Azkaban: The Fifth House of Hogwarts

What could be more satisfying to a Potions Master than a vat of fresh Acromantula venom preserved in an ice bucket?

Maybe a second barrel?

As gregarious hunters, Acromantulas are self-evidently dangerous. To some extent, they are even more terrifying threats than fire dragons.

The huge number of people, the extremely confusing and camouflaging magic spider web, and the powerful poison that can dissolve and paralyze prey. The power exerted by these three abilities after the fusion is amazing.

Even if the Whiteboard King Fire Dragon accidentally landed in the Acromantula's lair, if it hadn't immediately breathed out flames to burn the spider webs that bound its body and quickly escaped...

Then the overwhelming spider silk that will appear in a moment will stick to its muzzle and bind its wings tightly. Then thousands of Acromantulas will pierce the gaps in the dragon's scales with their big claws, and pour out countless venom. Injected, the fire dragon will also become the meal of the Acromantula.

Because of the high danger of such swarms, the materials obtained from Acromantulas are quite expensive, the most expensive of which is fresh venom.

Each pint (568 ml) of venom is worth one hundred gold galleons, and the two buckets of venom that Rollo handed to Snape can probably fill four to five hundred mineral water bottles.

And this is just the autumn breeze that Luo Luo hit along the way. If they were harvested regularly, the remaining two to three thousand Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest could provide three times the amount of venom every week.

Without doing anything, just by squeezing those Acromantulas, Luo Luo could earn 60 gold galleons in a month, which is 720 million a year. The 3000 million invested in building a dragon training farm has not even waited for him to graduate. It's all been taken back.

Because the venom of Acromantulas has a unique and important effect in preparing hair growth potions, they are almost in short supply on the market. It is not just wizards in England who are suffering from the middle-aged Mediterranean crisis. This is a problem faced by the whole world. Big or small problems.

It's a pity that no one has been able to tame creatures like the Acromantula so far. Their brainlessness and cruel nature make domestication a joke. Special cases like Hagrid can only be tamed by spiders before Aragog dies. The group gets along more harmoniously, let alone other people.

If the person who threatened the spider group with the phoenix flame was not a being with strong affinity like Rollo, moving overnight would have become the first choice of the Acromantula in the Forbidden Forest.

"Any magic potions related to species reproduction and cross-species cultivation?"

After unceremoniously taking the venom sent by Rollo, Snape knocked on the table and fell into thought.

"If it's a special love potion for magical creatures, then I can help. This is the first time I've heard of cross-species breeding."

There was a trace of curiosity in Snape's eyes, and he was quite interested in it. Making potions had always been something he loved and was good at.

"Yes, Hagrid plans to use manticores and fire crabs for cross-species cross-breeding, but the progress so far is a bit slow. Hagrid has sought help from the centaurs. The herbs they prepared can be deeply psychedelic. It is a powerful aphrodisiac, but the manticore’s resistance is too strong, so the effect is not very good.”

"A lion and a turtle. I can't even imagine what kind of strange creature these two things will eventually give birth to..."

Snape, whose brows twitched slightly, seemed surprised by this unexpected answer. Hagrid's imagination was really beyond everyone's expectations.

Even if you want to do cross-species breeding, it is much more reliable to have a centaur and a manticore than to breed with a fire crab. At least both parties have human heads, and there may be some distant kinship. .

"But I will consider it. If you can ask Hagrid to provide me with some experimental materials, the results will be available soon."

Snape took out the parchment and started writing. He needed biological samples from the manticore and the fire crab, mainly the body fluids of the offspring, and also marked the collection requirements at different times and under different circumstances. , very detailed.

"Thank you very much, Professor Snape. I will send it to Hagrid tomorrow. He will thank you very much."

Snape waved his hand and regained his calm expression, as if these things were just casual and trivial matters to him, not worth mentioning.

"It seems like you and Hagrid get along well."

"Yes." Rollo nodded after hearing what Snape said. "Hagrid is a good person with a very straightforward personality. It is a pleasure to make friends with him. I like magical creatures, and so does Hagrid."

"I wonder if you are missing some materials in your research. If there are some in the Forbidden Forest, I can ask Hagrid."

"The blood voluntarily donated by the unicorn, the tears shed by the sphinx, the fallen unicorn of the tyrannosaurus, the poisonous stones of the poisonous leopard..."

Without any hesitation, Snape opened his mouth with a large list of precious materials that sounded extremely expensive. He seemed to have already planned for the rich products in the Forbidden Forest, but he just couldn't get them before. There was a sea there. Hagrid's territory, and the relationship between Hagrid and him has always been quite average, at least much worse than other professors.

Due to several unpleasant things that had happened before, Hagrid had not allowed Snape to do anything sneaking around in the woods in the middle of the night. After all, when he got up the next day, Hagrid wanted to comfort and stop those who were not allowed to do anything in their sleep. It's also very troublesome to know where the drug came from and the magical creature is so addicted that the hair on its body is almost bald.

Previously, the five-legged monster went berserk and wanted to leave the Forbidden Forest. According to Hagrid's description, on a dark and windy night, a guy he didn't name but everyone knew who knocked the five-legged monster unconscious. After trimming his nails, shaving his hair, and pulling out his teeth, he also underwent a painless circumcision.

