"This... you really improved this yourself?" Professor Slughorn asked in astonishment.
"Yes," Wade nodded.
Wade believed this formula likely hadn't been invented yet and would only appear in the future. Otherwise, Professor Slughorn would have mentioned it earlier.
After all, the Complete Collection of Elementary Potion Formulas included even potion recipes that would only appear in the future.
Those 5,000 merit points were definitely well spent.
Of course, even if this formula already existed now, Wade wasn't worried.
If he happened to "improve" a formula and it ended up being identical to an already existing secret recipe, that only further proved his talent, didn't it?
After all, in Professor Slughorn's eyes, Wade had no means or opportunity to plagiarize anyone. He'd been at school the whole time—how could he have gotten his hands on a potion shop's core trade secrets?
At this moment, Professor Slughorn's face was filled with astonishment. "You've only just started studying potions... and you're already able to improve a formula?"
No wonder Professor Slughorn was so shocked. To improve a potion formula, one not only needed an extremely deep understanding of basic potion theory but also a thorough grasp of the properties of potion ingredients, like those studied in Herbology.
And yet Wade already had this level of comprehension?
Wade said, "My memory is pretty good. I can basically remember everything I've read…"
Tom let out a sigh and said, "That part I can confirm... This guy used to read books at Flourish and Blotts without buying them. I even asked him about it. Then after we got back, he just used a quick-quotes quill to write out every book from memory…"
Even now, Tom still felt a sting thinking about the Galleons he'd spent on books.
Everyone present turned to look at Wade with shock on their faces.
Was this guy even human? No wonder he was so strong…
"Well then, that explains it… That really explains it…"
There were so many things about Wade that could shock a person that Professor Slughorn had grown somewhat numb by this point.
With a memory like that, and Wade's natural intuition for potions, it really wasn't surprising that he could improve a potion formula.
"So, you're saying Wade's improved formula really works?" Anne asked, her face full of anticipation.
"In my opinion, it's absolutely viable!" Professor Slughorn said with delight. "Of course, to confirm the effectiveness, we still need to actually brew it according to the formula. But if it really works, Wade's version can save at least 2 Galleons in cost while maintaining the same effect! And don't underestimate those 2 Galleons!"
Wade smiled happily. "If this potion proves effective, then our club's funding…"
"There will be no problem at all! In fact, Wade… you might be getting rich very soon!" Professor Slughorn said with a grin.
"It's not that exaggerated… I just wanted to earn a little for the club," Wade said modestly.
"Don't underestimate the spending power of witches, Wade. Based on this formula, your product could be priced at least 2 Galleons cheaper than similar potions on the market!"
"But… what if no one dares to buy it because it's priced too low?" Wade asked cautiously.
"Haha, don't worry, I've got that covered!" Professor Slughorn said proudly. "As long as your formula is truly effective, then with my endorsement, people will naturally trust in its quality!"
Of course he was proud—at times like these, the connections and good reputation he had built up over the years really came in handy!
Naturally, this was exactly why Wade had handed the formula over to Professor Slughorn in the first place. With his support, Wade's new potion wouldn't need much time to break into the market.
"This... hasn't been tested yet, what if the results aren't that great..." Wade said modestly.
"I trust my judgment, Wade! Otherwise, why don't I go ahead and brew a batch right now? Anyway, this kind of potion doesn't take too long to make!" Professor Slughorn said with great enthusiasm.
"Oh, and don't bother leaving for lunch—you can all eat here. You don't have any classes on Monday afternoon, do you?"
Charlie stood up and said, "Then I'll go bring everyone lunch."
"Ah, good lad, but there's no need. Just give the order to the castle's house-elves," Professor Slughorn said with a smile. "Hmm... is there a house-elf around?"
Pop!
As he spoke, a house-elf suddenly appeared in front of them.
The elf looked visibly flustered at the sight of so many people in the office, clearly overwhelmed.
"Please bring some lunch to my office. They'll be dining here," Professor Slughorn said.
"Y-Yes..." the elf replied in a trembling voice, and with a pop, it vanished.
Charlie had a feeling that if the elf had stayed a moment longer, it might've fainted from fright.
"Don't mind it. They don't like being seen by people. For house-elves, doing their work without being noticed by wizards is ideal," Slughorn explained.
Professor Slughorn, having said his piece, turned around and began preparing the cauldron and ingredients.
Wade didn't stand idly by either—he stepped forward to help the professor process the materials.
As for the others… unfamiliar with the recipe, they couldn't be of much help, so they simply began eating instead.
It just so happened that several plates of food had appeared on Professor Slughorn's desk at that moment.
One had to admit, house-elves really were efficient workers.
This kind of cosmetic potion wasn't particularly complex, so by the time they were all full, Professor Slughorn and Wade had already finished brewing it.
"All right, let me try it," Professor Slughorn said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
"Professor, let me do it instead," Wade quickly said.
There was some risk involved in testing potions, and Wade naturally couldn't just let his professor volunteer for something potentially harmful, right?
"Professor! Let me!" Grace ran over and took the bottle of milky-white potion straight from Slughorn's hand. "This kind of potion is best tested by a girl anyway!"
"Er…"
Grace's enthusiasm caught both Wade and Professor Slughorn off guard.
"Topical or oral?" Grace stared at Wade as she asked.
"Uh… it's an ointment, just apply it externally," Wade replied, casting a cooling charm on the bottle of potion.
Grace tested the temperature with her fingers, then dipped a bit of the salve and evenly spread it across her face.
Seeing Grace's eagerness, Tom couldn't help but scoff. "Tch, women…"
"And what's wrong with that? Caring about beauty is a girl's nature!" Anne shot him a glare.
Tom looked like he wanted to argue, but before he could speak, Wade cut in.
"Tom… be polite to our future customers."
And rightly so—if this potion worked, then every witch interested in cosmetics would be their bread and butter.
"Fine…" Tom raised his hands in surrender.
"It works!" Grace suddenly exclaimed in delight. "My annoying freckles are gone!"
Everyone turned to look at Grace.
She was holding a small mirror, full of delight.
Sure enough, the freckles that had been on her face had completely disappeared.
Compared to just moments ago, Grace now looked like she'd been airbrushed.
"Let me see…" Professor Slughorn leaned over and gently touched Grace's face, checking for any side effects.
"Hmm… the effect is surprisingly good, Wade!" Slughorn said excitedly. "Even better than the ones on the market! That gives me even more confidence!"
With the club's funding now secured, everyone was in high spirits.
But Wade was even happier—how much could the club's budget really cost, after all?
Whatever was left over would go straight into his own pocket!
That meant he could now afford to rebuild a lab in the Somnolen family's wizard tower.
If he wanted to uncover how to break through the limits of a wizard, it would require massive funding for experiments.
"I want to try too!" Anne couldn't hold back any longer and walked over eagerly.
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