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Chapter 8 - Chapter 8 The Potions Master Assessment

===Status===

Name Harry J. Potter

Title Hidden Prodigy

Level 11

HP 110 / 110

MP 550 / 550

EXP 0 / 1600

Pow 80

End 87

Dex 115

AGI 110

MAG 160

INT 195

===Skill===

1.Gamer's Mind MAX (Passive) Provides immunity to psychological stress, fear, and confusion.

2.Gamer's Body MAX (Passive) Converts body into a game avatar; restores health upon rest/leveling.

3.Basic Clean-up Charm LVL 22 Silent, non-verbal proficiency in cleaning and tidying minor messes.

4.Silent Casting LVL 20 Reduces the need for verbal components in spell-casting (MP cost high).

5.Stealth LVL 15 Allows for highly effective non-magical evasion and subtle movement.

6.Mana Flow (New!) LVL 1 Unlocked ability for slight, passive MP regeneration.

7.Basic Transfiguration LVL 1 Basic knowledge of Transfiguration principles and spells (e.g., Match to Needle).

8.Knowledge Acquisition LVL 5 (Passive) Enhanced ability to absorb and retain information from books/lessons.

9.Undetectable Focus Innate Trait Allows high concentration that is difficult for others (non-magically) to perceive.

10.Gryffindor's Resolve (Passive) Grants a minor passive bonus to END and POW when fighting in defense of others, or when facing enemies of a much higher level.

===Inventory===

1.Gold (System Currency) Tier 1 1050 G (Hidden from Wizarding World)

2.Galleons (Wizarding Currency) Tier 1 Approx. 450 G (Public Funds)

3.Holly and Phoenix Feather Wand Legendary +50% casting efficiency for light magic. Twin Core Match.

===Companion===

1.Hedwig Companion Loyal Snowy Owl. (Skill: Perfect Delivery LVL 1)

The first week of classes was a blur of information intake, exactly what Harry had optimized his build for.

While the other students struggled with the pace, Harry's high INT and Knowledge Acquisition made every lecture a direct injection of learning.

Charms and Transfiguration were immediately categorized as highly efficient MAG grinding zones.

However, the first real challenge came on Friday afternoon in the dungeon, where the Potions classroom was located.

The air was cold, and the walls were lined with preserved creatures and ingredients.

Professor Severus Snape swept into the room, his black robes billowing dramatically.

Appraisal: Severus Snape. Level: [ERROR: LEVEL TOO HIGH] (Estimate: 130+).

Trait: Master Potioner (MAX), Rancor (High).

Warning: Extreme caution advised. High INT and MAG output.

Snape's voice was a low, cutting drawl that silenced the room instantly.

Harry sat next to Ron, ready to engage his INT.

Snape launched into a lecture, but it was less instruction and more deliberate intimidation.

Harry watched as Snape's eyes settled on him.

"Ah, yes. Harry Potter,"

Snape sneered, pausing dramatically.

"Our new celebrity."

Harry kept his expression bland, meeting Snape's gaze with a carefully manufactured blend of curiosity and polite attention.

Snape then fired off a barrage of complex theoretical questions designed to expose pure ignorance.

"Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Ron groaned beside him.

Hermione's hand shot into the air, trembling with eagerness.

Harry, however, did not raise his hand.

He didn't want to show off immediately, but he couldn't afford to fail this knowledge check.

System Check: Potions Theory (INT Check).

Question Difficulty: High.

Harry immediately accessed the reference texts logged by Knowledge Acquisition (thanks to Hermione's tutoring).

Data Retrieval: Advanced Potion-Making, Chapter 4...

Harry answered clearly, calmly, and without hesitation.

"You would get the Draught of Living Death, sir."

The room was silent. Snape's dark eyes narrowed slightly, betraying a flicker of surprise before returning to pure venom.

"You read the introductory texts then, Potter. A commendable effort for a celebrity. Now, tell me, where would you look if I asked you to find a bezoar?"

"The stomach of a goat, sir. It's a stone that serves as an antidote to most poisons,"

Harry replied instantly.

"And finally, Potter, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Hermione's hand was practically dislocating her shoulder, silently begging to answer.

Harry suppressed a sigh. He knew this was a trick question designed to test depth of knowledge, not just surface facts.

"There is no difference, sir,"

Harry stated, maintaining eye contact.

"They are the same plant, known by three different names: Monkshood, Wolfsbane, and Aconite."

Snape went rigid. The intended humiliation of the famous boy had failed spectacularly.

His attempt to demonstrate Harry's arrogance and ignorance was countered by flawless INT.

[MISSION COMPLETE: Initial Knowledge Check]

Objective: Successfully answer all three of Professor Snape's trick questions.

Reward: 150 EXP, +1 INT, Potions Skill Unlock.

INT: 195 → 196

Potions (New!) LVL 1 Unlocked.

Snape's voice was dangerously quiet.

"Correct, Potter. It seems some of you have actually bothered to study."

He deliberately ignored Hermione's raised hand.

"Five points to Gryffindor for answering the questions the rest of you were too dull to look up."

The rest of the class was devoted to brewing a simple Cure for Boils.

[MISSION ACQUIRED: Basic Potions Practice]

Objective: Successfully brew a Cure for Boils of satisfactory quality.

Reward: 50 EXP, Potions Skill Proficiency.

Failure Condition: Potions explosion (HP loss likely).

Harry, working with Ron, took immediate command. Ron was clumsy and nervous, but Harry, leveraging his high Dex and the theoretical knowledge provided by his INT, directed the preparation meticulously.

"No, Ron! Chop the snake fangs into evenly sized pieces, not crush them. It affects the dissolution rate. The book specifies 'chopped,' not 'crushed.'"

Harry handled the delicate job of stirring and adding ingredients.

His mind was calculating the exact thermal gradient and timing required for the potion to stabilize—far beyond the scope of a first-year's understanding.

He was not brewing by rote; he was brewing by applied physics.

His potion, despite Ron's near-disastrous addition of too much horned slug, turned out a perfect, vibrant blue.

It was easily the best potion in the class, surpassed only by Hermione's, which was also flawless.

Snape inspected Harry's cauldron, a muscle twitching near his jaw. He could not, by any objective measure, fault the work.

"A passable effort, Potter. Beginner's luck, no doubt."

Harry just nodded politely, logging the Potions class as a high-yield Grinding Area.

Snape was a harsh but objective grader, and his high INT meant every task provided a significant challenge and reward.

He had successfully established his position as an unassailable, if irritatingly intelligent, student.

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