32 Chapter 32 - NEWT level class and Dumbledore's request

After the Weasley twins were done lifting the mood of everyone who needed it and who could take a joke, Ash started answering a few questions regarding the last potion taught in class by Professor Snape - the Draught of Living Death. It was one of the hardest potions the students would learn at Hogwarts and Snape's usual way of teaching by explaining nothing did not help out at all.

The key the students were missing in concocting this potion to a passable degree turned out to be timing - something rather elementary. The instructions in their Advanced-Potion Making books by Libatius Borage sounded rather vague in terms of the stirring speed and the speed in which you should drop in the ingredients and they were absolutely vital to a successful brewing of the potion.

Combined with a newly introduced mechanic of 'cauldron tilting' where you had to pour in ingredients into a tilted cauldron at specific angles, the first attempt at the potion of all students turned out horrendous, barely causing drowsiness as opposed to sending the one drinking the potion into a sleep so deep it is refered to as being in a state of living death.

As the students were amending their notes and instructions with little warnings and tips Ash gave them, Alicia Spinnet - Fred's girlfriend inquired on a rather advanced topic, "Hey Professor Ash, can you tell us a little more on intent-based potioneering?"

Fred looked at her with a raised eyebrow in askance, but Alicia only slapped his shoulder. She furiously whispered, "I told you my mum works in the administration of the potioneer's guild headquarters. She is, like, Ash's biggest fan and makes me read all his papers and publications, even if I understand squat."

"Your mother Ms Spinnet got a hold of my master theoretical thesis and made you read it?" Ash asked back with a raised eyebrow. Naturally, he knew the charming witch with African roots that worked at the guild. He ran into her many times during his life and was the reason he had an easy way in with the potioneers of Uagadou, the premiere African Magical school.

"Uhuh," Alicia meekly answered with a nod - she didn't really want to advertise that, but it wasn't an embarrassing secret to tell.

"Alright, sure. I'll gladly admit that you likely didn't understand much about that paper because I didn't write it to be easily understood. You've seen my guides and introductory potion-making books, and that paper was nothing like that, right?"

Alicia nodded at Ash's question with a distraught expression. Reading that paper really made her feel stupid.

"Well, together with amended or new potion recipes, a potion master has to submit a research paper to get his master title. There's a few other things that needs to be done, but a master must show he's able to work on the improvement of his craft and though rarely anybody reinvents the way we touch our cauldrons, I decided to research something my master Griselda the hag once uttered in passing," Ash kindly explained to make sure Alicia didn't feel down about not fully getting the paper.

"She once told me, 'It's the why when you make a healing potion. Pour that in with the ingredients' but that stumped me for the longest time. She couldn't explain it better because it was a notion she learned through decades of experience. It wasn't mentioned in any recipes or textbooks I could find," Ash illuminated. "And so I set forth to brew potions intending for there to be vastly different outcomes. It works when you cast spells, then why shouldn't it work with potions? Well, let's just say it really doesn't work with a lot of potions. To say it in simple terms, I had to group ingredients that can indeed be influenced through intent when brewing a potion and go from there. The answer lies in plant ingredients with increasing levels of sapience and creature ingredients that are fresh. The more magically powerful, the bigger the influence through intent by the potioneer."

That was a topic rather far removed from their education under Snape so far, not even their increased aptitude earned by sitting in the Exchange Hall under Ash's guidance over the years could clue them in further.

Seeing that the students were intrigued but a little lost, Ash continued, "It was through interviews with tens of potion masters that I learned about those little nuggets of wisdom earned over centuries like with Griselda and hundreds of experiments that I could get a foot into the door of this research. Don't feel bad if you feel out of the loop."

"So what can you do with potions made through different intents?" Fred asked because he felt this topic had crazy amounts of potential for the twins' prank items.

"Well, with the correct adjustments I discovered, you can make a healing potion into a poison because most potions for healing are closely related to poisons if you didn't know. But you can't make a potion that grows hair into one that regrows limbs or one that heals headaches just because hair grows on a head. I mean, I might still be missing something in my research and you're free to do research and prove me wrong, but from what I found, the intended use of the potion can't be twisted by too much with just intent."

