Whether it was because Lupin's physical condition was relatively good or because Vison's antidote potion was effective, Lupin quickly recovered his vital signs. When he woke up from his coma, it was already the next morning.
Lupin slowly opened his eyes and found himself lying on a bed woven from vines inside Vison's potted plant shop. He rubbed his eyes, and the sunlight from outside the window hit them, making him feel uncomfortable. His body still felt stiff and numb, but at least his mind was clear. He quickly figured out his situation.
It seemed that he had fallen into a coma because he had used the highly poisonous Bai Xian plant. Thankfully, he hadn't gone straight to meet Merlin. He had almost become the first wizard in history to be killed by Bai Xian. He felt embarrassed at the thought.
Getting out of bed, Lupin glanced at the clock on the wall. The hands had already passed the "9" position. "Has a whole day passed already?" he murmured, looking around. The shop was quiet, and no one was in sight.
He then remembered the door that led to the plantation was behind the counter. It was tightly closed, and Lupin guessed that Vison was still inside. Just as he was thinking this, the door suddenly opened, and a small figure quickly emerged. The figure froze upon seeing him and quickly turned back inside.
"Wait!" Lupin called, but before he could fully see the figure's face, the person vanished behind the door.
A moment later, Vison appeared in front of Lupin.
"Mr. Lupin, you're finally awake," Vison said with a sigh of relief when he saw that Lupin was conscious. "I thought you wouldn't wake up."
"Thank you for your help, Vison," Lupin replied blankly. "I was too reckless."
Vison waved his hand, not minding. "It's not your fault, Lupin. This kind of thing is hard to avoid. But you should be more careful with my plants in the future."
Lupin nodded. "I've learned my lesson."
Vison walked to the front of the counter, took a thick notebook from the drawer, and handed it to Lupin.
"This is?" Lupin asked, looking at the notebook.
"Some simple information about the plants I grow. I stayed up late last night to get it ready, so you can avoid making the same mistake again," Vison explained.
Lupin took the notebook with a complicated expression. To be honest, he didn't want to continue this job. The danger involved seemed much greater than he expected.
"I think I need to reconsider this job," Lupin said.
Vison was obviously surprised by Lupin's words. "Then… how about three times the salary?" he offered. "You can think about it, Mr. Lupin. This is the best salary I can offer."
However, this offer didn't seem to convince Lupin. He still looked resistant. After all, this was about his own life. He shivered at the thought of the weakness he had felt while poisoned. While money was important, it wasn't more important than his life.
Just as Lupin was about to refuse, the door behind him suddenly opened again.
Harry walked out, his face filled with excitement, holding a small bottle tightly in his hand. The transparent liquid inside the bottle swayed slightly.
"Professor, I think this time it should be successful!" Harry's voice was filled with confidence as he handed the bottle to Vison.
For some time now, Harry had begun calling Vison "Professor." However, Vison wasn't bothered by it. After all, he had been teaching Harry how to brew potions. If all went well, he would also be Harry's professor for Care of Magical Creatures when Harry attended Hogwarts.
Vison carefully observed the liquid in the bottle. He unplugged the stopper and poured some on his hand. "Well, this time it's not bad. The purity of the Essence of Murtlap is very high. It looks like you've mastered the key skills, Harry," Vison said with a satisfied smile.
Harry's face lit up with excitement upon hearing Vison's praise.
As Vison spoke to Harry, Lupin stood off to the side, staring at Harry.
"Wait, what did you call him?" Lupin asked, unable to contain his surprise upon hearing Vison address Harry by name.
"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce him," Vison said, pulling Harry in front of him and putting an arm around his shoulder. "This is Harry Potter. I'm sure you've heard of him."
Harry turned to look at Lupin when he heard his name mentioned. He said politely, "Hello, Mr. Lupin. Professor told me your name while you were in a coma."
Lupin's expression turned to one of shock. He stared at Harry carefully, scrutinizing him for a moment. Messy hair, green eyes… everything seemed to match the description in his memory.
"You… you're Harry Potter?" Lupin asked, his voice tentative.
Harry looked at Lupin and then at Vison, unsure why the man in front of him was so surprised by his name.
"Yes," Harry nodded.
Vison noticed Lupin's stunned expression and smiled knowingly. This reaction was expected. After all, in the original story, Lupin and Harry's father had been very good friends. Seeing the orphan of a dear friend was bound to bring out some emotional response.
"Mr. Lupin, this is the real Harry Potter. He lives nearby. As you can see, I'm now teaching him how to brew some simple potions. Harry is very interested in potions," Vison added.
Harry twitched his mouth when he heard Vison's description of him as "obsessed with potions." He almost wanted to protest.
"Obsessed with potions? When did that happen?" he thought to himself, but decided to remain silent. After all, it was because Vison only taught him boring potion-making skills and not anything about real charms.
After hearing Vison's explanation, Lupin calmed down. He had never expected to meet Harry Potter in a place like this.
Vison looked at Lupin with a slight smile. "Have you considered it? Mr. Lupin, do you want to work here?"
Lupin glanced at Harry, who was eagerly examining the Essence of Murtlap in his hand. His feelings were conflicted. Now, it seemed like he had no choice but to accept the job. It was all for Harry. Even though Vison didn't appear to be a bad person, Lupin still wasn't comfortable leaving Harry alone with him.
After all, even if Vison had no ill intentions, his plants were still dangerous.
"Of course," Lupin finally said. "I'm willing to take the job."
"Great!" Vison said, nodding with a smile. "I'm glad you made this decision, Mr. Lupin."
Harry, standing beside them, also congratulated Lupin. "Congratulations, Mr. Lupin."