The opportunity Snape had given him was, without question, extremely difficult for Ryze at his current level.
Over the past two months, in order to deepen his understanding of Potions, Ryze had already worked through the official curriculum up to the third-year textbooks. His theoretical foundation was solid. However, theory alone could only take him so far. Because he had not personally handled many of the more advanced potion ingredients, his understanding of higher-level brewing remained shallow and incomplete.
As he stood in the Potions classroom, Ryze quickly recalled the section on the shrinking potion from the textbook.
It described the potion as a magical concoction capable of either shrinking the drinker's body or reverting them to a younger state.
When he had first read that description, one detail had caught his attention—the use of the word "or."
What exactly did that imply?
Did the potion randomly produce one of the two effects—either shrinking the body proportionally or reversing age? Or was the outcome determined by the brewer, allowing them to control whether the potion reduced size or restored youth?
Now, after hearing Snape's explanation, Ryze was inclined to believe that the result was not random at all. Instead, the differing effects likely arose from variations in brewing techniques, ingredient preparation, or timing.
Unfortunately, the third-year textbook offered no explanation whatsoever on this point.
It merely stated that a successful shrinking potion would appear as a bright, dazzling green. A failed one, on the other hand, would turn into a toxic orange liquid.
In other words, even if Ryze successfully followed the textbook instructions and produced a valid potion, he would still have no reliable way of determining which effect it would have.
"So, what exactly is he testing?" Ryze thought to himself.
"Does he believe I have no chance of succeeding? Or is he using this as a way to evaluate whether I truly have talent in Potions?"
From a purely rational standpoint, the former seemed far more likely. Snape did not strike him as the kind of teacher who nurtured talent out of kindness or curiosity.
Even so, Ryze nodded and accepted the challenge.
Before proceeding, however, he clarified one important detail. He asked Snape whether he was allowed to consult any resources or seek help from anyone, as long as he personally brewed the potion before the deadline the following night.
Snape gave a simple answer: Ryze could ask anyone he wanted.
That response, however, carried an unspoken layer of confidence.
The processing techniques required for the shrinking potion were not taught until the third term of the second year. Even then, the textbook descriptions were vague, incomplete, and in some cases outright incorrect. Without proper guidance, an inexperienced wizard attempting to brew strictly according to the book would be fortunate to succeed even once in five attempts.
Even worse, success alone did not guarantee understanding. Identifying the exact effect of the potion required deeper insight into advanced brewing theory.
Only students in sixth year and above—those who had begun mastering the principles of advanced potion-making—could rely on experience and theoretical knowledge to distinguish between the two outcomes of the shrinking potion.
Bluntly put, aside from the three original contestants in the Potions Tournament, Snape did not believe a single current Hogwarts student could help Ryze produce two distinct versions of the shrinking potion within a single day.
And those three students would not be assisting him.
As for Bathsheda, though she was a master of Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, she was not a potions expert. In this domain, she would be unable to provide meaningful support.
Seeing Ryze accept the challenge, Snape wasted no time. He returned to the storage cabinet designated for third-year materials and opened it.
"All the ingredients required for the shrinking potion are here," he said flatly. "You may take five sets. If you cannot produce even one successful potion before exhausting them, there is no need for further discussion."
Ryze did not respond immediately. Instead, he searched through the cabinet and found an old third-year textbook. He flipped through it until he located the section on the shrinking potion.
He did not possess Harry's improbable luck of stumbling upon a textbook filled with annotated notes from Snape. This copy was clean—completely devoid of markings or guidance.
Following the instructions precisely, Ryze gathered the required ingredients and brought them to his usual seat. Before beginning, he carefully read through the entire process again.
Fifteen minutes later, he had committed every step to memory.
He even went a step further, applying Arithmancy to perform a basic structural analysis of the potion's magical framework.
During this time, he had Ailey return to the dormitory to retrieve his personal potion tools and notes.
Snape, observing from a distance, showed no interest in Ryze's calculations.
While it was true that potions involved magical principles that could be modeled through Arithmancy, Ryze's current level was far too low for such analysis to provide meaningful assistance. At best, he could verify theoretical relationships between magical energy and the potion. It would not help him with ingredient handling or heat control—the two most critical aspects of brewing.
Soon, Ryze began his first attempt.
Almost immediately, problems arose.
His handling of the caterpillar slices was clumsy. His cuts were uneven. When working with rat spleens, his lack of experience became even more apparent. Extracting juice from the leeches proved inefficient, and he wasted a noticeable amount in the process.
Despite these issues, he continued.
However, less than ten minutes into the brewing process, the moment he infused magical energy into the mixture, the liquid in the cauldron began shifting toward a dull, toxic orange.
Failure.
Ryze stared at the cauldron for a brief moment, then calmly stopped.
He did not throw in the remaining ingredients. Instead, he carefully set them aside, cleaned the cauldron, and began reviewing his process step by step.
After a thorough analysis, he adjusted his technique.
His movements became slower, more deliberate. When preparing the ingredients this time, he focused on precision and control. The results were still average, but at least he avoided the earlier mistakes.
On his second attempt, Ryze followed the textbook instructions exactly.
Step by step.
No improvisation.
No deviation.
This time, he made it further. He successfully maintained the process until the first major heat transition, nearly half an hour into the brewing.
Then, without warning, the potion failed again.
The liquid shifted color—once more turning into that unmistakable toxic orange.
Ryze frowned.
He looked at the unused ingredients, then rubbed his forehead.
The magical infusion had been correct.
The ingredient preparation, while not perfect, was acceptable.
The heat transition had been executed exactly as described.
And yet, the result was still failure.
He mentally retraced every step.
"There has to be a mistake," he thought. "If everything I did aligns with the textbook, then the problem must lie in the textbook itself."
While disposing of the failed potion, he continued analyzing the situation.
At that moment, Snape emerged from his office.
He glanced briefly at the cauldron. His expression showed no surprise, no disappointment—only indifference.
"Do not expect anyone to bring you food," he said coldly. "If you are hungry, go to the Great Hall yourself."
He then locked the office door and added, "And if I find you attempting to enter my office, I will pour your failed potion over your head."
With that, his cloak billowed behind him like the wings of a bat as he swiftly exited the classroom.
Ryze watched him leave in silence.
Once Snape was gone, the room fell quiet again.
After another unsuccessful attempt at identifying the flaw through pure reasoning, Ryze reached into his pocket and took out Rowena Ravenclaw's Ring.
He slipped it onto his finger.
Then, without hesitation, he walked toward the podium at the front of the classroom.
His gaze settled on the old cauldron stand that Snape used regularly.
Extending his hand, he gently touched its worn surface.
"If the textbook doesn't work," he murmured, "then I'll just observe how you do it."
Snape had said it himself—it didn't matter who Ryze sought help from, as long as he produced results.
Using the cauldron stand as a medium for divination… that should still fall within the rules.
At least, that was how Ryze saw it.
And right now, he needed every possible advantage.
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