Chapter 57: Popular Notes
"I understand, Professor."
Shawn cleaned the cauldron until it gleamed. Before leaving, he paused, and his emerald eyes shone with sincerity.
"Thank you for the ingredients and for your guidance."
As he stepped out of the dungeon, Professor Snape's face flickered light and dark in the candlelight.
He would not forget those techniques, even if he had no idea where the boy had learned them. They undeniably recalled to him a brightness that had been rare in his life.
He had never seen a student love Potions so purely.
He did not care about mockery or personal grudges. He cared about the potion itself.
He carried the same first, pure love for the study of Potions, and even used methods Snape knew all too well.
They were things he had once studied and debated together with one other person. One of his few shards of light.
It was precisely that focus and those familiar techniques that stung his heart.
He loathed seeing his own shadow.
Especially when that shadow was tied to everything he had lost.
His gaze grew obscure.
Was it bitterness, anger, or a thin thread of admiration he could not push down?
Outside, the rain poured and poured. The emotions steeped in it felt as long and fierce as the wind.
Shawn held a book and walked lightly.
Ignore Professor Snape's barbs, and he could actually be called a competent teacher.
At the very least, he truly loved Potions and possessed remarkable skill.
The exhaustion from the ritual was almost gone. At the latest by tomorrow, Shawn could try the improved method and see how much it boosted quality.
Most importantly, Professor Snape seemed to have read Master Borage's notes as well.
Perhaps he could even offer guidance on improving the ritual?
But what Shawn did not know was that Snape was not the only one who had seen those improvements.
Curfew was drawing near.
Shawn heard two cheerful Gryffindors humming A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love.
"Oh, come and stir my cauldron,
If you do it right, I will brew hot, strong love,
To keep you warm tonight..."
It was a number sung by Celestina Warbeck, with a particularly jazzy flair, and very popular in the wizarding world.
"You're dead!"
He heard another odd shout.
Two young wizards were playing Gobstones, one of the common games for students.
The loser, of course, paid a pungent price.
Several stones sprayed foul-smelling liquid straight into the face of a horrified player.
Admittedly, it was difficult to guess the inspiration behind that game's invention.
As the owl swept out once more, a pair of sharp eyes surfaced in the distance almost at the same moment.
Complex emotion gathered on Minerva McGonagall's usually stern face, especially as Shawn trudged past a cluster of students taking advantage of Saturday's last hours to muck about.
Only now did she realize how long this kind of effort had gone on, where she could not see it.
The Scottish wind skimmed the Black Lake and thudded into the ancient castle walls again, turning into a deep and constant hum.
In that steady rumble, Hogwarts stirred awake once more.
"Young wizard! Wretched young wizard! Answering ahead of time again!"
Mr. Owl squawked and scolded, but Shawn slipped into the classroom unfazed.
Of the three, Hermione was unusually the last to arrive.
Shawn slept well. Justin slept well.
The two of them arrived around six almost every day, which the little witch loudly declared unfair.
Who needed only seven hours of sleep and still brimmed with energy in the morning?
"Good morning, Shawn," Justin said.
He held a dish of milk-coconut pudding and was casting a little kitchen charm over it. Shawn spotted a pink-covered book lying open nearby, with a turkey on the front.
Conjure a Feast!
A staple in any wizarding kitchen.
"Shawn, please help taste the improved new flavor," Justin said, passing the dish over.
What he did not say was that the unimproved, unpleasant version had been polished off yesterday by peckish Hufflepuffs.
...
[You practiced the Water-Making Spell once at Apprentice standard, Proficiency +1]
[You practiced the Water-Making Spell once at Entry-level standard, Proficiency +3]
[You practiced the Water-Making Spell once at Entry-level standard, Proficiency +3]
...
Shawn trained every day until he could barely lift his wand.
After noting down the spell's finer points, he quietly opened the panel:
[Water-Making Spell: Apprentice standard (110/300)]
[Summoning Charm: Locked (1/30)]
[Levitation Charm: Entry-level (200/900)]
At this pace, he would reach Entry-level tomorrow. Fast indeed.
Just as he was about to head for the Quidditch pitch, Justin leaned in close.
"Oh, Shawn, you know, my mother told me there are many ways to meet the world, but only creation never fades."
He sounded as if the thought had arrived late.
"Are you ready to meet that change with me?"
Before Shawn could respond, Justin had pulled him into a courtyard crammed with students.
It was hard to imagine Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Gryffindors gathered so amicably in one place. They whispered among themselves, and when Justin appeared, the whispers tipped over into a lively buzz.
"Shawn, I knew it was you!" Michael looked especially excited. He lifted his chin and said to Seamus and the others, "Pay up. Ten Knuts."
"All right, all right..."
"A bet is a bet..."
Shawn watched Seamus, Ernie, and a few more grumble as they handed over Knuts to Michael. Michael winked at Shawn and silently mouthed:
"I'll split half with you later."
Shawn could guess what this was about.
"Are the History of Magic notes really that popular?" he asked Justin under his breath.
"Oh, my dear Shawn, have you misunderstood what you made? No one in the wizarding world has ever done that before. It's an untouched market."
Justin's pale gray eyes sharpened for once.
"When third-years began coming to me, I knew, Shawn. This would be a huge opportunity. Faced with Professor Binns' vagueness, the huge assignments, and the struggle to self-study, who wouldn't want a concise and clear set of notes?
"I haven't passed a single full copy around. I only tried out a few irrelevant bits tied to the last assignment."
He leaned in close to Shawn's ear.
"When everyone faced another long assignment thanks to Professor Binns' confusion, they came to me for that portion of the notes.
"And they offered to buy."
...
The sudden popularity of the History of Magic notes surprised Shawn. Nearly every young wizard bought a copy.
And Justin's strategy kept the surprise going.
"Like a serialized story, we sell only a small portion each time. Given how vast magical history is, even that small portion fills half a booklet... And do you remember your History of Magic essay method? A wizard named Michael spread the word far and wide. We have plenty of time to let this grow. What matters is keeping the true and rigorous core intact.
"Oh, and Shawn, don't forget, Hogwarts has more than one subject crying out for proper summaries.
"And the wizarding world is bigger than Hogwarts..."
Justin's eyes sparkled, and Shawn let him run with it.
He simply slipped quietly toward the Quidditch pitch.
Judging by his current progress, he would soon be able to fly back to the Ravenclaw Tower.
If not all the way, then halfway would do.