Sword is equal to Wand, Chapter 16

Alchemy and Essence Refinement's classroom quickly filled up once the fog, Hogwarts dungeon was filled with dissapated. And at least for this class, besides the random Gryffindor's of my year, we also had a bunch of Ravenclaws.

Though Cho Chang wasn't with those numbers so I didn't really reconized those students besides remembering them being called up their names to the sorting challenge.

Still I sat at my two seat table with Lavender as her friend Charlotte, sat next to my sorta friend Devon Thrasher in the next table across the way.

But most importantly... Came my much closer friends in Ginny and Rosaria who took the table directly in front of me close to when class was starting with Rosaria giving me a dirty look at seeing me.

'Yup. She is still salty I literally clapped her across the arena.' I thought with a wry smile.

"You and Lavender friends?" Ginny asked curiously as she sat in her seat backwards so she could talk to me and Lavender.

To which I shrugged and with a glance to Lavender, I said easily. "I had Essence Manipulation and Combat Arts with her yesterday, so we had some time to talk and become familiar."

With Lavender giving a hum before she said in amusement. "Oh, with your help in making sure I don't have McGonagall giving me a couple of hours of homework, you don't have the right to escape the besties clause!"

"Whelp I have been slotted into the besties slot then... Is that better or worse then the friend zone for girls is the question?" I said jokingly as I rested my hand on my chin.

Without a moment of hesitation, Rosaria said with a chuckle. "It's so much worse, Jake. It means the girl likes you exactly where you are for more than just friendship reasons."

As Lavender gave Rosaria a dirty look, I just cupped my chest and said with a hiss. "Yeesh! Day two, and a girl has already friend-zoned me. I need to fucking transfer with this kind of luck!"

Our bantering and easy joking around continued with Rosaria's dry wit and Ginny's more kind but still sarcastic retorts were evened out by my acceptance of the jokes along with Lavender most definitely having a set of womanly social claws.

But as we were talking about looking around Hogwarts after classes today, the door of the classroom was pushed open with force, and we all were silenced as a heavy spiritual energy filled the room.

Severus Snape in this timeline was still an angry-looking and dour man... He looked exactly like if someone who had just found out that a dog had shitted all over their front porch and needed to walk past it as he was clearly late for work.

He walked purposefully towards the front of the classroom with his grand black and silver-lined robe's cape billowing slightly with his movements. And as he reached the heavily raised podium that allowed him to look upon us and especially into our cauldrons, he spoke in a cool velvet voice.

"Alchemy and Essence Refinement... Most of you will call this class merely Alchemy, but that is not what this class's curriculum is."

His coal black eyes scanned our forms before he spoke in a whisper of a voice that filled our ears like a smooth siren's song. "I will teach you how to bottle death for your foes, I will teach you how to bottle immortality. You will learn within these classrooms how to refine a monster's core into pills that will grant you great power above your peers and enemies."

His scanning eyes landed on Rosaria in front of me, and there was a moment of pause where I expected him to demand some form of question of Rosaria to humiliate her or something.

Then his eyes slide past her, past me, and around everyone else before he continued. "The art of Alchemy and Essence Refinement is a process in which you refine concepts into their most base form. And then, through alchemy, force those concepts together to suit your needs." 

"Whereas Transfiguration, Combat classes, and your more cultivation-oriented classes result are based more or less on your talents at least this early and are especially stringent upon the amount of effort you put into the classes. This class is entirely different."

He visibly took a deep breath before he said with finality. "This is an extremely dangerous class... I will not suffer fools nor hooligans within this class, as many of the projects we work upon can be highly dangerous, especially in the later classes."

"Many precautions have been taken to make this class... Idiot proof as the younger generations have taken to calling it. But honestly-"

He drew off and gave everyone a dull stare before saying flatly. "One can only see so many young adults who have the mental capacity of a particularly thick puddle before one realizes your minds aren't always upon the art in front of you." 

He shook his head, and then he turned to the large blackboard behind him and tapped it with a long wand that resembled almost a dagger sort of honestly.

Then, upon the blackboard came clear written instructions, and then with a wave of his hand, soft flames bloomed under the cauldrons that were part of our tables. "Cultivation aids are a staple for Alchemy for a good reason... So before anything else, we shall all see how well you can all follow simple directions."

Upon the blackboard was a simple 'potion' in theory, but in reality... It looked like an overly elaborate recipe to make tea, honestly.

[Moonlight Dew (condensed morning dew from the previous day that is collected under moonlight) – stabilizes yin essence, clears the mind.
Jadeleaf– promotes qi circulation and smooths blockages.
Glowing Moss Flakes – mild spiritual conductivity, enhances herb fusion.
Silverthorn Root Shavings – grounds excess yang energy, prevents agitation.
Spirit Jasmine Petals – fragrance that calms the heart and enhances focus.]

