[Quest: Hufflepuff's Glory! Completed!]
[Title: "Upright, Loyal, Honest, Unafraid of Hardship" Acquired!]
[Effect: When cultivating herbs, quality increases by 20%; when cooking, quality increases by 20%; when brewing potions, quality increases by 20%.]
This was the reward Link received after offering up the Hufflepuff Cup.
But that wasn't all.
When the cup let out that faint hum, Link could clearly feel that Helga Hufflepuff in the portrait seemed to come alive and cast her gaze toward him.
Her eyes carried a strange kind of magic, making Link feel as though his entire being had been seen through.
Link had never believed himself to be a good person.
And because of that, when faced with Helga Hufflepuff's "gaze," he felt guilty.
The feeling was like that of a wanderer who had been away from home for years without achieving anything, suddenly being asked by his mother how he had been doing.
That intense sense of having failed expectations made Link instinctively close his eyes and lower his head.
But when he finally couldn't bear it anymore and opened his eyes again, what he saw was only the trace of pain and concern on Lady Hufflepuff's face.
Not only that, somewhere beyond perception, it seemed as though Lady Hufflepuff had also placed something unseen and intangible into his body.
It wasn't a curse, nor was it some potion that enhanced strength.
If described using game terminology from his past life, it was more like a kind of mental power that restored sanity points.
Washed by this power, Link felt his heart suddenly loosen.
The gloom, pressure, and all kinds of negative thoughts that had been pressing on his chest like a mountain melted away instantly, like snow under a spring sun.
This shocked Link.
Because what he had done long ago no longer aligned with Hufflepuff's creed.
As for uprightness, those who had died directly or indirectly because of him could nearly fill the entire Great Hall.
As for loyalty, right now he was plotting how to seize the legacy of his ally, Dumbledore.
As for honesty, to achieve his goals, he had long since lost count of how many lies he had told.
Among all these qualities, perhaps only "unafraid of hardship" barely still applied to him.
Even after becoming like this, would Lady Hufflepuff still be willing to accept him?
The moment this question arose, Link already had his answer.
So-called uprightness, loyalty, honesty, and fearlessness were merely the qualities Lady Hufflepuff hoped her students would possess.
What truly made Hufflepuff precious was impartial kindness.
No matter how poor your talent was, no matter your character, even if the other three houses all rejected you, as long as you were willing, Hufflepuff's doors would still open for you.
Hufflepuff was merciful.
She could never harden her heart enough to let a child arrive at Hogwarts full of hope, only to leave in disappointment because no house would accept them.
So she embraced every child.
And filled them with her most sincere and beautiful blessings and expectations.
Panting heavily, Link raised his head and met the gaze of Helga Hufflepuff's portrait above.
The surging emotion and gratitude in his heart were almost impossible to put into words.
Fortunately, mixed in among classmates who were just as wildly excited, his condition didn't stand out, and no one noticed anything unusual.
"All right! Everyone, step back!"
Professor Sprout's voice brought the crowd back to some degree of calm.
Following her instructions, everyone retreated a bit, clearing space for the cup by the fireplace.
With a solemn expression, Professor Sprout pulled out her wand. With a few quick motions, a layer of golden light enveloped the Hufflepuff Cup.
This made many eyes widen.
But the golden light quickly faded.
"The cup will stay here," Professor Sprout announced.
"I've placed spells around it. Unless Dumbledore himself comes, no one will be able to take it out of the Hufflepuff common room without me noticing!"
"But that's still not enough! The cup is Lady Hufflepuff's glory, and it's the treasure of every Hufflepuff! I need you to swear that no matter what happens, you will protect it. Can you do that?"
A loud chorus of agreement immediately rang out from the crowd. Only then did Professor Sprout nod in satisfaction.
"Good. Then all of you hurry back now! Be good, don't crowd around the cup. You'll have plenty of time to look at it later. There are classes tomorrow!"
The excited students were reluctant.
But under the scolding of the prefects and Professor Sprout herself, everyone eventually began flowing toward their dormitories.
At that moment, however, Professor Sprout grabbed Link by the arm.
"Oh! Merlin! The Hufflepuff Cup is actually back! I still feel like I'm dreaming!"
She sighed emotionally. "Link, thank you for what you've done for Hufflepuff House! Tomorrow, no! Right now I'm going to tell Flitwick and the others this good news! And of course, the alumni too! They'll all be grateful to you!"
Link smiled and replied, "There's no need, Professor Sprout. I'm a Hufflepuff too. This is what I should do, isn't it?"
Professor Sprout froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Yes, yes, that's very well said! But the thanks that are due absolutely won't be missing! Don't worry, you won't be disappointed!"
With that, she stopped paying attention to Link and jogged out of the common room.
Watching her sturdy figure disappear, Link didn't return to the dormitories like the others.
Instead, he waited a while, then left and walked through the darkness all the way to the Room of Requirement.
He switched it into potion laboratory mode and began laying out The Slytherin Grimoire along with his usual potion-making equipment on the workbench, one item at a time.
He needed to test the effects of the title "Upright, Loyal, Honest, Unafraid of Hardship."
In his current combat system, potions were playing a smaller and smaller role.
The various enhancement potions he had once gone to great lengths to recreate were now rarely used. He had even given up on the extra benefits that might have come from leveling them up.
This wasn't because of any difficulty.
It was simply because those potions no longer provided much benefit to his current combat ability.
And it wasn't just those potions.
