章節 23: Chapter 23 - Potions
Ron got home and everyone was already having lunch, but he was so tired that he could barely stand up. He walked straight through the kitchen, ignoring the delicious food prepared by Molly, and lumbered upstairs, dragging his feet. Upon reaching the bedroom, he threw himself on the bed without even taking off his shoes.
His body was completely drained from last night's lack of sleep and the use of the potion, which used up every last bit of energy he had in his body. He slept all afternoon, not noticing the time passing.
When night came, Ron finally woke up, feeling a little more refreshed, but still tired. No one had slept yet, it was early evening.
"Ron, honey, are you feeling better?"
Molly asked, opening the door slowly.
Ron nodded with a yawn.
"You must be starving. Here, I brought you some food."
Molly said. She had a worried expression on her face.
Ron sat up in bed, adjusting his back against the headboard.
Molly came in with a tray full of food. But just calling it a tray of food was an understatement. Any person who saw it would say it was slightly too much for a child of Ron's size. Yet, the hunger he felt made his eyes shine at the sight of so much food on a single tray.
"I made baby potatoes stuffed with cheese and bacon, roast meat seasoned with herbs, sweet rolls to eat with the meat, an Invigorating Mandragora Soup to help you feel better for tomorrow, and a sweetie to brighten your day."
Molly said proudly, pointing to each item on her plate.
Normally, he didn't see Molly spoiling the kids like this. She always gave the best she could, but nothing over the top. However, as Ron had become sick with fatigue, Molly felt obliged to pamper him so that he would feel all the motherly love she had to offer.
[Au's notes:
Invigorating Mandragora Soup: A golden soup served in small cauldrons. They are made to improve performance and fatigue, leaving the witcher invigorated for the next day. ]
Ron started to devour that dish, feeling every flavor explode in his mouth. The sweetness of the rolls mingling with the salty taste of the meat created a different and delicious experience, while the taste of the soup created a standout among all the foods, as it was a little more spicy and very hot. Ron described the taste of the soup as 'a golden tangy'.
After eating, he decided he needed to study more about the potion he wanted to concoct, but not staying late this time.
He took the dishes to the kitchen and went back upstairs to the bedroom.
Sitting at his desk, Ron began flipping through the pages of the notes he had taken.
Apparently he had all the ingredients he needed. It was the perfect time to start testing potions.
He gathered all the possible ingredients that had the power to make a change in appearance.
Even though it was a very extensive list, most of them were to completely change someone's appearance. Moreover, they all had a very short temporary effect.
The hardest part for Ron was making sure the ingredients didn't change the person's overall appearance, just enhance the strong features, making them attractive. He also wanted to create a blend that lasted longer, and didn't cause harmful side effects to health or witches appearance.
The 'Chameleon Gem' was one of the main ingredients that Ron chose. This ingredient was used in color changing potions for the skin, eyes or hair.
Ron would use this ingredient to make the wizard's colors stand out. If his hair was brown, it would be a glossy brown that lit up in the sun. If his eyes were dark, they would become deeper.
'Fairy Dust' was another essential ingredient for Ron. This ingredient was used in shapeshifting potions that allowed a wizard to temporarily change their appearance in subtle and enchanting ways.
Ron would use this ingredient to enhance the wizard's main features. Like the shape of the nose, the position of the eyes, making the witcher's face more symmetrical for those who looked at it.
Ron experimented with mixing these ingredients together. He didn't put any timer ingredients, so he knew that the effect of the potion he created wouldn't last more than 30 minutes.
The mixture of the two ingredients, together with 500ml of purified water boiled in a cauldron for 20 minutes, formed a golden and shiny potion. The smell was horrendous. It wasn't disgusting, but it didn't look like something you could ingest either.
Ron took a deep breath and quickly downed the entire potion without thinking too much about it. It could be dangerous, but there weren't any harmful ingredients in it, so there wasn't much to worry about. He might just get ugly for a while.
He didn't feel any effect on his body, so he went towards the bedroom mirror.
To his surprise, the skin looked a little brighter than before and the freckles temporarily disappeared.
As he didn't add any color alongside the 'Chameleon Gem' and didn't specify where it should act, it didn't change any shade Ron already had and randomly chose the part that would highlight on his body.
