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The next day, Snape changed back into his iconic pitch-black robe and came to Tulip Court in London. After checking the condition of the two old wizards, he gave his conclusion.
"They have been under Memory Charms for some time."
It was not that Dudley was unwilling to bring the two to Godric's Hollow. The main issue was that the old Potter house was right beside it. Bringing them there would be rubbing salt into Snape's wounds, would it not?
"Restoration will be somewhat troublesome."
Snape's evaluation was that restoration would be somewhat troublesome, not the St. Mungo's Healers' "we can only do our best." This was the difference between the two sides.
"Professor, you should have a way."
As Dudley spoke, he took potion ingredients from his bag and placed them bottle by bottle on the table.
"I have a way?" Snape raised an eyebrow and looked at Dudley with slight displeasure. "Tell me your suggestion first."
As for Dudley, the disciple he had personally guided step by step, Snape was generally very satisfied. After seeing the condition of the two wizards, Snape believed Dudley also had the ability to cure them.
"I think we can use the Memory Revival Charm together with Memory Potion, plus..."
Dudley explained his view.
"Your idea is theoretically effective, but a little too conservative. Remember, you are a potion-maker. Do not always think of foolishly waving a wand. Restorative Draught and Memory Potion can achieve the same effect, even better."
After listening, Snape gave a brief evaluation and then explained his own view. Dudley instantly felt enlightened.
He was indeed one of the top Potions masters in the wizarding world. In pure potion brewing, Dudley and Snape were actually not that far apart now. But in application, Dudley was still somewhat inferior.
"It seems you still lack practical experience."
Just as Snape said, Dudley lacked practical experience.
Then Snape directly ordered, "Dursley, grind the ingredients for me."
"Yes, Professor."
Dudley knew Snape intended to personally demonstrate and guide him, so he answered very obediently in a tone completely inconsistent with his fierce physique.
Snape acted as though he had not noticed. He began giving Dudley on-site guidance step by step. He taught with great care, and Dudley listened very seriously.
These were all precious experiences.
The time needed to brew a potion could be long or short. In truth, it was not directly related to difficulty.
A long one, such as Polyjuice Potion, required at least a month. A short one, such as Cure for Boils, took less than fifteen minutes.
It was not that the potion had to be boiled that long. Even simmering over a low fire, it would dry out. Rather, the preparation work in the early stage took time. One of the main ingredients of Polyjuice Potion, lacewing flies, required a full twenty-one days to process. Another ingredient, fluxweed, also had to be picked at the full moon.
The two potions Snape proposed belonged to the ordinary category. Even so, preparing the potions still took a full week. Several ingredients were also rather troublesome to process.
During this week, Snape explained some techniques for brewing potions while also passing on practical experience: what potion should be used in what situation, and what effect could be achieved by combining which potions.
Dudley brewed the potions while greedily absorbing the experience Snape was teaching him.
The simplest example: using Slowing Solution and Petrification Potion in succession could reduce the opponent's speed to the lowest level. But if the two potions were mixed together before use, they would become an unstable mixture with power comparable to an Exploding Fluid. Because of its instability, however, it could explode at any time.
Aging Potion could not be taken at the same time as Beautification Potion. Otherwise, the hair on the entire body would grow dozens of times longer in a short period of time, then all fall off after one hour. Most importantly, not a single hair would grow back within a month.
There were countless pieces of experience like this.
If Dudley always brewed potions strictly by the book, then he could only become an excellent potion-maker. He would never become a Potions master.
One week later, the potions were successfully brewed. Without exception, all of them were perfect grade.
Looking at the faint fluorescent green potion in the vial, Snape nodded with satisfaction.
After the two old wizards drank the potions, they fell into a deep sleep.
Snape told Dudley that the lost memories would only gradually recover after three consecutive days of taking the potion. This process had to happen and could not be rushed. As for whether all memories could be restored, that depended on the degree of brain damage.
Memory Charms caused far too much harm to the brain. More or less, some memories would be lost. As for which memories would be lost, that truly could only be left to fate.
Before leaving, Snape handed Dudley a yellowed notebook. "Take this notebook back and study it properly. When school starts, I hope you will be different, at least not wasting your talent as you are now."
The notebook recorded Snape's insights and experience from these years.
If he did not regard Dudley as a disciple, it would be impossible for him to give such a precious notebook to him.
"Yes, Professor."
Dudley solemnly placed the notebook into his small bag. He had already found the direction in which to move forward.
In truth, he very much wanted to invite Snape to the castle as a guest, but he knew Snape would definitely not go.
Godric's Hollow was Snape's lifelong pain.
Just as Snape judged, three days later, the two old wizards finally remembered some things from their past.
Soon, more and more memories returned.
Five days later, they had basically recovered their memories. But by unfortunate coincidence, the portion concerning their identities was still missing. No matter how hard they tried, they could not remember it.
And so the temporary nicknames Hocus and Pocus could only continue to be used.
On one hand, the two old wizards had no home to return to. On the other, they wanted to repay Dudley for saving their lives.
They chose to teach Harry spells in Godric's Hollow.
Do not look at their advanced age. Any wizard who had traveled the world was never simple. Their practical combat experience was quite rich.
For example, twelve uses of the Levitation Charm, twenty-eight techniques for Aguamenti, and four different pronunciations of Diffindo.
These techniques gained from real combat broadened Harry and the other three's understanding, benefiting them greatly.
If it had not been because they truly never expected the great author Lockhart to suddenly ambush them, then in a direct confrontation, one hundred Lockharts would not have been enough for them to fight.
Just as Dudley was working hard toward becoming a Potions master, Harry and the other three were also visibly improving their practical combat ability.
What? Young wizards were not allowed to casually use magic during the holidays? The Ministry had the Trace to monitor them?
If the Ministry were truly reliable, there would have been no Voldemort.
In reality, they only monitored a few key people. Harry was one of them, but Dudley had already found a way to shield him during the first-year summer holiday.
One month later, a piece of news that shook the entire wizarding world arrived without warning.
It directly made the Ministry of Magic the target of public criticism, pushed Minister Fudge into the eye of the storm, and produced so many complaint letters that they could no longer be stacked properly.
One of Azkaban's heavy criminals, Sirius Black, had successfully escaped.
No one knew what method he used to slip away from right under the eyes of countless Dementors.
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