Chapter 19 Awkward Guardian Spirit

This was a magic whistle that imitated the wing flapping frequency of the Acromantula, a creature that was not only the nemesis of the Whomping Willow but also feared by most magical plants — they only ate plants that moved.

Maca walked over and patted the thick roots that emerged from the ground, and the roots immediately trembled and moved aside, revealing a deep and dark hole.

It was a sloping downward cave, only big enough for one person to lie down and slide in. Frowning, Maca hugged the suitcase in his arms and jumped into it, sliding down.

The slope wasn't very long, and soon Maca found himself in a tunnel where he had to bend over to proceed.

The tunnel blocked out all light, surrounding him in darkness. Maca, with his head bumped against the ceiling, fumbled and pulled out his wand, but halfway through, he paused and ultimately put it back.

The Ministry of Magic left trace threads on every finished wand, so if an underage wizard under 17 used magic outside school grounds, they would be immediately detected. Especially in a place with few people, it was very conspicuous; it was better not to use it if not necessary, even though he should still be within the Hogwarts range.

He reached into the inner pocket of his robe and took out a small glass bottle, shaking it vigorously, making a sound of gravel colliding.

A soft glow appeared in the darkness, gradually brightening. If you looked closely at the bottle, you would find a strange light mist emanating from it, becoming thicker and thicker.

"When I earn enough money, I will definitely buy a convenient portable waist pouch," Maca said, weighing his outer robe, which was filled with all sorts of bottles and jars, making it feel heavy.

There were potions, semi-finished products, and even just materials, but without exception, they were all practical gadgets.

"...Or make one myself." He still couldn't bear to part with his wallet.

As he walked forward with his head down, contemplating various things, he soon felt the tunnel sloping upward. Before long, a blurry light appeared ahead.

Maca pulled out the stopper of the bottle that was still glowing fluorescently. With a soft "pop," the light mist inside the bottle spread out in the tunnel and dissipated in no time.

With the light mist gone from the bottle, only a small amount of fine black sand remained at the bottom, and Maca plugged the stopper back in.

Many potions, and even simple materials, could be used to produce effects similar to spells, and some were even more powerful than spells but had a very low threshold for use.

Of course, you had to be prepared in advance and carry them with you at all times. But imperfections aside, this was one of the reasons why potions were expensive.

As time passed, many potion formulas were crushed by the wheels of history and left behind in the glorious days they once had. But a new generation of alchemists was still working hard, whether it was restoring formulas or trying to innovate, keeping potions in a position in the magical world that could not be ignored.

"...So, without 200 galleons, I absolutely won't agree."

In the corner of the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade, a small wizard wrapped in a shabby hooded cloak made of gray felt, calmly spoke with a blurred Western country accent.

His hoarse voice was like his vocal cords had been rasped with a file, making people want to frown.

Opposite him, a wizard wrapped his exposed skin layer by layer with a large amount of bandages, speaking with the same uncomfortable, blurred voice in return. His voice sounded as if there was an old phlegm in his throat.

"No! Cough, cough, your potion is a new product, and... cough, cough... I can't put it on sale in my shop until I see its effect. I can't gamble with my shop's reputation."

"But for a trial, the price is too high!"

The small wizard's tone remained calm, he said lightly, "In that case, the deal is off."

With that, he stood up with the help of the table and walked straight out the door.

"Oh—cough, wait, damn it!" the bandaged wizard said weakly, "I'll pay! But cough, cough... you have to give me a discount — if you want long-term cooperation!"

"150 galleons, effective payment." The small wizard, who had reached the door, turned back impatiently.

"Agreed, cough, cough... deal."

The bandaged wizard weakly waved his hand. He did indeed desire that practical new product — if its effect was as good as claimed.

The small wizard, of course, was Maca in disguise. He had disguised himself and avoided the biggest disadvantage he might encounter during negotiations — his age. Then, in the equal verbal confrontation, he steadily gained the upper hand.

This was a commercial negotiation that both sides were relatively satisfied with. Regardless of how reluctantly the bandaged wizard appeared, for this new product, he was determined to get it.

