Level 4 Potions! Harry's Suspicions

Early the next morning, Will threw himself into another day of grinding.

He had a book in his hands from breakfast onward. But on his way to class, he noticed Harry Potter staring at him oddly.

Will had no idea what the Chosen One was up to now. Harry's powers of deduction were formidable, after all. What if Harry decided that, because Will had spent so much time with Snape, he must be Snape's prized pupil and started hating him by association?

In fact, Dumbledore had simply encouraged Harry to spend more time with Will and get to know him. He had assured Harry that Will would make a good friend.

But Will had little time to spare. Even if he had known what Dumbledore intended, he could not have joined in the "Chosen One growth plan." There was too little in it for him.

Will had no desire to scrape through the final battle Dumbledore's way, relying on Love Magic to bring down Voldemort.

He believed in overwhelming power. Could Harry make his Charms stronger? No? Then forget it.

They could be ordinary friends. They might even fight Voldemort together. But in the end, they were not on the same path.

Returning to classes felt less than satisfying. It was not that Will disliked studying; first-year lessons had simply grown dull now that he had mastered their contents.

Only the evening Potions lessons gave him a spark of interest.

"Your technique has grown rusty, Behrens. I suppose you brewed no Potions over the holidays. Or perhaps you've surpassed every master who came before you and no longer need to practice?" Snape was as cutting as ever.

Will did not mind. As long as the experience kept coming in, he was happy.

"Fool. Watch how I do it."

"Do you understand? Even the slightest stir can affect the quality of a potion. I hope you'll remember that, Behrens."

Snape poured out insults as he worked. He was worthy of his reputation as a Potions Master of the age: his technique was so exquisite it was almost an art.

It was late at night before Will left the office, still wanting more. A glance at the experience he had gained only whetted his appetite.

After returning to school, Will led what outsiders would have called a dull life. Aside from meals and classes, he "wasted" his youth in the Library and professors' offices every day, burying himself in books.

A few students who disliked him whispered that he had turned into a complete bookworm over the holidays. Plenty of others admired him, though.

At the Quidditch Match, Hermione noticed that Sylvia looked unhappy. When she went to comfort her, she learned it was because of Will. He was brewing a potion that day and had no wish to watch a match he had no interest in.

Will had even politely turned down Sylvia's invitation, which had hurt her.

The Room of Requirement was quiet, brightly lit, and rather hot.

This was Will's Potion Room. The light helped him observe changes in the potion; Snape's dim office was ill-suited to brewing. The heat came from the fire beneath the potion, which had been simmering for three days and had made the room hotter by the hour.

The potion bubbled and churned in the Cauldron. Will watched it closely. The instant its strange blue color turned emerald green, he lifted the Cauldron off the fire, swift and steady. The potion barely rippled.

[You have gained new Potions knowledge. Potions experience +3.]

A system notification appeared, and a faint smile crossed Will's face.

[Your Potions level has risen to LV4. You may choose one of the following Bonus Abilities.]

A. Essence Extraction: When processing potion ingredients, you can precisely capture and preserve the residual Magic within them, increasing a potion's base effectiveness by 3%. You can also extract a tiny amount of potion material from ingredients on the verge of losing their potency.

B. Heat Sense: Establish a faint sensory resonance with the Cauldron, allowing you to sense changes in the potion's temperature and boiling rate without relying on a thermometer or your eyes. (This ability makes it easier to control the heat when brewing temperature-sensitive potions such as Polyjuice Potion and Felix Felicis.)

C. Potion Potency Proliferation: Potions you brew are 10% more effective.

Once again, the bonuses were powerful. Will chose C without hesitation. Brute force won out: this would increase his potions' effectiveness outright, no questions asked.

After making his choice, Will let out a long breath and relaxed. Brewing this batch to earn the last bit of experience had taken everything he had. He had barely rested these past few days.

He had turned Sylvia down flat when she invited him to watch Quidditch.

That was right: he had refused her invitation to the Quidditch Match because his Potions level was on the verge of rising.

Will wanted to push straight through to LV4. He was not about to let a boring Quidditch Match slow his experience gains. He would only have read a book in the stands anyway. Whether the people in the air wore red or blue, whether they were chasing the Golden Snitch or some petty thief, he could not have cared less.

Now that his Potions level had risen, Will could think about other things. For the moment, he needed a proper rest to make up for the past few days.

On the Quidditch Pitch.

Harry had led the Gryffindor Quidditch Team to victory over Slytherin. Gryffindor students rushed over and hoisted him onto their shoulders. In the distance, Ron and Neville were jumping up and down. Both had bruises on their faces, and Ron had a bloody nose. They had just gotten into a fight with Malfoy.

But Sylvia, standing with Hermione, looked downcast.

Harry was delighted, though a thin figure caught his eye.

A hooded figure hurried down the Castle's front steps, clearly hoping not to be seen, and headed straight for the Forbidden Forest. Harry watched as the joy of victory slowly drained away. He recognized that furtive gait and the large scarf beneath the Hood. Was that Professor Quirrell?

"What's he doing?" Harry wondered.

Why sneak off to the Forbidden Forest while everyone else was eating dinner? After accepting everyone's praise, Harry returned to the broom shed, climbed back onto his Broomstick, and shot into the air.

He glided silently over the Castle and saw Professor Quirrell run into the Forbidden Forest. Harry followed him...