Chapter 381: Harry helps out

"This is Veritaserum." While walking past one cauldron after another, Harry identified the things in the pots, "This is Amortentia, this is... oh, this is Felix Felicis!"

"This is top-notch good stuff." Ron looked at the small pot with golden bubbles with great interest. Ever since it changed to Slughorn teaching, his attitude toward Potions class had improved a lot.

"I knew this wouldn't stump you at all." Slughorn leaned behind them with a smile, "How about it, want to win a small bottle of Felix Felicis as a reward after class?"

"Of course, who wouldn't want to?" Ron's eyes lit up all of a sudden.

"We will do our best." Harry said a bit more tactfully, but he was equally curious about this potion.

Slughorn patted their shoulders and then started the first lesson of the sixth grade.

Harry and Ron sat in front of Hermione and Neville. They chatted in low voices. Harry knew that Zhang Qiu had done it before. In the first lesson after Slughorn just came to Hogwarts, she had won a small bottle of Felix Felicis from this fat old man.

"How did Zhang Qiu do it?" Ron asked.

"She just performed well enough." Harry said, "When Slughorn first came to Hogwarts, he urgently needed to establish his good reputation, so he took out Felix Felicis directly."

"You mean, he just deliberately wanted to find an excuse to give Felix Felicis to a certain student." Ron nodded, "Actually, it doesn't matter who he gives it to, as long as Felix Felicis is given out, it can help Slughorn establish a good image?"

"But does this mean Slughorn has a lot of Felix Felicis?" Neville propped up half his body and joined their conversation.

"Yes, he seems to be very good at brewing this." Harry tilted his head slightly and answered him.

"Then why doesn't he drink it himself? I think he can drink it often if he is very good at brewing it." Ron said with some confusion.

"One theory is that Felix Felicis is poisonous." Neville explained, "The toxins will accumulate in your body, so the amount of Felix Felicis a person can drink in a lifetime is limited. He has to pick the most important days to drink it."

"But there is a written rule that Felix Felicis cannot be used in any organized competitions and exams. You can only drink it on ordinary days." Harry knew this point because Krum mentioned it during a chat.

"Then how do you know which ordinary day is suitable?" Ron asked back.

"A more mediocre approach is before a wedding, and before having a baby, things like that." Neville said, "Of course, these are just the practices of some old conservative wizards. You can also take a sip before the final battle with Voldemort, but there is probably no Voldemort now."

"Actually, all of this is the choice of fate." Harry said thoughtfully, "Every bottle of Felix Felicis, from being made, to being obtained, to being drunk, is a predestined fate."

"I seem to have heard you say that it's not that we get good luck because we drank Felix Felicis, but that on the day we are luckiest, we will suddenly want to drink a little Felix Felicis—if there happens to be some at the time." Ron looked at Harry, his eyes a bit unfocused.

"But another theory I heard is that Felix Felicis has nothing to do with fate. It just enhances your various attributes and brings you unparalleled confidence." Neville interjected from the back row, "This is like the story of the 'Fountain of Fair Fortune'."

"... Please turn 'Advanced Potion-Making' to page ten. We still have more than an hour, so use this time to brew a Draught of Living Death well." Slughorn's voice interrupted their whispering, "I know this is much more complicated than the potions you have made in the past, and I don't expect anyone to complete it perfectly. However, the person who does the best will win this small bottle of Felix Felicis. Start now."

Harry scratched his head with some embarrassment. He felt it was a bit unfair: back in the first grade, in order to let him find a way to pass the three-headed dog, Dumbledore specifically used the Mirror of Erised to show him the configuration method of the Draught of Living Death, and he had even practiced it many times in front of the mirror.

However, Ron seemed to have forgotten that matter. He was frantically flipping through "Advanced Potion-Making" at this moment. Harry sighed lightly. Even if it was just to make Ron happy, he decided to help him win this bottle of Felix Felicis.

While handling his materials casually, he paid attention to Ron's movements, his mind constantly recalling what he had seen in the mirror six years ago.

"You should use the side of a silver knife to squeeze, this is easier to get juice than slicing." Harry patted Ron on the shoulder, "There is a problem with what's written in the book. Just think about it, if you want to get the juice of the Sopophorous Bean, you have to crush it, right?"

"Ah? Squeeze?" Ron was stunned for a moment, "I'll listen to you, buddy. If it's wrong, it's on you."

