HP: Card System

To make a potion, the first step is to properly handle the ingredients.

The quality of the materials and the method of preparation directly impact the potion's effectiveness.

First, take six snake fangs and grind them into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle. This must be done thoroughly—if any large particles remain, the final potion will be contaminated with floating residue, drastically weakening its effect.

Using purified water as the base, add the powdered snake fangs and four measures of dried nettles into the cauldron. Heat the mixture on a low flame for precisely ten seconds to activate the initial reaction.

Next, wave your wand over the cauldron, channeling a controlled flow of magic into the potion. The amount of magic, the timing, and even the intent behind the spell influence the final product.

Once the solution turns a faint shade of blue, carefully add four steamed horned slugs. Within five seconds, they will dissolve completely.

Remove the cauldron from the heat and immediately drop in two whole porcupine quills. Once the quills melt, wave your wand again and stir clockwise exactly five times. The liquid should shift to a pale green—indicating success!

Ted and Hermione worked seamlessly, their potion coming together almost effortlessly. Their teamwork and careful precision paid off, as their mixture matched the expected color and consistency.

A soft chime echoed in Ted's mind:

_____

Ding~ Task Completed: [Young Wizard's First Potion (Green)]!

You've earned 200 experience points and received the card [Neville's Failed Scabies Potion (Green)]."

[Neville's Failed Scabies Potion (Green)]

Item Type: Prop Card

Description: Neville's attempt at brewing the scabies potion ended in disaster. Upon impact, the failed concoction causes all affected targets within a five-meter radius to break out in unbearable itching and unsightly boils.

One-time use.

Note: Try not to hit your own team!

_____

A single-use item, huh? While not the most powerful effect, its area of effect seemed promising.

...

Since the brewing process was clearly outlined, with precise ingredient amounts and exact timing, one would assume that simply following the instructions would guarantee success.

Then—

"BANG!"

Seamus' cauldron exploded.

A thick, foul-smelling cloud burst out, leaving four or five unfortunate students caught in the blast radius. Seamus himself emerged from the smoke, his face covered in soot, with two large red boils sprouting on his nose.

The self-proclaimed "Cauldron Catastrophe" had struck again. Legend has it that Seamus Finnegan had spent more on replacing cauldrons than on textbooks.

Snape's face turned a dangerous shade of red. His expression twitched as though he were struggling to keep his blood pressure under control.

"IDIOT! Are you trying to brew a Blast-Ended Skrewt serum?! How do you mess up a simple scabies potion?!"

His fury was barely contained as he cleared the remnants of the ruined potion with a flick of his wand.

Meanwhile, Neville Longbottom stood frozen in place, his hands trembling as he clutched his next ingredient. His nervous stammering grew worse under pressure. He was about to drop porcupine quills into the still-heated cauldron—

Ted caught his wrist just in time. "Porcupine quills can't go in while the potion is still hot!"

In the original timeline, Neville had made this very mistake, resulting in a melted cauldron and a severe outbreak of boils.

Neville gulped and set the quills down, his hands still shaking. "Th-thanks, Ted."

Snape, who had been watching from the side, sneered. "Oh? It seems our dear Mr. Epifani thinks he's qualified to teach others now. How arrogant."

His lip curled in satisfaction. "Five points from Ravenclaw for interfering in another student's work."

Ted blinked. Did… did Snape just willingly deduct points from him? Perfect!

Professor Flitwick wouldn't blame him for Snape's unfairness, which meant Ted was one step closer to fulfilling his "point deduction" mission. What a win!

Trying to push his luck, he argued, "Professor, I wasn't trying to teach Neville—I was preventing his potion from melting through his cauldron."

Snape's smirk widened. "Oh? And you're well aware of what happens if he makes that mistake? How insightful. Another five points from Ravenclaw for contradicting a professor."

Ted: Professor, you're amazing. Truly a master of pettiness.

At this point, Neville looked like he might cry. "N-no, Professor, it was my fault. I—"

Snape's eyes flicked to Neville, his expression darkening. "Ah, Longbottom. Our resident disaster. Are you about to thank your friend for saving you from your own incompetence? Tell me, did you ignore everything I said, only listening when Epifani spoke? If you refuse to pay attention in my class—five points from Gryffindor!"

Snape's words cut deep. Neville clamped his mouth shut, eyes welling with unshed tears.

Across the room, Malfoy, who had been enjoying the show, chuckled under his breath. "Ha, the Boy Who Survived... what a cockup."

Snape, of course, pretended not to hear.

