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The inconsistencies in the formula gnawed at him, and he had no intention of waiting until the holidays to visit Diagon Alley for new ingredients.
"Thank Merlin, it's still open!"
Breathing a sigh of relief, Ian strode straight to the Potions section, only to find that the book he had spotted before was no longer in its usual place.
Had it been moved?
Or borrowed?
"Madam Pince, could you check if 'Modern Applications of Ancient Potions' is still available?"
After searching in vain, Ian approached the library's formidable caretaker for help.
However, before Madam Pince could look up from her copy of Magical Me by Gilderoy Lockhart, a voice spoke from a nearby reading desk.
"Are you looking for this book?"
Ian turned to find a young wizard holding 'Modern Applications of Ancient Potions' in his hands.
"Yes… looks like you got to it first."
Ian sighed inwardly at his slow timing. Before he could even ask, the wizard stood up, closed the book, and walked over to hand it to him.
"I was only reading to pass the time. You seem to need it urgently. And as a professor at Hogwarts, it wouldn't do for me to keep a student from their studies."
Ian blinked in surprise. A professor?
The wizard standing before him had a calm, scholarly air. His brown hair, long and slightly unkempt, was loosely braided on either side, giving him a somewhat eccentric yet composed appearance.
"You're a professor?" Ian asked, adjusting his tone out of respect. The man looked barely in his twenties, far younger than Ian had expected of a Hogwarts professor.
Which subject could he possibly teach? Certainly not one of the core ones.
"If you manage an Outstanding in Charms, Ancient Runes, and Transfiguration on your O.W.L.s, you'll be eligible for my elective course in the sixth year," The wizard said with a small smile, his mustache shifting slightly as he spoke.
His chrome-green eyes were strikingly similar to Ian's own, yet they held a depth of wisdom that hinted at years of experience.
"You're Professor Arthur King!"
Ian's eyes widened in surprise. He had always pictured the Alchemy professor as someone much older, perhaps a wizard not far from Dumbledore's age.
After all, Alchemy was a discipline that required both time and mastery.
"It seems you have a keen interest in Alchemy," Professor Weasley remarked with an amused smile. "Most students don't give much thought to elective courses in their later years, they're usually too busy worrying about whether they'll survive their end-of-year exams."
His tone was light, yet his presence exuded a quiet confidence, far beyond what Ian had expected from someone so young.
"I've been studying Alchemy, Professor. Honestly, I don't think it should be an elective. If young wizards aren't properly encouraged to take an interest in it, how can Alchemy ever thrive?"
Ian was, in truth, arguing for himself, he desperately needed a teacher who could guide him in the subject.
Dumbledore might have been a suitable candidate, but he hadn't appeared on the Marauder's Map in two days. The old wizard didn't seem the least bit concerned about Voldemort taking advantage of the situation, then again, with the current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor being as formidable as they were, perhaps there wasn't much reason to worry.
"Alchemy isn't like Potions or Charms, lad. It has its thresholds," Said Professor Arthur King, his tone light yet deliberate, as if stating a simple truth rather than belittling Ian's ambition. "A wizard without the right foundation will find it more frustrating than even History of Magic."
"I believe I've built up a solid foundation. I could even show you the Housewitch's Handy Box I invented." Ian hesitated for a beat before adding, "Would you allow me to attend one of your classes?"
He spoke with great anticipation, giving his creation a more welcoming name. He certainly didn't want Hogwarts' professors to start eyeing him as the second coming of Tom Riddle.
This school had history with that sort of thing.
"You want to learn Alchemy from me?"
Arthur regarded him thoughtfully before replying in a contemplative tone, "Normally, I don't take on students your age. However, your map-making skills are intriguing. Perhaps you're the kind of young wizard who could make me bend my usual rules."
Ian froze slightly.
"What map…?"
He let out an awkward chuckle, suddenly feeling rather guilty.
Arthur knew.
Ian hadn't expected the professor to be aware of the things he had… circulated. There had to be a mole among Cho Chang's friends, despite his instructions to have her promote those contraband items under the name James Potter.
Arthur, seeming to read his confusion, merely smiled.
"Every piece of Alchemy carries the traces of its creator. Tracking the origin is simple enough. Even Master Nicolas Flamel couldn't erase such things."
He placed a firm yet casual hand on Ian's shoulder, and Ian immediately noticed the bronze ring on the professor's finger.
There was an inscription, one he barely had time to study before Arthur withdrew his hand.
