v2 Chapter 18: free labor

Snape walked into his potions room first, then motioned for Tom to follow.

He took out a few jars and a box. At the same time, let Tom prepare the mortar, crystal bottle and other equipment. After the box is opened, it presents a ladder shape, with several layers of small boxes stacked inside, with dozens of partitions on each layer. There were also white mists emerging from some partitions, and it seemed that some potions needed special storage conditions.

Snape's box should have been cast with the Unmarked Stretch Charm, because he actually took a bunch of fresh roses out of it. Of course, the use of roses in the hands of potion masters is not very similar to that of ordinary people.

"You take the thorns of these roses, dry them with the petals, grind them into powder, and extract the essential oil with castor oil."

Rose petals and rose thorns can be used to make beauty potions, perfumes, and some seductive potions. Their extract, rose essential oil, can also be used to make magic medicine, but I don't know what use this material is in the wolf poison potion.

Tom obeyed obediently. He first took off the rose thorns with gloves, and then baked them in the oven together with the petals he picked off before. After they've dried, Tom grinds them into a mortar and pestle.

During this period, Snape had been standing behind him with a stern face. If Tom's manipulation was deformed, he would sneer. When Tom was finished grinding, he leaned up and took a closer look at the powder that Tom was grinding. .

"The degree of drying is okay. The thorns are completely dried. But next time, remember to take out the petals in the middle. Some of the petals are almost pasted. But the grinding is not enough, so make them finer."

So Tom went on grinding. While grinding, he asked, "Professor, why can't these repetitive tasks be solved with magic?"

Snape glanced at Tom with the look of an idiot, but ignored him: he didn't want to explain an overly simple question.

If you can really replace it with magic, then why are you staying here, Tom?

During the second grinding, Snape was not idle either, but started to prepare the pre-potion himself. He quickly chopped the narcissus root and moon dew flower, and then added the wormwood infusion. Then he began to brew the potion, and the moment the ingredients were added, pale blue steam emerged from the cauldron, but after a while it became a homogeneous, tawny liquid. This is the ideal state for brewing medicine.

Then Snape pressed the Sleepy Bean with a short silver knife, squeezed the juice out, and poured the Sleepy Bean residue and valerian root into the crucible. At this time, the color of the liquid in the crucible changed from tea-brown to dark purple.

Next comes the hard work. Snape naturally turned his attention to Tom.

Tom grinded it again, and the powder was considered acceptable. After passing Snape's review, he asked Tom to make a bottle of rose essential oil. He took the essential oil, stared at the candle for a while, and took off the stopper to smell it.

"The essential oil is qualified. Now you go and stir the pot of potion counterclockwise until the potion becomes as clear as water. If you stir in the wrong direction, you can go."

So Tom went to stir the potion again.

After stirring until dizzy, the potion turned into what Snape asked for.

At this point, Snape had almost prepared the other potion ingredients. He glanced at Tom's preparations and nodded: Tom really helped a lot. Without him, the preparation of the potion would have been delayed for at least half a day, and Snape would have been overnight.

After mixing several potions and powders together, the wand shook rapidly, and soon the liquid swirled in the crucible by itself, emitting a hazy glow like moonlight.

Snape glanced at the state of the potion, and when he saw that it was not much different from what was written in the paper, he couldn't help but nodded in satisfaction. According to Snape's habit, the first time he reproduced the potion, he would formulate it according to the process in the paper. But then, Snape had to optimize the process himself, which was a habit he had since he was a student.

Tom had a small question in his mind at this time. Seeing that Snape seemed to be in a good mood, he quickly asked: "Professor, how do you mix the potion materials? Stay sane on a full moon night?"

"Yordle, this question is not something you should study. The research on potion materials and the improvement of formulas are the goals of the seventh-grade and post-graduate students." Snape became serious, "Every branch of the magic world. They are both broad and profound, and often require exhausting a person’s life energy. If you are still interested in potions after fifth grade, come to study the truth here.”

"Do you know how to measure whether a potions master is qualified?

It's not how many potion formulas he can create, or how many improvements he can make to existing potion formulas - that's something that a wizard like me should worry about, as long as he can follow the formula and convert every item mentioned in the potions class. If a potion is prepared, he is a qualified potion master.

A person's life is very short, and he can only concentrate on one thing. "

It seemed that Snape was in a really good mood, so he made an unprecedented speech After finishing speaking, Snape glanced at the potion cauldron.

"The next step is to wait." Snape announced that today's work was over, and he would send a letter in advance when he needed Tom next time. Then he threw Tom out.

Tom only felt exhausted when he walked out of the room, but the gain was not small: he saw that his Potions experience bar had risen a lot, which was roughly equivalent to three times the experience gained in class.

He thought he was going to find a way to take the train back to London, but he saw Snape walk out of the room with an expressionless face.

Tom: ? ? ?

Something unexpected happened, Snape actually used Apparition to take him back to the Leaky Cauldron!

This is simply not something Snape can do. But Snape didn't talk to Tom much, and walked directly into the gate of Gringotts: he was here to withdraw money today.

Tom's life is back on track.

After a long time, he opened the dusty diary again, and this time he was going to take out something from Riddle.

"You're back."

"I am back."

"I thought you wouldn't come back."

"It is true that the interval is a little longer. I need time to digest your remarks."

journal:……

"I think you're right." Tom continued to write in his diary that he planned to be like a scumbag, defrauding Riddle's trust, and then draining him, and finally sending him to see Merlin after the Riddlers had no knowledge.

Of course, Tom is a scumbag, and Riddle is also a sea king. Riddle's Horcrux in front of him has at least one life in his hands, and even more: his father's family, his uncle's family...

It can be said that it is filial piety.

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