Chapter 330 The Wind Is Howling and a Heavy Rain Is Coming

Sunday night.

The auditorium was decorated with hundreds of candle-lit pumpkins, a swarm of live bats flying around, and many orange banners stained with flames, like colorful water snakes, on the ceiling that was brewing a storm. Drifting lazily.

Looking at the tempting delicacies on the table, the little wizards who had their bellies full in the Honeydukes Candy Shop were a little worried.

My stomach said I couldn't eat anymore, but my brain and tongue wanted more.

While enjoying the food, Loren turned his attention to the guest of honor seat.

Leopardskin Flower's improved version of Wolfsbane potion should be very successful. Professor Lupine looked the same as usual and was chatting animatedly with the little Professor Flitwick.

If anything was wrong, it was probably Professor Snape, whose eyes were flicking to Lupine an unusually high number of times.

An open space was cleared in front of the auditorium, and a straight stage was set up. Sir Nicholas reenacted the experience of being beheaded, and it was a great success...at least it was an eye-opener for the first-year students.

The lively and joyful Halloween has passed like this, and November has entered Hogwarts.

The weather became colder, and the north wind blew continuously, making some old wooden windows in the castle crackle. When the cold wind blows through the corridor late at night, it will emit a wailing female voice, like a howling banshee hiding in the shadows of the corridor. For this reason, the number of little wizards wandering at night has significantly decreased.

On an ordinary Friday night, before the torches in the castle went out, Loren came to the underground Slytherin Head of House's office.

The effect of the leopard skin flower version of wolfsbane potion has been confirmed. Judging from Professor Lu Ping's physical and mental conditions after taking the medicine, the increased concentration of leopard skin flower concentrate is more effective than Rafflesia flower to some extent.

It's just that the controlled experiment hasn't been completed yet. This month it's the turn of the corpse-smelling konjac.

Loren silently prayed for Professor Lupin and knocked on the office door.

Snape was sitting behind the desk, working as usual, with the notebook in front of him that recorded his experiences on the African continent. He held a quill in his right hand, with the tip hanging in the air, about half an inch from the paper.

He seems to be hesitating how to write.

Seeing Loren come in, Snape inserted the quill into the ink bottle and nodded slightly, the luster in his eyes changing.

"Professor, here are some records of Professor Lupine after taking the medicine..." Loren took out a parchment form. The handwriting on it was crooked. It looked like Lupine had dug it out bit by bit with his werewolf claws. In some places, there were even Got busted.

While Snape was reading the report, Loren explained: "From an effect point of view, the leopard skin flower extract with a higher concentration is much more effective than the Rafflesia flower. Judging from Professor Lupine's description, the effect of maintaining sanity is It was also effective for a longer period of time, until noon the next day after the transformation, he was always very energetic and couldn't sleep even if he wanted to."

"...So, I think we can lower the concentration appropriately, or reduce the amount of concentrate added." Loren secretly glanced at Snape.

The crooked handwriting made Snape frown. Thinking that Lupine had dug it out with a wolf's claw, he was even more disgusted. However, in order to improve the Wolfsbane potion, he still read it patiently.

Putting the report on the table, Snape frowned tightly, thought for a moment, and asked slowly: "If the effectiveness of the Wolfsbane potion is to be extended, what ideas do you have for improving it?"

"Prolong the effect of the potion..." Loren muttered and repeated, slowly nodding his head.

The effectiveness of the current Wolfsbane Potion modified from Leopard Skin Flower has already kept Professor Lupine awake at noon the next day. Snape definitely did not mean to make Wolfsbane Potion into a wake-up agent to keep Lupine awake. Sleep, sudden death.

"Professor, you mean...drinking the medicine once for several months?" Loren asked tentatively.

"Hmm." Snape snorted impatiently from his nose.

Loren frowned slowly, following this line of thought, and fell into deep thinking.

When he improved the wolfsbane potion based on several stinky flowers, he carefully understood the wolfsbane potion. The mechanism of action of the wolfsbane potion is very complicated, and there are many ways to take effect. They are not isolated, but work together together.