A new type of invisibility potion, what a tempting business opportunity!

After the bandaged wizard tried it out, the two signed a magical contract in duplicate, sealing the deal for this long-term transaction.

"Purchased at 200, split 70-30... Not a bad deal!"

Back in the Shrieking Shack, Maca hung the cloak directly in the old wardrobe in the room and then spat out a small piece of stone from his mouth, finally restoring his normal voice.

He flicked the magical contract scroll made of delicate parchment with his fingers, revealing a hint of excitement.

Of course, for now, with just the 1200 galleons he had earned, he had only filled the big hole left by the material costs of his practice. Next, he would continue to practice preparing other potions, and it would be a long way before he became a wealthy man!

"No wonder there's a saying on the title page of many potion books, 'This is a road paved with galleons'." Maca sighed, his excitement from earlier disappearing with the change in mood.

...

Since Maca had sorted out the sales channels for potions, everything seemed to have become smooth sailing. With daily dedication, progress was slow but steady in all subjects and research. What pleased Maca most was that he had made a real breakthrough in the Patronus Charm!

On a quiet and deserted night, Maca stood in the spacious room provided by the Room of Requirement.

Yes, after a lot of searching and recollection over time, he finally found the location of this place — it was on the eighth floor of the castle, opposite the tapestry of "Sir Cadogan Befriends a Fat Lady."

Who knew how many times he had wandered around like a fool in front of countless paintings, tapestries, and statues in order to find the accurate location!

"Expecto Patronum!"

Maca stood straight in the center of the room, holding his wand upright in front of him like a sword. Concentrating all his spirit and attention on the tip of the wand, as the pure silver light became brighter and brighter, it self-separated from Maca's wand.

For a moment, the light swirled around Maca, forming a faint silver mist around him.

Since Maca started practicing the Patronus Charm, he had only been able to reach this point. It could even be said that he was able to release this hopeful, lifelike silver mist the first time he attempted to practice.

However, as he practiced time and time again, although the mist became thicker, he always failed to summon his own Patronus.

This made Maca start to re-examine the basic theory of this charm.

He once again consulted numerous books but found nothing special. Most of the theories of this charm were quite vague, only saying that the user needed to concentrate their mind on happy and beautiful things. In summary, it was positive emotions.

Helpless, Maca could only focus on successful instances of casting the Patronus Charm.

Finally, after studying numerous cases where the Patronus Charm saved loved ones, he found a new breakthrough. He discovered that the moment when the user was forced by the situation and wished to protect a specific object was when this charm truly exhibited its power!

"...Patronus. "

Maca recalled the scene when he first met Luna in the graveyard.

In the sunset, the girl's light golden hair emitted a faint halo. She stood in front of the cold gravestone, silently looking at her deceased mother. In the entire gray-toned scene, only her figure was so vivid;

Under the starry sky, when Maca subconsciously avoided the topic of her mother, she calmly told him that it was indeed a sad story, but one had to learn to face it;

Before parting, Maca only remembered her silver-gray eyes. In that misty gaze, there hid the anticipation of seeing him again, the desire for a future reunion with her friend.

With Maca's recollection, the thick silver mist swirling around his body surged up, turning into a semi-transparent silver eagle circling and hovering around him.

Maca looked at the huge eagle in front of him, a look of embarrassment on his face.

"...How should I face Headmistress Sprout in the future."

Among the four houses at Hogwarts, the eagle was the symbol of Ravenclaw, representing fairness, keenness, severity, foresight, and superiority.

When the Sorting Hat assigned Maca to a house, it first considered Ravenclaw, although for unknown reasons it ultimately placed him in Hufflepuff, but undoubtedly it indicated Maca's strong affinity with Ravenclaw.

At this moment, this eagle Patronus, apart from being related to the emotion of "hope to protect Luna," was probably also related to this.

"Anyway, let's go to sleep first!"

Maca waved his wand, dispelling the Patronus Charm, and then left the Room of Requirement with a heart full of mixed feelings.