I'm Better Than You

Hoffa chopped the Murtlap tentacles into tiny pieces and sprinkled them into the cauldron.

The clear water in the cauldron immediately turned red. This was one of the ingredients for a magical power restoration potion.

Miranda was staring at her Potions textbook, muttering incantations like a nun chanting scriptures as she stirred the red potion in the cauldron.

When she saw Hoffa add the Murtlap tentacles, Miranda froze.

"Hey, Hoffa, weren't we making a Shrinking Solution today?"

Hoffa said quietly, "Yeah, but that's boring. I've been researching a new formula lately. It's really fun. Let me do it."

"Um, all right."

Miranda pushed up her glasses and switched places with Hoffa.

Taking over the cauldron, Hoffa began directing Miranda to cut up the various ingredients in the Potions classroom.

Then he dumped all the chopped ingredients into the cauldron in one go, without caring whether the quantities were correct.

Of course, such a careless attitude was bound to fail at potion-making. As the ingredients plopped into the cauldron, its color grew increasingly bizarre.

As Miranda chopped, she watched the boiling cauldron anxiously. It had already begun giving off ominous hissing sounds.

She whispered, "Hoffa, I've never seen any potion brewed like this. Are you making stew?"

"Mm, don't talk. Help me cut up the daisy roots."

"All right."

After he threw in more ingredients, the color of Hoffa's cauldron became as unhinged as a madman's expression. The potion inside boiled violently, giving off the smell of a burnt shoehorn.

The nearby students could not help frowning.

Seeing the potion grow more and more abnormal, Miranda, utterly confused, pulled out her wand and tried to stop him.

But she was too late. With a thunderous boom from inside the cauldron, Hoffa grabbed Miranda and leaped backward like lightning, dodging the wildly spraying potion. Everyone in the Potions classroom turned around, pinching their noses.

Slughorn, who had been absorbed in watching Argeleia perform, abruptly raised his head. His brows shot up as he strode over to Hoffa's table, pinched his nose, leaned forward to look, and roared, "What is this? Bach, explain yourself!!"

The cauldron was spraying multicolored liquid. It hissed as it dripped off the table, sprouting one strange branch after another across the floor.

Hoffa looked around in panic, wearing the same helpless expression as Neville.

He was waiting.

Less than a second later, as if someone had pressed a remote-control button and triggered an inevitable event—

"Hmph, a low-grade magical power restoration potion!"

A cool, mocking voice sounded from beyond the crowd, and Hoffa rejoiced inwardly.

Ha, took the bait!

"It's just a failed restoration potion. I never expected you, Bach, to try making something like this. You really overestimate yourself."

The moment Argeleia, the princess of Potions class, spoke, the classroom fell silent.

Argeleia folded her arms and put on an expression of disgust and impatience. Yet the wild delight and excitement in her eyes could not be concealed.

Hoffa shouted unwillingly, "What does the potion I make have to do with you?"

"Hah? You? Why don't you take a good look at yourself first?"

Argeleia shoved aside the student blocking her path and strode up to Hoffa's cauldron. Drawing her wand, she gave it a flick.

The boiling cauldron immediately calmed down.

"Murtlap tentacles, lionfish spine powder, porcupine quills, armadillo bile, plus a serving of Faling root."

With her eyes slanted, she recited every ingredient Hoffa had used without a single mistake, as though reading out a menu.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Bach~ Are you an eighteenth-century wizard? You actually use such an outdated method, and you use it terribly."

This time, Hoffa was not angry. Instead, he secretly rejoiced. If you want to show off, then go ahead and show off to your heart's content.

"Oh my." Hoffa sneered in agreement. "You make it sound like you're so amazing. If you're so good, then do it yourself!"

Argeleia grew even more excited, a piercing gleam flashing in her eyes.

"Me? Fine, I'll do it! Even with one hand, I'm better than you!"

She shoved Miranda aside with a smack and snatched the stirring rod from the stunned girl's hand.

"Watch closely! If it were me, I wouldn't add so much red rat fur, because Murtlap tentacles are only used in this potion to neutralize pain and stop bleeding, not to enhance resistance. What's the point of adding so much?"

Her fingers flew through the cabinet, pulling out all sorts of potion ingredients. She expertly separated, sliced, and tossed them into the cauldron, so fast it made everyone dizzy.

(One minute later)

"And you only added this little armadillo bile. What is that supposed to do? Didn't you listen in class? Armadillo bile is used to improve intelligence. The starting amount should be at least 250 milliliters."

(One minute later)

"...You added porcupine quills to the potion without processing them first. What were you even thinking? Also, French wizards abandoned this technique as early as 1821, and you're still using it. I really don't know what backwater corner you dug this formula out of..."

(One minute later)

"...Ugh, what are you trying to do by adding so much daffodil root powder? Poison someone? Or do you simply not understand its toxicity? I really don't know how you got your usual grades."

(One minute later.)

"...Sigh, you really should improve your hands-on skills, Bach. Otherwise, I truly don't know whether you'll be able to graduate from first year."

