In Harry Potter as Neville Longbottom

Chapter 13: My potion against Horcrux

"Good evening, Professor Ravenclaw," I greeted my new professor. Over the months she has been overlooking my progress over the runes and through her subtle guidance, I had managed to avoid several mistakes.

My runes knowledge had improved but it is nowhere near where I expected. Just remembering all the symbols and their clear meaning was a mind-boggling task.

"Neville, I hope you can speed up your progress in runes so that you can actually pass my test. You hardly have four months left and there will be winter breaks in between." Professor reminded me in a stern tone which showed her disappointment in my progress.

"No worries professor. I need to get basics right but trust me, my knowledge or speed is not slow."

"I pray the same little lion. I pray the same." She told me and then went on to reading the books kept in the ROR. This was her new hobby. Sometimes I just have to open the ROR so she could go inside and read the books and then open the door later for her on time.

This may seem like a fruitless task but it has built a certain trust between us and that is more than anything I can ask for now.

After the horrible Quidditch game in the morning when I knew Harry will eventually 'catch' the snitch in the game, I left to visit the banned books section in the library. I know Dubledoer will watch the library this year very carefully but there are always students breaking into this section.

Some just to taste the forbidden fruit with their partners in the library or some just to find the forbidden knowledge. Anyway, I have good excuses for it.

I enter the library at night and there is no one inside. There is hardly any protection charm or power charms to keep someone away. I think this is because our Gandalf wants harry to have no issue in breaking into this section. Anyway, makes my task easier.

I look through several books kept on these shelves.

" 'Potions and power', 'Lost knowledge of Merlocs', 'Art of cursing', 'voodoo basics'... These are really fascinating. It's like a starter package for any future dark lord. For now, let's start with Potions." I said to myself.

Why Potions? Because to destroy the Horcrux without damaging the items they use as containers I have an idea of using potions in the first step of my plan. I remember Dumbledore destroyed the gaunt's ring yet it worked perfectly. But I am not strong enough like Dumbledore to do that.

Also, I don't have a magical sword and basilisk venom will simply destroy anything and everything. So, potions. What potion? Well, I named it 'Aqua Benedicta'. Cheesy I know. But well the purpose suits the name. (Latin for Holy water)

There is no formula for it but I got inspired during reading this tale of a wizard prince who once used the Wiggenweld Potion to awaken a princess who had been given the Draught of Living Death. The prince first put some of the Wiggenweld Potion on his lips and then kissed the princess, causing her to awaken from her death-like slumber.

So, this potion can awaken someone from such a powerful potion and awaken a spirit that has been forced to go to sleep. Hence the idea of using a potion, to force the spirit out of an object and then to give it a new home.

My plan acts in three steps to be clear.

1) Force the spirit out of Horcrux.

2) Provide a new container

3) Destroy the new container.

So, for the very first step, I need a strong potion. Currently, I am experimenting with the following ingredients.

Aqua Benedicta Ingredients:

- Moly

- Wiggentree's bark

- Silver powder

- Powdered unicorn horn

( fighting evil and dark energy)

- Flobberworm Mucus ( to thicken the potion )

- Asphodel flowers and roots ( to connect with death)

- Ashwinder's eggs ( boiling the potion with pure heat/fire )

- Mature Mandrake plant powder ( awakening a soul in slumber )

- Moondrew flowers ( soothing the agitated soul)

My intent is to first destroy the black and evil magic of Horcrux and then awaken the hiding soul in the object. It will be then boiled in the pure fire of ashwinder's eggs and then to prevent it making active, mandrake and moondrew will be added. In theory, this should work. But I am trying to learn if I missed something.

"'Moste Potente Potions by Phineas Bourne' nice! This should have something for me." Finding a rare book on advanced potion making, I left the library. If Dumbledore is watching, he can't think too much about this.

I came back to ROR and found Professor still reading. I opened this new book and looked at various listed potions and ingredients and a few caught my eye.

'Deadly Nightshade' was used heavily in many poisons and this was something that was present in ROR in huge quantity and there was also mention of 'Unicorn hair', 'fire seeds' and 'Angel's Trumpet'.

These alone were very distinctive potion ingredients but if used together they can create a soul poison 'Soul Shaker'. This potion can make a wizard feel extreme pain at soul level in theory but was never successfully concocted.

Unicorn hair won't mix properly with fire seeds before burning and their holy nature will contradict with Angel's trumpet.

But what about Ashwinder's eggs and unicorn horn powder? And nightshade can give hallucinations and charm a soul into a dream state if used heavily and acts as a strong poison. Perfect.

I think my Aqua Benedicta will need these. All I need is to practice and create a perfect recipe that should not take me more than 3 years if done daily.

All in all, this is a money-burning project and I need my house elves to make the potion on daily basis. This will definitely empty my vault and I must find a way to make more money before selling all this stuff after Christmas.

"How the hell am I going to make money now!" Was my thought before heading back to the dorm? Professor Ravenclaw left the room and we parted ways. I kept thinking about this when I found my money-making machine.

The Weasley twins in the common room and my cute Puffskein that was hiding in my pocket. Well, I had collected a few during my trips near the lake and I think I should introduce the future cute pets 'Pygmy Puff' to the twins now.

These creatures were cute enough for pets and hardly needed any care like owls or cats. Hopefully, this should be enough.