When it came to connections within Hogwarts, very few students could rival the Weasley twins.
The two types of blood Mord needed weren’t particularly rare, and he was confident that Fred and George could obtain them.
“George and Fred?” Ron shrugged.
“If you want to get to know them, just buy one of their inventions.”
He waved toward his older brothers.
George walked over with a grin, casually throwing an arm around Mord’s shoulder.
“Hello, Mord! Nice to meet you. Are you here to support our business?”
Fred laughed.
“Let me guess—you want to skip class? Our Skiving Snackboxes are still being developed. If you’d like to be a tester, we’ll happily give you a free box.”
He paused dramatically.
“You might suffer nonstop nosebleeds, though.”
Mord twitched at the corner of his mouth.
“I think I’ll pass.”
“Besides, if you need test subjects, I can lend you my White Jade Frog.”
“What I actually need is a favor.”
“I’m looking for one ounce of Fire Salamander blood and one ounce of blood from a dark-attribute magical creature.”
The twins exchanged glances.
Fred raised an eyebrow.
“Making a potion?”
“That’s right.”
“I’ll pay twenty Galleons.”
Both brothers’ eyes lit up immediately.
Twenty Galleons was far above the usual price.
They already had ways to obtain those ingredients cheaply, meaning they could make a considerable profit.
George confidently patted his chest.
“Dark creature blood might be difficult.”
“But blood from a magical creature with a dark attribute?”
“No problem.”
“Give us a little time, and we’ll get it.”
Mord nodded with satisfaction.
Although the twins loved jokes and mischief, they were surprisingly reliable when it came to business.
He even added a few extra Galleons as a tip.
Partly because he wanted to build a good relationship with them.
And partly because generous payment usually encouraged faster results.
With that problem solved, Mord felt much more relaxed.
After chatting with the twins for a while longer, he prepared to leave.
“Mord…”
Hermione suddenly called after him.
She looked as though she wanted to say something but couldn’t quite bring herself to speak.
“What is it?”
“It’s… nothing.”
What Hermione had actually wanted to ask was whether he would like to visit the library with her again tomorrow morning.
But with so many people watching, she felt too embarrassed.
Mord shrugged and began walking away.
Then he suddenly remembered something.
Without making a sound, he turned back and mouthed two words.
“Tomorrow.”
“Library.”
Hermione blinked before breaking into a bright smile.
She nodded enthusiastically.
Returning to the Ravenclaw table, Mord gently nudged Terry Boot aside.
“Make some room.”
Terry immediately protested.
“Mord!”
“You promised to teach me Lumos.”
“I haven’t forgotten.”
Mord laughed helplessly.
“When we get back to the common room, come to my dormitory.”
“I’ll help you then.”
Satisfied, Terry finally stopped complaining.
Across the table, Cho Chang was quietly enjoying her dessert.
She looked up with a smile.
“You seem to spend a lot of time with Gryffindor.”
Mord shrugged.
“I have a few friends there.”
“Harry, Ron, Hermione…”
Cho smiled knowingly. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“Hermione’s a close friend too, isn’t she?”
Mord rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“She’s my study partner.”
“We meet in the library.”
He smiled.
“If you’re interested, you could join us.”
Cho hesitated briefly before shaking her head.
“I have something else to do every morning.”
Mord wasn’t surprised.
After all, she had already been awake unusually early that morning.
Looking at Cho’s familiar East Asian features, another thought suddenly crossed his mind.
“Cho…”
“Do you happen to know any Chinese herbalists?”
She looked surprised.
“My father has a friend who’s one.”
“Why?”
Mord smiled.
“I’m looking for a few stalks of Chinese Heartbreak Grass.”
Cho nearly dropped her spoon.
“Chinese Heartbreak Grass?”
“That’s an extremely poisonous plant.”
“I know.”
“I have an old potion recipe at home that I’d like to experiment with.”
Cho instinctively wanted to discourage him.
But based on everything she had learned about Mord, he didn’t seem reckless enough to misuse dangerous ingredients.
After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded.
“I’ll write a letter and ask.”
“They should be able to find some.”
“Thank you.”
Mord smiled happily.
Another problem solved.
Just as he had always believed—
Galleons could solve almost anything.
While Mord and Cho chatted happily, two other students watched from a distance with very different expressions.