She was immersed in the joy of teaching others, her eyes shining with intoxicated delight, paying no attention at all to Hoffa's expression.

At that moment, Hoffa was not listening to Argeleia's mockery in the slightest. He was fully operating his meditation technique, his consciousness settling into the potion like a web as he carefully sensed every change within it.

The magical power restoration potion was more complicated than any potion he had brewed before. He had to concentrate completely and make sure he did not miss a single detail.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time, beneath the blank stares of the entire class, all the ingredients in her hands had become one small vial after another.

Argeleia held three small glass vials in the air and swept her gaze around the room. With her chest held high, she said, unable to suppress her pride, "Of course, as one of the most widely used and specialized wizarding potions, a restoration potion still requires one final step of proportioning before it can be completed."

She drew out her words.

"I dare say there aren't many people in the world who know this ratio."

She raised her hand, while Hoffa focused to the absolute limit.

"The ratio must—"

"Cough, cough!!"

Suddenly, a deliberate cough came from the crowd, interrupting Argeleia's endless speech and breaking the entire class out of their stunned silence.

When they turned, Slughorn was walking over.

Hoffa's face immediately darkened.

Slughorn? Why did this old bastard suddenly show up?

Slughorn looked at Argeleia with an expression of shock and admiration.

"That's enough, child. Don't continue."

Argeleia frowned at the potion in her hand. Her performance had been interrupted, and she was extremely displeased.

"What?" she asked unhappily, showing no regard for his status as a teacher.

Slughorn did not answer her. He looked sternly at Hoffa. "Bach, I'm glad you have the spirit to experiment, but this is a Ministry of Magic controlled substance, a type of stimulant potion. You'd best not attempt it again in the future. If you wish to buy it, you may apply for registration at St. Mungo's."

The students around them snickered, as though taking a restoration potion were somehow shameful.

Slughorn then turned to Argeleia and said indulgently, "Exquisite work. It's practically art. Unfortunately, this potion is protected by patent law, so I cannot allow you to make it in class. If word got out, the school would have to take responsibility, and it would reflect badly on us. If you're interested, I can take you to visit the Ministry of Magic's Drug Control Division next time."

After his endless stream of comforting words, Argeleia finally stopped pouting in anger. She frowned, stuffed the potion into her pocket, snorted, folded her arms, and walked away.

Hoffa gritted his teeth inwardly.

Potions class really was incompatible with him. He had been just one final step away, yet Slughorn had appeared out of nowhere. Now he knew the complete formula but not the final ratio. This was going to be troublesome.

After Potions class ended, Argeleia walked out in a foul mood. Although Slughorn had acknowledged her talent for potions, she had not finished brewing the potion.

Moreover, Slughorn praised her every time, and it had already lost its novelty for her. It had even begun to irritate her.

She wanted more people to be completely convinced of her abilities—more different kinds of people, especially that arrogant guy.

Brewing only half a potion was not enough to make that guy bow his head.

Sure enough, Hoffa drifted past her without even glancing sideways. Argeleia chatted and laughed with her lackeys, but the corner of her eye remained fixed on him.

Damn it! He's still ignoring me! Does he think I can't really brew a magical power restoration potion?

She clearly could do it. She had only been a little short.

Just a little!!

The more Argeleia thought about it, the more displeased she became.

Finally, she pushed away the people around her and followed Hoffa.

Living was about proving four words.

I'm better than you.

Damn Slughorn!!

He had been just a tiny bit short.

As Hoffa hurried along, he pulled out a quill and parchment and began recording things in haste.

Although his mental strength exceeded that of ordinary people and his memory was fairly good, memorizing such a long string of potion formulas and instructions was still difficult.

He had no choice but to recall everything as he walked, lest he forget any details.

When he reached an empty study classroom, Hoffa clenched the quill and parchment in his mouth and hurried inside. He found a seat at random, sat down, and began writing.

Argeleia followed Hoffa to the doorway, just about to enter and demand whether he doubted her skills.

But then she saw Hoffa rapidly writing something in the room.

Huh? What is he writing?

Argeleia stood at the door, momentarily stunned. Then her brows immediately furrowed.

She was not stupid. On the contrary, she was very clever. Just now, she had been caught in a frenzied obsession with proving herself, so she had not paid attention to some of Hoffa's unusual behavior.

He had not done anything out of line for over a month, so why had he chosen to make a 2X-level potion today?

Why had he not returned to the common room with that peacemaker Miranda after class, instead running to a classroom to scribble away?

Argeleia rubbed her pointed chin. Gradually, her furrowed brows relaxed.

Smack!

She slammed a fist into her palm.

Hahaha, bastard, he was actually stealing my knowledge!

Argeleia could not help feeling smug at first, but then her expression darkened.

He actually dared use me. This guy must be hiding some unspeakable secret. Heh heh.

Argeleia cast a dangerous glance at Hoffa inside the room.

Inside the classroom, Hoffa, who was recording the potion formula, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. The sensation of being watched by an evil ghost made him cold from head to toe.

He immediately looked up toward the classroom door.

But there was nothing there.