章 153: Chapter 153: Ready Player One (Part 1)
"I never thought I'd have the chance to come back." Outside the gates of Hogwarts, Horace Slughorn's face was filled with emotion. Finding Horace had been thanks to Dumbledore's help. Though Dumbledore appeared to lack any power, his invisible influence was considerable. The Dumbledore's Army was no joke.
Moreover, because no one knew who had good or bad relations with Dumbledore, even Horace couldn't escape this time.
Dumbledore had sought Horace to ask him to return as the Potions professor. Snape had always wanted to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and though Dumbledore hadn't agreed in the original timeline, he did now because Lupin, the original professor, had other tasks and temporarily left.
To be precise, Lupin had gone to the Order of the Phoenix. The current situation was very different from the original timeline. Dumbledore was taking a more proactive approach due to the information Daniel had leaked. Now, apart from the soul fragment in Harry Potter, Voldemort's Horcruxes had all been found, except for the one in his snake, Nagini.
Dumbledore and Grindelwald were working together to solve the issue with the soul fragment in Harry. With their combined strength, it was only a matter of time. Although Dumbledore was powerful, his expertise in dark magic was limited, which is why he couldn't solve Harry's problem alone.
But things were different now. Grindelwald's knowledge of dark magic was extensive.
Once Horace took over as the Potions professor, Daniel began learning how to brew Felix Felicis from him, along with other potions knowledge.
Having a knowledgeable professor who taught meticulously was a great boon for Daniel. Just like Harry Potter, who became the top student in his class after receiving the Half-Blood Prince's potion notes, earning Horace's admiration and a reward of Felix Felicis, even Hermione had been a bit jealous, thinking Harry was cheating when he revealed the book.
As a potions expert, Horace had his own private lab. Thanks to the Undetectable Extension Charm, anyone with some skill could carry their lab with them, like the magical circuses that could fit all their creatures into a few boxes.
However, Horace's personal lab was nothing compared to Hogwarts' lab. Thanks to Daniel, Hogwarts' lab had undergone a significant upgrade, boasting the most advanced equipment in this world, including microscopes, various test tubes, measuring cups, droppers, the latest balances, and dryers.
These instruments greatly increased students' success rates in Potions. Daniel still remembered Horace's shocked expression when he first saw them.
Accurate measurement was crucial in potion making. Previously, the lack of precise values and methods led to many failures. Harry's significant progress after obtaining the Half-Blood Prince's notes was because they provided accurate material quantities and methods.
Now, with exact values for adding materials, controlling temperature, and timing, and although magic input couldn't be replaced by instruments, the process was much more reliable.
Modern equipment reduced waste significantly. Potions ingredients were often very expensive, like dragon liver, which wasn't just edible but also a potion ingredient.
Only a wealthy institution like Hogwarts could afford such waste. Other schools couldn't sustain it.
However, this also made it difficult to distinguish students' innate talent in Potions. Everyone followed the same steps, and as long as their magic input wasn't wildly incorrect, they wouldn't fail.
Snape had some objections to this, but Daniel didn't mind. Those with talent would eventually stand out; if they didn't, it meant their talent wasn't enough.
"No wonder Felix Felicis is so rare. I didn't expect it to be so complicated." After obtaining the recipe from Horace, Daniel realized he had underestimated its difficulty.
The ingredients for Felix Felicis were costly, and the process took six months. Any mistake would result in total failure. Without immense wealth and patience, one couldn't brew it. This highlighted Horace's skill.
Even Horace didn't succeed every time.
But these weren't major issues for Daniel. He had the wealth, and as for the procedure, while difficult for many, Daniel had the Red Queen AI to oversee it.
Even with the six-month brewing process, the Red Queen could monitor it continuously, preventing mistakes.
Horace's failures were often due to distractions from other matters. The six-month process didn't require constant attention, but neglect due to other activities could ruin the potion.
For instance, Horace, being vain, sometimes forgot about his potions due to parties and banquets.
For instance, shortly after entering Hogwarts, Horace established the Slug Club, providing a platform for those he admired. Though created out of vanity, it was a good idea.
Modern society has many clubs, societies, and high-society events. They might seem boring to outsiders but are crucial networking platforms for insiders.
In modern society, talent isn't the most important unless you have Tony Stark's overwhelming genius. Even Bruce Banner, with seven doctorates, wasn't as wealthy.
Networking platforms, however, are different. Any piece of information could be incredibly valuable.
Horace was highly respected for this reason, much like Harvard graduates giving back to their school. Horace provided a networking platform, and only ingrates wouldn't respect him.
Now, Hogwarts students were trying all sorts of ways to get into the Slug Club.
