Rhys's intuition told him that if it weren't for Daphne's exceptionally outstanding performance, Dumbledore might have shamelessly awarded the House Cup to Gryffindor.
This guy, he wasn't exactly like the Gryffindors Rhys had known. He was about to share this thought with Daphne, but Dumbledore's next words caught his attention.
"Miss Granger's achievements are undoubtedly linked to her talent, but we cannot ignore her diligence," Dumbledore said. "Madam Pince informed me that Miss Granger has spent over a thousand hours in the library this year. I believe this is a significant reason for her success. I encourage everyone to follow Miss Granger's example and spend more time in the library."
Dumbledore's words made Hermione blush deeply. She had never imagined that her actions could influence the outcome of the House Cup. Meanwhile, the rest of the students in the Great Hall were stunned by the phrases "full marks in all subjects" and "over a thousand hours."
To put it into perspective, students arrive at Hogwarts on September 1st, and the term ends in mid-July, with a three-week Christmas break in between. That leaves less than 300 days at school. For Hermione to have spent over a thousand hours in the library means she spent nearly four hours there every single day!
The figures were astonishing—especially considering she had seven classes to attend as well!
Rhys raised an eyebrow in surprise. Over a thousand hours—that was no small feat. Even Rowena Ravenclaw, who loved reading, couldn't achieve that because she was often entangled with "worldly matters" and rarely had time to sit down and read quietly. She had tried to make more time for herself, but in the end, her efforts had failed, and she'd inadvertently caused some trouble for her old friends as well.
And so, the end-of-term feast concluded amid twists and turns. As the students savored their last moments at school, Rhys once again ventured into the dungeons, this time accompanied by Daphne.
Unlike before, Rhys had made thorough preparations for this visit.
"I think it's necessary to explain the purpose of our mission before we begin today," he said softly. "Today, I'm here to save a fallen soul—this mission is extremely dangerous. You can turn back at any time; this is not a test or a joke."
Daphne laughed, completely disregarding Rhys's warning and instead changing the subject. "That sounds familiar. When we went with Hagrid to rescue the unicorn, he said something similar."
She then asked, "Who is this person we're supposed to save? If it's really dangerous, should we bring your big snake and my nightmare creature? If things get too intense, they could at least buy us some time."
Now it was Rhys's turn to laugh.
"No need. When facing that person, bringing a few more magical creatures won't help. As for who this person is—" Rhys deliberately dragged out his words.
Daphne: ?
"Don't keep me in suspense!"
"I can't tell you. She'll have to decide whether or not to reveal her identity once she regains her senses."
Rhys had intended to inform Daphne that they were on a mission to save one of the founders, Rowena Ravenclaw. However, just as the words were about to leave his mouth, he restrained himself. He suddenly realized that Rowena might not want anyone else to know her identity, just like him. Besides, in her current state, she was nothing like the dignified figure she once was—a withered, half-naked corpse and a mad ghost, a far cry from her former elegance and wisdom. It was best to let her make that decision herself.
After warning Daphne once again, to no avail, Rhys pulled out a crystal vial filled with a brilliantly colored purple mist. The mist swirled inside the bottle, forming a small vortex that sparkled like starlight, as if an entire galaxy had been captured within.
"What is that?" Daphne was immediately captivated by it; she had never seen such a dazzling potion before.
"It's a potion made using the 'Desire Demon' as the main ingredient. Its effect is to make wishes come true," Rhys patiently explained.
"Wishes come true!" Daphne's eyes widened in astonishment. Even in the wizarding world, something like a wish-granting potion seemed almost too fantastical.
"Yes, in the literal sense," Rhys added, further clarifying. The wish-fulfilling potion utilized the unique properties of the Desire Demon, allowing it to materialize whatever one imagined. The larger, more complex, or more intricate the desired object, the more potion it would consume. For example, materializing a three-tier wedding cake would consume many times more potion than a simple cupcake.
"Come on, think of something, and then use the method I taught you to extract that memory," Rhys gestured for Daphne to give it a try.
Daphne followed his instructions, using the tip of her wand to pull a fine silver thread from above her temple. Rhys uncorked the potion bottle, and the purple mist inside surged out. At the same time, the "silver thread" dropped from the wand and was drawn into the swirling vortex.
Despite its fine, hair-like appearance, the silver thread acted like a powerful dye, turning the entire mist inside the bottle silver. Seeing this, Rhys quickly re-corked the bottle, noting that the mist inside had decreased by a quarter.
In no time, the mist left outside solidified, and a chubby rabbit appeared before them. It had gray fur and eyes like rubies, resembling the rabbits often seen nibbling on pumpkin leaves in Hagrid's pumpkin patch.
The rabbit didn't seem particularly intelligent. After glancing at Rhys and then at Daphne, it simply sat down and began grooming itself with its front paws.
"Amazing!" Daphne exclaimed, attempting to pick up the adorable rabbit. However, she startled it, causing the rabbit to dart away. But after only a few steps, it abruptly burst into a cloud of silver mist, dissipating rapidly.
"Objects created by the potion are tied to our presence," Rhys explained. "When they move too far away, they dissipate—so the food conjured by the potion won't truly satisfy hunger. It only tricks your brain into feeling full."
Daphne hesitated, but Rhys anticipated her thoughts, telling her that using the potion to conjure food to eat wouldn't work.
"Then wouldn't this be the ultimate weight-loss tool?!" Daphne exclaimed, thrilled at the idea. "Just conjure a feast with the potion, eat it, feel full, and not gain any weight—this is like a dream come true!"
"This little bottle could easily sell for fifty Galleons," Rhys reminded Daphne to be a bit more realistic. If she wanted a weight-loss potion, he could easily make something that accelerates metabolism and burns energy—those kinds of potions are cheap and cost just a few Sickles to produce.
"The price is actually quite reasonable..." Daphne muttered under her breath, clearly contemplating asking Rhys to teach her how to brew such a potion.
Rhys, accustomed to Daphne's extravagant tendencies, wasn't surprised. The Greengrass family had always been this way, ever since her ancestor "Dragonheart."
He extracted a memory from his own temple with his wand and added it to the remaining potion mist.
This time, the purple mist didn't transform into any specific object. Instead, it turned into a mass of sky-blue fog, appearing more solid than the purple mist from before.
_________
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