A few more educated students who had a high interest in potions started gaping. This was something nobody apparently knew, and the young man in front of them was the first to put such an incredible piece of knowledge into a research paper to give it to the world? It removed even the disdain held by the Slytherin students who disliked Ash for his involvement in the declining political standing of their families.

"Can you give us an easy to understand example?" Cedric Diggory asked with a curious expression.

"Hmm, sure. Next year, this will become a product at the spa I opened, so treat this like advertisement," Ash offered with a wink that earned him a few smirks. "Bodybuilding potions. No, not what you who grew up in the non-magical society think. I mean that name quite literal. Through the correct potions, you can permanently alter your body. Technically, the changes have limits, but I researched how to brew one singular potion with different intents that would either make you look like a skeleton with skin draped over it, or like a lean scholar, or like a magical who regularly works out at their job at a Abraxans ranch, or even like a chubby retiree eating cake for every meal."

"Have you drunk such a potion?" A blushing witch from Hufflepuff asked with her ears turning red. A few other witches started hollering to show them the result of his potion when they saw him nod, and even a few of the men present showed interest. Though likely more to see what kind of result they could gain when drinking such a potion and have more success with wooing the opposite gender.

"Well, I won't get naked for you guys - but I do have moving pictures that may or may not be me that shows the result of different intents for the same potion recipe. I learned through experience that you cannot drink the potion twice in one day without extreme pain, so keep that in mind," Ash explained with a sigh when he saw that almost everyone showed interest.

Naturally, Ash didn't carry such pictures with him, but he was able to show them by asking Monsy the house elf who gladly and quickly delivered a small stack of moving pictures from his study that Ash duplicated for a short few minutes while keeping the originals. It wouldn't do that someone took one of these originals and spread them through the school or elsewhere after all.

"Damn! This is what you look like under your fancy coat?" A rather bold Ravenclaw witch shouted with a spellbound expression.

'Of course,' Ash thought. These were teenagers, same as him... why did he think it would go any differently when he showed them pictures of him in nothing but shorts on his body. To be fair, though, this was exactly what he wore when he went swimming in the Black Lake earlier this week, and he was seen by quite a few students who had joined him at the lake.

"You can go from ghoul to Hagrid with just one potion?" George asked with an excited expression, completely missing the kind of look his girlfriend Angelina gave the picture showing Ash in a physique akin to a greek god.

"Yeah, kind of. Though, to successfully bulk up and make it last, you need to drink a higher volume of the potion if your goal is Hagrid, who is a half-giant. There's a few caveats you need to keep in mind like bone structure, but the concept works just fine," Ash answered with a serious nod.

"Doesn't this mean we wouldn't need to train our bodies under taskmaster Oliver again?" Fred asked with shining eyes. Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor quidditch captain set to graduate this year, was known for his rigorous demands in physical conditioning his team has to follow.

"I'll have to dash your expectations. You will not become an Olympian athlete or Quidditch professional for nothing after drinking the potion. Sure, I can brew potions that increase muscle density, but these muscles in the last picture are mostly for show, I'm afraid. Additionally, just because you gain a new body, it does not mean you know how to use it," Ash denied and dashed most of George's hopes but that didn't last long when he finally recognised Angelina's look. He'd have to ask Ash for one of those potions later to get lucky, he thought with an internal smirk.

A few minutes and several questions later, someone finally asked Ash about another example. Though, the Slytherin wizard did gain a few stink eyes when the pictures in the hands of all the students vanished. He wanted to cry out that his question had nothing to with the duplication charm running out, but instead, he kept a stoic expression and ignored the looks.

"There's a few. In France, there exists a particularly popular pain relieving potion that is mostly unused in Britain because the main ingredient only grows on the Côte d'Azur. Through different intents, this potion is easily able to alleviate different kinds of pain and shows amazing results for people suffering from pain through permanent spell damage. You'd have to ask my fellow potion master Pierre-Pascal Perimont from the South of France for more answers if you are interested in such a potion," Ash described before thinking of another example.

"There's the Skele-gro potion invented by Rubens Winikus that replaced all other bone-mending potions. With different intents, you can actually influence the outcome of the regrowing bone instead of it growing into an exact natural replica - interestingly, you can even influence the color of the newly grown bone."

"I myself am currently working on intent-variants of my personal Wit-Sharpening potion variant. The twins should be familiar," Ash said with a nod to the preening redheads. "It's designed as a test of the limits of the technique, because I'm not only trying to change the effect of the potion, I'm also trying to alter the duration of its effect and I'm trying to achieve intensity changes during it."

