Chapter 30: 30: A Successful Brew

Sometimes, the brewing of a potion looks so Muggle-like that many believe that as long as one follows the steps, even a Muggle could brew it.

But the opposite is true.

Even if a Muggle possessed all the ingredients and followed the instructions strictly, they would still be unable to make a potion, because brewing always requires some magical guidance, and sometimes even the use of a wand.

For the Scabicide Potion, the magical component appears at the very end. At this point, the wizard needs to make a specific gesture and mutter a particular incantation.

The general meaning is

"Grant this potion the ability to cure scabies."

As for the preceding steps, Sheen was currently performing them.

In the cellar.

Faint light cast patches of brightness upon the stone walls. The cauldron, simmering over a low flame, emitted white steam and wafted a series of fragrant scents. The empty underground room was filled only with the sound of bubbling and the soft rustling of Sheen turning the pages of *Magical Drafts and Potions*.

Professor Snape had made the key points of potion brewing very clear in the first lesson: precision and strictness.

Sheen flipped *Magical Drafts and Potions* to the required section. Although he had already memorized it, he kept it to the side just in case.

"Step one: weigh the ingredients, simmer the horned slugs..."

While waiting for the cauldron to reach its designated preheating time, Sheen quickly measured out four portions of ingredients to precise standards, then proceeded without pause to simmer the horned slugs.

During the simmering process, he followed the steps to crush the poisonous snake fangs using the tools on the table and chop the pre-soaked dried nettles. The skills he had learned in the greenhouse came into play now; he selected and processed the materials to the required standard with almost effortless ease, even leaving himself quite a bit of spare time.

During his downtime, Sheen did not stop; he quickly recorded the quantity and state of the materials at that moment. He did not even overlook the general state of the flame. Although the cellar's cauldron was self-igniting, he would eventually have to learn to control the flame with a wand, wouldn't he?

Sheen was always in the habit of preparing in advance.

"Step two: remove the slugs, add the dried nettles, the poisonous snake fangs..."

With time to spare, Sheen read through *Magical Drafts and Potions* once more to ensure he wouldn't forget any details due to nervousness. The brownish-black book, with its cover depicting a cauldron and steam, was set aside, revealing the content of the first page: 【Basic Brewing Method: This book is sufficient.】

"Step three: stir twice to the left, then three times to the right; the force must be moderate..."

Sheen used a strength that broke the bubbles, stirring the simmering potion with a steady posture. In truth, he was somewhat nervous.

Professor Snape could appear at any moment, and his practice might not necessarily succeed. Humans are always somewhat fearful of the unknown, and Sheen was no exception; therefore, he was exceptionally serious and meticulous.

"Almost there. Add the slugs, then remove the cauldron and add the porcupine quills."

By this time, the brewing had clearly reached its most critical stage. As soon as the slugs were added to the cauldron, they melted, and the potion took on a pale blue appearance.

Sheen counted silently in his head

"Twenty-five, twenty-four, twenty-three..."

In this interval, Sheen did not idle; he recorded every detail of the subsequent steps, including time, the state of the ingredients, the heat level, and so on.

Next came the most exciting moment.

Sheen stirred the cauldron, waving his arm and reciting the incantation. After the cauldron bubbled for a while, it turned into...

A blue-green jelly-like liquid.

Huh?

Why was it blue-green?

There was no notification from the panel. Sheen knew for certain that he had failed, but looking at the final effect of the potion, he hadn't failed by much.

He frowned. If there was no issue with the processing of the ingredients, then the problem could only lie in the brewing process. So, was it the stirring, the heat, or the final incantation that went wrong? Or was it all of them?

Sheen unexpectedly recalled a passage from *Magical Theory*

【However, once you have mastered a spell, to truly exert its maximum power, you also need sufficient mental strength.】

Sheen thought about the wording—*a spell*. Did potions also fall under this category? Was it the same?

Sheen knew that his talent for potion-making was limited. Much like spells, it might take hundreds of practices to master the technique, but he did not have much time, nor did he have many ingredients. Therefore, he had to take a shortcut.

He carefully took *Advanced Potion-Making* out of his bag and scanned through the obscure contents. Soon, he found a description that caught his eye.

【The Ministry of Magic classifies Polyjuice Potion as high-risk magic because its effects are heavily influenced by the brewer's emotional fluctuations; it requires strict supervision.】

He did not fully know what kind of emotion was required for brewing potions, but nervousness and mechanical movement were definitely not it.

As the cauldron was lit and steam began to rise again, Sheen's tense body slowly relaxed. He told himself that if Professor Snape discovered him, he would be finished regardless of whether his practice was a success or a failure. But there was a big difference between being finished because of a success and being finished because of a failure.

His green eyes became deep and calm once more, and even his posture while stirring the potion took on a strange rhythm.

Sheen was always good at controlling his emotions; children who couldn't do so would have had a very difficult life at Wool's Orphanage.

The nettles melted in the cauldron like rock candy, and the poisonous fangs sizzled as they merged into the potion. Sheen used a heat level no different from the last time, but this time, he truly felt as if he were completing a work of art.

The art of potion-making.

The cauldron emitted a hazy white steam, and time passed quietly amidst the silence and the tiny clinking of the spoon against the inner walls.

When Sheen added the porcupine quills again, the extinguished cauldron seemed to swallow the final ingredient as if in a fusion.

Sheen focused on completing the ritual and reciting the incantation. This time, the cauldron did not change slowly; it seemed to follow Sheen's will, churning rapidly. In a short while, the liquid turned into a jelly-like state, and the color became infinitely close to dark green.

【You have completed a batch of Scabicide Potion to the standard of an apprentice. Proficiency +1】

Sheen's eyes grew incredibly bright. He gazed at the dark green, jelly-like liquid, and the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.

Then, without wasting a single second, he meticulously wrote down all the steps in his notebook, highlighting the most important part in large letters

【Potions are a precise craft; a wizard's focus and calmness are the key.】

Just as he was immersed in reflection and summary, the torches on the stairs leading to the cellar suddenly flickered, and above the cold steps, the hem of a black robe suddenly surged past.

(End of Chapter)