Harry Potter and the Hidden Treasure (Volume 3)

Chapter 552 The Potion Of Aging

Evan looked at Gabrielle, then glanced around.

A charming, tender, and thrilling young lady, in a secluded and serene clearing, that was truly...

Evan furrowed his brow and unconsciously smiled bitterly.

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

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

Evan had just escorted Gabrielle back to the carriage when he saw Hagrid emerging from the cabin. Hagrid didn't notice Evan. He stared at the carriage, as if he had turned into someone else.

He was wearing his best but terribly ill-fitting brown suit, along with a yellow and orange checkered tie.

But that wasn't the worst part. Apparently, he had tried to tame his hair using copious amounts of what seemed to be axle grease. It was now squished into two locks... maybe he had attempted a ponytail like Bill's, but found he had too much hair.

The outfit didn't suit Hagrid well, and Evan gazed at him for a moment, then decided not to comment on it.

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

Given his giant heritage, there were few women who could meet his aesthetic ideals.

Despite many obstacles to overcome, Evan sincerely hoped that in the end, the two of them could be together.

As Evan entered the lobby, there were already over 70 people there.

The entire Durmstrang group was present. Evan pondered for a moment and decided to continue validating what had not been done the previous night.

Despite having some suspicions, it didn't hurt to verify.

He hurried back to his room and retrieved the Marauder's Map from under his pillow.

On the map, there were already over a hundred people in the lobby.

There were many names Evan didn't recognize, all of them students from Durmstrang.

He glanced briefly and did not find Barty Crouch Jr. among them.

It seemed that Barty Crouch Jr. didn't mingle with the Durmstrang students.

Just as Evan was staring intently at the Marauder's Map, Colin sat on the bed.

"Good morning, Evan!" He stretched his shoulders and then seemed to remember something. He quickly got up from the bed and went to the lobby. "I want to know who put their name in the Goblet of Fire!"

"Oh!" Evan stowed the Marauder's Map away. His heart felt heavy, always with a sense that something was amiss.

Both went to the Common Room, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione had just emerged from their rooms.

Hermione's hair was disheveled, and Harry and Ron's shirt buttons were not properly fastened. The marked dark circles beneath their eyes indicated they hadn't slept well that night.

By the time the five entered the lobby, the Durmstrang group and others had already left, and only around 30 people remained, some eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire.

It had been placed in the center of the lobby on the stool that normally held the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been drawn on the floor, forming a ten-foot circle around it in all directions.

"Has anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly.

"Yes, the whole Durmstrang group," she replied. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."

"I bet some did it last night after we all went to bed," said Harry. "I would have... wouldn't have wanted everyone staring at me. What if the goblet just spat you out again?"

At that moment, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan hurried down the stairs, all three looking extremely excited.

"Done!" Fred exclaimed triumphantly in a whisper. "Just take this."

"What?" Ron asked.

"The Potion of Aging, noodle heads," said Fred.

"A drop for each of us," George added, rubbing his hands gleefully. "We just need to be a few months older."

"We'll split the thousand Galleons among the three of us if one of us wins," Lee said, grinning widely.

"I'm not sure this will work, you know," Hermione cautioned. "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this."

Evan was certain that the Aging Potion they had concocted would have no success.

Just like the Polyjuice Potion, the Aging Potion could only alter the appearance of users and make them older.

Its effect lasted longer than that of the Polyjuice Potion and didn't require to be taken every hour. The boiling system was much simpler, but it couldn't change people at their core.

In essence, Fred and George, who had taken the Aging Potion, simply transformed into what they would become in the future.

If they consumed enough Aging Potion, they could even resemble their father, Mr. Weasley.

This kind of magic could only distort people's perception and couldn't break Dumbledore's magic.

In fact, with the prowess of the young wizards, it was impossible to break Dumbledore's constraints.

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

"Ready?" Fred said to the other two. "Let's go then... I'll go first."

Fred retrieved a piece of parchment from his pocket with the name Fred Weasley... Hogwarts written on it. He approached the edge of the line and stood there, swaying on his feet like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot plunge.

Then, with all eyes in the entrance hall fixed on him, he took a deep breath and crossed the line.

For a moment, everyone thought Fred had succeeded.

George certainly thought so, as he let out a triumphant shout and leaped after Fred.

But in the next instant, there was a loud, crackling sound, and both twins were thrown out of the golden circle as if propelled by an invisible launcher.

They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to top it off, there was a loud, explosive noise, and both sprouted identical long white beards.

The hall resounded with laughter. Even Fred and George joined in, once they stood up and looked at each other's beards.

"I warned them," said a deep and amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore emerging from the Great Hall. He looked at Fred and George, his eyes shining.

"I suggest you go to see Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett from Ravenclaw and Mr. Summers from Hufflepuff, both decided to age a little more. Although I must say that none of their beards compare to yours."

Fred and George headed to the infirmary, accompanied by Lee Jordan, who was writhing with laughter.

Evan, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Colin, also laughing heartily, entered the Great Hall for breakfast.