"Through just your intent while brewing the potion? No changed ingredients or stirring or some other changes to the recipe?"

"Other techniques might follow later on during the research, to see if changes while stirring or any other alteration would increase the potency of the intent - but right now I'm solely focused on achieving it through intent alone," Ash answered with a shrug toward the Slytherin asking his question with an unbelieving look.

The more knowledgeable students were sure that Ash was by far not the first wizard to realize that intent can influence a potion. Many ancient geniuses had likely figured that out long ago. But the problem was that either they didn't write it down for future generations or the knowledge was lost or kept from the public.

And wasn't that exciting? If Ash could find such a breakthrough just because his master told him something in passing and he was only two or three years older than them, younger by a year even when he gained his mastery - didn't that mean that they could find some ancient piece of knowledge, too?

As the class ended half an hour later, many Ravenclaw students practically sprinted toward the library to read the most ancient of tomes to see if they could find some hidden wisdom that wizards of old treated as common knowledge and wrote down in passing. Ash could only wish them good luck.

He wasn't entirely truthful, after all. The tip his master gave wasn't meant for a healing potion, it was the key to channel his righteous fury when creating the karmic retribution potion, and his master originally meant something entirely different than what he understood.

Griselda wanted him to channel his anger into his work ethic only because he was disheartened at his lack in progress when creating the potion. Instead, Ash, in his prepubescent angst, developed a long forgotten potioneering technique anew. It was hard to copy that achievement while browsing dusty tomes...

'At least the advice is sound. Healing potions do become better with the correct intent in mind,' Ash excused inwardly.

Later at dinner that day, Ash found himself sitting in his study instead of the Great Hall. And he had a most esteemed guest sitting with him while eating quiche - a savory sweet variant. Ash found a recipe for it that quickly turned into one of Dumbledore's favorite dishes.

"So they won't cancel the Triwizard tournament to spare themselves even more embarrassment on the international stage? Did someone use Umbridge as Stupefy-target-practice when she was a child? We're already jokes after the Quidditch World Cup anyway," Ash responded with a frown when he heard Dumbledore's news.

"Trust me, I know how you feel. But Dolores Umbridge is not the one pushing for its continuance the most. That would be Barty Crouch Senior in a bit to raise his chances at the coming election. I have raised concern after concern to make them decrease the potential danger to our students if the tournament is to be held, but I get the feeling Crouch Senior and Mr Bagman won't see reason in this," Dumbledore explained with a concerned frown.

"We'll have to make sure only the most proficient and knowledgeable students attempt to become the champion then. Have you thought of countermeasures?"

The headmaster nodded.

"Indeed, Ashbert - several. First of all, the election of the school's representitive, as is tradition, will be done by the Goblet of Fire. An ancient artifact that binds all champions to the tournament with a magical contract. The Goblet by itself will select only from among the most promising students from those who enter their names - and I plan to erect an age-line to make sure no students below the sixth grade and under seventeen will be able to try their chances," the aged wizard offered before giving Ash a meaningful look.

"Uh, I'm not a student anymore. Please don't get your hopes up that you can somehow smuggle me into the tournament with a polyjuice potion or something," Ash unsurely quipped when he saw the look on the centennial in front of him.

"You misunderstand, Ashbert. I was hoping that you would remain suspended voluntarily, at least until the first task is over, should the governors be elected before then and recuse themselves from the investigation of their predecessors."

A short frown flittered across Ash's face before understanding dawned on it.

"Professors are forbidden from directly helping the students of their school, right? You want me as back-up in case something unforseen happens or if the champions struggle to come up with answers to a ludicrously lethal first task?"

Dumbledore gave Ash an appreciative nod.

"It is as you say. You see reason where others see profit, and I know you have the best interest of this new generation of magicals in your heart. With your unique position, I feel like you would be best equipped for such a role," the headmaster affirmed before he gave Ash a mischievous wink. "And no worries, your pay will not be reduced during that time."

"Ha! If I was in it for the money, I'd do a Lockhart and write twenty books for my students to buy and price them at sky-high prices like he did. No, trust me on this. The vaults of House Starkey won't run empty because they lack my salary after the days of Tristan Starkey, the son of our founder," Ash reassured the headmaster.

