Diagon Alley.
The Leaky Cauldron.
After breakfast, Wade changed into his wizarding robes, slipped the silver-gray wand made of grapevine wood and phoenix feather into his sleeve, and left his room.
His plan for the day was simple.
Shopping.
First, he would gather the ingredients needed to brew the Clown potion.
If the price was reasonable, he would buy them.
If not, he would sacrifice money to the Blasphemy Card and exchange it for the required materials.
Second, he intended to come into contact with as many magical ingredients as possible in search of substitutes for the higher Sequence potion ingredients.
Since it was still early in the morning, the Leaky Cauldron wasn’t particularly busy.
Tom, who was polishing glasses behind the bar, greeted him.
“Sleep well?” “Quite well.” “Though, to be honest, the food here isn’t really to my taste.” “This is a pub, not a restaurant.” Tom shrugged.
“If you’re looking for a proper meal, try the café, the ice cream shop, or the fried food stall.” “Those are fairly popular.” “Or you can try one of the other restaurants.” “I think I’ll pass.” “Could I borrow your kitchen instead?” “You can.” “But I’ll have to charge you for the ingredients.” Wade nodded and tossed a prepared pouch onto the bar.
The crisp clinking of coins echoed clearly through the room.
Tom opened it.
Golden light reflected in his eyes.
“This…” “…is too much.” “Fifty Galleons.” Wade smiled.
“I plan to stay here until school starts.” “That should cover my room and the use of the kitchen.” Tom hesitated before taking out a ledger.
“Very well.” “I’ll keep track of everything.” “If there’s any left over, I’ll return it.
If it isn’t enough, you’ll pay the difference.” “Sounds good.” Leaving the pub, Wade stepped onto the streets of Diagon Alley.
After taking a deep breath of the cool morning air, he headed straight toward the apothecary.
The shop reeked of rotting organic matter.
Even so, nowhere else in Diagon Alley was more likely to have the ingredients he needed.
Suppressing his discomfort, Wade examined every slimy barrel lining the floor, touching each item one by one.
Bat spleens.
Caterpillar mucus.
Snail slime.
…
None of them attracted the Blasphemy Card’s attention.
A hint of disappointment crept into his heart.
The shop assistant behind the counter had been quietly watching him.
Every year, curious young witches and wizards came to browse the ingredients.
But someone who inspected every single item so meticulously…
That was a first.
“Can I help you find something?” Wade paused before awkwardly pulling a piece of parchment from his pocket.
“This is what I’m looking for.” The assistant carefully read the list, one eyebrow rising slightly.
Human Face Rose.
Pure water.
Mandrake juice.
Black-Edged Sunflower powder.
Golden Cloak Grass powder.
Poison Hemlock extract.
“Is there a problem?” “We have everything except the Human Face Rose.” Five out of six.
That’s already pretty lucky.
Wade nodded inwardly before asking, “Where can I find a Human Face Rose?” “I don’t know.” “You could try your luck in Knockturn Alley.” “But I wouldn’t recommend it.” “It’s crawling with Dark Wizards.” “You might not come back alive.” Wade forced a smile.
Sometimes…
The truth really hurt.
Knockturn Alley was simply too dangerous.
Not until he reached Sequence 7— No…
Probably Sequence 6— would he even consider setting foot there.
“How much does a Human Face Rose usually cost?” “Around three Galleons.” “It’s magically cultivated.” “Aside from looking frightening, it’s only slightly more useful medicinally than an ordinary wild rose.” “Though it does keep for a very long time.” The moment Wade heard the price, he abandoned the idea entirely.
Saving a few Galleons wasn’t worth risking his life in Knockturn Alley.
He might as well exchange for the main ingredient through the Blasphemy Card.
Overall, he’d still save four Galleons that way.
“I’ll take the other five ingredients.” “One hundred milliliters of pure water.” “And one small bottle each of the liquids and powders.” “Certainly.” The assistant returned with the requested items, packing the five bottles together.
“Twenty Sickles.” Wade paid with two Galleons.
The assistant handed back fourteen Sickles in change.
Rather than leaving immediately, Wade turned his attention to the countless jars lining the walls.
Dried herbs.
Roots.
Brilliantly colored powders.
Bundles of feathers hanging from the ceiling.
Strings of sharp fangs.
Hairy monster claws.
Perhaps one of them could substitute for a future potion ingredient.
More than an hour passed.
His eyes grew tired.
Still…
Nothing.
Refusing to give up, Wade shifted his attention to the neatly bottled ingredients displayed behind the counter.
Nettle Oil.
Dragon Blood.
Horlacump Juice.
Wormwood Infusion.
…
The instant his hand touched a deep-blue glass bottle, the Blasphemy Card finally reacted.
It could serve as a substitute for one of the Sequence 7 supplementary ingredients.
Water from the River Lethe.
Wade glanced at the label.
The name alone sounded extraordinary.
Anything called the River Lethe had to be special.
“How much is this?” “Four Galleons.” “It’s used to brew Forgetfulness Potion.” A Sequence 7 supplementary ingredient cost ten Galleons through the Blasphemy Card.
Buying it here would save him six.
After a moment’s thought, Wade paid four Galleons and purchased the bottle of River Lethe Water.
Leaving the apothecary, he returned directly to the Leaky Cauldron and headed upstairs to his room.
After locking the door, he spread every ingredient across the floor.
Then he connected with the Blasphemy Card in his mind and sacrificed twenty Galleons in exchange for the two main ingredients required for the Sequence 8 potion.
A Hornacis Gray Mountain Goat Horn Crystal.
About the size of a human palm.
Completely transparent, with flowing brilliance and mysterious layered patterns deep within.
A Human Face Rose.
Its petals were blue, traced with crimson veins that intertwined to form the outline of a grinning human face.
Hahaha…
Sob…
Illusory laughter and crying echoed together as tiny gray motes drifted through the air.
Taking a deep breath, Wade brought out the cauldron he had purchased the previous day.
It was time to brew the potion.
First came eighty milliliters of pure water.
Then, in precise order, he added the measured quantities of Mandrake juice, Black-Edged Sunflower powder, Golden Cloak Grass powder, and Poison Hemlock extract.
Every step was executed with painstaking care.
He dared not make even the slightest mistake.
The liquid inside the cauldron showed almost no visible change.
Only a few grains of powder floated on the surface.
After waiting for a moment, Wade gently flicked his wand.
The Human Face Rose floated above the cauldron before slowly descending.
Sizzle…
As the flower melted into the potion, it released a sharp sizzling sound.
The phantom laughter grew noticeably louder.
Wade swallowed nervously.
With another wave of his wand, he lowered the Hornacis Gray Mountain Goat Horn Crystal into the mixture.
Instantly…
The laughter vanished.
The drifting gray lights rushed into the cauldron.
The potion transformed into a perfectly clear liquid that shimmered with alternating hues of gold, crimson, and amber.
Tiny bubbles continuously rose through it like sparkling soda.
Wade carefully poured the entire potion into a glass.
Then he took out the silver chain, gripped it tightly in his left hand, and used the crystal pendulum to divine whether the potion had been brewed successfully.
When the transparent crystal swung decisively in confirmation, Wade finally let out a long breath of relief.
Without another moment’s hesitation…
He lifted the glass— And drank every last drop.
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