"It's terrible," said the frightened Neville, his voice obviously much higher than usual. "Did you feel cold when that thing came in?"
"I feel weird," Ron said, rolling his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'll never be happy again..."
Ginny huddled in the corner and shivered, hugging her knees and sobbing softly. Hermione walked over and put her arms around her comfortingly.
"Ginny, if you don't like chocolate, you can try this."
Maka took out another small bottle, which contained half a bottle of slightly white liquid. It looked like milk mixed with water, but everyone felt a hint of warmth just looking at it.
Of course Ginny felt it too. She raised her head and looked at Maka and timidly said: "I...can I?"
"Of course, it will be much better if you drink it." Maka handed the bottle to Ginny, "Just a little bit is enough, a sip as big as a fingernail."
"This must look very precious. Is it your newly invented potion?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Oh, yeah," Maka said, "Well, I mean it's really expensive, but it's not a potion yet—it's not made by mixing it."
"Oh - I've been meaning to ask -" Harry couldn't help but say, "Maka, what do you have in your robe? It's like a locker full of all kinds of potions!"
Maka shrugged upon hearing this, "This is my secret."
As they spoke, Ginny shakily uncorked the bottle and took a cautious sip.
Suddenly, she clearly felt a warm current flowing down her throat, and then spread in her stomach instantly - her mood improved incredibly.
"Oh - I feel happy." A smile appeared on Ginny's face, but then she said bitterly, "But it tastes really bitter..."
She recorked the bottle and planned to return it to Maka, but Maka waved her hand.
"You can keep it for yourself and use it for those who need it." He said casually.
"Oh - thank you," Ginny nodded gratefully, "but I think it's best not to drink it a second time."
"Has she become more cheerful?" Ron said, looking at Ginny strangely.
"That's only temporary. Once the effect passes, it will return to normal. Well... it only takes about two or three minutes."
After a while, Professor Lupine came back.
He paused when he came in, looked around, smiled slightly, and said: "I didn't poison the chocolate, you know..."
As he was talking, his eyes were attracted by the potion bottle in Ginny's hand.
"Oh, this is it?"
"It's just milk with Chevron flower juice added." Maka said casually.
"That's really good..." Lu Ping's mouth twitched.
Although it sounds simple, the material "Chef flower" is not cheap. The Chev flower juice alone can have a similar effect to the high-level magic potion "Joy Potion", and there will be no after-effects of singing and dancing. .
"...Okay, we'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes." Professor Lupin said, "Is everyone feeling better?"
They didn't talk much for the rest of the trip.
Finally, the train finally stopped at Hogwarts station, and it was really busy when we got off: owls were hooting, cats were joining in the fun from time to time, and even Neville's pet toad was croaking under his hat. With.
The small platform was already frozen, and cold rain was pouring down.
"First graders come here!" a familiar voice shouted.
Hagrid had already hunched out of the train and was now beckoning the panicked new students to take them on a traditional journey across the lake.
"Are you okay, you three?" Hagrid called over the heads. Harry and the others waved to him, but had no chance to speak to him because the people around them were pushing them forward along the platform.
Harry, Ron and Hermione followed the other students at the school on a rough and muddy road.
There, at least a hundred carriages were waiting for the remaining students, each pulled by an invisible horse - or so Harry could only assume, because once they climbed into one and closed the door, the carriage Drive automatically.
The carriage stumbled and swayed all the way, and there was a faint smell of musty and dry straw inside the carriage.
The carriage rolled forward. In front of it was a pair of magnificent cast-iron doors, with many stone pillars on both sides, and the tops were decorated with small sculptures of winged boars.
They saw two more tall, hooded dementors standing guard on both sides of the gate. As they slowly approached, another wave of cold seemed to hit them.
"They are all hidden under the cloak. It's really impossible to tell which one is which..." Maka thought as she looked at them.
The carriage increased its speed on the long sloping driveway until it reached the front of the castle. Hermione leaned out of the window and watched the many turrets and towers approaching them.
Finally, the carriage swayed to a stop, and everyone hurriedly got out.