And then there was the actual production method, and I realized how people could indeed let their mind wander and fuck it up if they weren't paying attention.

[Channel a thread of spiritual energy into the cauldron, forming a gentle whirlpool inside once the cauldron is filled with the Moonlight Dew.
Once the bubbles of the dew disappear and the drops of dew become a singular source of essence, add nine more drops of Moonlight Dew to catalyse the base.
Place three Jadeleafs in first, let them steep until the liquid takes on a pale green hue while letting it rest.]

[Bring the mixture back up to a gentle whirlpool, then sprinkle five and a half pinches of Glowing Moss Flakes in while stirring clockwise three times, then counterclockwise once. This locks the spiritual conductivity into the liquid after letting the whirlpool to fade.]

[Finally scatter Spirit Jasmine Petals on top. But do not stir. Allow them to float and dissolve naturally as their fragrance spreads and the concoction turns a gentle pink hue. When the liquid glows softly and emits a calming floral scent, the concoction is complete.]

'Hmm, although the Library of Heaven's Path doesn't give me a direct cheat for this class and situation... I do have a slight advantage in being able to go into the Library and review the potion/concoction's creation methods without needing to be in a rush.' I mused to myself.

All the while, I saw Lavender just lay her head in her arms at our table and muffledly scream into her table as Snape added on.

"I do not appreciate homework assignments frankly. This class's grading system is based almost entirely on results rather than mere memorization, though much of that will need to be done regardless of whether you wish to succeed and thrive in the field of Alchemy."

'A part of me just thinks that in this timeline, at least. Snape just can't be fucking bothered to read and grade hundreds of essays every day.' I thought with amusement as this Hogwarts had a fuck load more students than the base Hogwarts. Which seemed to only have like thirty kids in each house at most for each year.

"Some projects will also be done in groups of two and up to four with the grading consisting of contribution, efficiency, and most importantly, the quality of the final project." Snape continued.

But I had a slight question as I raised a hand which made Snape raise an eyebrow before he replied in a drawl. "Ah, yes... One of the new wonder children, what question do you have?" 

My lips twitched at the rather sarcastic drawl he had that made Rosaria tilt her head a bit to the side, though I couldn't see her actual reaction with how she was sitting in front of me.

Still, I asked calmly as I already came into this expecting Snape to be a little shit. "I have fairly larger hands compared to Lavender next to me. Wouldn't there be significantly different dosages of the pinches of Glowing Moss Flakes between the concoctions?" 

Snape actually smiled thinly as he nodded and said calmly. "That is correct, Mr Bariss. Pinching the highly reactive Glowing Moss Flakes, will attune it to your own mana, and combined with the concoction that's already tuned to your mana. It will make the Spirit-Calming Elixir attune itself to you, to give the best effect."

After that Snape became a fucking ghoul/vampire that prowled around the classroom as he watched everyone closely.

'Hmm, the Library of Heaven's Path does help my mental strength though. Combined with the ability to go into it mentally to basically pause time, I have a much easier time with these potions so long as I just don't turn off my brain and fuck it up beyond repair.' I mused to myself.

And without much fanfare, I quickly finished the potion/elixer with the glowing soft pink 'tea' filling the bottom of my cauldron, with Lavender whimpering as hers turned out a darker reddish pink.

"What the hell did I do wrong?" She whispered as Snape approached, and I thought back to the recipe, and likewise, where she could have messed it up before coming to a realization that she used too much Glowing Moss Flakes.

"You used too much Glowing Moss Flakes Lavender; it made the elixer too thick, which didn't allow it to properly settle." I said thoughtfully.

Snape, hearing me, strode over and his gaze fell upon Lavender's potion before he said calmly. "Lavender Brown, you had a perfect potion being brewed beside you. And yet you couldn't pay any attention despite Jake working ahead of you at a measured pace."

He looked to me, and then my face twitched as he said thinly. "Twenty Spirit Stones from Gryffindor House for not aiding your tablemate while you were waiting for your own concoction to settle."

'What the actual fuck is that!? I was watching my own first elixer being made and making sure not to fuck it up. Why should I be punished for Lavender's not even nearly a failure of an elixer?'

As I did read the alchemy book assigned to us and her elixer, although going to taste beyond vile and leaving the user congested and feeling a heavy mental drowsiness, it was still more than usable!

'Yup... Snape is still a fucking prick with a chip on his shoulder.' I thought with a snort as I looked back down and shoved down any other thoughts, as I just closed my eyes and began meditating to pass time.

"Sorry Jake," Lavender whispered to me after Snape moved on to bully a Ravenclaw who also made the same mistake as Lavender did... But notably only verbally abused them, not taking any points from them.

"It's fine," I said coolly before I added. "I got Herbology next at least. So I finally get to step out of the castle and touch some literal grass." 

