Chapter 164: Hermione’s Sudden Appearance
The more advanced the potion, the more it depended on talent.
Snape hadn’t been wrong—Potions didn’t require wizards to foolishly wave their wands around. But mediocrities, the “fools and idiots” in his words, could never truly grasp its beauty.
The weather was still bitterly cold, yet Jon Hart’s back was already soaked with sweat. His hands, however, never once trembled.
Each time Jobberknoll feather sediment appeared, he would calculate the amount within seconds, then carefully add an equal measure of alabaster powder.
Not a single mistake.
Two hours later, a thick white smoke billowed from the cauldron.
Jon quickly covered his nose and stepped back, though his eyes never left the bubbling brew.
As the potion inside boiled furiously, the white smoke gradually dispersed. Jon snatched the cauldron from the furnace, pried open the lid—
Inside remained just enough liquid to fill two small crystal vials. Completely transparent, looking no different from pure water.
Yes. This—without a doubt—was Veritaserum.
A smile tugged at Jon’s lips as he let out a long breath of relief.
He had done it.
For the first time, he had successfully brewed a genuine high-grade potion.
Over the past eight months, he had lost count of how many times he’d failed, each failure wasting half a month. But now he could be sure—all of it had been worth it.
Carefully, Jon poured the Veritaserum into two crystal vials, sealing their mouths with tin foil.
One he stored in the Room of Requirement with his other bottles and jars; the other, he tucked securely into his bag.
...
By the time Jon left the Room of Requirement, dusk was already falling.
He planned to return to the Hufflepuff common room early and get some rest—after all, the Second Task would begin tomorrow morning at nine.
But as he neared the corridor by the kitchens, he spotted an unexpected figure pacing back and forth.
Hermione Granger.
What was she doing here? Jon’s curiosity sparked.
Was she planning to sneak into the kitchens to rally the house-elves into a revolt?
While he was still entertaining wild guesses, Hermione noticed him. She hurried over at once, waving in greeting.
Had she come specifically to find him?
Jon’s curiosity deepened further.
“Jon... how have you been lately?” Hermione asked, her words stumbling.
“Fine,” Jon replied, keeping his expression neutral and masking his curiosity.
“Um... I was thinking about when you faced the fire dragon in the First Task...” Hermione’s words tumbled awkwardly. “I wasn’t there at the time—no, I mean I studied it afterward... Using Devil’s Snare and Ghost Vine, that was genius...”
“Thanks.” Jon nodded. “Was there something you needed?”
Hermione’s face twisted with conflict, but in the end, she shook her head.
“Nothing... I just wanted to say hello... Sorry to bother you... Goodbye...”
With that, she turned and started back down the corridor.
“Wait!” Jon called suddenly, a thought striking him. “Hermione—you weren’t here to ask me how to get through the Second Task, were you?”
Hermione Granger froze. Slowly, she turned back, guilt plain on her face.
“I’m so sorry... I did think about it... but that would be terribly rude...” Hermione admitted with a pained smile. “I just couldn’t think of another way... I’m sorry, it was out of line... Just pretend I was never here... pretend this never happened...”
Her words spilled out awkwardly, one after another.
Jon’s eyes narrowed slightly—too subtle for Hermione to notice
“Wait here for me,” he said calmly.
Hermione blinked in surprise. “No... that’s not necessary...”
But before she could protest further, Jon had already slipped into the barrel.
...
Hermione froze in place, unsure of what to do.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed behind her, making her jump.
“Granger, what are you doing here?” a stern voice demanded.
“I... I was...” Hermione glanced nervously at her Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Alastor Moody, her words faltering.
Her heart raced—terrified he might discover what she was up to.
“Professor McGonagall wants you in her office. Now,” Mad-Eye Moody said curtly.
“Yes, Professor Moody,” Hermione whispered, summoning her courage.
Moody gave a brief nod before limping away.
Hermione cast one last glance at the barrel, then at Moody’s retreating back.
She was just about to grit her teeth and leave when—
The barrel lid pushed open again.
Jon Hart emerged, this time holding something in his hand.
Here—take this.” He tossed her a small pouch. Hermione caught it automatically, blinking.
“What is this?” she asked stiffly.
“Gillyweed,” Jon explained evenly. “Eat a handful, and you’ll grow gills and webbed fingers and toes, letting you breathe and swim underwater for over an hour.”
Hermione shook her head quickly, trying to return the bag.
“It’s fine.” Jon shook his head. “But I’m curious—are you planning to help Harry Potter, or Viktor Krum?”
At Harry’s name, Hermione clenched her jaw, then made her choice.
“Harry. He’s my best friend. Viktor was just a dance partner I happened to meet,” she said softly, her voice trembling again. “Jon, I don’t know how to thank you...”
“It’s nothing.” Jon shrugged. “Harry helped me in the First Task too.”
And with that, he slipped back into the barrel.
...
When Jon caught sight of Mad-Eye Moody—Barty Crouch Jr.—reflected in the window, the idea had struck him.
Tomorrow’s events would already diverge slightly from the original timeline.
Dobby the house-elf was likely still enslaved at Malfoy Manor, which meant he couldn’t show up now to deliver Gillyweed to Harry.
At the same time, Moody would never let Harry enter the Second Task unprepared. He wanted Harry to succeed.
Rather than risk Moody cooking up some other scheme...
It was better to take the initiative himself.
The fake Moody hadn’t gone far, and his magical eye had surely seen everything just now.
At least this way, Jon’s plan for tomorrow wouldn’t be thrown too far off course.
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