Became good friends with the Boy Who Lived

The Christmas holidays are over, and the students who left school all returned to school through the temporary Floo network system opened by the Ministry of Magic. This means that the intense study life is about to begin again. After the incident of Katie Bell, students are forbidden to go to Hogsmeade in the semester after the Christmas holidays.

Professor Dumbledore's private lessons with Harry continued, so much so that on the evening of the end of the Christmas holidays, Professor Dumbledore called Harry to the headmaster's office.

"So," said Aris, "the first assignment Professor Dumbledore gave you was to find a way to get Professor Slughorn's real memories?"

In Aries' office, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were enjoying a rare lunch break. Hermione handed Aries her finished Potions homework and said:

"So? Harry! What are your plans?"

"I have Potions class this afternoon," Harry said thoughtfully, "I can try it out first..."

"I don't quite understand," Ron asked, "Why would Professor Slughorn need to falsify his own memory?"

Hermione sneered and said slowly, "Professor Slughorn has taught us for half a year, and I have some superficial understanding of him. Professor Slughorn is a person who knows how to protect himself. He has his own values. What he likes most is to weave a network of relationships to make his life more refined and comfortable. At the same time, he will neither openly resist the dark forces nor openly join them. It is better to say that he hates the dark forces and has taught a dark leader. In Professor Slughorn's view, this is a stain on his teaching career..."

Aries went on to say, "Professor Slughorn will vehemently deny or even evade this stain. This can be seen from the fact that when Professor Dumbledore asked for his memory, he gave him a confusing memory. So, Harry, it won't be easy for you to get the real memory..."

"Is that real memory important?" Harry couldn't help but ask.

"Very important, Harry!" Aeris said solemnly, "How many Horcruxes have we obtained now? Riddle's diary, Slytherin's locket, Hufflepuff's gold cup, Ravenclaw's diadem. If I guess correctly, Professor Dumbledore found another Horcrux on his own during the summer vacation: a ring, and the snake beside Voldemort. We can't keep searching endlessly. How many Horcruxes did he make? I'm afraid only Professor Slughorn knows the answer. So, Harry, Professor Slughorn's true memory is very important."

Harry nodded thoughtfully.

In the afternoon potions class, Professor Slughorn asked the students to prepare an antidote for a mixed poison, which made the smell in the dungeon classroom very unpleasant, especially when the students were busy. How to describe it? Covering your mouth and nose is useless, the smell seems to rush straight to your head.

When the get out of class was about to end, Professor Slughorn checked the students' work. Even the antidote prepared by Hermione and Draco was half-finished, not to mention the others.

When Professor Slughorn came to Harry, his expression was obviously disappointed, because Harry had not prepared any antidote. However, when Harry showed Professor Slughorn the fecal stone in his hand (a stone produced by a disease in the goat's stomach, which has a strong detoxification effect), Professor Slughorn burst into a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha... you clever little thing... you really are a clever little thing..." Professor Slughorn said with a smile, "You leave me speechless, Harry. Of course, the coprolites can detoxify all the poisons I have here. But I have to remind you, Harry! The coprolites are not omnipotent and are very rare. It is also important to be able to accurately prepare the antidote. Don't be so clever again, my dear child. Ten points to Gryffindor..."

After class, Harry deliberately fell behind the others. Aeris, as the teaching assistant, sorted out the various materials in the classroom. Then he heard Harry asking Professor Slughorn in a not-so-clever way:

"Professor...uh...um...can I ask you a question, sir?"

Professor Slughorn said pleasantly, "Of course, my boy, you're welcome...just ask..."

"Horcruxes..." Harry asked hesitantly.

Professor Slughorn's happy expression turned visibly ugly. He said in disbelief, "Dumbledore showed you that memory?"

"Yes!" Harry answered honestly.

Professor Slughorn began to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. He avoided Harry's gaze and said softly, "If you had seen that memory, you would know, child, I know nothing about Horcruxes... nothing..."

Then Professor Slughorn walked out of the classroom. Harry said loudly regardless: "But that memory... sir... is very confusing..."

"No...no...not confused at all...that's my real memory..." Professor Slughorn said angrily.

"Excuse me...Horace..." Aris also said loudly, "As a professor, you have only preached, taught, and answered questions for a student. You have done nothing wrong. You don't need to have this kind of psychological burden..."

Professor Slughorn paused, said softly, "You don't understand...", then quickly left the classroom, closing the door heavily.

Aeris and Harry looked at each other, smiled bitterly and shook their heads.

"Perhaps you could try Felicity, Harry!" suggested Aeris.

"I'll try other methods. If they don't work, I'll use the Felicis Felicis..." Harry sighed, and seemed reluctant to use the precious Felicis Felicis so casually.

February arrived, and continuous rainy days replaced snowy days. The snow around the castle gradually melted. Hogwarts specially invited a wizard who was good at Apparition to teach the sixth grade students how to Apparition.

At the invitation of Professor McGonagall, Aris served as the teaching assistant of the instructor. Of course, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape were also maintaining order and preventing unexpected events.

The instructor described Apparition as dangerous, but simple as long as one was bold and careful, with a goal, determination and composure. Aeris gave the instructor a strange look, but the instructor's subsequent teaching gave Aeris a deeper understanding of Apparition.

After the instructor demonstrated Apparition several times, Aeris, the teaching assistant, also demonstrated Apparition several times. This made the instructor look at Aeris a few more times, because the details of Aeris' Apparition were almost exactly the same as the instructor's. Just like there are no two identical leaves in the world, every wizard's Apparition will have slight differences, but the instructor didn't care too much.

Then there was the boring, terrible, and thrilling study time for the students. Several students left their bodies, but their arms or legs remained in place. Of course, such "small things" could be dealt with in an instant by Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and even Aris...