Chapter 41 Brewing Potions

Just as Daniel was thinking about the potions he could try brewing first, a simple yet critical thought hit him like a Bludger to the head.

"I don't have any ingredients..." he mumbled, mildly annoyed at himself. Then his eyes drifted across the room. "But it's the Room of Requirement... right?" He cleared his throat. "I need the ingredients for the Fire Protection Potion."

Almost immediately, the ingredients shimmered into existence beside the brewing station, neatly arranged and labeled.

"Neat," he grinned, rubbing his hands together. 

He began by slicing the Bursting Mushrooms, careful not to cause any explosions, and added them into the bubbling cauldron. The scent was earthy and... weirdly spicy?

Clockwise stirring turned the potion a calm shade of blue.

Then came the Salamander Blood, followed by a steady stir in the opposite direction. Slowly, the brew morphed to a vivid green.

Finally, he crushed the Wartcap Powder with a pestle, added the dust to the mix, and stirred clockwise again. The potion flared red, and with a quick flick, he pulled the cauldron off the flame and poured the potion into glass flasks.

"Honestly? That wasn't bad," he muttered, checking the result with Observe.

[Fire Protection Potion]

[The Fire Protection Potion, also known as the Ice Potion, protects the drinker from most magical fires. Induces a sensation of chill upon consumption.]

[Quality: Average]

"Average, huh? Not bad for my first attempt," he nodded, half-proud. "Let's bump that up to 'Above Average'."

He brewed it twice more, growing faster and more confident with each round, then finally headed back to the Common Room for some much-needed rest.

15 April 1992

Daniel's morning was perfectly normal, until breakfast. As he munched toast in the Great Hall, the usual murmur of students turned interesting.

"Did you hear about Ron Weasley?" a nearby Ravenclaw whispered. "He landed in the Hospital Wing with a nasty finger wound."

Daniel blinked.

'Oh... I guess that happens today,' he remembered, a mischievous grin creeping onto his face. 'Guess it's time to go dragon-watching.'

After lessons ended, Daniel slipped away from his friends, found a quiet corner behind a statue, and cast, 'Obfuscare.'

His body faded into the background, camouflaging with the surroundings like a magical chameleon.

He snuck out of the castle, briskly made his way across the grounds, and approached the wooden hut nestled near the forest.

He crept to the window and peeked inside.

'So this is it...' he thought, eyes wide.

The dragon was curled up near the fireplace. Jet-black scales shimmered in the light, oversized wings twitching occasionally. Its long snout flared as it sniffed, and its bright orange eyes scanned the room like it was on guard.

'Cute,' he thought.

He hesitated. 'Do I knock? Just... ask to see the dragon?'

After a moment of indecision, he shrugged. 'What's the worst that could happen?'

He knocked.

"'Old on, now!" came a familiar, booming voice. There were several loud thumps from inside, followed by the sound of something falling over.

The door creaked open just a bit.

"Eh? No one's 'ere..." Hagrid muttered, puzzled.

'Oh, right... the spell.' Daniel canceled Obfuscare.

"Wait a second, Mister Hagrid!"

Hagrid blinked down at him, surprised. "A firs'-year?" His eyes narrowed. "An' already messin' about with advanced magic, are yeh? What're yeh doin' here?"

"I heard you had a dragon. I wanted to see it."

"I don' have a-" A loud crash from inside cut him off.

Hagrid let out a tired sigh and opened the door wider. "Ugh... jus' get in already."

Inside, the air was warm and smelled faintly of smoke and something like... burnt caramel?

Daniel's eyes immediately found the dragon again.

He smiled. "It's kinda cute..."

The dragon bared its teeth, and he backed up slightly.

"Right then. So, how'd yeh know about Norbert?" Hagrid asked, squinting at him suspiciously.

Daniel lied smoothly. "Draco was talking about it. Couldn't help but overhear."

He took a few more steps closer. "Also... she's a girl."

Hagrid looked confused. "How can yeh tell?"

'From the books, obviously,' Daniel thought, but out loud he said, "She's more aggressive. Females usually are. I read it in a book."

[Name: Norbert]

Level: 6

Species: Norwegian Ridgeback

Native to Norway's northern mountains. Known for extreme aggression and rapid growth. Closely resembles the Hungarian Horntail...]

"Now yeh mention it... I do remember readin' somethin' like that..." Hagrid muttered. "Alright then. Yer name's Norberta now." He beamed with pride.

'Level 6 already? That's insane for a newborn,' Daniel thought, impressed. 'What'll she be in a few weeks?'

But before he could ask some questions, Norberta locked eyes with him.

A system message blinked in front of his vision.

[Detected a young magical beast willing to form a contract.]

[Do you want to form a Familiar Contract with it?]

[Yes / No]

'Wait… what?!' Daniel blinked, caught completely off guard.

Norberta snorted, a puff of smoke curling from her nostrils, like she knew.