Even though this doesn't affect the five-legged monster's ability to use its nail gun, it would be strange if it doesn't go crazy because its little brother who is so easy to use suddenly has a facelift.

"It seems that Hagrid's refusal to allow you to enter the Forbidden Forest is indeed a very reasonable request."

Rollo, who had a headache after hearing this, kept shaking his head. If he didn't talk about anything else, he would just talk about the first 'Unicorn's voluntary donation of blood'. If this thing was put up for auction, it wouldn't be worth dozens or millions of gold galleons. Don't even think about buying it. This is something that has a price but no market. It can be used as a key material for making longevity potions that can extend life. Apart from the magic stone, it is one of the few substances that can extend life.

"What you said is too outrageous. The fallen horns of the Trophus are fine, but forget about those too rare things. I don't want to be slapped into the ground by Hagrid and buried underground. The next year's Only grass will grow on the grave, but not a tree will grow on me."

"Pity....."

Snape smacked his lips with some unfinished thoughts, "I also thought about letting him beat the Sphinx so that I could catch a bottle of tears, but I didn't expect the Sphinx to be so timid and run away after being slapped. What a great opportunity.”

Snape, who accidentally had black water coming out of his mouth, stopped talking. He waved his hand to Rollo without changing his expression, and it looked like he was going to see off the guest.

Just as Rollo left Snape's office, Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room with some sadness.

But this melancholy was not all due to Ron's poor performance before, but at the end of the conversation with Draco, he was reminded of the Potions class tomorrow Friday.

This was the second time he had faced Snape in class, and Harry wouldn't believe it if he wasn't nervous.

After getting to know his parents and Snape to a certain extent, he could understand Snape's hostility towards him. After all, his father was his love rival, and his father also won this 'battle'. Snape.

Thinking of this, Harry couldn't help but have a faint proud smile on his face, but this was also a trouble for him. If Snape kept staring at him, Harry wouldn't want to spend the next seven years. Being stared at by Snape.

Just thinking about that feeling makes me a little scared. Although Gryffindor is the school of courage, courage should not be placed in a place like this. Fighting with a professor is stupid and is not a sign of courage.

What's more, Snape's attitude towards him was a little subtle. After thinking about it for nearly a week, Harry still noticed a hint of warmth hidden behind the coldness, which might not be completely warm to him. Not for his mother, Lily Potter.

The apology hidden in the language of flowers was a bit too deep. Harry didn't understand why Snape would express something like 'I regret your mother's death'. Harry couldn't guess the meaning even after thinking about it. What contact will there be.

Maybe Snape regretted not being able to save his mother?

No matter what, this implicit apology carries too much weight.

Harry still didn't understand the entanglements of love and love, but what he could detect was that Snape deeply missed the emotion he had missed.

Harry knew far less about his father than his mother. People who met him never told him how much you looked like your father, but always said this: 'Your eyes are just like your mother. Exactly the same. '

Maybe I inherited my dad’s Quidditch talent and my mom’s looks?

Harry thought silently in his heart. He suddenly had the urge to look in the mirror, but all he had in his hand was the Potions textbook. He wanted to be prepared to answer Snape's questions tomorrow. He wanted to Take a look at Snape's eyes and see what words are hidden in those undeceiving eyes.

Harry, who forcibly suppressed the random thoughts in his mind, read for a long time. Slowly, the people in the common room gradually dispersed. After Harry looked up again, there were only two people left in the common room.

There was another person Harry knew. Harry met her once on the train. When Harry looked up, Hermione put down the quill in her hand and stretched her stiff neck.

"Good evening, Hermione."

Harry nodded to Hermione, who was sitting a few tables away.

"Good evening, Harry, you are watching "A Thousand Magic Herbs and Fungi", right?"

Hermione glanced at Harry's desk, and she quickly recognized the title of the heavy book.

"Oh, yes." Harry nodded.

"I just finished writing the paper assigned by Professor McGonagall. It took a lot of time to memorize this book, but I have memorized it all. If you need any help, you can ask me."

Finally, she met a 'companion' who liked reading as much as she did. Hermione was very enthusiastic, but maybe because she liked studying so much, Hermione was not good at communicating with others. She always showed a condescending attitude inadvertently. pride, even if this was not her intention.

Perhaps the meeting on the train gave Harry a vaccination. Harry didn't find anything strange about Hermione's remarks. Everyone is different, right?

"Then definitely." Harry smiled and nodded, maybe he really needed help from Hermione.

"But do you plan to go back now?"

Hermione, who quickly cleared the table, dried the handwriting of her essay and carefully put it away in her bulging schoolbag. "I'm going back. I have an early class tomorrow."

"I'll watch for a while, then good night Hermione."

"Good night."

After waving to Harry, Hermione walked briskly up the stairs of the girls' dormitory and disappeared behind the wooden door.

But after Hermione left, Harry did not continue reading. His mind was already filled with knowledge, and he needed to digest it before he could continue to remember more things.