"I remember. He somehow managed to trick the goblins into paying his family a single sickle every time they offer wards as a service that are based or derived from his designs whether they were originally his or submitted by him to the goblins," Dumbledore sagely nodded and voiced his doubt on another matter, "I still wonder sometimes why your family is on such good terms with the goblin nation despite there being such a magical contract in place. I would not have wondered if they would have wiped you out discretely during the last war..."

"Goblins are bloodthirsty and greedy, but they aren't monsters. The money lost might sting an individual goblin, but as a nation, they look quite favorably on Tristan Starkey for his honorable conduct during the negotiation. He used a loophole in one of their ancient contracts because of his wit, and he didn't step over the line in his demands. Imagine how it would look if they had to pay 10 galleons instead of a sickle. My family would have never survived another generation. Or, they would have done everything in their power to never use one of Tristan Starkey's warding schemes every again."

"So they pay this 'small' sum as a reminder that a wizard got one over on them during the signing of a contract?" Dumbledore asked with a raised brow.

"That's what it says in the grimoire," Ash confirmed. More than just spells, ward schematics, or potion recipes, important happenings are noted down in a family grimoire as well, to teach an heir of the deeds of their family and impart valuable life lessons.

"So, are you willing to help out the young champions? The first task in the tournament is famously the grand opening, challenging the contenders to overcome a XXXX or even XXXXX ranked magical beast in some form or another," the headmaster asked with a somber expression on his aged face.

"If Professor Snape is fine with our arrangement thus far, I will agree. I do have one condition, however."

Dumbledore raised a brow, "Oh?"

"I'd like to become the full-time potion professor next year should Alastor retire like all before him, allowing you to give Professor Snape his dream position," Ash explained with a blank expression.

"What about your healing mastery?" The headmaster asked with a tilted head.

"I have plans for that, but the short of it is that my mastery might be close to finished by the start of the next year," Ash offered.

"Truly? How? Poppy mentioned they raised the bar you must pass after the Wizengamot session."

Ash nodded, "That they did. But they failed to anticipate just how ingenious my insight into diagnostics is because of my family magics as well as the training in healing I received during my mastery with Griselda."

"Hag-touched-healing? The Welsh coven taught you that?" Dumbledore's eyebrows raised almost into his hairline.

"I must admit I'm a little surprised Poppy kept fully quiet on that. But yeah, I learned a few basics that gave me a unique window into the teachings provided by Poppy. Griselda was very pleased with me gaining a second mastery and chose healing so she holds back even less than the years before in our correspondence. Also, with a few of my special-brand Wit-Sharpening potions, I did most of the rote memorization required of me over the summer and during this time where I didn't teach," Ash concluded. "I'll use this time to write spell compendiums of various levels and for the many fields of healing that are sorely needed together with Poppy - that combined with my ritual diagnostic spell should be enough for a healing mastery despite the challenge they want to pose on me. Well, that combined with the increased time I have for healing lessons by Poppy will allow me to hit the mark."

"Remarkable," was all Dumbledore had to offer with an awed look and a warm smile. He silenty thought on the matter for a moment, weighing all the consequences in his mind and reached a conclusion.

"Alright, if Alastor does retire from his post and nothing hinders you from taking over full-time, I will make you the potions professor in lieu of Severus becoming the Defense Against Dark Arts professor - or whatever the course might be called in the coming school year," Dumbledore promised, though with mirth in his voice at the end.

"Oh? Do you have hopes that this alleged curse on the position of the job of DADA professor will be gone next school year?"

"You held up a mirror, Ashbert. And none of us liked what we saw, even me. What did you say at the Wizengamot session when you glared at me during your rant about the position of DADA professor? 'How you all simply take this humiliation while pretending to be proud of your noble heritage... I'd curse you all, but I don't want to accidentally maim any of you with mere words due to your poor education in DADA' - and you were right. I have allowed the governors to have too much leniency in keeping a situation from improving because of politics. After I repeated your words to the portraits of the former headmasters, they all agreed that you chose your words well. It is indeed a humiliation."

Ash looked a little sheepish. He wasn't aware that he made such an impression on the headmaster and his predecessors. He did, however, not regret it one bit. Like he just admitted himself, Albus Dumbledore was in the wrong.