It was the second day after Sean had sought out Professor Terra.
It was also a Tuesday at Hogwarts.
The weather was cold but clear.
In the corridor, Sean was carrying a stack of books, some of which occasionally floated around him, rearranging themselves to help him find specific bits of knowledge across different texts.
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed from his left. Sean flinched and saw the Weasley twins emerging from behind a portrait, holding an assortment of oddly shaped fireworks.
"Fancy something special?" Fred called out loudly.
"Wizard Wheezes' Crackling Concoction!" George added, tossing one of the fireworks into Sean's hands.
Sean was quicker, though. With a flick of his wand, he froze the firework in midair.
"Oh, this isn't good," George said, eyeing the firework that was about to go off. He grabbed Fred, who was already trying to make a run for it.
Sean quickly learned what a Crackling Concoction was. Instead of a simple pop, it erupted with a sound like a cannon blast, engulfing the Weasleys in a cloud of blue smoke. Out of the chaos came a navy admiral's hat and a few lively white mice scampering about.
Fred, now wearing the hat and coughing up blue smoke, grinned. "Brilliant, Sean—nice Silencing Charm!"
The Crackling Concoction wasn't dangerous, but Sean could sense the burst of multiple spells within it—Blasting Charms, Transfiguration, and something like the charm used in Howlers to store sound.
Alchemy was fascinating. A simple combination of spells could create something as wild as a Crackling Concoction. Yet Sean felt something deeper, something mysterious and profound, beyond just spells or transfiguration.
That same feeling had been popping up a lot lately, especially with the various gadgets the Weasleys had been showing off.
Lost in thought, Sean cast a Cleaning Charm to tidy up the corridor and the twins. With a polite nod and a slight smile, he said goodbye and headed toward the spiral staircase.
"Do you think he felt it? Alchemy can't afford to lose a genius like him," Fred said, spitting out a piece of colorful confetti and stuffing the mice into a firework box.
"Of course," George replied, raising an eyebrow. "That's the great—Sean Green."
The twins slipped back into a secret passage, clutching their Crackling Concoctions, eyes closed as if by instinct.
Ever since a thin layer of white frost had blanketed Hogwarts, Sean had been diving deep into alchemy, especially studying the Weasleys' notes. Their scribbles were often wild and brief, but undeniably, they were ten times clearer than the vague, cryptic books on the subject.
Maybe alchemists feared their secrets would be too easily unraveled, or perhaps scholars wanted to make alchemy seem more mysterious. Whatever the reason, alchemical texts were full of symbols and metaphors, almost as nonsensical as Michael's sleep-talking.
For example: "A circle imbued with charmed magic is an ancient invention. Those with a special or secret purpose use it to shield themselves from 'dangers of the soul,' threats that come from outside."
This was about "illusions" in alchemy. The circle described in the books was a runic expression of the Confundus Charm, the secret behind keeping Muggle-repelling wards at places like the Leaky Cauldron.
Pretty cool, right? But unless you'd read An Introduction to Alchemy, A Simple Guide to Ancient Runes, and The Fifth Element: Exploration cover to cover, you'd never figure out what that circle meant.
It was mentioned in An Introduction to Alchemy, explained in The Fifth Element: Exploration, but only a wizard fluent in A Simple Guide to Ancient Runes would understand its true meaning.
Alchemy's mysterious nature only fueled Sean's curiosity, especially since that mystique seemed woven into the very fabric of the field.
It was almost as if alchemy was supposed to be a mysterious kind of magic.
Compared to that, potions were much simpler. Sean had just finished organizing the Fusion Enlightenment Method, creating a complete system for the Domain of Potion Will.
With this method, any wizard could brew potions, even if their talent was mediocre and they only barely knew the brewing process.
All you had to do was believe—and let magic handle the rest.
It was easy to see how this theory could shake up the world of potion-making.
Today, Sean was carrying the completed manuscript as he headed to the dungeons.
This trip felt like it carried historical weight.
The dungeon's chilly air always hit hard, enough to make any young wizard shiver after leaving the warmth of a fireplace.
As he descended, the air grew heavy, thick with the scents of earth, plants, and crucibles.
Professor Snape stood gazing ahead, the flickering firelight illuminating the parchment in his hands—Sean's Fusion Enlightenment Method, the final piece of the Potion Will Domain puzzle.
The parchment had a small, subtle "1" in the corner. Even Snape wouldn't have expected such a breakthrough to come so quickly.
As expected, only those who struggled with the basics would think to find another way.
In the dungeon, Snape's lips curled slightly—whether in mockery or admiration, it was hard to tell.
The dungeon door swung open, and Snape's cold eyes followed Sean as he began brewing a potion with practiced ease.
Steam rose from Sean's crucible as he added rose petals and vanilla pods in sequence, performing the improved ritual with smooth precision.
Sean carefully considered why this ritual magic worked.
It's a suggestion, he thought, a tool to strengthen a wizard's belief.
Soon, bubbles rose in the crucible. Sean stirred methodically, following precise steps, while Snape watched with a furrowed brow.
The sticky liquid turned golden with the final stir, and a panel notification chimed as expected.
[You've brewed a Draught of Peace at an introductory level. Proficiency +3.]
Sean checked the panel:
[Title: Potion Novice]
[Greatly increases potion perception, slightly boosts potion talent.]
[Advancement: Brew three proficient-level potions and three introductory-level potions to unlock the Skilled Potion Master title.]
[Scurvy Cure: Proficient (10/3000)]
[Shrinking Solution: Proficient (20/3000)]
[Swelling Solution: Proficient (20/3000)]
[Draught of Peace: Apprentice (110/300)]
Once the Draught of Peace reached the introductory level, Sean would unlock a new potion title—and the mysteries of alchemy would open up to him.
Once alchemy was on the panel, its secrets wouldn't stay mysterious for long.
Sean sipped a potion, feeling his energy recover quickly from the draining ritual.
"How many times should you stir the Draught of Peace to the left when it starts to boil, Sean Green?" Snape asked.
"Two, Professor," Sean replied, recalling the steps.
"Fool! Completely wrong!"