Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Potions and Ravenclaw
Christmas vacations were approaching but William had no interest in returning home, he still hoped to live longer in this second life, due to the hat's decision and that he now belongs to Gryffindor, his grandfather and family would not accept him.
The research on first year spells did not have a great momentum, even when he gave reading all kinds of books there were no substantive changes leading the young wizard to a different research, spells that seemed useless for other novice wizards but for him they were treasures, one of them specifically was Petrificus Totalus, it is a curse that leaves the victim totally immobile.
As William was reading a book standing on the side of a bookshelf as he usually did he heard conversation coming from the entrance of the library, he could recognize the specific voice of Madame Pince, the librarian.
"The boil healing potion?" asked Madame Pince, the voice reached William's ears who preferred not to listen any longer but to return to his book.
"The boy over there on the shelves researched that potion a few weeks ago, I remember hearing him say he was able to make it with four different fully tested methods, if you ask him I'm sure he will help you, Madame Pince looked at William out of the corner of her eye laughing evilly while the latter sighed wearily, obviously the librarian meant well but the truth was that he was not shy it was just that the people around him avoided contact with him and William himself had no interest in interacting with others.
While William was complaining inside he didn't notice the presence of the two girls in front of him, two young girls of the same age as William but both belonging to Ravenclaw house, the house of wisdom.
"Hello" greeted one of the girls with embarrassment looking at the white haired young man with a book in his hand "Madame Pince she said-"
"Don't worry, I heard when she mentioned me, her tone was too loud to overlook, being the librarian you would think such things wouldn't happen but I see sometimes rules are broken" William mentioned with a normal tone looking at the girls as he closed his book.
"I hear you boy" replied Madame Pince making the girls laugh.
"What's the problem?" asked William putting aside his book and taking a seat at the nearest table, the girls followed closely behind him.
William's eyes did not deceive him and even though he did not have all his past life memories fresh he could recognize the two girls in front of him or well partially intuit their identities.
The first one was easier to know her identity after all she transformed into one of the most hated characters of the saga, Harry Potter's first girlfriend and the first one who broke his heart, young Cho Chang. A beautiful girl with long, shiny, dark hair, freckled nose and a little shorter than one might expect, of course it was a more youthful version than adapted in the film. The most surprising thing in William's eyes was that she was a first year, according to the books she should be a second year but apparently there were some differences with what he knew, some things were the same as the movies others like the books, he had no information to rely on.
Inferring the identities of the people William was able to recognize the second girl as Cho Chang's best friend, that is to say that girl was Marietta Edgecombe, the young girl who in the future would inform on Dumbledore's army in front of Dolores Umbridge and later would be punished with a spell made for informers, so her face was filled with pimples that formed the word Snitch for the rest of her life.
"The boil healing potion we always have trouble brewing somehow they always end up producing boils" Cho Chang said as he pulled out his notebook with notes from potions class.
William took the notebook and pointed out some typical mistakes or facts that used to be overlooked like using Bullbadox powders to make the cauldron explode, another fact also was to remove the cauldron from the fire before adding the porcupine quills otherwise the cauldron would melt creating a horrible smell, and in case the formula spilled it will make the skin of those affected burst into cruel boils.
"Madame Pince said you had four methods of making the potion, Professor Snape only mentioned one and the books mention another what are the other two methods?" Marietta was direct with her question earning a glare from William and a smirk full of arrogance.
Noticing her friend's impudence Cho Chang did not delay in interfering to persuade William, even though this was unnecessary "we would like to know about the two methods of preparation that are not mentioned in the school books, I know they are your methods but-"
"No problem, neither method is mine, just look a little further in the books to find one more method, the third one also has ten steps like the other two" William wrote the steps on the page of Cho Chang's notebook "As Professor Snape is an expert in potions it is one hundred percent likely that he knows this method."
1. Heat the cauldron until the potion turns red.
2. Heat it again until turns green.
3. Pour Flobberworm Mucus until the potion turns pink.
4. Heat again until it turns orange.
5. Mix the dried nettles until it turns green.
6. Heat again until it turns blue.
7. Mix crushed snake fangs until the potion turns pink.
8. Mix Porcupine quills until the potion turns orange.
9. Pour stewed horned slugs until it turns turquoise.
10. And last, heat the potion until it turns red. (continuing to heat until it turns pink turns the brew more effective)
"It seems simpler than the others" mentioned Marietta looking at the instructions and struggling to memorize them quickly but Cho Chang looked at William again.
"What's the fourth way?"
William couldn't help but smile seeing the seriousness on Cho Chang's face, she really wanted to learn about the potion that was the first impression in William's mind who didn't hesitate to write the formula on the paper. He was not sure how many other people knew about that recipe but William discovered it with the help of the mind's eye on the way to increase the understanding of the potion to the maximum.
1. Stir the starting position clockwise until the mixture changes from blue to red.
2. Add flobberworm mucus until the potion turns pink.
3. Sprinkle dried nettles into the potion which will turn green.
4. Crush snake fangs in a mortar and pestle, then add them to the cauldron until the potion turns yellow.
5. Add horned slugs until the potion turns blue.
6. Stir clockwise until the potion turns red again.
"Only six steps?" asked Cho Chang looking at William again.
"Yes, this is a simplified version and you can get the potion in half the time it would cost you with the previous methods, plus the potion will be twice as potent" William jotted down several details under the formula
"half the time and twice as potent" Cho Chang muttered under his breath again "If you marketed this you could make a fortune and even earn a name in the hall of fame."
Since Cho Chang was a child she couldn't see the whole picture of things and William had no interest in explaining every single thing to her so she simply shook her head "It's just a little recipe, nothing special"
William continued chatting with Cho for a while longer, explaining every single doubt both girls had until finally it was time to say goodbye.
"Thank you William" Cho said with a smile on her face.
William was surprised, he had never mentioned her name before and he had never heard Madame Pince do it before "how?"
"how do I know your name?" asked Cho to which William nodded "You are famous at school plus not many wizards have white hair and are part of Gryffindor, I admit I was hesitant to talk to you but you didn't turn out to be as scary as in the rumors. By the way my name is Cho Chang I'm from Ravenclaw, we can talk more in detail another day."
Cho walked out of the library with her friend in tow leaving William stunned looking at the exit "Is this the first time you talk to a girl?" asked Madame Pince at William's side "You look like a freshman, try to comb your hair more often and avoid having so many dark circles under your eyes."
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