However, Aine’s first attempt at brewing a potion failed.
He had followed the uncrossed-out instructions.
He opened a book titled Experimental Records of Reactions During Potion Preparation: Experiment One, which recorded why the potion turned purple in the fourth step.
“The potion in the fourth step of the Strengthening Potion turns purple because, during the heating process, the liver of the fire-breathing duck and the focus flowers initially dissolve and fuse with the licorice water, causing the trace magic within the fire-breathing duck liver and focus flowers to mix and become visible.
At this point…”
Aine didn’t just need to learn how to brew potions.
He also had to understand the principles behind them.
Only then could he become a Potions Master capable of developing new potion recipes.
But this was a very long process that required an enormous amount of money.
Potions were not spells.
Every magical ingredient added to a potion represented a variable that could affect its quality and effects.
For spells, as long as he knew the incantation, Aine could study it for a while and cast it.
As long as he continued studying Ancient Runes, he could even invent new spells.
Spell invention followed certain rules through the study of magical runes.
Potions were different.
Every brewing process was filled with variables.
During these three months, aside from organizing the small library, Aine trained with Goodrian every morning.
Every member of the Ambrosius family had spent their childhood this way.
The family had a saying: “A qualified member of the Ambrosius family must possess a strong body.
Strength is honor, strength is etiquette, and strength is the guarantee of continuity.”
This saying had run throughout more than two thousand years of Ambrosius family history.
Every generation of Ambrosius family members had produced either outstanding wizards or exceptional warriors.
Even during the period when the Church persecuted wizards, there were still members of the Ambrosius family who passed the knight selection through their powerful physiques and became members of the Order of Holy Knights, providing a guarantee of safety for their family.
Their training included horseback riding, mounted archery, swordsmanship, long-distance running, reading, and painting.
The only thing missing was aristocratic etiquette.
The Ambrosius family was known among the twenty-four pure-blood families of the magical world as nobles without noble etiquette.
Every generation of Ambrosius family members earned their honor through overwhelming strength.
Throughout the history of the European magical world, many outstanding Potions Masters, alchemists, and duelists from the Ambrosius family had left their mark.
His opponent was a stone golem that Goodrian had created through Transfiguration.
It took Aine an entire hour to hack the magical construct to the ground.
The swordsmanship Aine learned was the greatsword technique of the Church’s Order of Holy Knights.
It emphasized overwhelming one’s opponent through sheer momentum, with a focus on chopping, cleaving, and sweeping strikes.
Aine took the towel Goodrian tossed to him and wiped his sweat-soaked face.
Even in his previous life, physical training for a mage was nothing unfamiliar.
Only a powerful body could support the casting of powerful magic.
After all, if your body was too weak, even if someone gave you a forbidden spell, you wouldn’t be able to cast it.
The moment you did, your body would simply explode.
What kind of mage would that make you?
A fulfilling and healthy lifestyle carried Aine through six months.
Then his father, Paland, sent him a message through Fister, the house-elf.
His little sister was about to be born.
As the only brother who was available, he had to be there.
Aine thought that aside from his sister’s birth, his journey to Hogwarts was probably about to begin as well.
After all, he would be celebrating his birthday in another two months.
He had been born on April 1, 1978, but was three hours younger than the Weasley twins.
Nine months had passed since their last trip to Romania, and Lydia was now only one week away from her due date.
His father, Paland, had called him over not only because he needed to be present as her brother when his little sister was born, but probably also to discuss his upcoming trip to Hogwarts.
In particular, he needed to obtain his own wand from Diagon Alley ahead of time.
Otherwise, if they waited until his Hogwarts letter arrived before going, Diagon Alley would probably be packed with people.
After finishing his morning training, Aine rode his horse to the castle outside the forest.
He saw Lydia, her belly already large, leisurely basking in the sunlight, while Paland stood nearby exercising.
Hearing the sound of hoofbeats, Lydia saw the son who had been gone for nearly ten months.
She glanced at him once before continuing to lie there and enjoy the sunlight.
Paland, who had finished exercising, waved at Aine, signaling for him to dismount and follow.
Aine followed Paland into the study.
There was only a fireplace.
Paland took out his wand and pointed it at the family crest on the wall.
The wall bearing the family crest split open, and the father and son walked into a secret chamber.
After the wall closed again, Paland spoke.
“In a few months, you’ll be going to Hogwarts.
Although our family has all the books that are stored there, your main purpose in going there is to consult the professors.
Knowledge from books is dead.
You need to learn how magic is currently understood and practiced in magical society.
Don’t cling to the knowledge preserved in our ancestral home and live off it.
You need to learn how to innovate.”
Aine nodded to show that he understood.
“So you’re not taking me to Diagon Alley to buy my school supplies?”
Paland replied, “That’s right.
I’ve already opened a Gringotts account for you.
When the time comes, Charlie will take you, Percy, Fred, and George to purchase your Hogwarts supplies.
Remember to buy a wand for Charlie, Fred, and George.
They can use second-hand items for everything else, but not their wands.
Especially Charlie, since he’s about to graduate.”
“I understand, Dad.”
“Now I’ll give you the key to your Gringotts vault.
But you have to promise me that you won’t casually buy all sorts of useless things.”
“You know perfectly well that apart from magical ingredients and books, I’m not very interested in anything else.”
Paland took a brass key from a hidden compartment.
Aine sensed a magical frequency on the key that was different from wizard magic.
It was similar to the magical frequency of house-elves, yet also somewhat different.
It seemed to be the magical frequency of goblins.
After receiving the key, Aine planned to stay at the Weasley family’s home for a while after his little sister was born.
He could also take the opportunity to test the potion theories he had developed over the past ten months with the twins.