After lunch, Harry went to the workbench and began personally brewing Baruffio's Brain Elixir.
After his memory was enhanced by the Potion, every detail of brewing the Potion was crystal clear.
The descriptions in the book, Professor Snape's guidance, and his previous Potion brewing experience seemed to transform into a seamless blueprint, guiding him step by step.
Harry's heart was filled with pride.
At this rate, it would be hard to fail at brewing.
Hehe, the small Baruffio's Brain Elixir would soon be easily mastered by him.
However, reality was much harsher than Harry had imagined; even though he had memorized the brewing steps, everything did not proceed as smoothly as he had anticipated.
He was doing the same steps as Professor Snape, so why did he fail so soon after starting to brew?
It didn't make sense!
Was this what Professor Snape had told him during the brewing process—to try and sense the changes in the Potion in the cauldron, rather than just judging by color?
He cautiously sought confirmation from Professor Snape, and the answer he received confirmed his inner thoughts.
"Harry, the reason many advanced Potions are difficult to brew is because the reaction times within the Potion are not fixed."
"Moreover, many times, the Potion's reaction will complete in a very short period, and to brew successfully, you must seize the moment to add the next Potion ingredient."
"Merely judging by the color of the Potion cannot accurately determine the changes in the Potion."
"Therefore, you must learn to use your magic to sense the Potion in the cauldron and grasp the timing of the Potion's reactions."
"This is the only path to becoming an excellent Potion Master."
"During the brewing process of Baruffio's Brain Elixir, there will be many Potion reactions, which are perfect for practice."
The only path to becoming a Potion Master!
Hearing this, Harry felt a slight excitement in his heart.
If possible, he certainly wanted to become an excellent Potion Master and carry on his mother's talent.
But how was he supposed to do that?
How should magical sensing be used in Potion brewing?
Like in the Auror Training Class, using the Levitation Charm to sense objects?
As soon as he took out his wand, preparing to experiment with the Levitation Charm, he was stopped by Snape's glaring eyes.
"Don't use your wand; treat your magic as an extension of your body, and control your magic to sense the Potion's reactions in the cauldron."
Harry shrunk his neck, trying to control his magic, slowly extending it towards the cauldron.
After stabilizing this state, he concentrated and experimented again.
He mixed moonstone powder and blood-red crystal powder in proportion, then carefully poured them into the cauldron.
He originally thought the timing was just right, but the moment the ingredients entered the pot, the Potion began to churn violently, producing bubbles of various sizes.
Harry's heart leaped into his throat; he wanted to do something to salvage it, but it was too late.
The Potion did not turn deep purple; instead, it became murky and finally emitted a pungent odor.
Failed again...
However, under the conscious use of magical sensing, he seemed to perceive something different.
This discovery greatly encouraged him, and he quickly adjusted his mindset and started brewing again.
Each time, he repeatedly confirmed the order and quantity of the Potion ingredients and tried to operate at the optimal moment.
However, none of these worked. It always failed at a certain step, where the ingredients were added a little too early or too late, causing the Potion in the cauldron to completely lose control.
Facing Harry's failures, Snape did not criticize much, but patiently encouraged Harry to continue practicing.
Days passed, and Harry's Potion skills steadily improved. He was already able to consistently distinguish subtle reactions in the Potion through magical sensing.
Later, he even refined some low-quality Baruffio's Brain Elixirs, though these Potions would ruin a person's brain if consumed.
However, all of this came at a cost.
Due to continuous experimentation, those precious Potion ingredients were consumed like flowing water, making Harry's heart ache immensely.
Would his wastefulness bankrupt Professor Snape?
Should he voluntarily bear the cost of the ingredients?
Harry's heart was in a dilemma.
Would this make Professor Snape lose face?
As if sensing Harry's concern, Snape stated expressionlessly:
"The remaining four doses of Baruffio's Brain Elixir I brewed earlier have already been bought at a high price by pure-blood families such as the House of Malfoy and the Nott family."
"Instead of worrying about the cost of ingredients, you should focus on practicing and successfully refining the Potion as soon as possible."
Hearing Professor Snape's words, Harry no longer had any doubts and concentrated on practicing Potion brewing.
Time passed imperceptibly, and Harry diligently practiced under Snape's guidance for a full month.
The Wizarding World of Potions became clearer and clearer before him.
Although he had not yet refined a perfect Baruffio's Brain Elixir, Harry knew that his Potion skills had made a qualitative leap.
However, one day, when Harry pushed open the door to Snape's house, he was greeted by a completely different atmosphere.
The house was filled with a suffocating, oppressive aura, as if even the air had become much heavier.
Harry hesitated for a moment, looked up, and saw Snape sitting in his usual armchair, his body taut, gripping his wand, and trembling slightly.
His gaze was fixed on the magical television in front of him, his expression terribly gloomy, and his stern eyes filled with rage.
Following Snape's gaze to the screen of the magical television, Harry saw that the morning news being broadcast was showing a wanted poster for a person.
It was a Wizard he had never seen before, with a ferocious face and eyes that conveyed madness and danger.
The announcer's voice sounded from the screen: "Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban last night."
"This person is extremely dangerous and is currently being sought throughout the entire Wizarding World; anyone providing clues will receive a generous bounty."
Harry's heart sank; he had never seen Snape so agitated and tense.
Who was this criminal?
Why was Professor Snape so agitated?
Harry slowly walked into the room and cautiously asked, "Professor, who is that person?"
Snape did not answer immediately, his gaze still fixed on the screen, his fingers unconsciously gripping his wand so tightly that his knuckles were somewhat white.
A moment later, Snape looked at Harry and said with a complex expression:
"That is a notorious, utterly insane murderer; you don't need to pay too much attention."
"I just didn't expect him to be able to escape from Azkaban."
"By the way, haven't you moved back to Swan Manor yet, Harry?"
Just a murderer?
Professor Snape seemed to be hiding something.
Harry didn't want to ask too many questions and could only answer honestly:
"Not yet, Aunt Mia said she would pick me up tomorrow night."
"Alright then," Snape stood up and said to Harry, "Potion practice will temporarily come to an end."
"I will teach you a spell."
"If you encounter danger, do not hesitate to use it for self-defense."
...
...