Chapter 114: Age-Enhancing Elixir Useless?

Once the idea of using an Age-Enhancing Elixir appeared, John immediately decided to try it.

After all, opportunity knocks but once.

Even if he wasn't selected by the Goblet of Fire in the end, he would accept it.

The materials needed for the potion could be taken directly from Professor Snape's workshop; after his life as a 'slave' last semester, he had obtained permission to use it.

Aside from a few particularly precious materials, he was free to use the others.

Of course, the prerequisite was that he had to continue working for Professor Snape for free.

Returning to the banquet, after finishing the Triwizard Tournament business, Dumbledore also introduced this year's new Black Magic Defense Professor, none other than Mad-Eye Moody.

As well as Old Barty, who would be stationed at Hogwarts for the coming year.

Dumbledore told the students to stay away from Old Barty's office and not to disturb him, as he was not only busy with the Triwizard Tournament but also had work from the Ministry to attend to.

After the banquet ended, John told Ryan and Ethan to head back first, while he walked toward Professor Snape's workshop.

Clang!

John kicked open the door to Professor Snape's workshop.

As I expected, Professor Snape isn't here.

I've wanted to kick his door for a long time; this feels great.

Then, acting as if he were back in his own home, John first found Professor Snape's potion notes, then rummaged through cabinets to find a series of materials including cow stomach skin, white beard powder, and moonstone fragments.

Next, he skillfully set up the cauldron, lit the fire, and was the first to toss in the moonstone fragments.

The cow stomach skin needed to be chopped into rice-grain-sized pieces, and the white beard powder had to be added in three parts, with seven-second intervals.

John recited the steps from the notes while skillfully getting to work.

Having spent so long with Professor Snape, he had long since mastered these basic operations.

As the last pinch of white beard powder fell into the cauldron, the potion rippled with green, and fine bubbles appeared on the surface.

Huh?

Is this a normal reaction?

According to the potion notes, it should have turned pale gold by now, but instead, it had turned green.

John looked at the cauldron, then at the notes, and scratched his head.

"Could it be..."

John frowned, seemingly thinking of something, and lowered his head to mutter to himself.

Snape, who had been standing behind John for who knows how long, just watched him quietly.

He had been back for a long time; he had heard the sound of rummaging in the workshop before he even entered.

So he had hidden outside the door to observe.

And then he saw John's series of operations.

Seeing the materials he prepared, Snape guessed that the potion he was brewing was an Age-Enhancing Elixir.

To be honest, he was quite satisfied watching him at first; he had a bit of his own style, and his technique was clean and crisp.

But when he saw John brewing with high heat the whole time, Snape's face turned black.

Yet he still watched quietly, and the potion was ruined as a matter of course.

He believed John should be able to tell where he went wrong, so he didn't speak up.

The result.

"Could it be... Professor Snape's notes are wrong?"

"......"

Professor Snape's eyes closed instantly, and veins bulged on his forehead.

"Merrick, get this pot of troll feces out of my workshop immediately!"

This voice was almost roared out; John's body shook instantly, and he turned his head stiffly.

Professor Snape was standing behind him, looking at him with eyes that seemed to want to throw him into the pot to boil.

"Cough, Professor, I know you're in a hurry, but don't be in such a hurry."

"I just followed the steps in the book; maybe this is some new possibility?"

Hearing this, Snape sneered, as if he had heard some grand joke.

"New possibility? Then drink this pot of potion and see what this so-called new possibility is like."

"Never mind then."

John refused very decisively.

Snape couldn't be bothered to trade barbs with John; he waved his wand, and the pot of green liquid was emptied directly.

Then he grabbed the potion notes and pointed to an inconspicuous corner of the page.

"If your eyes are useless, you can donate them to someone in need!"

【The brewing process requires starting with high heat, then maintaining with low heat for seven minutes; after the potion turns pale gold, you may switch to medium heat and continue brewing until finished.】

"No, you wrote such an important thing in the corner!?"

After reading it, John complained speechlessly.

He had noticed before that there were various annotations on the pages of these notes.

But he later found they were all trivial explanations about material properties or storage methods, never involving brewing steps, so he naturally ignored the text in this corner.

He didn't expect that this time it would be an annotation regarding heat conversion.

And hearing John's righteous words, Snape was so angry he couldn't speak.

Do I need to reformat my own notes just for you?

"Get out immediately!"

"Eh, Professor, don't be like that; this is just a normal mistake."

Snape couldn't be bothered to talk nonsense with John and pointed directly at the door to chase him out.

Hearing Snape chasing him away, John immediately changed his face, smiling like a fly rubbing its hands.

"As the saying goes, failure is the mother of success; having suffered this loss, I will never suffer it a second time."

Looking at John's face, Snape was speechless.

But he didn't bother with John anymore, turning his head to start his own potion brewing.

Seeing that Professor Snape didn't mean to chase him out hard, John breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he immediately leaned over diligently, skillfully helping Professor Snape as an assistant.

Snape glanced at him from the corner of his eye and snorted coldly.

Until curfew time.

"Professor, I'm leaving first; I'll come back tomorrow night."

John didn't care about Snape's cold face and waved goodbye familiarly.

However, before he left, Professor Snape's voice sounded again.

"The Age-Enhancing Elixir can only increase the user's physical age; the Age Line set by Dumbledore detects the soul. If you want to rely on the Age-Enhancing Elixir to get past the Age Line, I advise you not to waste my materials."

John's footsteps paused, and he shrank his neck; he knew this couldn't be hidden from Snape.

But he still couldn't help but probe.

"Then is there a potion that increases soul age?"

"......"

Professor Snape looked at John expressionlessly, and finally spat out two words coldly.

"No."

"... Alright then."

John scratched his head, then complained with some dissatisfaction.

"Anyway, I'm only two years off, and my strength isn't worse than those fourth-years; why can't I participate just because I'm young!"

Snape stared at him coldly, as if looking at a fool who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.

He didn't deny John's strength; after all, he had heard of it.

But his strength wasn't enough to let him break the rules, so he had to obey them obediently.

"This Triwizard Tournament originally required that students under 17 were not allowed to participate, because the difficulty of the competition is designed for those senior students who can pass the OWLs exams."

"The reason it was adjusted to 14 is entirely the result of Crouch insisting against all opposition."

"In other words, you're not just two years off, but five!"

Snape said coldly.

Hearing this, John was also stunned; he didn't expect this 14-year-old limit to be a special approval.

But it's not a big problem; I can beat a 17-year-old senior just the same.

The main problem is that this Age-Enhancing Elixir can't help him pass the Age Line.

This is tricky.

Eh, wait.

Soul age...

I'm a transmigrator! My soul must be thirty-something!

Then can I pass the Age Line detection without an Age-Enhancing Elixir?

"Thank you, Professor Snape!"

Thinking of this, John immediately became excited, waved at Professor Snape, and ran out quickly.

Snape looked at the empty doorway, his mouth twitching slightly, not knowing what kind of madness John was having again. ===== CHAPTER 115 =====