Well then—Savant dad, Assassin mom—looks like the Weasley household just got livelier.
Professor Sprout raised her hand next: "I choose the Planter pathway. You all know me—I still prefer dealing with flowers and plants."
"And you, Professor McGonagall?"
She smiled gently. "I've chosen the Spectator pathway."
Ah, now that was unexpected. Everyone had thought she might go for something like the Seer or Apprentice, a pathway with divination abilities—perfect for gambling on Quidditch matches later.
McGonagall explained with a chuckle, "That choice was inspired by Susie."
Hiding in the shadows, Susie blinked in confusion. Wait, me? What did I do?
"You see," McGonagall continued, "my Animagus form is a cat. Even before I mastered it, I loved transforming into one and observing the students' behaviour. The Spectator pathway's Sequence 7 is a Psychiatrist—I think it's high time Hogwarts had one of those."
At that, everyone nodded in agreement.
The last to speak was Lupin, who had remained silent the entire time. He seemed hesitant.
"I…I'm thinking of choosing the Prisoner pathway."
That, too, had been expected.
Everyone turned to look at Snape.
"I made my decision last week," he said coolly. "I've already taken the potion and become a Corpse Collector."
Ah, so that explained it.
Several professors suddenly understood. No wonder Snape looked even paler than usual—they'd assumed it was from spending a week at the Ministry without sunlight.
"I thought for sure you'd choose the Apothecary pathway," Professor Sprout said in surprise. "After all, you're practically a bat…I mean, you have exceptional talent in potion-making."
"…"
Snape pressed his lips together. "You flatter me, Professor Sprout. But I've grown weary of brewing potions—I wanted to try something new."
"I see."
Edward clapped his hands and said, "Alright, that means all the students in our first Advanced Potion Studies class have made their choices. Once class is over, I'll begin preparing your respective potions!"
With that, he pulled out a stack of pre-copied textbooks and handed them to Audrey to distribute.
"This book contains what's known as Ancient Hermes, a language you'll need for many of the abilities you'll gain as Beyonders."
"It's used in divination, spirit communication, making charms, using charms, and a lot of other extraordinary activities. Essentially, if you want to use supernatural powers, you'll need this language."
He paused for a few seconds before continuing. "However, learning a language is a long-term endeavour. My goal today is to help you memorise the alphabet and basic grammar. The rest…is up to you."
In fact, according to many fans and scholars, Hogwarts' overall academic standard wasn't all that impressive. If you really wanted to master something, self-study was the way to go.
And as far as Edward was concerned, everyone in this room—without exception—had more than enough capability to self-learn. At most, some would progress faster than others.
He began writing the Ancient Hermes alphabet on the blackboard and started with pronunciation, teaching everything from the very beginning.
There was no denying it—learning a new language, especially one as obscure and complicated as this, was a slow, painful, mind-numbing slog.
-----
9:30 P.M.
By the time Edward finished explaining the last bit of basic grammar and announced the end of class, nearly everyone exhaled in unison.
Molly raised her hand immediately. "Sorry, Professor Edward, I need to get some fresh air…and, um, visit the loo."
"Same here!"
"I'm coming too."
Even Dumbledore muttered, "I'll just pop back to my office for a few sweets. Anyone else want some?"
"I do!"
In no time, the classroom was nearly empty, leaving only Edward and Audrey standing and staring at each other.
"Pfft!"
She suddenly burst out laughing.
"What is it?"
"I just remembered that night! The night we studied Ancient Feysac together."
Edward winced. A dead memory had suddenly returned to life and smacked him in the face. That night, he and Audrey had studied until the early hours—and then he'd continued in his sleep, grinding away at it with Edwina for several more dream-days.
Learning—truly the source of growth…and suffering.
"Alright," Audrey said, "let's get started on the potions."
"Let's do it."
With divination abilities in hand, brewing Sequence 9 potions was a breeze.
By the time everyone returned to the classroom, several vials of potion had already been prepared, labelled, and placed neatly on each person's desk.
Edward looked solemn as he addressed them.
"Everyone, before you are the potions corresponding to your chosen pathways. Let me remind you one last time: once you've chosen a pathway, there's no turning back. It will follow you for the rest of your life. If you wish to avoid losing control or hope to advance to higher Sequences in the future, you must role-play according to your pathway's requirements."
His gaze swept across the room. "Warrior. Savant. Spectator. Assassin. Planter. Prisoner."
Molly's eyes widened slightly as if she suddenly realised something.
Professor Flitwick picked up his vial, popped the cork, and downed it in one go. "Bottoms up—I'll go first!"
Immediately, his body began to convulse and twist. His fingers dug into the edge of the table, veins bulging, and a low, guttural growl rose from his throat.
Startled, Molly leapt up and rushed forward.
"Don't come any closer!"
Flitwick raised a hand to stop her. His fingers, which had been tightly clutching the edge of the desk, gradually relaxed. Another half a minute passed before he exhaled deeply, "Whew—this stuff really packs a punch!"
Was he treating this like a shot of liquor?
He jumped up impatiently. "Quick, check if I've grown taller!"
Everyone suddenly understood—so that's why Professor Flitwick had so decisively chosen the Warrior pathway?
Molly asked cautiously, "Professor Flitwick…did it work?"
Flitwick laughed heartily. "Oh, absolutely! I think I'm officially a Warrior now."
