Chapter 23: Missing Magic Potion Ingredients

“Are you alright?”

Michael carefully helped Sean up; the young wizard was still breathing heavily.

“I’m fine.”

After a few minutes of recovery, Sean regained his composure. He had still overestimated his body, which was only just recovering from illness. He decided to walk a bit slower next time and to move the importance of learning to fly up the priority list, making it his top priority right after securing a scholarship.

“Alright then.”

Michael’s brow furrowed, his eyes flickering.

Once they reached the dormitory, Sean's tasks became much simpler. He only had to face the straightforward assignments for History of Magic, Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Originally, these were assignments meant to be completed within a week, but Sean clearly had no intention of dragging them out that long.

It took him only half an hour to finish his Defense Against the Dark Arts essay, and his Charms essay didn't even last twenty minutes in his hands. The only thing requiring attention was the one-foot-long History of Magic essay; although it was extensive, Sean had basically finished it last time, leaving only the conclusion.

“You’ve got to be kidding me...”

Michael, who had witnessed the entire process, stood somewhat dazed. “You just... like that... just finished three assignments? Including that terrifyingly long History of Magic essay?”

Sean turned his head, his long eyelashes trembling slightly. “Don't look at me with that ‘this is normal, can't you do it?’ expression!”

Michael slammed his book shut. “I guarantee you, at this hour, no one can finish these assignments!”

As he spoke, he quickly hurried out of the dormitory. When he returned, two other wizards were following behind him—Terry and Anthony.

“Sorry to disturb you,” Anthony greeted politely.

“Michael said there was Mer...” Terry began shyly, but was quickly silenced by the long-haired young wizard covering his mouth.

“Sean, look, no one has finished them,” Michael said, proudly brandishing two pieces of parchment. They had nearly three inches of handwriting on them, but they were still far from the required one-foot length. “So, please, teach us!”

Sean was somewhat puzzled. Although it was indeed a lot, it shouldn't be this difficult... Looking at the three pairs of eyes hungry for knowledge, Sean nodded and picked up his own parchment.

“In fact,” Sean said, pointing to his handwriting, “completing a history essay is quite simple. Professor Binns's topic is Emeric and the Oddball Ulric. The first step is to draw a timeline to find the eras these two wizards lived in...”

Sean picked up the timeline he had drawn and handed it to the three boys, who didn't dare to lose focus for even a second.

“Next, we can find the background of their lives; the contents in *A History of Magic* are detailed enough. Then comes the second step: analyze the actions of these two wizards in conjunction with the background. Well, there is a saying in the book: judging characters apart from their context is the mark of a rogue. Then the third step: re-evaluate their actions and propose your own thesis. Immediately following that is the fourth step: compare the two individuals with other figures and events in the historical records, combining history with theory. This is the core of a history essay. Finally, you can write a conclusion or discuss the value of your thesis; adding some deeper prospects wouldn't hurt either.”

As if remembering something, Sean flipped open a notebook that was half-full. “Since the chronology in *A History of Magic* is a bit chaotic, I’ve done some organizing by combining the timeline with books like *Famous Witches* and *Bizarre Magical Failures and Their Revelations*. You can use my notes directly.”

As he finished speaking, he watched the expressions of the three young wizards shift from dazed to increasingly bright. Finally, Michael accepted the notebook with reverence, muttering, “Sean, you are the angel sent by Merlin to save us... This is my Bible... Parchment, where is my parchment? I must battle it for three hundred more rounds!”

Terry and Anthony also erupted with unimaginable enthusiasm. As the three of them pored over the notes, the dormitory was suddenly filled only with the "rustle" of quills and the "crackle" of the fire in the fireplace.

Anthony's solemn thanks still lingered in Sean's ears as he nodded and effortlessly finished his Transfiguration essay. In fact, that theory could be extended to all assignments.

Sean didn't mind the two extra people in the room. He set his Potions assignment aside and wrote the second step of his plan in his portable notebook

【Find ingredients for brewing the potion】

He had already gained a preliminary grasp of ingredient processing; as long as he had the materials, the preparatory work for brewing was done. But where would the materials come from? The school supply list didn't include ingredients; the young wizards used materials provided by Hogwarts. Could he use them after class?

Sean thought that it should be possible, but the probability of Professor Snape agreeing was near zero. For no reason, Sean thought of Professor Snape's face, which was always written with refusal.

He let out a slight sigh. If there was anything more terrifying than a lack of talent, it was having no talent and running into Professor Snape.

What should he do?

The question circled in Sean's mind as twilight enveloped Hogwarts. Blue and bronze silk curtains hung from the ceiling, dyed a near-night ink-blue by the thin moonlight filtering through the windows. The air was filled with the slight bitterness of old pages, the supple scent of parchment, and a crispness reminiscent of the air after rain.

Sean's gaze turned toward the massive arched window. His emerald eyes, veiled by a mist common to Scottish autumns and winters, reflected the flickering, unsteady light from the fireplace.

“There will always be a way,” Sean told himself. “This is the magical Hogwarts.”

***

The long night passed, and the castle awoke once more. The first rays of warm orange light climbed the stone statues of the corridors, causing the young wizard holding his books to raise a hand to shield his eyes.

Wednesday.

Because Ravenclaw had no classes during the first period of the morning, the freshmen were still immersed in their dreams. Sean, however, had woken up early. In the past, this was the time for breakfast at the orphanage, and once missed, it could never be made up; thus, Sean had developed the good habit of sleeping early and rising early.

He walked into the Great Hall and began a raid on the pumpkin soup, chicken and ham pies, and Creech's wizard biscuits. Beside him, Justin appeared, as reliable as ever, with a gentle smile.

“Good morning, Sean.”

“Good morning.”

Sean nodded, then saw Justin pull out a thick copy of *A Directory of Contemporary Famous Magicians* to browse.

“Hogwarts is truly magical. If Professor Binns hadn't assigned that one-foot essay, I think I would have had even more time to explore the castle and the kitchens next to the common room...” Speaking of assignments, Justin frowned slightly, a hint of gloom appearing on his sun-drenched face.

“Mm.”

Hearing the word "kitchens," Sean's large green eyes brightened. *Damn Sorting Hat, I want to be a Hufflepuff with snack freedom too...* he thought.

Then, he noticed something strange.

“Did Professor Binns also assign a one-foot essay to Hufflepuff?”

“Also?” Justin looked up in surprise. “Could it be...”

(End of Chapter)