Strictly speaking, the entire modern wizarding potion system had largely abandoned research into combat-enhancing effects.
Potion masters now preferred to make support-type potions, antidotes, healing draughts, recovery tonics, and the like.
This was an unavoidable outcome caused by material limitations.
Materials with strong enhancement properties had long since been used to extinction by earlier generations of potion masters.
And now, the title "Upright, Loyal, Honest, Unafraid of Hardship" gave Link a new opportunity.
An opportunity to bring those powerful enhancement potions of the past back onto the modern stage.
"Phew~"
Letting out a long breath, the magic produced by Occlumency spread from the top of Link's head, carrying a cool sensation, until his entire being entered a state close to absolute rationality.
He then opened The Slytherin Grimoire and slowly pulled out two inserted pages.
On them were written...
[Mental Stimulation Elixir]
[Battle God's Roar Secret Draught]
These two potions had been carefully selected by Link from the grimoire, balancing effectiveness with feasibility.
The Mental Stimulation Elixir increased the body's tolerance for magical circulation for a certain period after consumption, allowing spells to be cast faster and more efficiently, effectively reducing spell cooldown time.
The Battle God's Roar Secret Draught was even more direct.
It temporarily increased raw magical power and amplified magical effects.
Of course, because the original ingredients had gone extinct and needed replacements, even with the new title, Link wasn't certain he could successfully recreate either potion.
And even if he did, the exact effects and duration caused by the substitute materials would still require live testing.
In the Room of Requirement, bright as day, Link didn't hesitate long before immersing himself in potion brewing.
At this moment, he was focused. Emotionless.
Blackroot grass, crab-claw orchid, cast-iron plant, lionfish spine powder, fire salamander blood…
Ingredient after ingredient was reduced to liquid or powder in his dragon-hide-gloved hands, then poured into the boiling cauldron.
The entire process was crisp, swift, and smooth, without the slightest hesitation.
There was no need for hesitation.
He had already simulated the brewing process of these two potions countless times. Every step had been rigorously considered and long since carved into his instincts.
This busy work continued for nearly an hour before Link finally had a moment to breathe.
He covered the cauldrons filled with ingredients, then began timing by feeling his own pulse while carefully observing the shape of the smoke drifting from the gaps in the lids.
This step was critical, both brewing time and flame intensity would directly affect the final product.
And just then, the door of the Room of Requirement opened again.
Snape walked in, wearing his eternally unchanged attire.
Link didn't acknowledge him, didn't even glance in his direction.
Snape also didn't speak immediately.
His nose twitched as he took a deep breath of the potion-scented air, then his brows furrowed.
"You shouldn't keep wasting your effort on those ancient recipes. Past experience has already proven they're pointless."
Snape's emotionless voice echoed through the room.
But Link acted as though he hadn't heard a thing.
After a strange silence, Snape moved closer and said again, "Did you promise Harry Potter to teach him Occlumency?"
"Yes."
Link replied softly, his eyes still locked on the cauldron.
"And who gave you permission to do that?!"
Snape finally showed emotion, raising his voice in a low roar, "You know very well what's involved, yet you still made that decision!"
Link frowned slightly, clearly displeased by Snape's shouting.
He lifted the cauldron lid and stirred clockwise twice with a quartz rod, then answered irrelevantly, "Where did Dumbledore go?"
Snape fell silent.
The question seemed to snap him out of his anger.
The emotion drained from his face, leaving behind the same indifference as Link's.
"Link, what are you trying to do?"
"Do what I should do."
"And what exactly do you mean by 'what you should do'?!"
This time, Link finally turned his head and looked at Snape.
"Keep you alive."
"Ha!"
Snape couldn't help laughing.
There was a trace of relief and regret in his eyes as he waved a hand.
"I've made too many mistakes in my life. I should've died long ago. Link, promise me, don't hurt Harry. He is my..."
Bang!
Link suddenly exploded into motion.
In a flash, he was in front of Snape, grabbing his collar with both hands and slamming him against the wall.
"Whether you deserve to die stopped being your decision long ago! If I don't allow you to die, then you absolutely won't die! Do you understand?!"
Link roared, his expression twisted with fury.
"As for all that old, rotten history, I don't care! I just need you alive!"
Despite being treated so roughly, Snape wasn't angry.
On the contrary, a relieved smile appeared on his face.
He smiled and reached out, patting Link's head.
"You're being far too selfish."
Link didn't respond.
He turned his head to avoid Snape's hand, set him down, and returned to the workbench, dumping out all the potion liquid in the cauldron, the interruption had ruined the stirring; this batch was already wasted.
Snape seemed to have gotten the answer he wanted.
He sighed softly, lowered his head, and walked toward the door with a hint of loneliness.
Creak~
The door opened, but Snape didn't step through.
He remained hidden in the shadows and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Dumbledore went to Germany during the Christmas holiday. He's already returned to Britain and is currently with members of the Order of the Phoenix. He likely won't be back at Hogwarts anytime soon."
"Also, Voldemort's side is preparing to take over Azkaban, recruiting Dementors and freeing the Death Eaters imprisoned there."
"Link, even I can roughly see what you're planning. There's no way Dumbledore hasn't noticed."
"The fact that he hasn't acted yet, and has even deliberately given you space, means he's probably waiting for you to slip up, or he has plans of his own.
"So be careful."
[T/N: There's a monthly discount ongoing on my P@treon page for the next three days. You can get 20% off on your membership. Enjoy~
p@treon. cum/AmbitiousTranslator ]