“Shufus, bring me a fresh set of clothes!”
“Right away, Young Master.”
Lake Windermere.
Nording Island.
Star Castle.
A boy who had just turned eleven stood in his laboratory, absentmindedly scratching his dazzling golden hair.
His clear golden eyes were fixed on the bubbling potion before him.
“What exactly went wrong?
Logically speaking, my Improved Healing Potion Version 3.0 shouldn’t have any flaws.
So why have the last few experiments all failed for no apparent reason?”
As he pondered the problem, the house-elf Shufus arrived carrying a neatly folded set of clothes.
“Young Master Adrian Ambrosius, your clothes.”
“Oh, thanks.”
Adrian Ambrosius snapped out of his thoughts, accepted the clothes, then casually flicked his wand.
His tattered garments, ruined by yet another mysterious alchemical mishap, instantly vanished.
At the same time, the clean outfit in his hands appeared perfectly fitted on his body.
His untidy golden hair neatly arranged itself, and every trace of dust disappeared from his face.
“Tsk.
Inventing the Lazy Wizard Spell Series to save time was definitely one of my better ideas.
The Changing Charm and Cleaning Charm are just too convenient.”
He stretched his arms and adjusted his sleeves.
Every inch of the clothing fit perfectly, without the slightest discomfort.
Shufus quietly spoke.
“Young Master Adrian Ambrosius, I must remind you that you’ve used up all the materials you purchased.”
Adrian Ambrosius froze for a moment before letting out a helpless sigh.
“I guess I’ve been experimenting a little too often lately.”
Shufus continued,
“Also, Young Master Adrian Ambrosius, Mr.
Augustus and Mr.
Malfoy have both arrived.
Would you like to receive them now?”
“The two of them came together?”
Adrian Ambrosius frowned slightly.
“Have Lucius wait in the reception room first.
I’ll meet with Mr.
Augustus before seeing him.”
“Understood.”
Shufus gave a deep bow.
With a snap of his fingers, he disappeared.
Adrian Ambrosius glanced around the rather chaotic laboratory.
His wand swept through the air once more.
Scattered books, bottles, parchment, and equipment floated up as if guided by invisible hands before returning to their proper places.
Within moments, the room was spotless again.
“There.”
“That should do it.”
“Time to meet these two old foxes.”
Satisfied, Adrian Ambrosius nodded and left his laboratory.
Star Castle on Nording Island was enormous.
It alone had three floors, with more rooms than anyone could easily count.
Walking with calm, measured steps, Adrian Ambrosius crossed several corridors before descending the staircase from the second floor.
In the grand hall below, an energetic elderly wizard sat leisurely upon an elegant crimson velvet sofa, savoring a cup of premium black tea.
The moment he saw Adrian Ambrosius, the old man immediately set down his teacup, rose to his feet, and smiled warmly.
“Young Master Adrian Ambrosius, it’s been a long time.”
Adrian Ambrosius lightly shook the old wizard’s outstretched hand, wearing a faint smile.
Every movement, every gesture, was flawless.
It was the noble elegance accumulated by the Ambrosius family over countless generations.
“Mr.
Augustus, it’s good to see you again.”
The man before him was Augustus Bohan.
Director of St.
Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
Recipient of the First Class Order of Merlin.
Member of the Wizengamot.
Already over eighty years old, Augustus enjoyed immense prestige throughout the British magical world.
He was widely recognized as its most reliable and accomplished magical healer.
By age alone, he was old enough to be Adrian Ambrosius’s great-grandfather.
Yet despite his immense reputation, he showed not the slightest trace of arrogance before the eleven-year-old boy.
If anything, he was exceptionally courteous.
Because he knew exactly what kind of prodigy stood before him.
Among Britain’s ancient Sacred Twenty-Eight families, the Ambrosius family stood at the pinnacle.
And this young boy was its sole remaining heir.
He possessed the family’s countless generations of knowledge and wealth.
He possessed flawless appearance.
Extraordinary insight.
Unmatched talent.
Raised entirely by a house-elf on an isolated island, he was the last surviving member of the Ambrosius bloodline.
Countless people had coveted the inheritance and fortune behind him.
Yet every one of those ambitions had crumbled before Adrian Ambrosius Ambrosius’s astonishing genius.
After their handshake, Adrian Ambrosius took his seat at the head of the hall.
Shufus silently placed a fresh cup of tea before him.
“You came all this way without sending me any notice beforehand.”
“I’m afraid I wasn’t able to make proper preparations.”
Augustus waved his hand dismissively.
“You’re too polite, Young Master Adrian Ambrosius.”
“My visit today is mainly to discuss the usage rights for the Azure Sky Potion you developed.”
“I see.”
Adrian Ambrosius nodded.
“If I remember correctly, I already replied to your letter about this two months ago.”
“I did receive your reply.”
Augustus nodded.
“But this time…
I’d like to add two words to our agreement.”
Adrian Ambrosius looked at him with a faint smile.
His clear golden eyes remained calm and unreadable.
“And what two words would those be?”
Augustus slowly answered.
“Exclusive rights.”
Before Adrian Ambrosius could respond, Augustus continued.
“Young Master Adrian Ambrosius, St.
Mungo’s has worked with you for many years now.”
“Our previous collaborations have all been extremely successful.”
“But this time…”
“St.
Mungo’s must secure complete ownership of the Azure Sky Potion’s usage rights.”
“The priority distribution rights you previously proposed…”
“I’m afraid they are no longer sufficient.”
Adrian Ambrosius calmly picked up his teacup and took a sip.
“Mr.
Augustus.”
“You are a wise man worthy of great respect.”
“And I hold you in equally high regard.”
“But I believe you understand exactly what those two words represent.”
Augustus nodded.
“I’ve already discussed this matter with every member of St.
Mungo’s board.”
“The price we’re prepared to pay…”
“Is far greater than you imagine.”
He would never forget the first time Adrian Ambrosius had sent him a sample of the Azure Sky Potion.
Inside that tiny crystal vial rested a brilliant azure liquid.
Its mesmerizing blue glow shimmered like the sky itself, captivating anyone who looked at it.
Even knowing that Adrian Ambrosius had earned a Third Class Order of Merlin at the age of five through his astonishing innovations in potion-making, Augustus still found it difficult to believe what the potion could actually do.
It restored and replenished a wizard’s magical power perfectly.
Its capacity was extraordinary.
It had absolutely no side effects.
A single small vial was enough to completely restore the depleted magical power of a fully grown wizard.
Augustus understood better than anyone what that meant.
Countless magical accidents caused by exhausted magical power could be prevented.
Healing spells that normally demanded immense reserves of magic and prolonged casting could now be sustained with ease.
Even the everyday combat and lives of witches and wizards would be transformed beyond recognition.
Such a potion was the ultimate dream of every magical hospital and every potions manufacturer in the wizarding world.
Yet Adrian Ambrosius insisted on continuing their previous arrangement.
St.
Mungo’s would receive only priority distribution rights.
A treasure of this magnitude could not become St.
Mungo’s exclusive product.
That was something Britain’s leading magical hospital—the foremost institution in the entire field of magical medicine—could never accept.