Harry's Golden Trio had joined, but their bond wasn't as strong as in the original story due to fewer shared experiences, and the butterfly effect Daniel had might have affected Ron and Hermione's relationship.
"So, this is Felix Felicis." Daniel couldn't wait six months to brew his own Felix Felicis, so he took Horace's bottle.
This meant Harry wouldn't get his Felix Felicis either. Due to the different circumstances, Horace had joined Hogwarts earlier, so even if he offered Felix Felicis as a prize, Harry wouldn't win it. Hermione, with her top grades, would likely get it instead.
Without the Half-Blood Prince's notes, Harry's Potions performance was only average, while Hermione always ranked first, dominating the entire year. This earned her a place in the Slug Club.
Horace mentioned Hermione reminded him of a former student, likely Harry's mother, Lily.
Horace was very saddened by Lily's death.
As for Harry's current feelings, Daniel wasn't too concerned. Harry was just a bit down from not getting enough attention.
"The Triwizard Tournament, huh? Whether I participate doesn't really matter." The Triwizard Tournament, where Voldemort would officially return, was about to begin. But it was still in the discussion stage, with some time before it started.
With Grindelwald around and the Horcruxes known, Voldemort wouldn't pose much of a threat even if he revived.
Daniel was curious about the tournament but whether he participated would depend on his schedule. After obtaining the Felix Felicis, he quickly left Harry's world.
He had been curious about the Deathly Hallows, but with the Resurrection Stone being one of Voldemort's Horcruxes and needing to be destroyed, the Hallows were incomplete.
"How's the research going? Any progress?" Back in the Marvel world, Daniel asked Helen Zhao in his company's lab. Despite the considerable funds spent, there hadn't been any breakthroughs in nanotechnology yet.
Helen looked a bit troubled.
"Don't worry. I'm not here to pressure you. I said from the start that you should work at your own pace." If it were anyone else, given the research funds and Daniel's promises, they might have other ideas.
"I came to help you today. You might not know my other identity." Daniel took out his wand and pointed it at a file folder. With a wave, it floated.
"I'm the magician from the internet."
Helen's mouth dropped in disbelief.
"I told you this because of what I'm about to show you." Daniel took out the bottle of Felix Felicis, opened it, and poured a drop into her tea.
"This is Felix Felicis, a potion that increases luck for twelve hours. I went through a lot to get it. It might help your research."
"Luck?" Helen was puzzled. People knew about luck, but a potion that increased it seemed unbelievable.
"Yes, and don't worry, it won't affect your future luck." Felix Felicis didn't concentrate future or lifetime luck into the present but genuinely increased current luck. If it were the former, no one would chase it so fervently.
Daniel revealed his identity to lend credibility to the potion. Without this, no one would believe in such an unscientific potion.
He could have secretly added the Felix Felicis to her drink, but since Helen was an ally, he chose to be honest.
"This potion enhances the success rate of what you most want to achieve." Daniel further explained the potion's effects.
"Got it," Helen said, drinking the water.
"That's it!" Soon, Helen's eyes lit up, and she rushed off, apparently having had an epiphany.
"Wow, that worked fast," Daniel marveled at her hasty departure.
"You look better." At Tony Stark's villa, Daniel greeted Tony, who seemed to have recovered.
"You came to say that?"
The nuclear incident and his parents' deaths had hit Tony hard. In the original story, it took him a while to recover from just the nuclear incident.
But with Peggy Carter's help, Tony had emerged from the shadows. Although he appeared to fear Carter, he never ignored her advice.
Tony had managed to inherit Stark Industries partly due to Carter's support. Obadiah Stane's attempt to take over wasn't sudden; he had long planned it but never had the chance to execute it.
The civil war in the original story happened because things escalated quickly, leaving Tony no time to think. Combined with Captain America defending Bucky, they fought.
Now, Tony had time to reflect, and Peggy's persuasion played a key role. If it had been anyone else, Tony
wouldn't have given up on revenge.
"You hurt my feelings, Tony. I brought something good to share." Daniel took out a small vial containing a drop of white liquid.
Felix Felicis needed to be used at the right time. Helen's constant research on nanotechnology wasn't an issue, but Tony might waste it on something trivial.
"What's this?" Tony asked, intrigued.
"Felix Felicis, a potion that increases luck. It greatly boosts the chances of success in what you want to do." Daniel explained everything about the potion.
"Increasing luck? That's impossible," Tony and Pepper exclaimed together.
"Its existence proves it's possible." Daniel had researched Felix Felicis. Though its ingredients were valuable, none seemed directly related to luck. Magic likely played a significant role.
___________________
Read Ahead
P@treon.com/Mutter
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット