Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures

Chapter 552: The Aging Potion

Evan looked at Gabrielle, and then looked at the surroundings again. 

A lovely, tender and exciting girl, in a secluded and quiet grove, that was really … 

Evan subconsciously pouted and smiled bitterly.

Nothing happened next, and more than half an hour passed. 

He accompanied Gabrielle around the castle, feeling very relaxed and happy. 

Evan had just returned Gabrielle to the carriage when he saw Hagrid coming out of the Hut. Hagrid didn’t see Evan. He kept looking at the carriage, as if he had changed into a different man. 

He was wearing his best, and very horrible brown suit, and a checked yellow-and-orange tie.

This wasn’t the worst of it, though. He had evidently tried to tame his hair, using large quantities of what appeared to be axle grease. It was now slicked down into two bunches … perhaps he had tried a ponytail like Bill’s, but found he had too much hair.

The outfit did not suit Hagrid, and Evan stared at him for a moment, and then decided not to comment. 

It was clear that Hagrid wanted to make a good impression on Madame Maxime. 

Because of his giant lineage, there were too few women who could conform to his aesthetic ideals. 

Although the two would have many difficulties to overcome, Evan sincerely hoped that the two of them could eventually be together. 

When Evan walked into the entrance hall, more than 70 people were already there. 

All the Durmstrang lot was voting. Evan thought for a moment and decided to continue validating what had not been done last night. 

Although he had some guesses, it was not a bad thing to verify. 

He returned to his bedroom as quickly as he could, and took out the Marauder’s Map from under his pillow.

On the map, there were already more than one hundred people in the hall.

There were many names that Evan didn’t know, and those were all students from Durmstrang. 

He looked at it briefly and did not find Barty Crouch Jr. among them. 

It seemed that Barty Crouch Jr. did not mix into the Durmstrang students. 

Just as Evan was staring at the Marauder’s Map, Colin sat up out of bed.

“Good morning, Evan!” He stretched his shoulders, and then seemed to remember something. He hurried out of bed and went to the hall. “I want to know who put their names in the goblet of fire!” 

“Oh!” Evan put away the Marauder’s Map. His heart was heavy and he always felt that something was wrong. 

They both came to the Common Room, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione just came out of their bedrooms. 

Hermione’s hair was messy and Harry and Ron’s shirt buttons were not fastened properly. The thick black circles under their eyes indicated that they did not sleep well last night.

By the time all five entered the entrance hall, the Durmstrang lot and others had already left, and there were only around 30 people around, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire.

It had been placed in the center of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.

“Anyone put their name yet?” Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly. 

“Yes, all the Durmstrang lot,” she replied. “But I haven’t seen anyone from Hogwarts yet.” 

“I bet some of them put it in last night after we had all gone to bed.” said Harry. “I would have if it were me … I wouldn’t have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?” 

At this time, Fred, George and Lee Jordan hurried down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited.

“Done it!” Fred said in a triumphant whisper. “Just take it.” 

“What?” said Ron. 

“The Ageing Potion, dung brains,” said Fred. 

“One drop each,” said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. “We only need to be a few months older.” 

“We’re going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins,” said Lee, grinning broadly. 

“I’m not sure this is going to work, you know,” said Hermione warningly. “I’m sure Dumbledore will have thought of this.” 

Evan was sure that the Ageing Potion they developed would not succeed at all. 

Like the Polyjuice Potion, the Ageing Potion could only change the appearance of the users and make them older. 

Its effect lasted longer than the Polyjuice Potion and did not need to be taken every hour. The boiling system was much simpler, but it couldn’t make people change in essence. 

To put it simply, Fred and George, who took the Ageing Potion, just turned into what they would be like in the future. 

If they drank enough Ageing Potion, they could even have the look of their father, Mr. Weasley. 

This kind of magic could only confuse people’s perception and could not break Dumbledore’s magic. 

In fact, with the ability of young wizards, it was impossible to break Dumbledore’s restrictions. 

Fred, George, and Lee ignored Hermione, but looked at the Goblet of Fire, quivering with excitement. 

“Ready?” Fred said to the other two. “Come on, then … I’ll go first.” 

Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing Fred Weasley … Hogwarts. He walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. 

Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line. 

For a moment, everyone thought Fred was successful! 

George certainly thought so, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred. 

But the next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter. 

They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards. 

The entrance hall rang with laughter. Even Fred and George joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other’s beards. 

“I did warn you,” said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. 

“I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours.” 

Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee Jordan, who was howling with laughter. 

Evan, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Colin, also chortling, went into the Great Hall for breakfast.

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