บท 173: Chapter 170

"Arithmancy classroom? Is it about that project you've been going off into the library about?" Dean asked.

"Yeah actually," Harry replied, "I need some help with that."

"Alright mate," Ron said after getting a nod from Dean, "We'll be there."

"Oh, and be careful in Potions," Dean added, "I heard that Snape's pretty pissed off about what happened with the Hufflepuffs. Just keep your head low today."

"Thanks for the heads up mate," Harry tossed back before he made his way back over to the Ravenclaw table, where he extracted the same promise from Terry and Hermione before they all headed off to Potions together.

On the way down to the dungeons, Harry pulled up his Potions skill and checked its level.

Potions, Lv-9 (85%)

Your skill in brewing and creating potions with your magic is shown in this skill.

He was genuinely hoping that this skill would give him something cool when it hit level 10. Maybe a new skill that'd double his brewing speed. Or maybe some sort of subskill to his Mage Sight that's allow him to quickly pick out ingredients for potions in the wild. The possibilities were almost limitless.

As he entered the classroom and took his seat beside Terry, Harry just hoped that the Game wouldn't be an absolute cock-block and just give him nothing when he hit level 10.

That thought and all others flew right out of the window as Severus Snape barrelled into the class, looking more like an angry vampire than Harry had ever seen. What followed was the single most brutal class of Potions that Harry had seen in all his time at Hogwarts.

First, there was the quiz, in which he individually asked them all questions way beyond their year's syllabus. Every student got asked 3 questions, and each wrong answer cost 5 points from the person's house. Ravenclaws suffered the most massive loss of points in what appeared to be a very long time. Furthermore, since the Hufflepuffs were all still in their common room, Snape deducted a further 100 points from them, single-handedly eliminating any chance the Badgers had of winning the House Cup this year.

Fifteen minutes later, ten cauldrons stood steaming between the wooden desks, on which stood brass scales and jars of ingredients. Professor Snape prowled through the fumes with a deep frown, making waspish remarks about any mistakes he found. Harry was pretty sure he saw Su Li almost cry at one point.

In that class, Harry's first potion, a Swelling Solution was a bit too runny, and cost him 5 points when he handed it over. But he couldn't care less, he had something else on his mind.

Ping!

Potions skill has been evolved due to reaching level 10 on an theoretical skill!

Potion Crafting, Lv-10 (85%)

This skill represent the user's skill in Potions. Using this skill, the user can access the Potions crafting window to craft some dank potions, provided that he has all the ingredients and a cauldron handy. Sit back and let your Crafting skill take control of your body in Auto mode, or follow the crisp and clear instructions in Manual mode. Just set your recipe, and you're good to go.

The command 'Potion Crafting' opens up the crafting window. Command 'Recipe List' shows all known Recipes.

Chances of Success: (100 - 10 x Difficulty level + Lv of Potion Crafting)%

Harry read through the new skill's description, feeling a slightly creeped out by the Auto mode thing, before he walked back to his potions desk and mentally commanded, 'Potion Crafting' making a new unfamiliar screen pop up.

Crafting Window: Potion Crafting, Lv-10

Recipe: Not set

Brewing Time: ?

Ingredients Acquired: ? out of ?

Container Required: ?

Difficulty level: ?

Mode: AUTO/MANUAL

Feeling quite impressed with this new skill, Harry imagined the possibilities if there was something similar to this in store for his Enchanting skill.

There was one more potion they had to make for today's class as a revision, a simple Star Grass Salve, and Harry decided to test this new skill with that. He went over to the Potions cupboard and set up all the ingredients he'd need on the table before he opened up the crafting window and set the recipe to Star Grass Salve. The Game quickly filled in all the remaining blanks.

Crafting Window: Potion Crafting, Lv-10

Recipe: Star Grass Salve

Brewing Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients Acquired: 12 out of 12

Container Required: Pewter Cauldron

Difficulty level: 1

Mode: AUTO/MANUAL

Harry pressed AUTO. His eyes widened as he felt a sudden pull, and his hands automatically started dicing up the Stutnam hide and spider legs. They were still under his control, he could tell, but it was almost as if some kind of force was holding his hands and guiding them through all the motions. It was weirdly freaky and not so at the same time.

10 minutes in, when the ingredients were all in the cauldron and all the stirring was done, Harry felt the force let go of his hands, and they were entirely back under his control. Flexing his fingers to check that they were completely back under his control, Harry stared wondrously at the stewing potion that was exactly the shade that it was supposed to be.

In the corner of his vision, a small window had opened up.

Waiting Period: 40/120 seconds

Comprehending the fact that the skill was letting him know how long he'd have to wait to let the salve thicken, Harry waited for a few more seconds to see what would happen next.

Ping!

Please touch the ladle to continue AUTO Potion Crafting 'Star Grass Salve'!

Harry put out his hand and touched the ladle that was half dipped in the cauldron, and the force took hold of his hand once more, adding the final ingredients and pouring the Salve out into a phial, before it let go of his hands for the final time.

Ping!

'Star Grass Salve' Crafting Complete!

Harry happily noted that the color was the exact shade of lime green that it was supposed to be, before he headed up to Snape's table and handed him the phial, in the process successfully managing to make the only potion that hadn't lost its maker any points.

Terry impressedly patted his back as Harry happily packed up his equipment and headed out of the class for the next double periods of Transfiguration.

That skill was at level 8, and would take another few weeks of work to get up to level 10, but if the payoff was anything even remotely as good as this phenomenally powerful Potion Crafting skill, then it would be more than worth it.

That afternoon, after a rather boring double period of Transfiguration, in which once again they were alone due to the absence of Hufflepuff, Harry and Hermione headed up to the second floor, where the Arithmancy classroom was located, while Terry headed up to the Hospital Wing for a bit to grab his flu medicine, promising to meet them directly at the designated meeting spot.

Harry and Hermione idly chatted about what had happened in the morning and the whole Chamber business as they climbed up the Grand staircase to the second floor.

"I don't think they should have done that," she said, frowning, "Besides, I've been thinking about how even Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs. Norris, and that made me think that whatever attacked her might not be…well…human."