Hogwarts: The Witch Education Handbook

Chapter 581 Stealing the Lucky Elixir

Chapter 577 Stealing the Lucky Elixir

The inquiry did not go smoothly.

Ginny kept crying and couldn't say a word.

In this situation, Sean was too embarrassed to ask the other person, especially since he had just taken away the other person's most precious possession.

The "trial" ended without a conclusion.

But Percy wasn't so lucky.

That evening in the common room, Sean and a group of Aurors, including Bertha who were lying in wait at the Ministry of Magic, caught Percy red-handed and temporarily detained him in the interrogation room on charges of espionage.

Whether or not a conviction will be reached, and the severity of the sentence, will depend on further developments.

This incident did not cause any stir at Hogwarts.

After all, only a few people knew about this.

Harry was still trying to figure out how to get information out of Slughorn.

With this incident over, Hermione finally felt a little calmer.

but----

The events that occurred in the office that day still lingered in her mind.

He had that kind of relationship with Ginny and Professor Phillips.

How should I face Professor Phillips? How should I face Professor Tonks? Could it be that this incident is the turning point for both me and Professor Phillips?

And what should I do next?

Should we just consider this an accident?

To be honest, it's very difficult to do.

But then again, if you ask Hermione what to do, she doesn't know either.

What else can we do?

We can't force Professor Phillips to choose between her and Tonks because of what happened that day, can we?

In short—there's also Ginny.

But just thinking about how she felt that day made Hermione feel restless.

It felt like something I'd been longing for had finally come true.

For the first time, I experienced a scene that I had dreamed about many times.

So that's what it feels like—it's strange, it hurts, but it's also very satisfying.

If—if—if—

"What should I do?"

In the Gryffindor common room, the flickering firelight reflected on Harry's anxious face.

Hermione walked over, glanced at Harry, and frowned.

"Are you still thinking about Slughorn?"

Harry nodded.

"He always stammered. He knew something, but he just wouldn't say. Dumbledore hoped I could get that memory out of him, but I had no idea where to begin."

"Perhaps you should try—Felix Felicis."

Hermione said, and sat down on the sofa opposite Harry.

As a user of FREE, she understood its effects better than anyone else.

It really works.

"Felix Felicis? You mean I should rely on luck to get information out of him?"

Hermione nodded, but her tone was cautious.

"I know Felix Felicis isn't meant to be used indiscriminately, but this isn't an ordinary situation. Dumbledore wants you to get that memory, which means it's very important. And Felix Felicis can help you seize the opportunity to say the most appropriate thing—perhaps to get him to open up without you even realizing it."

"But those things are very rare, I don't have any—" Harry said hesitantly.

The lack of Fructicon was indeed a big problem.

Hermione paused for a moment, then moved the light from the fireplace flames onto Harry's face.

"Actually, Slughorn did talk about the recipe for Felix Felicis in class, but it was very complicated. He even showed off a bottle he had made at the beginning of the semester."

"Yes, he also said it was a symbol of a high-ranking potions master," Harry recalled. "Or—you mean we could brew it ourselves?"

Hermione nodded slightly, but quickly shook her head.

"We could probably try, but it's a potion that takes more than six months to brew. We simply don't have the time."

But we don't necessarily have to cook it ourselves.

Before she could finish speaking, Ron squeezed in from the side, chewing on candy and mumbling, "You mean Felix Felicis? There's a bottle in Slughorn's office. He mentioned it in class; he's very proud that he made it himself."

Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance.

"You mean—" Harry whispered, "we can, um, 'borrow' a little?"

Hermione's expression became complicated: "Harry, that's stealing."

"It's to obtain crucial information to save the wizarding world," Harry said softly, a wry smile playing on his lips. "I'm willing to accept disciplinary action. If it lets us know what Voldemort has done, I'll go."

Hermione bit her lip and said nothing more.

“However, we can’t act rashly,” Harry continued. “His office might be protected by magic. We need to figure out when he left, whether the door was locked, and where the bottle of Felix Felicis is hidden.”

Hermione finally sighed and looked at Harry seriously.

"In that case, I can help you stall him at the next Slughorn banquet, and then you can sneak into his office and retrieve the Felix Felicis. But you have to be very careful. I need to come and go without him noticing and without leaving any trace."

Harry nodded and patted his chest: "I have an invisibility cloak."

"The problem is, where is the Felix Felicis hidden?" Hermione frowned. "His office is full of bottles and jars, decorations and collectibles everywhere. It might be difficult to search for it without being noticed."

"I remember he kept that bottle of Felix Felicis in the low cabinet behind his trophy rack, and he pointed to it and bragged about it during the last class," Ron suddenly interjected, seemingly finally showing interest in the topic.

"Are you sure?" Harry turned to look at him.

"Of course," Ron shrugged. "Back then I thought, if I had that, I could drink a little before a Quidditch match and maybe fly across the entire field in one go."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him: "Felix Felicis isn't for cheating, Ron."

"I didn't actually drink it," Ron muttered.

Harry, however, had already begun to plan the entire operation in his mind. He would act early on the day of the banquet, don the Invisibility Cloak, and avoid the crowds and patrolling teachers.

"Alright," Harry said softly, "that's settled then. I'll go find Felix Felicis on the day of the next party."

After that day, Ginny started acting strangely too.