69novels Chapter 205 Some Preparations
Chapter 205 Some Preparations
Chapter 205 Some Preparations
George and Fred were not stupid, of course. Under Qin Yu's gaze, they quickly thought of something—the venom of the eight-eyed giant spider.
"No way, the potion shop owner leaked our information to them?"
"Isn't he afraid of losing a large portion of the price difference?"
The two brothers said in disbelief.
Upon hearing this, Qin Yu thought for a moment and said, "It's not necessarily information revealed by the potion shop owner. It's possible that the person found it on their own. After all, we don't always do things with absolute secrecy, and nature will eventually investigate."
"Ah... that is indeed a possibility."
What should we do?
The usually carefree twins showed a rare look of worry on their faces.
"Since we insist we have no stock, and we haven't found that person at Hagrid's place, they probably won't keep targeting us," Qin Yu analyzed.
"Yeah, nobody knows how much venom we have left."
"As long as we hide well enough, it will be impossible for anyone to find us."
George and Fred immediately smiled with relief, and there was a hint of smugness in their expressions.
When it comes to the ability to hide things, these two are truly second to none at Hogwarts.
Even Qin Yu didn't know where they had hidden the venom.
However, while it may be difficult to find where they hid their things, the two of them themselves are the biggest breakthrough point.
If Qin Yu were to be the one to search, his first step would be to tie them up, administer the tiger bench and pepper spray one by one, and force them to reveal the whereabouts of the venom. This would be much more time-saving and labor-saving than searching for it himself.
So, if that person is persistent and their thoughts coincide with yours...
It seems that I did not consider things carefully beforehand, which has put the Weasley brothers in some danger.
Looking at the two grinning twins, Qin Yu couldn't help but feel a little guilty—although these two usually liked to cause trouble, this time it was indeed his fault that they were in trouble.
So, I became the most troublesome person at Hogwarts?
It must be an illusion! I, Qin, am diligent, kind, friendly, cautious, and always on edge. How could I possibly be someone who likes to cause trouble?
Of course, there was no need for him to tell George and Fred about the risks he was considering; saying more would only cause them unnecessary worry.
"Give me two ounces of the venom; I need it," Qin Yu said earnestly to the two men.
"Still can't you tell me the reason?" the two brothers frowned and asked in unison.
“That’s right, I can’t say.” Qin Yu shook his head, then added, “I can only tell you that I may have made some mistakes before, and I need to make amends for them.”
"Alright alright."
"I'll send it over tonight."
Although George and Fred were very curious, they did not delve into the matter further and continued to offer their support.
……
Before obtaining Venom, Qin Yu went to see another person, his beloved teacher and brother—Professor Snape.
"What do you want with me? Today isn't after-school tutoring day," Snape asked with a cold, puzzled expression.
"I would like to ask you some questions about potions," Qin Yu said humbly.
"Hmm, go ahead and ask." Snape nodded, sitting leisurely behind his desk, and added sarcastically, "It's rare that you even know I'm a Potions teacher."
"Oh, how novel! You're not a Potions teacher, so what, are you going to be a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Qin Yu deliberately brought up the very thing he didn't want to say.
Before Professor Snape could draw his wand, the reckless Qin smoothly changed the subject, asking, "Professor, I'd like to know if there's any way to remove the color and smell of a herb, making it colorless and odorless, but without losing its medicinal properties."
As expected of Professor Snape, upon hearing Qin Yu's question, he immediately frowned and retorted, "What kind of mischief are you up to now?"
"Professor!" Qin Yu's voice took eight turns, his face full of hurt, and he said painfully, "How could you think of me like that?"
"Stop your pointless nonsense! It's perfectly reasonable for me to think this way about you." Snape wasn't buying it.
Qin Yu, unperturbed, calmly returned to the main topic and said in a serious tone:
"The weather has been very changeable lately, and many students at Hogwarts have caught colds and gotten sick. I saw them suffering a lot when drinking the 'cold medicine' prescribed by Madam Pomfrey. I was wondering if we could change the taste of the medicine so that it wouldn't be so hard to swallow, which is why I'm asking you about this."