The werewolf must drink the potion one week before the full moon. During this week, the active ingredients and magic power in the potion will flow through the body along the blood and fall into a dormant state.

One of the effective ways is that when the full moon magic induces the werewolf's transformation, it activates the wolfsbane potion and awakens the sleeping potion magic. This magic keeps the werewolf from being captured by the wild and becoming a captive of flesh and blood. Maintaining the werewolf's sobriety and sanity.

But this magic is mandatory to maintain sanity, which is why Professor Lupine still has to wait until noon the next day to fall asleep after returning to human form.

"If you forcibly increase the dosage of the drug and prolong the time it takes for the drug to take effect... it will only cause the werewolf to lose sleep, and at least he will fall into madness, and at worst..."

At this point Loren paused and shook his head slightly, "Professor, I can't think of a solution right now."

"You are still too young and have insufficient experience in potion research and development..." Snape said calmly, his tone was very calm, and it could be heard that this was just an objective reminder, not a reproach.

Snape's fingers subconsciously tapped on the report, and he felt a slight touch on the damaged part of the paper. He then moved towards the notebook with disgust. He glanced at Loren and considered his words:

"In the primitive African tribes, the relationship between wizards and Muggles is different from ours. Some wizards are respected as tribal...well, elders, priests, shamans, or something else...although they abide by the International Federation of Wizards The system generally does not disclose the existence of the magical world to Muggles."

"But the rich Muggle countries occasionally send people to assist primitive tribes. I have seen a kind of Muggle tablet medicine in those tribes. It cannot be broken, chewed, or ground into powder." Snape used his unfamiliar The limited Muggle knowledge guided Loren's thinking, "Because the potion that really works is too powerful, it must-"

"Sustained release medicine!"

Loren's eyes lit up and he called out the type of medicine.

Sustained-release drugs refer to preparations that slowly release drugs in the patient's body after oral administration. Compared with ordinary preparations, the frequency of administration is reduced, which can increase the patient's compliance or reduce the side effects of the drug.

"Professor, what do you want to do?"

"This is a topic I plan to carry out in the Potions Club. You can continue with the previous experiments." Snape glanced at him with an indifferent expression.

"Okay." Loren replied obediently, praying for Professor Lupin again in his heart.

"..."

Snape handed him this month's information about the corpse-smelling Konjac, and by the way mentioned that invitation letters to the Potions Club will be sent out soon. This time, the requirements should be relaxed and more people will be admitted: "Both the first-year students and the second-year students will be invited." Recruiting, including those recruited from other grades, we will first find some rue and sap flowers for the new members to process, and then start brewing low-level potions in batches...Old members will participate in the project..."

Loren nodded and understood, cultivating the workforce in batches.

It seems that the school's business is doing very well and is still expanding.

…

On the way Loren returned to the dormitory, the wind blew very hard. The air flow passed through the corridors and stairs, whistling wildly in the castle, and the sharp whistling was endless.

Even if he did encounter a howling banshee around the corner, Loren wouldn't be surprised. The sound was too loud.

After saying good night to the fat lady, Loren entered the common room and found Hermione leaning against the fireplace. He leaned over with a smile, sat down next to her, and looked at her ancient runes homework. .

Hermione was holding a newly purchased quill pen and was translating a runic poem with neat handwriting.

"Good evening Hermione."

"..." Hermione's quill paused, leaving an ink dot on the parchment. After a moment of silence, Hermione responded, "Good evening."

"What are you doing?"

"Do your homework."

"What homework are you doing?"

"..."

"You don't want to pay attention to me. You are so indifferent, even more indifferent than the wind outside."

"..." Hermione pursed her lips helplessly, "Rune homework."

"What's the rune homework?"

Hermione put the quill into the inkpot and turned to look at Loren steadily: "Translate a short poem."

"Oh." Loren nodded.

After about a few seconds, Hermione was still looking at him. Loren blinked and asked innocently, "Do you have anything to ask me?"

Hermione took a deep breath, held the quill in her hand again, and prepared to continue her work.

As expected, Loren asked again: "What poems are you translating?"

"..."