Michael Corner looked thoroughly annoyed.
At the Slytherin table, Pansy Parkinson looked even less pleased.
She repeatedly stabbed her steak with unnecessary force.
That Cho Chang…
She’s only a half-blood.
How dare she monopolize Mord’s attention?
If Mord hadn’t deliberately chosen Ravenclaw to conceal his true ambitions, Pansy would have been able to see him every day in Slytherin.
Fortunately…
The following day’s schedule included a class shared by Ravenclaw and Slytherin.
That thought immediately improved her mood.
Later that night, after finally sending Terry back to his own dormitory, Mord stretched comfortably across his bed.
Then he remembered something.
He still hadn’t opened the Blind Box he had received earlier.
“System.”
“Open the Blind Box.”
The familiar notification appeared.
[Ding!]
You have obtained: Advanced Introductory Card.
Mord immediately sat upright.
“Advanced Introductory Card?”
He quickly opened the description.
Advanced Introductory Card
Allows the user to instantly master one Advanced-level spell.
Simple.
Direct.
Powerful.
According to the system, magic was divided into three categories:
Ordinary
Advanced
Top-Tier
Most everyday spells belonged to the Ordinary category.
Advanced magic was generally accessible only to sixth- and seventh-year students.
Top-Tier magic represented the pinnacle of magical achievement.
The system immediately interrupted his fantasy.
[Reminder:]
Casting powerful magic also requires sufficient magical power.
Please choose your spell carefully to avoid wasting this reward.
Mord paused.
Right.
Although he could learn an Advanced spell instantly, his magical reserves were still those of a first-year wizard.
Magic wasn’t like a video game’s mana bar.
But it certainly had limits.
He remembered Moody once explaining that an inexperienced student’s Killing Curse might do little more than give an adult wizard a nosebleed.
Without sufficient magical power, even the greatest spell would be ineffective.
This made his decision much more difficult.
After thinking for a long time, Mord absentmindedly glanced at his timetable.
His eyes landed on one subject.
Transfiguration.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
“I’ve got it.”
Perhaps because of Mord’s arrival, the class schedules differed slightly from those in the original story.
For example, that morning’s Potions lesson was shared by Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.
Hermione looked delighted.
After finishing another early-morning study session in the library, she and Mord headed together toward the Potions classroom.
Located beneath the main castle, the dungeon classroom was dimly lit and noticeably colder than the rest of Hogwarts.
Shelves lined the stone walls, filled with preserved animal specimens and rows of mysterious jars.
A chilly draft swept through the room.
Hermione instinctively rubbed her arms.
Mord smiled.
This classroom suits Professor Snape perfectly.
The moment everyone had taken their seats—
Bang!
The classroom door flew open.
Professor Snape strode inside.
His long black robes billowed behind him like enormous bat wings.
Without another word, he began speaking.
“You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making.”
His deep, measured voice echoed through the dungeon.
“I do not expect many of you to appreciate the delicate beauty of a simmering cauldron…”
“Nor the extraordinary power hidden within a perfectly brewed potion.”
“I can teach you how to bottle fame…”
“Brew glory…”
“And even stop death itself…”
“If…”
“You are not the collection of dunderheads I usually have to teach.”
Mord listened with amusement.
Here came the famous speech.
Right on cue, Snape’s attention shifted toward Harry Potter.
One difficult question followed another.
Naturally, Harry couldn’t answer any of them.
Hermione’s hand shot into the air repeatedly.
Mord quietly reached over and gently lowered her elbow.
She looked at him in confusion.
“What’s wrong?”
Leaning closer, Mord lowered his voice.
“Professor Snape isn’t like the other teachers.”
“Outside of Slytherin, he’s strict with almost everyone.”
“And he has an especially obvious bias against Gryffindor.”
“If you keep interrupting like this, you’ll only draw his attention.”
Hermione looked doubtful.
She had always been praised by her teachers before coming to Hogwarts.
Surely answering questions couldn’t be a bad thing.
Moments later…
Snape began mercilessly criticizing Harry for failing to answer.
Only after thoroughly embarrassing him did he calmly explain the correct answers to the class.
Finally, he looked directly at Harry.
“Because Mr. Potter chose to argue with his professor…”
“Gryffindor loses five points.”