Harley and Ron clenched their fists, shooting daggers at Malfoy and his lackeys. If only they could "accidentally" spill their potion on him…

Class was finally over, and Snape swept out of the room like an overgrown bat, his black robes billowing behind him.

Meanwhile, Malfoy and his goons were chuckling to themselves, glancing at Ted and the others with smug expressions—classic villain behavior.

Harley, Hermione, and the rest of their group stood firmly in defense of Ted and Neville.

"Sirius told me ages ago that Snape was a bitter old bat," Harley huffed. "But honestly, he didn't do justice to just how awful that man is!"

Ted glanced at her. Neville was the one getting scolded, but here she was, more furious on his behalf than he was.

Hermione crossed her arms, fuming. "It's completely unfair. He never gives out points for correct answers, but he has no problem taking them away for no reason. It's ridiculous!"

Ron grumbled under his breath, "Hope he loses the rest of his hair and goes completely bald."

Neville sniffled quietly, trying to hold back his tears.

Ted clapped a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Neville, the world doesn't go easy on you just because you cry. Don't show your weaknesses to just anyone—save them for your friends and family."

If there was ever a time for a song called "Hogwarts Doesn't Believe in Tears," this was it.

"But," Ted continued, his tone softening, "if you're ever really sad, just know that we're here. We'll always be your most loyal listeners. And one day, when we're the ones feeling down, you'll be there to return the favor, right?"

Neville wiped his eyes and gave a firm nod.

One thing was for sure: Potions class was a nightmare for him.

Ted, on the other hand, had managed to turn a bad situation into a win. Sure, he hadn't earned any points, but Snape had docked ten from Ravenclaw—what a gift! Snape was worth several professors when it came to point deductions.

Still, something felt... off. Snape hadn't gone after Harley specifically. That alone was weird.

Had he changed? Was he no longer the Snape who had it out for "Potter" at every turn?

Ted had a feeling there was more to it. Snape was watching Harley closely. He never said a word, but Ted had sharp instincts, and he knew when someone was paying too much attention to someone else.

He wasn't the only one who noticed. Ron and the others, who often sat near Harley and whispered during class, also caught Snape's eyes now and then.

Maybe it wasn't that Snape had stopped targeting her. Maybe he was just distributing the misery more evenly among her friends.

The target never disappears—it just shifts.

...

That night, they had Astronomy, which meant staying up late for a midnight class.

Astronomy was held at the Astronomy Tower, the tallest point in the castle. Just climbing the endless spiral staircase made some students dizzy before they even reached the top.

Professor Aurora Sinistra, their Astronomy professor, was a sharp-eyed woman who didn't look particularly old. She never had much presence in the original story, but in person, she had an air of quiet authority.

Ted had brought along the second-hand telescope he bought earlier, but it was exactly what he had paid for—blurry and unreliable.

Luckily, Hermione let him borrow hers when he needed a clearer view.

Some might find it romantic—stargazing on a crisp night, high above the castle—but wizarding astronomy wasn't just about appreciating the stars. It had real magical significance.

Why did wizards study astronomy? Did they plan on launching broomsticks into orbit?

Not quite.

Celestial bodies contained immense magical power, and their movements had been meticulously studied by wizards for centuries. Their positions played a key role in many forms of advanced magic, particularly ritual magic.

Ritual magic could achieve miraculous effects with very little raw power—because it worked with nature instead of against it.

That's why precise timing mattered. The alignment of planets, lunar eclipses, rare celestial events—these weren't just interesting occurrences; they were essential for certain spells and enchantments.

Many of today's holidays had magical origins as well. Halloween, Easter, Christmas—each one carried remnants of ancient magical traditions. Over the centuries, their true meanings had been diluted, twisted into folklore and legend.

Of course, this was all far beyond what they were expected to learn at school. Ritual magic was an advanced field, and Ted wasn't about to waste energy trying to master something that wasn't even in the textbooks yet.

For now, he'd settle for passing Astronomy class.

...

Before he knew it, Thursday had arrived. That afternoon, Ted had his first Defense Against the Dark Arts class—with Gryffindor.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was easily one of the most popular subjects among students.

Transfiguration was too difficult, with essays that made everyone's head hurt.

Charms had only covered Lumos so far, which meant endless practice with little variety.

Herbology was fun but exhausting—not to mention occasionally dangerous.

History of Magic? A glorified nap session.

Potions? Snape had already declared them all idiots.

That left Defense Against the Dark Arts and flying lessons as the two classes still wrapped in mystery and excitement.

Of course, they were about to be very, very disappointed.

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Word count: 1684

New Marvel Fanfic incoming! Just wanna share.