Hogwarts: I Am an Exemplary Wizard

Chapter 925: Chapter 744: The True Aged Honey Wine (2)

Another round of screams, Slughorn bent over, trying to hide his enormous body under the thin bedsheet.

"Alright, Professor Slughorn, we don’t have time to play games with you."

Professor McGonagall stepped forward, lifted the bedsheet with one hand, "Can you please tell me what’s going on here?"

"It’s Rosmerta!" Slughorn covered his face, looking as dejected as a frost-damaged eggplant, "She gave me candied jackfruit with Love Potion in it. She knows I can’t resist, I told her this."

"Really Ms. Rosmerta... are you sure?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Of course." Slughorn said angrily, then, with surprising agility for his size, jumped straight off the bed, "No, I must go find her and get to the bottom of this!"

"I’ll go instead." Professor McGonagall glanced at him, "Everyone’s talking about how you were attacked by Death Eaters; you better take a lap through the castle instead."

Having said that, Professor McGonagall left the Hospital Wing.

Once she left, Slughorn didn’t follow her instructions to go to the castle and instead sat back down on the bed, looking dejected.

Beside him, Ron also appeared the same; both seemed to have been deeply affected.

But it’s not surprising, most people who wake up after drinking Love Potion end up like this, especially when the whole process was witnessed by others.

The atmosphere in the ward was somewhat awkward.

"Would you like a drink to lift your spirits?" Kael said, "I have wine and honey wine here, want some?"

"If possible, I’d like a cup of honey wine." Slughorn said softly; he really needed a drink.

Kael took out a golden cup and gave it a gentle shake in his hand; it immediately filled with golden honey wine.

"Nice refilling spell." Slughorn said absent-mindedly.

At first, he didn’t pay much attention, until Kael poured the honey wine into the cup that had held the antidote.

Once leaving the golden cup, the aroma of honey wine seemed to spread instantly, filling the room with a faint fragrance.

"Oh, Merlin..." Slughorn couldn’t bother with being dejected anymore and inhaled deeply with his nose.

"Child, this must be the most authentic oak-aged honey wine."

"I’m not sure if it’s oak, but it’s definitely aged." Kael glanced at the golden cup in his hand and muttered quietly.

But his words were so soft that besides Conna, no one else heard him.

On the other side, Slughorn eagerly took up the cup and took a sip, a satisfied expression immediately appearing on his face.

Kael watched him for a while and whispered: "Professor, how do you find it?"

"Perfect." Slughorn smacked his lips and said, "I was wrong earlier; it’s not ordinary oak-aged, it’s ironwood oak, right?"

"Ironwood oak..." Harry asked perplexedly, "What’s that?"

"A magical tree, said to be used in building Hogwarts’ main doors to keep them unchanged for a thousand years." Slughorn sighed and said, "And it’s acknowledged as the best wood for storing honey wine, just in short supply, even less than Whomping Willow."

Speaking, he took another small sip of honey wine.

"Professor," Kael asked again, "Do you feel there’s anything off with the taste?"

"What? Of course not." Slughorn replied, "This is the best honey wine I’ve ever drunk, though if you could give me another..."

Kael automatically tuned out the rest; he only needed to know the wine was drinkable, nothing else mattered.

Since acquiring the Golden Cup, he had always wanted to try the wine it produced, but didn’t quite dare to... after all, over a millennium had passed, who knew if it was still drinkable.

But now it was certain, everything was fine, he even poured some for Ron too.

The two had both consumed Love Potion, so it wouldn’t do to favor one over the other.

Ron had been waiting impatiently; as soon as Kael finished pouring, he grabbed the cup, not even noticing what Harry said nearby, and gulped the wine down.

Through this whole motion, Slughorn frowned. Such fine wine should be savored slowly; can’t he drink pumpkin juice if he’s thirsty?

"Oh... really nice, much better than the Three Broomsticks!" Ron smacked his lips, then turned to Harry, "What did you say earlier?"

"Nothing." Harry shook his head, thoughtfully glancing at Slughorn.

As the honey wine in the cup diminished, he hesitated to drink more, just occasionally glancing at Kael, seemingly wanting another refill but too embarrassed to ask.

"Who brought alcohol in!"

Luckily, at this moment, Madam Pomfrey stormed over angrily, her sharp gaze sweeping around the room, finally settling on Slughorn.

"This is the Hospital Wing, Professor Slughorn, not your office!" She said coldly, "Now, take your wine and go!"

"No, actually I..."

"Yes indeed, Professor Slughorn, let’s just head back." Kael interrupted him, "A lot of people saw us when I brought you here, and they seemed to misunderstand something. You should clarify."

"You’re right." Slughorn finally remembered Professor McGonagall’s earlier words, perhaps feeling much better, or maybe fearing Madam Pomfrey might take the wine, he chose not to continue hiding here, stood up, picked up the cup, and walked out of the Hospital Wing.