That reason is perfectly valid.
After hearing this, Snape scrutinized Qin with a hint of suspicion, while Qin smiled and looked back at him with wide, sincere eyes.
And it's blinking like that.
If you're going to play the innocent card, please find someone else.
Snape was utterly disgusted by the kid's terrible acting!
Obviously, you can't tell anything from looking at it.
He could only tentatively believe the kid's words.
It's just teaching some knowledge about potions, so there shouldn't be any major problems... right?
“First of all, your idea of eliminating the external characteristics of a potion without affecting its efficacy is very unrealistic, because the color and smell of a potion may be manifestations of its active ingredients. Do you understand this?” Snape explained methodically.
"Yes, yes!" Qin Yu nodded vigorously, then asked, "Is there a way to make the medicine less effective? Just to make the color and smell less prominent."
"That depends on the specific medication. Different medications have different colors and smells, and the methods of administration will also differ..."
"For example, how do I remove the color?"
Qin Yu took something out of the pocket of his robe.
Upon seeing the object, Snape frowned again and asked, "Is this what's used in the 'Cold Potion'?"
"Oh, well, I didn't bring any other herbs with me, but I happen to have this on me. Could you use it as an example and explain to me how to remove its color and mask its smell appropriately?" Qin Yu said casually.
"..."
Snape gave a "you'll see if I believe you" look.
"Professor, you don't know how to remove its color, do you?" Lao Qin raised an eyebrow, using reverse psychology.
"You should stop with your little tricks," Snape said with a cold snort.
Then, he reached out and snatched the items from Qin Yu's hand, walked to the workbench, and took out the crucible, mortar, beaker, and other utensils.
"Watch closely, I'll only demonstrate it to you once."
Professor Snape said, no longer caring whether Qin had followed or not, and began to deal with the thing on his own.
Calcination, grinding, leaching, addition of various auxiliary materials, and then boiling in a crucible...
After a series of operations, a small tube of almost transparent liquid was finally obtained.
Professor Snape handed the vial of liquid to Qin Yu, who was watching from the side, and said, "If the color and smell are further eliminated, the efficacy will be reduced by more than half. This is the most suitable state for now."
"Thank you so much, Professor! You've been a great help!" Qin Yu expressed his heartfelt gratitude.
"Stop spouting useless flattery, do you understand now?" Snape glanced at the boy and said.
"I understand now. You mainly used the principles of high-temperature calcination and carbon powder adsorption, supplemented by some agents to stabilize the efficacy..." Qin Yu spoke eloquently.
After listening to his explanation, Snape knew that the kid had grasped the key points, and he nodded almost imperceptibly, saying indifferently, "Don't just talk the talk, try it yourself."
Qin Yu was naturally happy to agree, after all, with Snape watching over him, he felt much more at ease.
So he reached into his pocket again, took out a few of those same things, and began to process them according to his own understanding.
……
When Qin Yu came out of Professor Snape's office, there was a glass bottle sealed with a cork in the pocket of his robe, containing his haul for the night.
When he returned to the Gryffindor dormitory area, George and Fred were chatting and laughing with Harry, Ron, and others in the common area. When they saw him return, they got up to greet him.
It was unclear which of them handed Qin Yu a crumpled paper package.
Qin Yu took it, gently squeezed it, and felt that it contained a small glass bottle.
That should be what he wants.
Hermione leaned closer and asked curiously what it was.
Qin Yu ruffled her hair, revealing what he considered a charmingly wicked smile, and said coldly, "Young lady, knowing too much won't do you any good."
This naturally displeased the little witch, but she was helpless to do anything about it.
After all, Qin is sometimes really tight-lipped, and no matter what methods I use, they don't work.
Hermione had no choice but to give up, but she told Qin to tell her as soon as he could when he could.
Qin Yu thought to himself, "I really hope you never have to come into contact with these things."
However, he also knew that the world was destined not to be as he wished.
So, we can only wait and see.
After packing his things and calming himself down, he joined in the conversation, laughing and joking.