The potion Snape made from Helena's venom was a definite double-edged sword. First, let's talk about its advantages: it keeps you lucid and makes you immune to the Imperius Curse.
Let's not even get into whether the potion only works if you drink it before being hit with the Imperius Curse or if it also works after.
As of right now, Victor's bottle is very likely the only known potion that can resist the Imperius Curse. If word of this ever gets out, it would definitely cause a huge stir in the wizarding world.
The second effect, staying completely lucid, can be a major help in prolonged combat and creative work. For example, when Victor is using Origin to develop magic, being able to stay lucid for a long time would greatly increase his efficiency in developing new spells. Because, to be honest, just looking at the complex magical structures and patterns is dizzying enough. So, when Victor normally uses Origin, he has to take a break every so often, or he'll quickly pass out.
Now, let's talk about the disadvantage: being completely lucid for 24 hours. If this is not used properly, it could be lethal. Imagine if someone who is extremely exhausted, and whose body and mind desperately need rest, is suddenly given a potion that keeps them completely lucid for 24 hours. They would probably go mad.
For example, if a person undergoing torture were to drink this potion, they would feel the extreme pain of the punishment for 24 hours straight until their body completely gave out. So, this new potion is a complete double-edged sword.
Of course, the righteousness or wickedness of anything in this world depends on one's perspective and intention…
Victor looked at the glowing, dark-blue potion in front of him. He didn't try it rashly. Instead, he named the potion Wakebrew.
He thought for a moment and decided to personally go and see the old bat to ask him to help research an antidote for the Wakebrew. Otherwise, if he just sent a letter, Snape would probably just throw it in the trash as soon as he saw the sender's name.
But where was the old bat's house?! The owl had already flown away!
In reality, Snape's house wasn't that hard to find. The next day, Victor received a letter from Dumbledore, learning that the old bat's house was in Spinner's End, Cokeworth.
Cokeworth: a large town in the Midlands of England, with many streets lined with identical brick houses, which looked very monotonous.
Victor was walking on the wet streets of Cokeworth, holding his nose with a dark look on his face, constantly wondering why on earth anyone could live in this godforsaken place?!
Cokeworth was located next to an extremely filthy river. The river snaked around, with weeds growing on both banks and piles of trash everywhere. An unknown mist floated on the surface of the river, and passersby could hear the dark river water gurgling and sighing.
There were also no signs of life, except for a skinny, mangy fox that was sneaking down the bank, hopefully sniffing the deep weeds for a few rotting packets of fish and chips.
Looking past the river, the most prominent feature of Cokeworth was the towering, dilapidated chimney, which stood in an abandoned mill. This made the dusty town look even more sinister and ominous, a picture of deathly silence. It was as if this place was the boundary between the human world and hell.
Victor walked past the smelly river and into the town, looking around. He pinched his nose, trying his best to block out the strange smells in the air, and complained again: "Oh, for goodness' sake! The old bat is truly living up to his name. How can he stand living in such a dark and damp place? Or do all Slytherins like these kinds of gloomy places?"
"Also, why do I feel like I've walked into a scene from a horror game?!" For some reason, perhaps because it was raining, Victor was the only one walking on the streets of Cokeworth. The surroundings were dead silent, and the sky was gray, making it look exactly like the opening scene of a horror game.
Following the address the old bee had given him, Victor walked all the way to the end of Spinner's End and finally arrived at Snape's house, a two-story red brick house.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Victor knocked directly on Snape's door. For some reason, the ordinary sound of knocking seemed extraordinarily abrupt here.
CRASH!
The door suddenly flew open as if someone had kicked it from the outside. But Victor wasn't surprised at all and walked in with a calm expression. As soon as he entered, he was in a dimly lit, narrow living room with a few shabby pieces of furniture.
A candlelit lamp hung from the ceiling, and the walls were filled with books on potions. Snape was sitting under a bookshelf, which was the brightest spot in the entire living room. He was holding a book in his hand and looked at the arriving Victor with cold eyes.
"Professor Snape, long time no see!" Victor said with a smile. "It's been almost two months since the final exam, hasn't it?"
"Dreyar, I didn't give you permission to come to my house," Snape said, still his usual cold self.
"Professor, I'm at least your excellent student, don't be so distant!" Victor said with a familiar smile, then lifted the bag in his hand. "See, I even brought you a gift."
"Your Potions grade this semester was only an A!" Snape sneered, then slammed the book in his hand shut. "Cut the small talk. What do you want?"
