The six ingredients on each contestant's table were provided in large quantities—enough to brew up to ten portions of Magic Power Recovery Potion.
If Theo brewed two portions within an hour, he would easily succeed. Three portions would also be manageable, though it would push the time limit.
That meant he could complete three doses and still secure the point.
However, the fourth event was a six-person team match.
Three potions would clearly not be enough.
Since the materials on the table were sufficient for ten portions, how many could actually be made depended entirely on the brewer's skill.
If Theo followed the recipe step by step and brewed them one by one, the maximum he could complete would be three.
That was why he was recalculating the ingredient quantities—trying to brew six portions in one go.
But determining the correct proportions was only part of the problem.
Brewing with six portions' worth of ingredients wasn't the same as brewing a single dose.
The stirring technique, flame intensity, and simmering time would all need to be adjusted.
And Theo had never attempted such a large batch before.
He had no idea what the success rate might be.
When Sean had brewed the potion earlier in the year, he had followed the recipe strictly and made them one dose at a time.
In three hours, he had produced eight bottles.
"What will he choose?" Sean wondered anxiously.
Fortune favored the bold.
If they could brew six—or even more—Magic Power Recovery Potions in this round, Hogwarts would gain a significant advantage in the fourth event.
But if Theo overreached and failed to complete the potion entirely, they wouldn't just lose the extra benefit.
They would lose the point as well.
Snape's expression remained perfectly calm, as if the competitor down on the field had nothing to do with him.
"Crouch put some thought into this challenge," Professor McGonagall remarked.
Then she glanced at Snape.
"Severus, what do you think Theo will do?"
"Given Theo's current skill level, brewing four portions simultaneously would already be extremely difficult," Snape replied calmly. "His success rate would only be about fifty percent. I believe he knows that himself."
Just as Snape predicted, Theo decided to brew four portions of the potion in one batch.
Even that would be a serious test for him.
He glanced toward the stands, then raised four fingers in Snape's direction.
Snape nodded slightly.
The rest of the Hogwarts team shouted encouragement.
Sean also noticed the other three competitors signaling their teams in their own ways.
After receiving responses, they all began brewing their potions.
"It seems the Ilvermorny contestant has great confidence in his brewing skills," Snape said, watching Dean closely with sharp eyes.
Sean looked over.
Although he had only brewed advanced potions twice, one of those times had been this exact potion.
After observing Dean's ingredient proportions for a moment, Sean hesitated before speaking.
"Professor… is Dean Winchester preparing to brew six portions?"
"No way," Zach said in disbelief. "That's an advanced potion. Even making one requires extreme caution, and he's attempting six at once?"
"It does look that way," Charlie said thoughtfully.
Although he was a seventh-year, he had never brewed Magic Power Recovery Potion himself.
He could only judge based on experience.
Snape merely glanced at the other worktables.
"Ilvermorny—seven portions. Uagadou—three portions. Castelobruxo—four portions."
Sean couldn't help admiring him inwardly.
No wonder he's a master potioneer.
Just one look, and he already knew.
Still… Dean Winchester is impressive. Seven portions in one batch. That's insane.
If Sean himself were competing, pushing his limits might allow him to produce three bottles at most.
But he was only in his second year.
He still had plenty of room to grow—and his real strength lay in magic.
"Merlin's beard," Zach exclaimed. "If he succeeds, Ilvermorny will have a potion for every teammate in the fourth event—and one extra!"
That was exactly the case.
If Dean succeeded, Ilvermorny would have a huge logistical advantage in the final battle.
A single Magic Power Recovery Potion could easily change the outcome of a fight.
"Time's up!"
One hour passed quickly.
Crouch raised his voice, signaling the contestants to stop.
Theo looked exhausted as he stared at the four finished potions on his table.
At the very last moment, he had successfully completed four portions.
"He succeeded," Sean said. "But Ilvermorny looks even more excited."
Across the field, the five Ilvermorny teammates were cheering wildly.
With seven potions secured, they now had tremendous confidence for the fourth event.
"Professor… I did my best," Theo said, clearly feeling the pressure.
Snape simply nodded calmly.
It was as if Ilvermorny's seven potions meant nothing to him.
"Professor, how should we distribute the four potions?" Charlie asked.
As team captain, he immediately began thinking about the future.
In the fourth event, the team would enter the Valley Forest separately.
That meant the chances of encountering enemies alone were extremely high.
In a fight, magical energy would drain quickly.
At that moment, a Magic Power Recovery Potion could make all the difference.
For now, all the potions were collected by Crouch and would only be returned to each team during the fourth event.
"Penelope and Percy won't take one," Snape said.
"The rest of you will each receive a bottle."
This decision wasn't made by Snape alone.
As soon as Theo completed the potions, Snape had discussed the distribution with the other professors.
"I have no objections," Penelope said calmly.
She knew very well that she was the weakest member of the team in almost every aspect.
If that was the case, it made sense to give the resources to the others.
Percy glanced at Sean before speaking.
"I don't object either."
Although Percy was two years older than Sean, everyone on the team knew that the second-year prodigy was ridiculously strong.
During practice duels, Sean had even disarmed Theo several times.
Sean didn't bother refusing politely.
The professors had already made their decision, and none of the teammates objected.
He simply accepted the arrangement.
That evening, another banquet was held in the Great Hall.
Although Ilvermorny was the biggest winner of the day, the other three teams had not lost any points.
And in competitions like this, not losing points was already a victory.
The entire hall was filled with cheerful celebration.
Sean also relaxed and ate more than usual.
Just the night before, he had finally mastered the Patronus Charm.
From now on, if he ever encountered Dementors, he would at least have the ability to defend himself.
For most upper-year students, mastering the Patronus Charm took four or five months.
Sean had done it in only a month and a half.
And during that time, he had also been studying the far more advanced Flying Charm.
Unfortunately, his progress with the Flying Charm wasn't very promising.
There were only seven months left until the fourth event in June.
He might not make it in time.
One thing Sean noticed during the banquet—
Mick was nowhere to be seen.
Later that night, after curfew, Sean returned to his dormitory.
After practicing the magical framework for the Flying Charm until he was completely exhausted, he collapsed into a chair.
Out of habit, he pulled out the Marauder's Map from his drawer.
Even though he hadn't gone sneaking around after curfew for a long time, he still liked checking the map at night.
It was a kind of entertainment—watching where everyone in the castle was.
"Those two idiots are wandering around again," Sean muttered, shaking his head when he saw Fred and George on the map.
But suddenly, something caught his eye.
Several names were gathered together in the hospital wing.
Hagrid.
Mick.
Snape.
McGonagall.
Madam Pomfrey.
Even Dumbledore was there.
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