Ryze carefully squeezed the leech juice, making sure not to waste even a drop, then methodically sliced the caterpillar into evenly sized segments before placing them into the cauldron. His movements were steady, precise, and practiced—every step executed with deliberate control.
Surprisingly, his first two attempts at brewing the Shrinking Potion went far more smoothly than he had anticipated.
There were no visible errors. No violent reactions in the cauldron. No discoloration or instability in the mixture. By all outward measures, both attempts could be considered successful.
And yet, Ryze felt no satisfaction.
He stared at the two small vials in his hands, each containing a clear, faintly shimmering liquid. To anyone else, they would look identical—perfectly brewed potions.
But Ryze sighed.
There was a fundamental flaw.
While both potions were capable of reducing size, neither possessed the deeper, more advanced property of reversing an organism's age. They were incomplete—mere imitations of the true Shrinking Potion described in advanced texts.
His proficiency had improved. That much was undeniable.
But improvement without correctness meant little.
'Is it really that difficult, the test Professor Snape gave you?'
Terry's voice came from nearby. He had already finished his own potion and was now observing Ryze with a mixture of curiosity and concern.
Ryze shook his head slightly, still examining the vials.
'It's not just difficult,' he replied. 'It's complicated in a very specific way. If the potion fails outright, the cause is usually obvious. But when it succeeds partially… that's where the real problem lies.'
He placed the two vials on the table.
'Both of these are technically successful. But neither is correct. And when you don't know what's missing, you don't know what to fix.'
Terry's expression twisted almost immediately.
'Right… I'll just accept that I'm not cut out for this,' he muttered. 'I'm already struggling just to follow the standard instructions. Advanced variations like yours are way beyond me.'
He paused, then added half-jokingly, 'If nothing else, I could help you test the potions.'
Ryze gave him a flat look.
'That won't be necessary. The classroom has mice specifically for that purpose. I'll ask Professor Snape later.'
He set the potions aside and fell into thought.
Instead of immediately beginning another attempt, Ryze decided to review his previous processes. He closed his eyes briefly, organizing the sequence of steps in his mind, then reached for a bottle of energy potion and drank it in one go.
A sharp clarity spread through his mind almost instantly.
Without hesitation, he raised his wand and cast the Hyper-Sensation Spell on himself.
This was not a decision he took lightly.
Over the past two months, he had forced himself to learn this spell under Professor Babbling's guidance. It was powerful—dangerously so.
'Take it slow,' Terry warned from the side. 'You remember what happened last time.'
The warning was not unnecessary.
Terry himself had once convinced Ryze to cast the spell on him out of curiosity. Under its influence, Terry had managed to memorize ten densely packed pages of Herbology material in just half an hour.
But the cost had been severe.
That same night, he suffered such intense headaches that he had to be sent to the school infirmary, where he was given a Calming Draught. Worse still, most of what he had memorized faded by the next day.
The spell enhanced perception and cognition, but it came at the expense of stability.
Only fully matured wizards could withstand its effects without serious consequences—and even then, it was recommended not to use it for more than thirty minutes a day.
Now, Ryze was stacking that spell on top of an energy potion.
The result was not just enhancement—it was overload.
His senses sharpened dramatically.
Time seemed to stretch.
Every detail in the room became painfully clear.
Without wasting a single moment, Ryze began analyzing his previous attempts through divination.
Images formed in his mind.
He saw himself working—measuring ingredients, slicing materials, stirring the potion. Every motion was replayed with perfect clarity.
Then the sequence restarted.
This time, subtle differences appeared.
The angle of his wrist while stirring.
The exact timing between ingredient additions.
The temperature fluctuations in the cauldron.
Even the quality of the ingredients themselves showed minute variations.
But more importantly—
There was something else.
Something less tangible.
Intent.
Magic was not merely a mechanical process. Potions, in particular, were deeply influenced by the will of the brewer.
As the visions continued, Ryze realized that his magical intent had differed between attempts.
It was not something he had consciously controlled.
Yet it had influenced the outcome.
The Shrinking Potion was especially sensitive in this regard. The presence of leech juice—a substance closely tied to vitality and absorption—made the potion highly reactive to magical intent.
Even the slightest variation could result in entirely different effects.
'So that's it…'
Ryze opened his eyes slowly.
'Magic really is… intricate.'
Even after canceling the Hyper-Sensation Spell, the effects of the energy potion lingered. His mind remained in a heightened state, though he could already feel the first signs of fatigue creeping in.
He didn't have much time.
Once the backlash set in, his condition would deteriorate rapidly.
Without hesitation, he began his third attempt.
This time, every movement was executed with absolute precision.
He adjusted his technique based on the insights gained from his analysis.
He controlled not just his actions—but his intent.
The classroom gradually emptied as the end-of-class bell rang, but Ryze remained completely focused.
Time passed unnoticed.
By the time he finished, the sun was already beginning to set.
Only two people remained in the classroom.
Ryze.
And Professor Snape.
The potion in the cauldron looked no different from the previous ones.
Clear. Stable. Unremarkable.
But Ryze knew better.
Snape rose from his seat and approached slowly, his sharp gaze fixed on the cauldron.
'Hyper-Sensation Spell. Energy potion. Arithmancy. Even a touch of prophecy,' Snape said coldly. 'You've been quite busy.'
His tone carried clear disapproval.
'Do you think these little tricks will be of any use in a real competition?'
Ryze met his gaze calmly.
Snape continued, his voice sharp.
'I made it clear from the very first class—Potions is a rigorous discipline. It is not something you approach with shortcuts and gimmicks.'
There was a brief silence.
Then Ryze spoke.
'I understand that using external aids like energy potions and enhancement spells would be considered cheating in a formal setting.'
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
'But yesterday, you said I could use any method—as long as I could produce both variants of the Shrinking Potion.'
Without waiting for a response, he carefully ladled the potion into a vial, sealed it, and placed it alongside the others he had brewed that day.
'Professor,' he said, 'would you like to test them?'
Snape let out a quiet, dismissive snort.
As a master of potions, he didn't need to.
Though the potions appeared identical, subtle differences in texture, viscosity, and magical resonance were enough for him to distinguish their effects.
With a flick of his wand, the materials on the table returned to their proper places.
He studied Ryze for a moment.
'You are more troublesome than I expected,' he said finally.
Then, after a brief pause—
'Very well.'
Ryze's expression remained steady, but his attention sharpened.
'I will give you this opportunity,' Snape continued. 'Your name will be added to the registration list.'
A small but significant victory.
But Snape was not finished.
'Do not misunderstand,' he added coldly. 'Being allowed to participate is the most basic requirement—not an achievement.'
He turned away.
'Next week, I will give you a list of tasks. Monthly learning objectives.'
His voice grew sharper.
'If you fail to complete them, I will remove you without hesitation. I will not allow you to waste Hogwarts' resources.'
With that, he left the classroom without another glance.
Silence settled over the room.
Ryze exhaled slowly.
At that moment, a notification appeared in his mind—
The Raven Task had been successfully completed.
For the first time that day, a faint smile appeared on his face.
The test was over.
But the real challenge had only just begun.
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