"I just received the potion you sent me and suddenly wanted to pay you a visit." Victor took out a thick book from his pocket. "And this. To be honest, it's a bit of a waste for me to have this."
"What is it?" Snape didn't take the book immediately and stayed where he was sitting.
"All of Rowena Ravenclaw's legacy content on Potions…" Victor replied with a smile.
After a millennium, Rowena Ravenclaw's notes on Potions were now too simple and outdated compared to today. Much of the knowledge about potions that had been passed down only recorded the names of the ingredients and rough measurements. There was nothing like the current textbooks that even told them the number of stirring revolutions.
In addition, so much time had passed that the names of many potion ingredients had changed, and the units and standards of measurement were completely different from a thousand years ago.
So Victor felt that for someone with a very ordinary talent for potions like him, Ravenclaw's legacy on Potions was a complete waste. So, in order to not let this ancient knowledge gather dust, he decided to give it to a Potions Master, to Snape. This was also the most appropriate thing to do, and he could also earn a favor in the process…
When Snape heard that the book in front of him was Ravenclaw's legacy, he immediately stood up from the sofa, took the book from Victor's hand, and started to flip through the pages. After a while, a hint of emotion appeared in Snape's eyes, and he suddenly said without looking up, "Dreyar, state your purpose!"
It really was great to deal with a smart person! Victor sighed in his heart, then said, "Regarding the Wakebrew, the potion you made with Helena's venom, can you brew an antidote to counteract the absolute lucidity?"
Snape's brow furrowed slightly and he thought for a moment before turning around, taking the crystal vial Victor had given him for Christmas from a nearby cabinet, and throwing it to Victor.
Victor, understanding what he meant, immediately summoned Helena and extracted some venom.
Snape put away the crystal vial, which was now glowing with a dark-blue light again, and then suddenly started to unceremoniously chase Victor away: "You can leave now."
With that, he turned and was about to go upstairs. But after only a few steps, he saw Victor suddenly dart into the kitchen, and he immediately frowned and asked in a cold voice, "Dreyar, what are you doing?"
Victor didn't reply. He just opened the refrigerator, which was only about a meter tall, and complained, "Wow, Professor, is this all you eat? No wonder your face is so pale, it's because of malnutrition…"
The refrigerator only had a stack of cold bread, and nothing else! Was the old bat using potions as condiments?
When Snape saw this, a vein on his forehead twitched, and he immediately said coldly, word for word, "Dreyar, I order you to get out of my house right now!!!"
"Alright, alright, alright~~~" Victor agreed, then took a few pieces of bread from the refrigerator and left. "Thanks, Professor!"
With that, he instantly disappeared. He had simply run out of chocolate in his pocket, was hungry, and wanted to find something to eat, and also to annoy the old bat. Who told him not to even offer him a cup of tea!
Snape watched the refrigerator door, which was still squeaking and shaking, and felt a wave of frustration in his heart. He forced himself to calm down, waved his hand, and the refrigerator was slammed shut. Then, he turned and opened a secret door on the bookshelf and walked upstairs, leaving only the candlelit lamp in the living room swinging with a creak…
Time passed quickly, and a week later, it was finally the day school started.
The Hogwarts Express was spewing white steam as it thundered across the endless grassland, and the loud whistle echoed through the distant mountains.
And for the sake of "the ritual," Victor didn't use spatial magic to go straight back to Hogwarts. Instead, he went to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters like many other young wizards and got on the express train to school.
In the empty train compartment, Victor was leisurely reading a book and enjoying a delicious afternoon tea. But suddenly, a commotion came from outside, and the compartment door was violently opened. A little witch then rushed in and shouted, "Victor, I finally found you!"
At the same time, a young Ravenclaw followed behind her and apologized to Victor, "I'm sorry, my lord! She suddenly rushed over, and we couldn't stop her!"
"I told you that you can just call me by my name," Victor said with a sigh of helplessness. Ever since he got on the train, he had inexplicably been given the title of "Lord of Wisdom," and the young Ravenclaws had voluntarily occupied an empty compartment for him to rest and read.
This excessive respect made Victor feel at a loss and incredibly awkward. Although he had repeatedly refused and stressed treating him as an equal, the strange stubbornness of the young Ravenclaws had made him speechless on many occasions.
So, in the end, he could only accept this cult-like way of interacting with a sense of resignation.
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