Chapter 50: Professor! I want to learn Potions!
Days passed, and every Sunday was their designated time for spell practice. Ethan, who was growing closer to Hagrid, often asked him to pick up items from Hogsmeade.
"Here you go, the Honeydukes candies you wanted," Hagrid handed over a large bag of sweets.
Ethan smiled. "Thanks. I'll send them more this time. I sent too little last time, and they complained about not getting enough."
"That's good of you," Hagrid stroked his long beard.
"This is for you, Hermione," Hagrid pulled out a smaller package and handed it to her.
"Thank you, Hagrid," Hermione opened it to check that all the materials she needed were inside; she was about to attempt her first alchemical creation.
"Are you learning Alchemy, Hermione? When I went to buy these materials for you, the shopkeeper had to search for quite a while to track everything down," Hagrid asked curiously.
"Yes, the weather's getting colder, so I'm planning to make a hand warmer to keep my hands warm."
"That's amazing! To accomplish this much in just your first year, Hermione, you're really something!"
A fleeting look of joy crossed her face, but then she looked up somewhat shyly and said, "I'm not sure if it will work yet; this is just an attempt."
"Even so, it's still remarkable. Before you came along, the Weasley twins were the only ones who knew anything about Alchemy. They often brought their strange homemade contraptions into the Forbidden Forest to cause trouble, and it took considerable effort to chase them out."
"Ron's brothers?" Hermione thought of the twins who often threw wild parties in the Gryffindor Common Room.
Although Hagrid complained about the pair, he was still quite fond of them. "Aye, that's them. Such little troublemakers."
"Then I'll ask them for advice sometime." Hermione was very happy to have older students she could consult.
After leaving Hagrid, Ethan went to the Owlery to have Edward deliver most of the Peppermint Toads and Honey Toffees that his parents had specifically requested. He planned to share the rest with his roommates.
Crabbe and Goyle were both big eaters. Every time Ethan brought food back to the dorm, he was met by their expectant stares. He found himself saving some for them each time, and it had become routine.
He picked up the jar, placed one of the newborn salamanders inside, and ran toward Hagrid's hut.
"Why are you back again? Did you leave something behind?" Hagrid opened the wooden door and looked at Ethan, who was panting heavily.
He pulled out the jar to show Hagrid. "Quick, quick, light the fireplace! Little Black had her babies!"
Hagrid wasted no time. He grabbed an umbrella, lit the fireplace, and placed the small salamander into the flames.
"Hagrid, why isn't its color as dark as Little Black's?"
It wasn't as dark and shiny as Little Black, probably because the mutation was weakening. Since external factors had caused the mutation, the offspring would revert to their original state once those factors were gone.
He turned his head. "Do you think those green salamanders disappeared because they lost the catalyst that caused their mutation?"
"I think it's very likely." Ethan nodded. The logic was self-evident.
He picked up the jar, placed one of the newborn salamanders inside, and ran toward Hagrid's hut.
"Why are you back again? Did you leave something behind?" Hagrid opened the wooden door and looked at Ethan, who was panting heavily.
He pulled out the jar to show Hagrid. "Quick, quick, light the fireplace! Little Black had her babies!"
Hagrid wasted no time. He grabbed an umbrella, lit the fireplace, and placed the small salamander into the flames.
"Hagrid, why isn't its color as dark as Little Black's?"
It wasn't as dark and shiny as Little Black, probably because the mutation was weakening. Since external factors had caused the mutation, the offspring would revert to their original state once those factors were gone.
He turned his head. "Do you think those green salamanders disappeared because they lost the catalyst that caused their mutation?"
"I think it's very likely." Ethan nodded. The logic was self-evident.
He thought to himself, "I wonder if there are any journals for magical zoology. This discovery alone could make a paper. I'll ask Professor Kettleburn during class."
Hagrid was so engrossed in watching the Salamander he had named Little Grey that he couldn't even spare the energy to talk to Ethan. Not wanting to be a third wheel for Hagrid and Little Grey, he promptly got up and said goodbye.
"He's forgotten his friends now that he has a pet! He won't even bother to say goodbye," he muttered to himself.
Looking at the remaining two gray Salamanders, he had already decided where they would go: one for Hermione, as he had already promised, and the other for Snape.
Compared to using Little Black's blood for shady deals, nothing was more honest and straightforward than offering a whole, live gray Salamander.
Hermione wasn't in a rush; she needed time to prepare the breeding environment in her dormitory. Snape, on the other hand, could take it immediately. With his own office, he could arrange his space as he pleased.
Ethan used the same jar that had contained Little Black before, and this time he knocked on Snape's office door with the jar in his hand.
His greasy hair and cold black eyes were exactly the same as before.
Ethan was already very familiar with Snape's behavior. As soon as he entered, he held up the jar. "Professor, look what good stuff I brought!"
But Snape only glanced at the jar before turning his gaze to Ethan.
Ethan panicked. "Professor, Head of House, Boss! Don't look at me! Look at this! A mutated Salamander, and it's very rare!"
Snape then looked seriously at what was in the glass jar.
Then his eyes flashed. "What are you going to do with this?"
"Isn't Professor Snape the only Potions Master at Hogwarts? I was thinking that if I had this mutated Salamander, I'd only be able to keep it as a pet. Wouldn't that be a waste?"
"So, I plan to give it to you, hoping to study the differences in the effects of this gray Salamander's blood compared to ordinary blood."
Snape was intrigued. He was eager to know the specific effects of this unknown potion ingredient and what potions it could be used to make.
"State your terms. I don't think you're just thinking of giving it to me without expecting anything in return, are you?"
Ethan grinned slyly. "Heh, then I'll get right to it."
"Professor! I want to study Potions!"
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