As he spoke, he pressed three fingers against the desk and gave a firm push. A visible crack appeared with a snap, drawing a look of awe from him. "That quick, huh?"
Edward nodded. "Exactly. That's the wonder of potions. As you digest it, the transformation becomes more and more pronounced. I'd say growing taller is just a matter of time."
"Haha, with your assurance, I'm relieved!"
He bounced in place a few times, testing his body's new limits.
Edward turned to the others. "Who's next?"
Molly raised her hand.
"Mrs. Weasley, please go ahead."
"No!" she quickly shook her head. "I'm sorry, truly sorry, Professor Edward. I was thinking just now…maybe the Assassin pathway isn't right for me."
She hurried to clarify, "It's not that it's unsuitable—but your reminder made me realise something…After drinking the potion, we have to roleplay our pathways. And from your earlier explanation, the Assassin represents calamity and disease...Even just thinking about how to portray a Sequence 9 Assassin—I'm completely lost."
Lilith scratched her head in confusion. Was roleplaying an Assassin that complicated? Isn't it just a matter of doing it?
Edward also came to a realisation: his understanding of the Assassin pathway might have been somewhat skewed by Lilith. For someone as kindhearted as Molly, acting out the Assassin pathway was simply unimaginable.
"I'm sorry," Molly apologised again. "I know the potion ingredients are expensive, but we'll reimburse you in full."
"You're being too formal, Mrs. Weasley." Edward waved his hand and took back the Assassin potion. "So, have you decided on a different pathway?"
"Seer!"
That had originally been her choice back at the Burrow—so she must have chosen the Assassin because of his earlier suggestion?
Well then…that one's on him.
"No problem. I'll brew it for you shortly."
Edward looked around at the others. "Anyone else want to change their mind? Don't hesitate. As I said, a pathway is for life. Having doubts or changes of heart is perfectly normal."
"It's always better to reconsider now than regret it later."
After a brief silence, the others all shook their heads.
"Alright then, please decide the order among yourselves and take the potions one by one."
Since there was no real advantage to going first or last, the group quickly agreed on a sequence: Professor McGonagall would go first, Arthur Weasley second, Professor Sprout third, and Lupin last.
As it turned out, none of their choices may have been the "best," but they were undoubtedly the right choices for each of them.
After drinking their respective potions, the four showed little to no intense reaction. Their advancements were swift and smooth.
Edward wasn't surprised by McGonagall, Arthur, or Professor Sprout's smooth transitions. But Lupin's reaction—or rather the lack of one—was a bit unexpected. Before he drank, Edward had even specifically told Audrey to stand by, ready to "placate" him.
At that moment, Dumbledore sighed and said, "Ever since leaving school, Remus has deliberately isolated himself because of his condition as a werewolf. No friends, no family—always alone. He has lived within a cage of his own making, both prisoner and warden."
With that explanation, Edward immediately understood: Lupin truly was the perfect fit for the Prisoner pathway.
The Temperance Faction of the Rose School of Thoughts always preached that the heart is the prisoner of the body, and the body is the prisoner of the world. What they seek is the restraint of internal madness and repressed desires.
And Lupin had been living exactly that way for years.
Edward even suspected that Lupin's potion had practically melted in his mouth.
Thinking of this, he asked, "Mr. Lupin, do you feel any progress in digesting the potion?"
Everyone turned to look at him in surprise.
Lupin appeared momentarily confused, but then his eyes lit up. "I think…I've already digested most of it."
Professor Sprout added, "I think I have too."
Seeing the curious looks around the room, Edward explained, "This has to do with another concept in roleplaying—pre-roleplaying. As the name suggests, if you've already been living, working, and acting in ways that fit a particular sequence before ascending to it, that behaviour will contribute directly to your potion's digestion. We call this 'pre-digestion.'"
"Professor Sprout has long been a professional planter, and Mr. Lupin has spent years embodying the traits of a Prisoner. Both of them had essentially been roleplaying their pathways even before today."
He quickly added, "But remember, pre-roleplaying does come with risks. Since it is roleplaying, it can disrupt your current rhythm and potentially lead to losing control."
"So please, proceed with caution—haste makes waste."
Seeing the seriousness on everyone's faces, Edward smiled and said, "Alright then, that concludes today's lesson…no—our first-ever Special Potioneering Session. From here on, the extraordinary path is yours to walk. Of course, if you ever have questions, feel free to come to me."
He scratched his head, a little sheepishly. "Honestly, the core knowledge of potions and pathways is only a few concepts. Professor Dumbledore even arranged such a big class for it, and had you all call me 'Professor'...It feels a bit much."
Professor McGonagall responded seriously, "In truth, most of the world's precious knowledge can be boiled down to a few simple sentences. But without guidance, those few words can remain forever out of reach."
Snape added dryly, "And besides, you're the one who gave us these potions. If I could, I'd love to turn my knowledge of Defence against Dark Arts into a potion and force it down those idiots' throats."
"So yes—you are worthy of being called Professor."
Whoa. Even Snape was giving him praise? That was…unexpected.
Edward cleared his throat. "Well then, I'll add one more little request. If possible, I hope you'll all call me Mentor instead…A wandering mentor, with no fixed abode."
At that moment, Molly raised her hand tentatively. "Um…Mentor Edward? I haven't taken my potion yet, don't forget me~"
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.