After parting ways with Harry and Neville and sending off his reply, Ryze gathered his materials and made his way toward the Room of Requirement. With the earlier disturbances caused by Harry and his friends now resolved, his daily routine gradually settled back into a steady rhythm.
He had Ailey relocate all his potion ingredients and equipment into the Room of Requirement, transforming it into a dedicated workspace. From then on, he committed himself to brewing the Elixir of Euphoria at least twice every day—once in the morning and once in the evening.
In the beginning, Ryze remained extremely cautious. He kept his attention fixed on the cauldron at all times, wary of even the smallest fluctuation that might ruin the potion. Every stage demanded precision, and any lapse in focus could result in failure. However, after each brewing session, he carefully reviewed his process, identifying inefficiencies and noting potential improvements.
Over the course of a week, he completed fifteen full brewing sessions. This repetition allowed him to build a structured understanding of the potion's behavior. He began to recognize patterns—specific stages where the mixture stabilized, moments when ingredient reactions became predictable, and intervals during which he could safely divert a portion of his attention without risking failure.
By the first Saturday following the assignment to improve the Elixir of Euphoria, Ryze's results had become consistent. The quality of his potion had reached a stable and commendable level, placing him among the top performers out of the remaining twelve students.
Of course, this ranking was influenced by more than just technical skill. Many of the older students were focusing less on refining their brewing techniques and more on modifying the potion's formula. Their goal was to create improvements rather than achieve consistency, which inevitably led to mixed results.
Penelope, for instance, had begun experimenting with small adjustments. Her attempts did not result in failure, which in itself was noteworthy, but the enhancements she achieved were modest. The core properties of the potion remained largely unchanged.
Snape, however, saw through Ryze's approach immediately. With a single glance, he could tell that Ryze's proficiency was not accidental—it was the product of deliberate and repeated practice.
After delivering a harsh critique to several students—describing their failed attempts as "complete messes," "nonsensical," and even likening their efforts to something produced by a flobberworm—Snape turned his attention to Ryze.
His expression was no more approving.
"So," Snape said coldly, "this perfectly standardized Elixir of Euphoria is the result of your week of work. I see no originality, no initiative—only mechanical repetition. This is the sort of product one might expect from an apprentice mindlessly following instructions in a shop. It has no value."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"If your ambition to participate in the Potions Tournament relies solely on repeating established steps, then you would be better off abandoning the idea altogether."
Ryze did not react emotionally. His response remained calm and concise.
"As a first-year student," he said, "I believe I must first fully master the established brewing process before attempting to innovate. Without that foundation, any modification would lack reliability."
To Snape, this sounded like nothing more than an excuse. However, he did not pursue the argument further.
By the second week, Ryze's potion quality improved even further. His execution became smoother, and he began optimizing subtle aspects of the process—adjusting timing, refining stirring techniques, and reducing the total brewing time by several minutes.
Yet despite these refinements, he still made no attempt to alter the potion's formula.
Snape, evidently losing interest, merely glanced at his work before ignoring him entirely, as though Ryze's efforts were beneath consideration.
Meanwhile, Penelope began to make genuine progress. She appeared to have identified a viable direction for improving the Elixir of Euphoria. Her latest version not only maintained a high standard of quality but also slightly reduced one of its more peculiar side effects—the uncontrollable urge to sing.
If she continued refining her approach, it seemed likely that she could close the gap with Gemma Farley within a few weeks.
Observing Snape's indifference toward Ryze, Penelope decided to intervene. One evening in the Ravenclaw common room, she handed him a set of notes detailing her research and experimental ideas.
"You should at least try something," she advised. "Even a minor adjustment—changing an ingredient for flavor, perhaps—would count as an improvement. If you keep submitting the same formula, Professor Snape will only grow more dissatisfied."
Ryze accepted the notes with genuine gratitude. However, he had his own plan.
Based on his current rate of progress, he believed his mastery of the Elixir of Euphoria was approaching a critical threshold. He estimated, with about seventy percent confidence, that within half a month he could produce a version of the potion with enhanced or even unique properties.
Rather than diverting his focus prematurely, he chose to continue refining his technique.
Beyond potions, Ryze maintained steady progress in his other studies. His overall academic performance remained well ahead of his peers.
His work on the Final Spark continued to advance, and he had achieved reliable control over his Double Protection Charm. More impressively, he could now adjust the defensive emphasis of the two layered barriers, allowing him to adapt to different types of attacks. This development gave the spell practical utility in real combat scenarios.
Under Professor Flitwick's guidance, he also began training in offensive spells designed to counter defensive magic, as well as improving his footwork for dueling.
However, the most significant development during this period concerned his collection of Curse Energy.
As winter arrived at Hogwarts—marked by the first snowfall in mid-November—Ryze noticed a disturbing change. The unknown curse afflicting him began to intensify.
At first, the increase was subtle, rising from a baseline of 0.5 units per day. But the growth was steady and unmistakable.
On November 23rd, shortly after noon, he observed that his Curse Energy had already increased by nearly 0.5 for that day alone. Of this, only 0.1 came from external absorption in the Potions classroom. The remainder originated directly from the curse itself.
This confirmed a critical suspicion.
The curse was seasonal.
During spring, summer, and autumn, its effects were relatively mild—manifesting as general weakness and slower recovery from injuries. However, with the onset of winter, its true nature emerged. It intensified steadily, inflicting escalating physical strain.
"It really is designed to torture me," Ryze muttered to himself.
The question that followed was inevitable.
Who had placed such a curse on him?
His attempts to investigate had yielded nothing. Blood magic failed to trace his mother's whereabouts. His divination efforts were blocked, as though deliberately obstructed.
Even speculation led nowhere definitive.
At times, Ryze entertained the possibility that his father—despite being nearly fifty—had become entangled with someone from a powerful and secretive magical lineage. Perhaps a relationship had ended in betrayal, leading to retaliation not only against his father but also against him. If so, the use of ancient magic to erase all traces of that connection would explain the lack of information.
Yet these were only conjectures.
Having grown up in an orphanage with no real connection to his parents, Ryze did not feel a deep emotional attachment to them. His curiosity was driven not by longing, but by a desire for clarity.
Still, the evidence suggested one conclusion: his current abilities were insufficient to uncover the truth.
For now, he accepted that limitation.
There was, however, one practical advantage to the curse's intensification. The increased generation of Curse Energy meant he no longer needed to spend time actively collecting it. This freed up valuable hours for other pursuits.
With that thought, Ryze set aside his concerns and refocused on the present.
Seated in the common room, he sipped a glass of calming milk he had prepared himself while reviewing the notes Penelope had given him.
His concentration was soon interrupted.
Terry approached, holding a piece of parchment.
"Ryze," he said, "this is a note from Hagrid. He says there's a problem with your rice field."
Before Terry could say anything more, Ryze was already on his feet.
Something had gone wrong.
For more chapters
patreon.com/Liamlivingstone