Herman hurriedly reached out and caught it. The book wasn't heavy, but it felt a bit dry to the touch. The leather cover was stiff, and the edges were frayed.
"You're probably looking for this book," Harry said casually, as if the whole thing was obvious and only Herman was unaware.
Herman, holding the book, looked at her with a puzzled expression. "How did you know?"
He asked questions while flipping through the pages of the book, randomly turning a few pages.
The pages were yellowed and brittle, making a soft rustling sound when turned. They were covered with dense writing, some in black ink, some in dark red, and a few marked with pencil.
Herman's finger stopped when he turned to a certain page in the middle.
There was a fresh handwriting in the margin of this page, the ink brighter than the rest, as if it had just been written.
The handwriting is neat and clear. The content is a note on a Potions recipe next to it, pointing out that there are two problems with the material ratios in actual operation, and a set of corrected data is rewritten below.
It must be Marlene's handwriting; it was written recently.
Although the handwriting wasn't exactly the same as the study plan he received last time, it was a recent annotation that was still on bookshelf number 97. Unless it was too much of a coincidence, it must be the notes that Professor Malin mentioned.
It's also possible that the study plan was written by Marlene with a magic quill pen, while this one was written by her own hand, which would explain the difference in handwriting.
Herman stared at the annotation for a long time, then slowly raised his head, his expression changing from sudden realization to belated astonishment.
How did you know this was the book I was looking for?
His mind was already racing when he asked that question.
Harry pulled the book straight from the top of the shelf without even looking at the spine, without flipping through it or checking it. This means she knew the book was there beforehand, and that it was the book Herman was looking for.
Professor Malin only told her the location of the bookshelf; how did Harry know about this notebook?
Did Harry learn Prophecy? Or mind reading? Surely Marlene didn't tell Harry the same thing.
Harry met Herman's shocked expression with a disdainful snort and pointed at Herman's arm.
"The Potions recipe is in this book. I guessed you came looking for it, but I didn't expect Professor Snape to have put it here."
Herman looked down at the book in his hand, then looked up at Harry, and the gears in his mind finally meshed.
"Ah, so that's how it is." Herman exhaled, his tone carrying a belated sense of relief.
Yes, why didn't I think of that before?
Harry had previously taken a notebook from the Restricted Section containing the Potions recipe, but Snape later took that notebook away.
Although there are many books in the Restricted Section, this notebook is still about the same research topic, and there should only be one of them. The one Professor Malin mentioned is almost 100% the same one that Harry had before.
After Snape put it back, Professor Malin found the book in the library, made annotations in it, and then told herself its location.
Harry had already flipped through this book while making Potions for herself, so she knew which one it was as soon as she saw it on the bookshelf.
He flipped through a couple of pages and added, "So when you were preparing that medicine, you were referring to this book?"
Harry nodded. " Snape gave me a revised version back then, but the original content was from this book. I didn't expect it to be like this."
Draco stood to the side listening to their back-and-forth conversation. At first, she was completely confused, but after the words " Potions recipe" swirled around in her ears twice, she finally realized what was going on.
"Is this the Potions recipe?" She leaned closer, her gaze falling on the yellowed book in Herman's hand. "The one that healed your arm?"
Herman paused for a moment as he turned the pages of the book.
The formula that cured the arm, strictly speaking, is...
But after the arm was healed, other things happened, such as the mutation that gave it fire abilities, and the growth of red lines on its arm.
However, Draco knew nothing of these things; all she knew was that Herman's arm had been scratched by Cerberus, but he was healed after using Potions made by Harry.
Herman didn't tell her anything else; after all, it's better to have fewer people know about illegal and disorderly conduct.
"Yes, I guess it healed my arm," Herman mumbled, closing the book and intending to put it in his bag.
But Draco acted faster than he expected.
She snatched the book from Herman's hands, flipped open the cover and turned a couple of pages, her eyes quickly scanning the dense text and formulas.
She didn't quite understand the contents, but a smile that Herman knew all too well—a smile that suggested something was about to happen.
"This is amazing! There must be other Potions recipes inside." Draco held the book in her hands, her eyes sparkling, her gaze shifting between Harry and Herman. "Why don't we make Potions and sell them? My dad said that automatic cauldron is too big and is for commercial use, so he's not planning to buy it for me. With this, he won't have a reason to refuse me."
She got more and more excited as she spoke, her pace quickening considerably, as if she were discussing a business deal she'd been considering for a long time. " Harry will handle the production, I'll pay for the materials, and you..."
She paused here, her gaze falling on Herman, looking him up and down, probably considering what Herman could do in the Potions business.
"Can you run errands for us, like delivering and picking up packages?"
After she finished speaking, she thought her arrangement was quite reasonable. She nodded, patted Herman on the shoulder, and imitated the magnanimous manner Lucius used when negotiating business, just like she remembered. "But don't worry, you'll still get a share of the profits, how about 20%?"
The action, coupled with her pretty blonde face and serious little expression, only made her look cute, without a trace of boldness.
Herman nodded in agreement. "Then thank you in advance."
Then he reached out and took the book back from Draco's hand, his tone gentle but firm. "But selling Potions is out of the question. I don't want to be locked up in Azkaban by the Ministry of Magic at such a young age."
Draco's smug expression froze for a moment, and she frowned. "Why would selling Potions get you into Azkaban? Are you selling fake potions?"
Herman opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to explain. It was too complicated to explain, and it would also involve the magical modification of his arm.
He glanced at Harry and tossed the explanation to her, since Harry didn't want to sell Potions either.
Harry leaned against the bookshelf, glanced at Herman, then at Draco, and said in a flat tone, "Maybe it's because minors aren't allowed to do business."