?"

"While the feeling is still there, practice a few more times. Only then can you grasp the knowledge more firmly."

Lucien was also very clear that children of this age tended to get carried away, so repeated practice was important too.

Harry no longer had the slightest doubt about Lucien's words. He immediately began scrubbing the cauldron in preparation for brewing.

Lucien, meanwhile, walked toward the cauldron Hagrid had provided, the size of a washbasin.

At the same time, he communicated with the system in his mind.

"I want to borrow beginner finished potions on a daily loan. Customize them as follows: Plenty Fertilizer, Weed-Killer Spirit, Bug-Run Potion, and Invisibility Essential Oil."

"Five portions each of the first three, and one portion of Invisibility Essential Oil."

Lucien figured that since there was a large demand for fertilizer, herbicide, and insecticide anyway, he might as well brew more in one go.

Besides, Hagrid's cauldron was big enough. Brewing it once would save effort too.

[Items have been issued to the system space and may be checked at any time]

[Task: Successfully refine five portions each of Plenty Fertilizer, Weed-Killer Spirit, and Bug-Run Potion, and one portion of Invisibility Essential Oil]

Lucien began processing the ingredients. As for these three potions used for growing vegetables, as well as the Invisibility Essential Oil he had traded for from Snape, he had already memorized the recipes.

He was fast. Thanks to his precise control over magic, Lucien used spells directly to help himself process the raw materials at speed, then guided the ingredients to fly one after another into the large cauldron to be brewed.

Of course, this would not have been allowed in Snape's class.

But it wasn't as if he could flap his robes and fly over.

Harry had only just finished brewing a Vision-Clearing Potion on his own.

Lucien, meanwhile, had already completed four different potions in succession.

[Ding, the host has successfully brewed five potions. Improved Potion Formula (weekly loan) has been fully repaid.]```

Phew. Nothing felt better than paying off a debt.

After checking Harry's work, Lucien pointed out its shortcomings and how to correct them.

Seeing that the two of them were finally done and seemed to have some free time, Hagrid, who had been watching from the side all along, rubbed his hands together and could not help speaking up.

"You two really know how to brew potions?"

He was too embarrassed to say that he had thought the two young wizards were just messing around. He had not expected that when they said they were learning potions, they really meant learning potions.

Harry looked at Hagrid with slight confusion, not quite understanding what he was trying to say.

Lucien, however, handed the three freshly brewed gardening potions to Hagrid.

"Hagrid, these potions are fertilizer, weedkiller, and pesticide."

"I saw you planted a lot of vegetables in the garden nearby. You should be able to use these."

"Thank you for providing us with the room and materials."

Lucien did not like owing people things. If he could repay them, he would.

Besides, through the system loan, he had essentially gotten extra potions for free.

He might as well give these ready-made gardening potions to Hagrid as thanks for his help.

Hagrid wanted to push the potions back, but he was afraid he might use too much strength and hurt Lucien, so he only waved his hands again and again.

"No, no, no. Harry is my friend, and you're Harry's friend."

"I'm very happy I could help you. You don't need to give me these."

Lucien smiled. This Half-Giant really was straightforward and kind.

"Heh, Hagrid, I'm Harry's friend, and Harry is your friend, so that means you're my friend too."

"What's wrong with helping a friend grow bigger, tastier vegetables?"