Chapter 47

The first term of their second year passed quite peacefully. Percy was now a fourth-year, constantly earning extra credit in class to bolster his chances of becoming a prefect. As for the Weasley twins, aside from Quidditch practice, they spent every spare moment in the Room of Requirement, refining their joke products. Alistair, meanwhile, settled into a routine of studying and brewing potions. Ever since brewing that batch over the summer, he no longer felt repulsed by the gross potion ingredients. While he still found some of them revolting, he had to admit that one grows accustomed to anything after enough exposure—much like when they had to use various herb-based concoctions to feed lab mice and observe their reactions. He also had to admit that successfully brewing a surprising new mixture always brought a sense of delight. "Ali?" Fred nudged Alistair, who had been staring blankly into space. "Can we still go to the Muggle world during the holidays? George and I need some Muggle items for our research."