Chapter 24: Herbology Class

“Ghosts are really strange.

There is the kind and friendly Fat Monk, Sir Headless Nick, and even a professor…”

Justin opened his assignment; a rough framework was written on it.

“Oh, if only he wouldn’t suddenly get confused.

Senior student Cedric said there has never been such a long assignment for new students.

He tried to look for Professor Bens but never managed to find him,

and I conjecture that even if he did, he might not be able to make the professor change his mind.

A one-foot assignment, Merlin… this is still too difficult. Xi En, have you finished?”

Justin closed his assignment, embarrassed, a hopeful light flashing in his eyes.

“Mm.”

Xi En nodded, then took out a sheet of parchment from his bag,

along with a notebook with a light blue cover.

On the parchment were the key points of the essay written down by Michael and the others, while the notebook with the light blue cover was Xi En’s summarized and organized 《history of magic》.

He had another identical notebook to sort out his thoughts and inspirations.

“My goodness! Xi En, you really finished it?!”

Justin covered his mouth as soon as he finished speaking.

“Although I truly believe this is nothing difficult for you, every time it happens I still find it a little hard to believe…

Are we really wizards of the same year…?”

The latter half of his sentence grew quieter, almost inaudible.

“I’ll only look at a bit of the framework. I will definitely not copy your assignment.

If I ever did such a thing, may I never be able to enter the kitchen again.”

Justin suddenly promised solemnly, his gray-blue eyes conveying sincerity and a faint, hard-to-detect unease.

“Mm.”

Xi En placed the notebook in Justin’s hands, then left the Great Hall for the library.

Morning was when his energy was at its peak; Xi En would complete some of the more difficult tasks then.

For example, sorting through the 《history of magic》 in full,

and, drawing on books such as 《modern magical history》, 《important magical events of the twentieth century》, and the 《directory of contemporary famous magicians》, creating a framework that belonged to him alone.

Xi En felt that this would definitely help him achieve excellent results in history of magic.

The wooden tables in the library were reddish-brown, with magic lanterns, crystal balls, and some flower arrangements placed beside them.

Xi En was immersed in the wonders of magical history. It had to be said, wizards truly lived.

For example, this:

【In the Middle Ages, Muggles were especially afraid of magic, but they were not good at identifying it.

They occasionally did catch a warlock or a witch, but in such cases, burning had little effect.

When being burned, the warlock or witch would cast a basic spell to freeze the flames,

enjoying the gentle, tingling sensation of the fire while pretending to be in pain and screaming.

The diviner Wendelin was particularly fond of being burned, and had herself captured in all sorts of disguises,

no fewer than forty-seven times in total.】

This was very different from the horrific witch-burning massacres Xi En had imagined,

and also far from the kind of wizards he had imagined.

After finishing his notes on the Middle Ages, Xi En had to face that question once again:

where was he going to find potion ingredients?

Perhaps Professor Sprout would have some ingredients she did not need?

Perhaps he could find a way to buy some in Hogsmeade Village, as long as he found a secret passage out of the castle.

Perhaps he could ask Professor Sprout whether a young wizard could use Hogwarts’ potion ingredients after class to do some brewing potions, and then secretly practice?

But this method was extremely risky and would require great care.

Still, there were always more solutions than difficulties. Xi En took out his notebook, ready to sort through his tangled thoughts.

But as soon as he opened the first page, he froze:

【Emeric was a short-lived but extremely brutal dark wizard…】

Xi En turned the page:

【Ulysses, upon hearing the call of a divination bird, became convinced that he was dead and had become a ghost…】

Something was wrong!

In the Great Hall.

Justin was engrossed in the parchment, his gaze focused as he occasionally let out a low exclamation:

“Oh, you can write it like this as well, truly a genius…”

With new understanding, he opened the light blue notebook, and what he saw made his hand freeze mid-turn.

【Searching for ingredients for brewing potions】

“Xi En wants to practice potion brewing on his own?”

That was his first thought.

“Xi En is troubled because he does not have ingredients?”

That was his second thought.

“But I have them.”

That was his final thought.

He carefully put away the parchment and notebook, and before herbology class began, he ran back at top speed to the Hufflepuff Common Room.

There, green vines circled the walls, and there was always steaming milk, pumpkin juice, and all kinds of candies and pies on the tables.

He followed a small path lined with candles into the dormitory and opened his luxurious large suitcase.

Scattered letters and postcards lay beside various jars and crystal bottles.

Looking closely, one would find that all the potion ingredients needed by a first-year young wizard could be found here in duplicate.

He recalled the conversation in Slug & Jiggs’ Apothecary that day:

“Are you sure you need the whole set?”

“Yes, please, sir.”

“Oh, my generous lady, I really hate to deceive a beautiful lady such as yourself…

In fact, these potion ingredients are not on Hogwarts’ procurement list.

Even so, do you still want them?”

“Precisely because of that, pack two sets, sir.”

Only now did Justin vaguely sense his mother’s foresight.

“My dear Finley, if there is something everyone has, then you must have something better;

if there is something no one else has, then you ought to have it.

Those small expenses are the investments you should make.

As for the best investment, you always know, my dear, that is sincerity and love.”

“I think I might understand…”

Justin gazed for a long time at the suitcase filled to the brim. The collar of his ever-white, crisp shirt seemed still to hold the warmth of his mother’s iron.

Hogwarts Library.

Xi En stepped out of the archway, waiting for the staircase to rotate over.

He was not planning to go to Justin to take back the notebook, because the second period in the morning, herbology class, was about to begin.

Besides, there was nothing in the notebook that needed to be kept secret; it only contained some methods for handling herbs and his own thoughts about searching for potion ingredients.

After class, he could exchange the truly useful notes with Justin

and, at the same time, take back the notebook.

Eight o’clock.

Gentle sunlight danced on the armor.

The fresh grassy scent of the greenhouse still lingered in the outer corridor.

Xi En pushed open the oak door.

A few young wizards had already arrived at the greenhouse in scattered groups.

Xi En saw Professor Sprout put down her hoe and beam at him with a squinting smile.

“Over here, Xi En!”

Michael grabbed Xi En by the arm,

pulling him over beside Anthony and Terry.

“Why do I feel like the professor is looking at you?”

Michael craned his neck and said.