"If you don't mind, I'd be interested in hearing about your progress in Alchemy," Arthur said.
Ian perked up at once. "I've already completed Master Nicolas Flamel's Detailed Explanation of Alchemy and The Wonders of Alchemy."
"In fact, I've moved on to the application of Transfiguration in Alchemy."
Ian never downplayed his achievements, he wasn't the type to feign weakness.
"Hmm?" Arthur looked briefly surprised.
"Only a little behind where I was at your age… truly remarkable." He muttered the words more to himself than to Ian, then quickly refocused.
"But being a genius is merely the first step to entering the field of Alchemy," he said, his smile sharp with quiet amusement. "If you want my recognition, you'll need to be more than that."
Arthur's eyes gleamed. "If you can uncover the secrets of the Room of Requirement by this time next year, my office door will be open to you next term."
This was yet another unexpected statement for Ian.
The Room of Requirement was not a secret known to every Hogwarts student.
And yet… asking a first-year to grasp the principles behind it? That was like expecting a young witch who'd just mastered Lumos to start making a Corporal Patronus!
"I feel like you're deliberately making this difficult for me..." Ian muttered. This young Alchemy professor wasn't as easygoing as he appeared.
The usual tricks he used to handle other professors might not work here.
"You'll manage, kid. If you can't reach heights others consider impossible, why should I waste my time on you?" Arthur King chuckled as he made his way toward the library door. "My duty is to teach students of the appropriate age at Hogwarts, and that's exactly what I'm paid to do."
"If you want me to make an exception for you, you'll need to become more than just my student, you must become my apprentice. It's nothing personal; I simply have high standards."
"For many years, that's how it has been. If you can prove yourself worthy of walking among the stars, then believe me, I can teach you far more than just Alchemy."
His dark green robes billowed as he disappeared around the doorway.
…
Encountering a young professor even more pretentious than Grindelwald left Ian feeling deeply frustrated. Fortunately, he did find a suitable substitute for fairy grass in 'Modern Applications of Ancient Potions'.
It seemed modern wizards weren't lacking in ingenuity. They had discovered a way to use two common herbs to replicate fairy grass's properties. In Ian's view, that was nothing short of remarkable innovation.
"I'd like to crown this Potions Master the King of Love Potions!" Ian muttered, double-checking the Marauder's Map to confirm that Snape was still in the Great Hall before making his way to the Potions Master's office.
That place was practically the potion-maker's equivalent of a bottomless pouch,as long as the ingredient wasn't extinct or prohibitively rare, Snape's stores would have it.
"Let's see… this, this, and that... Still, this might not be enough."
Ian restocked what he had already used, not wanting to make another trip so soon.
A large bag stuffed to the brim with potion ingredients.
Just as Ian was about to take his supplies back to the Room of Requirement to spend the night studying Professor Morgan's recipe, he turned the doorknob, only to feel another force turning it from the outside.
"Hiss,!"
There was no time to hide. The door swung open, and Ian found himself face-to-face with Professor Snape.
And judging by the unimpressed look on his face, Snape was not surprised to find him there.
"You're back already?" Ian tried, shifting the bag behind him, only for Snape to seize it in one swift motion.
The Potions Master's expression was thunderous.
"Obviously. To catch you."
Ian had clearly walked straight into a trap.
"I noticed someone pilfering my ingredients this afternoon. And now, here you are." Snape's scowl deepened, his dark eyes glinting with fury.
"Uncle, I did, I paid for them!" Ian quickly pointed toward the ingredients cabinet, where a handful of gold Galleons lay in plain sight.
It was the market price for the ingredients.
Fair and square.
But Snape's face only darkened further.
"And why do you think I knew it was you?" He hissed, shaking with anger as he yanked the Galleons from the cabinet. "No thieving brat who snatches my ingredients would be idiotic enough to leave these behind! Prince! Should I commend you for your thoughtfulness?"
Merlin's beard.
Ian was at a loss for words.
"Those are Galleons, not 'damn things'..." He muttered, his only retort.
"I was willing to ignore your mischievous behavior!" Snape's glare was sharp enough to pierce through the cauldron iron.
"But tell me, why did I catch the unmistakable scent of a Love Potion in the corridor?!"
He yanked open Ian's bag, scanning the absurd amount of ingredients stuffed inside.
One glance.
Then another.
Then, Snape nearly dropped the bag.
"Merlin's bloody beard! How many batches did you brew?!"
His horrified voice rang through the entire dungeon.
(End of Chapter)