Potions and Exploration

*Friday 7 February 1992*

Looking back on the year, I realize potions are extremely important and useful, and that I should do my utmost to improve myself in the field, despite the constant pressure and hampering from the resident bat.

Snape despite his faults and flaws, has a very high standard for what he expects in potions. He's a brilliant portioneer but a shit teacher. You have to be at his level to be able to understand him and to understand the differences in his recipes and those written in the textbook.

Nowadays I just assume the textbook is wrong and directly ask the teachers any questions I have. It's a lot faster that way. If you don't know, ask someone who might. Saves about a weeks worth of reading time. Or in the case of Snape, spend £2,000,000 and get the complete guide to potions from the shop.

Could I go around and find similar books? Yes. Do I have the patience? No.

I'd like to use my time wisely. Time that can be used to expand my operations into potions and potion ingredients, would be taken up by looking for the book and then the recipe. Well the more difficult to acquire ones anyway. As the Greengrass, Abbot, Longbottom and Boot families already provide a large number of ingredients, utensils and potions themselves to the British market.

The only problem I foresee, is getting my muggleborn wizards up to snuff in potion brewing. Not to mention, quite a few of them have had Snape as a teacher. Again, baby steps. Perhaps I can show my more magical workers the potential to earn good margins from a relatively small batch of brewing. It also depends if some of the other magical people under my employee are interested.

This is where my operations into lost knowledge and tomes comes in. I can disguise my knowledge in parts and get my people to learn it.

Am I afraid of betrayal? No.

Why? Magical oaths, and the books I give them brainwashing them into being my loyal minions.

I have also hinted to Hermione that potions could be very useful if used correctly. She agrees, but is currently working on her own spells and mastering them.

I will eventually learn what she has learned, and vice-versa. So I'll let her be.

*Hermione POV*

I think pressuring Harry to take me with him was a bad idea. He used his influence to reinstate the exchange/transfer program. Hogwarts won't be getting any transfer for a while.

I have only begun to discover the secrets of the castle, and I will have to do as much exploring as I can by the end of of June.

I have found places of interest all over the place. Some are puzzles left by previous students. While others are secret rooms with parts of inheritances from ancient wizards.

I say parts, because there is no fucking way Helga Hufflepuff left everything in one piece. No matter how much she loved to drink. I only know because I found a thread in the library, and kept pulling to unravel it.

In the book Hogwarts: A History, it is briefly mentioned that there are several hidden and unexplored areas still within the castle. Now some, most, will disregard this fact as mere speculation or the author trying to be mysterious, but you have to only look at the name of the author to figure out what she is saying is true.

Rhosyn L'Faye

The daughter of Morgan L'Faye. Yes that is the way they spelt their names. No I don't know why the muggles spell it differently. No, I don't care.

Coming back to task. The current copies of Hogwarts: A History do not have an author. The copies from a few hundred years ago do. Even though it's the same information.

It's more than likely ministry interference. When I say ministry I mean ministry. The change happened well into headmaster Dippet's tenure. So obviously there is some truth to what's written.

The L'Fayes mostly reside in the Americas. A branch exists in New Zealand, and that's about it. It'll be interesting to interact with the descendants of, one of the most famous/infamous witches in history.

Perhaps exploring the world isn't such a bad idea. Well there are trade-offs. But I can always explore each school at a later time. Especially if I become a researcher.

Aside from marking assignments and tests, and teaching idiots occasionally, I will have free reign to explore every school I want to.

Honestly I don't know why I was holding myself back? I have been doing the calisthenic exercises as well as exhausting my magic reserves everyday. Just like Harry advised. I must admit, begrudgingly, that physical fitness is a lot more important than magical repertoire.

Why throw up a shield, when you can dodge and send an overcharged cutting charm? Might makes right. An archaic way of thinking, but a fundamental truth of existence.

Also there was a theory that Harry proposed a few years ago, that magic makes you stupid. I am seeing firsthand the evidence to support that theory. Magi from a magical background have a very different perspective than that of muggleborn magi. Not only is it an old fashioned way of thinking and conduct. It overlooks simple mechanical solutions for complex magical ones.

Which brings me to another problem. How am I going to complete my mundane education? Magic is great and all, but if I want to make a fortune, it will have to be done in the mundane world.

Even though the some magical communities are more progressive than others, the market size is small. The only way to get rich in the magical world is to be born rich and add to your generational wealth.

In the mundane world, an idea and hard work can make you wealthy. Add the convenience of magic, and a multimillion dollar company is fairly easy to make.

The two major sectors are beauty, and fashion. Add in a health element, and you're good to go. I could do something in the tech sector, but it's better if I just wait and see how my retail business does. That will happen once I'm 18.

One, the business is on the mundane side of things.

Two, getting investors is going to be a bit tricky as a child. Obviously Harry is going to be my first investor, and hopefully only investor. My parents will be given a share in the business as well. 5% each. But I really don't want to dilute my company.

Three, to get things done legally, I need at least a high school education. Which brings me back to the topic of education. Both magical and mundane.

The magical education in Britain was laughably easy compared to ICW standard. Same with Koldovstortez. The Russian are more interested in playing quidditch on trees and practicing the bare minimum of magical skills to get by. Pretty much the same as wizarding Britain to be honest.

It's also due to the commies and the Vatican stealing their knowledge.

But, what they lack in repertoire, they make up for in sheer power. Which means after a few spells they're harmless.

I really want to go to the Hindu Kush mountains and study the skills of the Sabbah Hashshashin. Harry and Lord Black know someone from that part of the world. Hopefully a few questions can point me in the right direction.

Enough worrying, I need to plan out my future explorations. I only have until June. After which I will have to convince my parents that I can take care of myself in a different country.