As conversation began to build up in the class as people finished their potions Snape's voice suppressed us as he pressed. "This is not social hour. Keep your conversation to your tablemate or just put your head down and keep quiet."

And thus the rest of the Alchemy class passed by with Snape handing out enchanted vials for those of us with properly prepared elixers to take with us so we could use them for ourselves later tonight.

"All elixirs made in this classroom, you yourself will make, and if they meet the quality requirements, you, yourself may consume them in measured amounts to aid in your cultivation," Snape explained, with the students' faces lighting up at the news, with him raising an eyebrow and adding calmly.

"It should also be noted that there has not been a single student of mine who has entered the last year of lessons offered at Hogwarts and not been at the Nascent Soul stage... Hogwarts will freely offer you immortality, but you have to have the willpower and strength to take it from Hogwarts' hands." Snape finished before the bell rang, dismissing us from his classroom.

With my little elixer vial stored away safely in my bag, I escaped the classroom with Ginny and Rosaria following me clearly also in a hurry to leave.

"Jeez, he is such a damned creeper." Ginny said quietly after we made a good headway past the classroom and well away from Snape's possible hearing as the voices of the twenty plus other students drowned us out.

"Yeah, I remember him showing up around my mom when I was super young until he and my mom had a big fight... Either way he is weird, always has been." Rosaria said rather bluntly before sighing and asking. "So Jake what class you got next?"

"Herbology, you?" I asked curiously.

Ginny and Rosaria shared a look before Rosaria said with a sigh. "I have combat class with Ginny. With the Hufflepuffs, and I think Susan Bones also has the class with us."

I hummed thoughtfully as I didn't have Cho Chang or Susan Bones in my combat class obviously due to mine having Slytherin in the class as well.

We then got up to the main floor and I said. "Whelp, let's get our lunch before we split off. Though we will both be heading outside for our lessons, I hope you two are capable of running though, as Hagrid made us run a couple of miles at the start of our lesson."

Both girls grimaced at the thought but their moods quickly were made better as we hit the Great Hall and Ron was there already, having also saved us some seats for us to join him.

-

After the lunch with the people I was quickly becoming friends with. I headed out towards the Herbology/Herb fields.

"Damn... This is a fucking lot bigger then I expected." I muttered as I brushed my hand across my face as the 'Greenhouses' were anything but simple green houses. Honestly it reminded me of the synth-meat grow factory in Cyberpunk as there was like a hundred long glass topped and metal buildings built in a valley out of the direct view of Hogwarts.

Which did take me a good while to get to it and as I was walking there I was talking with John, the pureblood weeb who decided to master a Katana to one day waifu up a Yuki-Onna. 

"Yes, the Greenhouses are a bit of an eyesore all things told. But each greenhouses is spatially expanded greatly. And the massive interior is made to form special climates and the conditions needed to grow special herbs."

John took a breath and then added with clear excitement. "Not only that, but most importantly, each growhouse is basically a giant Temporal Hole where time within the greenhouse can sped up or slowed down depending on the need for the special herbs and treasures within!"

"It's how Hogwarts keeps itself self sufficent and allows Hogwarts to freely give out elixer's to students, as well as trade with the Spirit Beasts in the Spirit King Forest!"

I hummed thoughtfully at that and I spoke more to myself. "Hmm, I wonder if it's possible to cultivate in one of those greenhouses then. Being able to cultivate in a special enviroment would do wonders for people with special cultivation manuals and such." 

But John cut me off with a grunt of agreement though his words were sadly dissapointing. "Sadly that is against the rules. Though thankfully the Internal Cultivation class does actually have methods to help with special cultivation styles but depending on the special enviroment you need. But it can cost House spirit stones you have earned for the house." 

I raised an eyebrow at that as I wondered what the point really was for the house points. But it seemed at least in this universe the house points very much did have a reason to exist. And well I would see what enviroments I could use tommorrow then.

Hell tommorrow had Runes, the cultivation class that was seperate from Flitwicks own cultivation class somehow? As well as Mavuika's Beast Taming class. A much more loaded day then today most likely.

As I rather doubted that Sprout would be having us in a classroom taking notes.

We made our way to the designated meeting spot at the front of the greenhouses and I looked at Proffessor Sprout who smiled genially at seeing me and my fellow Gyrffindor's following behind us as we arrived early to the lesson.

Then mutters broke out as it turned out Slytherin was sharing this class with us. But the whispers and mutters weren't about just the house that we were sharing. No it was how Dorea Malfoy... AND Daphne Greengrass crossed the line between our seperate houses towards me.

And as the two blonds, one vibrant sun golden blond and the other moonlit silver blond gaze met as I was but a couple meters away from the 'no man' zone I realized I was fucked as both woman shared a look with literal fucking lightning sparking between them.