Then they saw a man standing on the stone steps leading to the castle.
"McLean, come here."
That was Snape. He had a stinky face as always. He didn't look at anyone else. He just said something to Maka and then turned around and walked back to the castle.
Maka was stunned for a moment, said hello to Harry and the others, and quickly followed.
In Snape's office.
"Professor, what do you want from me?" Maka asked.
"Wolfsbane potion, do you know?" Snape asked bluntly.
"Oh, yes—" Maca paused and said, "Professor Lupine needs it, does he want me to prepare it?"
This time Snape was stunned for a moment.
"You know he... well, you can brew wolfsbane potion?" He looked at Maka hesitantly and asked, "What's the success rate?"
Although Snape was a little curious about Maka knowing that Lupine was a werewolf, he was more concerned about the preparation of wolfsbane potion, which was not particularly difficult to brew.
"It should be around 80%. You'll have to try it to know the specifics," Maka said calmly.
"Hmm..." Snape frowned slightly and thought about it for a moment, then said, "Then you should try it first. You should know the taking time of Wolfsbane potion, and it must be prepared before that."
Maka nodded in understanding.
It was Dumbledore's idea to give this task to Maka, and Snape didn't object, but he originally planned to demonstrate it to Maka first. Who knew Maka would make such rapid progress in potions.
In the last semester, Maka kept a low profile in the school, and her interactions with Snape on Potions were much less. But he didn't expect that even if Maka was just immersed in research alone, she would still make rapid progress that ordinary people could not match.
It can be said that Maka's talent and diligence in magic are really beyond the reach of ordinary people.
But Snape didn't know that there was a deeper reason hidden in it, and even Maka herself was not aware of it at all.
After explaining the matter, Maka said goodbye and left. When she was about to go to the auditorium to see if she could make it in time for the sorting ceremony, she was stopped by Snape.
"Anything else, Professor?"
Snape looked at him impatiently, and after a while he spoke.
"If you have time, keep an eye on Potter." He said reluctantly, and specifically added, "... This is what Dumbledore meant."
"Okay, Professor."
The two of them walked quickly towards the first floor, one behind the other.
The auditorium was a sea of pointed black hats. Each long table was filled with students, their faces lit up by thousands of candles suspended in mid-air above the long tables.
Professor McGonagall was walking towards the center of the auditorium holding an ancient hat and a three-legged stool.
"I caught up, but..." Maka shook her head lightly and said, "I have to listen to the hat sing again..."
New students at Hogwarts wear a Sorting Hat to decide which house they should attend. The hat shouts out which house they are best suited to attend. But it always has a bad habit - it always likes to sing out the characteristics of each college in a strange accent, and also inserts a few messages that it thinks are interesting.
When Maka and Snape walked in together, everyone turned their attention to them.
Maka politely tilted her upper body slightly to show courtesy, but Snape never paid attention to this and strode towards the empty seat in the classroom.
"Hey-Maka! This way!"
At the long table of Hufflepuff House, a beautiful woman with long golden hair was waving to him—that was Senior Sister Charlotte Witt.
"Good evening, senior." Maka walked over and sat in the empty seat next to her. "Congratulations on your promotion to seventh grade. You will graduate soon."
"Don't mention it! I still don't know if I can pass the 'super fatigue witch test'!" Charlotte said with a frown, "That's really 'super fatigue'!"
"Is there any difficulty? Maybe I can help you with something..."
While the two were chatting casually, Professor Dumbledore stood up and spoke, and the auditorium immediately fell silent.
Although Dumbledore is very old, he always gives people the impression of energy.
His hair and beard were several feet long, he wore half-moon glasses, and his nose was hooked. People often say that he is the greatest wizard alive today, but it is not just for this reason that everyone respects him.
Even Maka has to admit that this elderly white wizard has an innate sense of affinity, and you can't help but feel good about him.
"Welcome!" said Professor Dumbledore, his white beard shining brightly in the light of the candle. "Welcome to Hogwarts in the new school year! I have a few words to say to you all..."
"One of the things is very serious. I think it's better to explain it clearly before you get confused by this delicious meal..."