Harry closed his book and walked slowly in the lounge. He didn't know why he came to the door of the lounge. He looked at the downward slope entrance and exit. After hesitating for a moment, he opened the door.

The fat lady in the portrait must have gone out for a visit at the moment. The empty canvas made Harry regret leaving the warm lounge, but now that she was out, he couldn't open the door and go back.

But before Harry had gone far, he heard the sound of the door opening behind him.

Harry turned his head sharply, and he saw Hermione standing there with her arms folded with an angry look on her face.

Her face was tense, and her pursed lips looked very much like Professor McGonagall at this moment.

"I thought you were really reading the book seriously. I just realized that I didn't take my quill, but after a while I couldn't see you in the lounge. The book was placed on the table. As expected, you didn't reply. Sleep in the dormitory.”

Feeling that she had been deceived, Hermione said angrily that she really thought Harry was a good student before, but in the end he just sneaked out for a night out!

"Listen to me, Hermione."

Harry hurried forward in three steps. He spoke anxiously, but Hermione did not give him a chance. Instead, she said preemptively: "Professor Dumbledore said when school started that students are not allowed to go out at night. , if the professor catches this, Gryffindor will definitely lose points."

"Administrator Filch patrols the castle every night. If you are caught by him, have you considered the consequences?"

"Can you hear me out?"

Harry sighed silently in his heart and pleaded helplessly: 'I really didn't mean to stay for the night trip. '

"Then tell me." Hermione raised her chin proudly, waiting for Harry's explanation.

"I want to see the trophy my dad left..."

It seemed that he had found an outlet to talk. Although he didn't know Hermione very well, the atmosphere was so intense that Harry couldn't help but feel what he was saying.

He told Snape and his parents what happened, and told Hermione his plans for tomorrow.

"So, you feel that if the relationship between you and Professor Snape has eased, it is because Professor Snape misses and feels guilty about your mother, so you feel that you are a little ashamed of your father?"

Hermione said conclusively, and she easily extracted the key to the problem from Harry's ramblings.

"You are right. After all, my father and Professor Snape are very conflicted love rivals, so I..."

"I want to go to the trophy room on the fourth floor. There are trophies that my dad won and pictures of their Quidditch team. I want to find it and see what my dad looked like at Hogwarts. That's probably what I look like when I'm flying in the sky."

Harry's sad and nostalgic voice made Hermione silent for a moment. She hesitated. Hermione was completely different from Harry. She had a happy family with parents who loved her. She had been cared for by her parents since she was a child. grow down.

But everything she had become accustomed to was an unattainable luxury for Harry in front of her.

Hermione, who has never experienced this feeling, has difficulty empathizing, but sympathy can be found.

After listening to Harry's explanation, she realized that Harry didn't simply stare at no one in the lounge and sneak out, but was reading a book, and the anger in her heart also subsided a lot.

"I won't tell Professor McGonagall this time, but just this time."

Hermione put down the hand she was holding on her chest, and was about to open the door and return to the lounge and dormitory, but when she reached out her hand, all she saw was an empty canvas, and the Fat Lady was nowhere to be found.

Hermione, who was frozen on the spot, turned her head stiffly, and she met Harry's gaze, which was one of embarrassment and apology.

"I actually wanted to say at first: 'Fat Madam is no longer here, please don't close the door.' I actually wanted to go back at that time, but before I opened my mouth... you had already closed the door, and I couldn't get in the way." ....”

The two looked at each other awkwardly on the spot. At this quiet moment, there seemed to be some strange sounds coming from the dark corridor in the distance, including footsteps, friction, and the muffled sound of stepping on the wooden steps.

The two people who were looking at each other held their breath, but they looked around but couldn't see any place for them to hide.

"Maybe we should get out of here."

Harry lowered his voice to Hermione and received a nod in response.

The two of them quietly left the door of the lounge and cautiously moved forward in the dark corridor.

Just when they passed a corner, a pair of eyes that glowed green in the darkness appeared in front of them. This sudden look at each other made their hearts tighten and their breathing stopped for a second.

It's Mrs. Norris!

Harry immediately recognized the owner of those eyes after seeing them. Harry, who didn't care much, grabbed Hermione's hand, who was still stunned, and pulled him to run in the opposite direction.

"We can't get caught by Filch! Get out of here!"

He spoke hastily, but when he looked back, he saw those haunting eyes following him all the way, like ghosts that were hard to get rid of.

Harry, who couldn't remember where he was running, rushed forward, while Hermione and Hermione followed his footsteps with difficulty.

"We have to think of a way! Maybe we can go back to the lounge door and pretend we forgot the password and can't get in?"

Hermione quickly paid Harry's attention, and their eyes lit up with this suggestion.

"But I forgot where I ran to-"

Harry scratched his hair in such anxiety that he almost pulled it off. Fortunately, Hermione, who had been paying attention to her surroundings, remembered the way. She stretched out her hand and the two of them immediately ran towards a corner.

With a dull sound of 'bang', the sound of falling echoed in the empty corridor.

"Are you eloping at night?"

The sound of words froze the thoughts of Harry and Hermione. They didn't even dare to raise their heads, with extreme fear in their hearts.