In truth, the effects brought about by this potion were far more complex than merely restoring physical stamina.
Harry swallowed the intensely bitter draught, feeling his previously exhausted body and mind begin to ease.
Even the swollen, aching sensation in his legs after his run gradually faded away.
The results were astonishingly pronounced.
In his dream, whenever he was injured or fell ill, it took a long period of recovery or waiting for the medicine to take effect, even if the ship’s surgeon mixed a draught for him.
Potions, however, were entirely different, yielding immediate results the moment they were swallowed.
This allowed Harry to push himself during his workouts without worrying about overexertion causing long-term physical damage or stunting his growth.
Professor Snape hadn’t explicitly mentioned what kind of potion this was, but Harry guessed it almost certainly contained Salamander blood.
Fascinating, this Potions study, Harry mused inwardly as he savored his near-fully restored state.
This potion could likely enable him to accomplish training loads in a short timeframe that would normally take half a year.
And the results were already evident—
He picked up the newspaper on the table.
The forearm that had been skin and bones half a month ago was now noticeably broader.
Perhaps very soon, this frail, delicate feeling would vanish entirely from his body.
In its place would be the solid, powerful frame forged under ocean winds through countless raids and adventures in his dream.
REGARDING THE ILLEGAL INTRUSION AT GINGOTTS WIZARDING BANK THIS MORNING
As of press time, investigations remain ongoing.
Officials from the Ministry of Magic’s Department of Magical Law Enforcement have arrived on-site to conduct a joint inquiry with Gringotts goblin security.
According to the scene inspection, the intruder acted with a clear objective and seasoned expertise, successfully bypassing the first line of defense consisting of multiple anti-intruder charms.
Currently, neither the Ministry nor the goblins have made an official determination regarding the suspect’s identity, though widespread speculation within the community suggests the involvement of one or more wizards skilled in the Dark Arts.
Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office, stated in a brief interview with this paper that they are pursuing all possibilities and that it is too early to rule out any direction.
Of particular note, a Gringotts goblin spokesperson reiterated this afternoon that no valuables were stolen during the incident.
The underground vault searched by the intruder had been completely cleared by its account holder earlier this month and was currently vacant…
—The Daily Prophet
‘Gringotts is the safest, most reliable place in the world.
No one would choose to steal anything here.
You can rest assured keeping your valuable possessions here, young wizard.’
Ha!
The safest and most reliable Gringotts indeed!
Harry lost interest in the piece and moved on to other sections of the newspaper.
Moments later, he stared in slight confusion.
On July thirty-first, on this very day, the Boy Who Lived was born as arranged by fate.
He struck terror into You-Know-Who and made the Death Eaters tremble—they grew fanatical, searching for him relentlessly.
Yet in the end, nothing remained save an unspeakable miracle that descended upon his swaddling clothes, casting the darkness into eternal ruin!
The wizarding world joins together to celebrate his birth.
For eleven years, the name Harry James Potter has ceased to be the private concern of a single family; it has become a totem of peace collectively stamped upon the entirety of the magical world!
Every year on the thirty-first of July, the pubs in Hogsmeade pour butterbeer for strangers who trade the phrase ‘Thank the boy,’ and even the dark corners of Knockturn Alley rarely soften their gloom on this day…
Harry found today’s Daily Prophet exceptionally dull—first the break-in at Gringotts, and then his birthday.
So today was his birthday!
He hadn’t even realized his birthday drew so much attention from so many people.
After all, growing up, he had never received a single birthday gift.
Well, if one counted a clothes hanger or a pair of someone else’s old worn socks, then he suppose he had received gifts.
But that was hardly something to look forward to.
Thus, Harry had genuinely forgotten today was his birthday.
After all, in that dream, he hadn’t celebrated a single holiday like this for the past six years.
So—
Harry set down The Daily Prophet and picked up an academic publication instead: Potions Today.
“Tell me, Potter, what are the properties of Dittany?”
During lunch, Snape dined with him for the first time in a while.
Or rather, after finishing his own meal early, he remained at the table waiting for Harry to eat, throwing out a question.
“Dittany is one of the widely known healing plants in the magical world. It is a plant with dark green leaves and purple flowers.”
“It can be consumed raw or crushed and applied to shallow wounds to achieve rapid healing. It works wonders on various cuts and lacerations, and…”
“It also provides immense protection against Splanching injuries caused while learning Apparition. If applied promptly, it won’t even leave a scar…”
Harry recited the passage from memory, just like reading aloud from One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi.
Snape stood up, passing by his side while retrieving a glass phial filled with brown liquid and placing it on the table.
“I trust you recognize what this is. Do not waste it on trivial, minor injuries. Save it for when you truly need it. Though personally, I hope that ‘when’ never comes, as it would mean you have dragged yourself into trouble you ought to have avoided!”
Saying this, he turned to leave.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Heavy knocking resounded from outside the door.
Snape’s brow furrowed, his black robes billowing as he took long strides toward the door to open it.
How surprising—Professor Snape actually has friends.
Harry speared a piece of beef with his fork.
“…Harry!”
A booming voice rang out from outside the room.
Then, under Harry’s strange gaze, a man built like a mountain, carrying quite a few items in hand, tried with great difficulty to squeeze through the kitchen door.
Yet his massive frame proved entirely too much for a doorway half his size.
“Wait, hang on a second! I… hey, Professor Snape, I think I’m stuck! Could ya give me a shove from behind?”
The man shouted in a loud voice, but there was no response from Snape behind him.
“Perhaps…” Harry looked at him with hesitation, “since you’re a wizard too, you could try a Shrinking Charm or a Shrinking Solution?” he suggested.
“Of course, of course! But I… well, fine then.” After a moment’s hesitation, the man accepted the advice.
“But Harry, you’ve got to keep this a secret for me. They don’t let me use magic, and they certainly don’t allow me to use a wand.”
Though he said this, he muttered something softly under his breath, and his massive frame visibly shrank a size before Harry’s eyes.
As it turned out, the umbrella-like object in his hand was his wand.
“Last time I saw ya, you were just a tiny baby, Harry,” the man shuffled over to Harry’s side and sat down on a chair.
“You look a lot like your dad, but you’ve got your mum’s eyes.”
“So you are…” Harry thought for a moment.
“Sent by Dumbledore?”
It certainly couldn’t have been Snape who called him over.
“Oh! I haven’t introduced meself yet! Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts.”
Hagrid offered a warm, simple smile.
“Truth is, I was supposed to take ya to buy your school supplies. I had an agreement with the Headmaster, but he suddenly changed his mind and said he’d take ya to Diagon Alley himself. I was really lookin’ forward to it, I truly was.”