Hermione gritted her teeth, not looking at him, trying to ignore this stumbling block to her studies, and tried her best to recall the poem in her mind.

"Winfried's motto?" Loren looked at her homework and pointed at her translation, "A lazy person is ruined by procrastination nine times, nine successful careers... here The number nine is a fictitious reference and should be translated as a lazy person every time...any successful undertaking."

Hermione's quill paused, started another line, and revised it according to Loren's translation.

"Yeah, it seems wrong. It does seem to be the number nine."

Hermione gritted her teeth, unable to hold back any longer, she put down her quill and glared at him angrily.

Loren blinked with an innocent expression: "Did I do something wrong?"

"What did you do wrong?" Hermione gasped angrily, "You are deliberately interfering with my homework!"

Loren tilted his head: "I thought I was helping you."

"..."

"That's what you were like in first grade, wasn't it?"

"..."

Hermione was defeated with words and angrily put down her harsh words, "If you talk again before I finish this assignment, I will die with you."

"Oh." Loren responded, sat down obediently and watched her do her homework quietly.

It didn't take long for him to feel bored, so he quietly slipped into a corner and joined in the fun of Quidditch with other little wizards.

The little wizards gathered in a circle, the inner group were Quidditch players, and the outer circle were the self-proclaimed future Quidditch players.

Ron asked Loren to sit down next to him.

"Despicable Slytherin, they temporarily proposed to change the opponent!" Wood cursed fiercely, "Just because it will definitely rain tomorrow, they have not done rainstorm training, so Flint shirks that some players have caught a cold, we have to Fight Hufflepuff!"

Fred asked in disbelief: "How could Hufflepuff agree?"

"Cedric took over as captain. He is a good man with grace, and Flint took advantage of this!" Wood said angrily through gritted teeth.

Angelina, Aaliyah and Katie suddenly giggled, Angelina said: "That tall handsome guy, right? He doesn't like to talk, he is very gentlemanly."

Fred laughed heartily: "He doesn't like to talk because his brain is too stupid, and the words can't be connected into sentences in his mind."

Lee Jordan in the back row answered: "You're right, but it would be great if you could say it in front of him tomorrow."

A circle of little wizards laughed happily. Many people knew that Cedric was a top student in Hufflepuff and performed well in dueling classes... I couldn't tell how strong he was, but he was definitely better than Fred. .

Fred was not annoyed at all. He laughed and said harsh words, making the scene a scene.

"Quiet! We are discussing tactics!" Wood said loudly, his brows knitted together.

"Don't worry Oliver, you are too nervous. Cedric has just become captain and will definitely not be as good as you." George said.

Fred kept nodding: "And we have three broomsticks better than him, a Firebolt, and the invincible Harry!"

Harry smiled shyly, but nodded firmly to Wood, encouraging the graduating captain.

Wood looked at his teammates and recalled the scene when this team was first established. At that time, Harry had not yet entered school and Gryffindor was suppressed by Slytherin for several years...

It turns out that was two years ago, and no one in Gryffindor needs to be afraid now.

Wood was silent for a moment, and a smile appeared on his face again. He nodded firmly: "I know, we will definitely win."

"..."

They were discussing the recruitment of new recruits. It was said that it was supposed to be held on this Sunday, but seeing that a storm was coming and the weather was too bad, it would be postponed.

Loren turned around and saw that Hermione had finished her homework and was putting away paper and pens, and happily came over.

"It's the beginning of the month, should we write letters home?" Loren asked.

According to the frequency of one letter a month, it is indeed time to write home.

Hermione couldn't help but feel a little hot when she thought about the extra emotional consultation letter she had sent, and she gave a hesitant sigh.

"Send them back together or write them separately?"

Hermione thought for a while, worried that proposing to write them separately would attract his attention: "Send it back together, just tomorrow, and stop by the Owlery after the Quidditch match."

"But it looks like it's going to rain tomorrow..." Loren muttered, "I don't want to go watch Quidditch in the rain—"

At this moment, the noisy common room suddenly became quiet. Loren raised his head and saw Professor McGonagall walking in with a serious face.