For some reason, 'Fairy Dust' identified the freckles as a blemish on Ron's face. Even if it could be some insecurity for some wizards, he didn't find fault with them. He thought that was bullshit.
Ron's main object was to enhance and create symmetry in people's faces, not modify the main genetics of each one. Even if there was a scar on some wizard's face, the potion would not remove it, but it would make the face match the mark on the wizard's face.
Even though the idea of making everyone standardized was a good one, he knew that this 'fashion' would end with time, and he didn't want that.
Ron decided to end his study for the night and finish the potions that would be sold for the next day. Although he didn't make a big change, he was satisfied with the progress he had made. It was only a matter of time before the potion was working perfectly.
The next day, after work, Ron was sitting at the table having lunch with his brothers.
"I'm visiting your aunt this afternoon with Ginny, so please–Don't cause any trouble. Percy is responsible for taking care of you. If I find out you've done something dangerous this afternoon, I'll ground you. Do you understand?"
Molly said firmly as she ran around gathering a few items into her bag to leave.
"Yes, mum!"
Everyone responded together.
"Ginny, have you brushed your hair yet?"
Molly asked, not even looking at the girl.
"Yes, mum."
Ginny replied, her hair all matted. She didn't seem to be too concerned about her appearance.
"Then let's go. Bye darlings! Take care! Anyway, run to your aunt's house. Percy knows where it is."
Molly said, running out the front door, pulling Ginny by the hand, who was skipping to keep up with Molly.
Ron finished his meal and ran upstairs to his room to continue creating potions.
Fred and George looked at each other, curious about what Ron was up to.
The makeshift laboratory in his room was filled with glass vials, ingredients and a cauldron.
Ron began experimenting with a new combination of ingredients for the potion. On the morning of work, he was thinking about the potion and remembered an ingredient that could help control the effects he wanted to do.
He added a few drops of lily-of-the-valley extract and a pinch of ground silver beetle wings to the cauldron, carefully stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon.
As he stirred, the potion's color changed from a bright gold to a grayish brown.
The unpleasant color seemed to give Ron a bad feeling, who kept an uneasy expression on his face.
After 10 minutes of stirring, the potion started to bubble even though Ron had taken the bubbling spell off, causing the cauldron to start shaking.
Suddenly, a small explosion echoed through the room, causing Ron to back up quickly.
Fred and George ran into Ron's room, scared of what had happened. Percy was close behind.
They could see Ron ashamed of the mistake he made. He had mistaken a small amount of the ingredient he put in, which caused the beetle wing particles to be unable to withstand the pressure and explode. Ron's entire room was smeared with residue from the grayish brown potion.
"My god, you couldn't make it to the bathroom?"
George asked, looking around the walls.
"Can't you make a joke that doesn't involve dung?"
Percy asked, scolding George.
"Wow, Ron... Mum is going to kill you."
Fred said, crossing his arms, looking at Ron's dirty sheet.
Ron stared at the walls without saying a word.
'I can't believe I got the amount wrong. My god...'
Ron thought. He was dissatisfied with something so simple being wrong. Ron wasn't frustrated by what had happened or disappointed, but it had been so silly that it had been funny to him.
From the look on Ron's face, it looked like he was desperate about the situation.
"Mum won't kill him. This is simple to resolve!"
Percy said, stepping out from behind the brothers and walking to the front of the bedroom door.
He quickly pulled his wand out of his pocket.
"Tergeo!"
Percy said firmly, making a smooth up and down motion, as if he were drawing a straight vertical line towards the dirt in the room.
The dirt that was spread on the walls began to evaporate, disappearing soon after.
Consequently, the dusty furniture was shiny, leaving Ron's room even cleaner than before.
"See? All sorted out. No need to cry, Ron."
Percy said, hugging Ron, trying to comfort his little brother. Ron was still trapped in his own thoughts, laughing internally at the situation.
He noticed Percy's hug, returning to reality, and widened his eyes. He froze, not knowing what to do.
"What are you doing?"
Ron asked seriously, looking at Percy uncomfortably.
"Oh, you're already better. All good."
Percy let go of Ron, who straightened his back and clothes.
-----
[ Toru's notes ]
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[Chapter edited by: Roku]
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