He squeezed the Sopophorous Bean with the side of the short knife, and the bean immediately exuded a large amount of juice. Ron happily put the juice into the cauldron, and the potion instantly turned into a beautiful pale lilac color.

"It's really miraculous." Ron grinned.

"Yeah, if you had seen Zhang Qiu smashing garlic—this is nothing great, it's just that the person who wrote the book is a bit stubborn." Harry shrugged, "Also, after you stir counter-clockwise seven times, stir clockwise once."

"Is that so?" Ron started stirring suspiciously.

"Changing direction occasionally will make it form faster. I guess this is related to some fluid mechanics principle." Harry said, "However, I first discovered this because if you keep stirring in the same direction, your hand will be sore."

Before the clock reached the end of class, Ron's potion had become as clear as water—this meant he had made an almost perfect Draught of Living Death, and even Slughorn couldn't help but walk to his front in advance.

"The undisputed winner!" He said loudly, "Too outstanding, Harry, you inherited your mother's dexterity. This Draught of Living Death is perfect!"

"Oh, Professor, this potion was made by Ron." Harry reminded.

"Is that so?" Slughorn looked a bit incredulous, "I find it hard to believe... are you really the one who completed it yourself?"

"I don't believe it." Draco, who had come forward, said with his arms crossed, "Harry must have helped him."

Under Slughorn's sincere gaze, Harry didn't have the heart to lie, so he whispered: "Yes, Professor."

"Ah, great, Harry!" Slughorn's tone didn't change, "Obviously you also inherited your father's noble brotherhood. Since you want to give the prize to your friend, I announce that Ron Weasley has won my Felix Felicis."

"Students whose potions haven't turned pale pink, you don't have to make them anymore," Slughorn greeted, "Come over and see Mr. Weasley's perfect work."

"Yeah, that's exactly it." Ron said triumphantly to Draco, "Why, are you not convinced?"

Neville also stretched his neck and leaned to their side. He said with some emotion: "Sure enough, Harry, you have this talent."

Harry turned his head back. He noticed that Hermione's cauldron also showed a pale pink color, but she was looking at Harry with a very complex expression.

Probably because I stole her limelight, Harry thought with some embarrassment. Yes, Ron, who had the Minister for Magic as his father, didn't really need Felix Felicis, but Hermione, who was thinking about applying for university, might have been able to take a sip before the interview.

However, things had come to this, and Harry didn't think too much about it. He and Ron had won the prize by their own strength.

Amidst the sour gazes of several Slytherin students, Ron laughed and stuffed that small bottle of golden liquid into his robe, hooked Harry's shoulder, and walked out of the classroom.

Outside the classroom stood a girl carrying a schoolbag. Harry looked closely and realized it was Hannah.

"Hi, Hannah, are you waiting for Neville?" He greeted her casually.

"Yes, we agreed to eat together and then go to the library." Hannah showed a dignified smile.

"Oh right, it's mealtime," Ron laughed, passing by her with Harry's shoulder in his arm, "I feel like my appetite is wide open."

"We'll go to the library after we eat." Harry said, "If we can run into Zhang Qiu, it's just right to discuss the energy bottle matter."

"Right right, I actually already have some ideas. For one of the bottles, I want to choose a sword." Ron whispered, "As for the other, I don't actually have a very good idea, just a little bit of a train of thought..."

"Then are you planning to extract the sword you got in the Avalon Hidden Realm?" Harry thought for him, "Or use Godric Gryffindor's sword? Or the Seven Deadly Sins?"

"I'll just use Gawain's sword." Ron said seriously, "That is the sword that truly belongs to me. I don't want to borrow someone else's sword to act as my own power."

"Yes, Zhang Qiu said that compatibility is also very important. But I think it's better to be cautious. We can make decisions early, but we don't necessarily have to act in a hurry."

"Indeed, what I'm thinking is." Ron said in a tone that suppressed excitement, telling his genius idea, "I can take a sip of Felix Felicis before choosing the energy bottle. This will be very helpful. Maybe I can come up with other inspirations by then."

"I think this is a good idea." Harry nodded, "Of course, if you are not in a hurry to choose an energy bottle, I actually want to say, let's drink it on the day we select players."

"Oh right, this way we can also see by the way if there is a chance to choose one or two geniuses." Ron said excitedly.

They switched, sometimes chatting about the Knight System, sometimes chatting about Quidditch, walking toward the Great Hall in high spirits—and the one holding the extra textbook seemed to have become an extra person. ===== CHAPTER 382 =====