The explosive liquid extracted from an Erumpent horn churned violently inside the cauldron.
Every swelling bubble carried the risk of detonating the entire mixture.
Even the slightest mistake during this stage could trigger a devastating explosion.
Yet the pale hand hovering above the cauldron remained perfectly steady.
Severus showed no trace of panic as he calmly observed the bubbling potion.
A single drop of dragon blood fell into the brew.
The unstable liquid, which had been on the verge of erupting, immediately settled slightly, only to lapse back into its delicate balance, waiting for the next moment it might spiral out of control.
He repeated the process ten times.
Only then did Severus pick up twenty-four stalks of Fluxweed with a pair of silver tweezers, placing them into the cauldron one after another.
The potion instantly became even more violent.
Every bursting bubble released a deep, resonant rumble that resembled the distant roar of a dragon.
Without hesitation, Severus added a measured amount of toad bile, followed by three puffer-fish eyes.
Finally, he dropped in a live scarab beetle that continued struggling even after it disappeared beneath the surface.
A glass stirring rod rotated exactly five times.
No more.
No less.
Afterward, he slowly sprinkled in powdered daffodil root until the unstable brew gradually transformed into a rich golden color.
Under Severus’s practiced hands, the lengthy and demanding brewing process possessed an almost artistic elegance.
Every ingredient was added at precisely the right second.
Each bottle was opened and closed with flawless timing as magical ingredients flowed into the cauldron exactly according to plan, steadily guiding the potion toward completion.
The brewing process lasted for more than two hours.
As time passed, Severus became increasingly focused.
His fingers moved with astonishing dexterity as countless possibilities flashed through his mind.
Whenever a new idea appeared, he instinctively chose the path with the highest chance of success.
Finally…
He dropped the last frog brain into the cauldron.
The violently unstable potion immediately calmed.
A slow vortex formed in the center of the golden liquid as tiny specks of violet light shimmered within it like distant stars.
A strong certainty rose in Severus’s heart.
He had succeeded.
Two years after creating the Scar-Removing Paste, he had once again developed an entirely new potion that had never existed in the Wizarding World.
The journey had been anything but easy.
Over the past year alone, he had failed countless times.
More than once, he had accepted the possibility that he might not complete the project before beginning his first year at Hogwarts.
Fortunately…
Persistence had finally paid off.
The potion he had created was one he named the Focus Potion.
Its effects were remarkably practical.
According to Severus’s estimates, simply inhaling the potion’s vapor would allow the user to enter an exceptionally focused mental state.
Distractions would fade away naturally.
As long as no one interrupted them, their learning efficiency could increase by more than thirty percent.
Most importantly…
Unlike Baruffio’s Brain Elixir, which produced similar effects but carried the risk of dependence and harmful side effects, the Focus Potion was far gentler.
Long-term use would not create addiction.
Rather than forcing the mind into an unnatural state, it simply helped the user draw out their own concentration more effectively.
After personally verifying the results through repeated testing, a rare smile finally appeared on Severus’s face.
With the Focus Potion assisting him, his studies at Hogwarts would undoubtedly become even more efficient.
And that wasn’t the only good news.
The moment the Focus Potion was successfully completed, his Potions skill finally advanced to Level 5.
Immediately afterward, the system activated a new reward.
Two choices appeared before him.
— [Assembly-Line Brewing] [You have developed a thorough understanding of most magical ingredients and their properties.
Future potion brewing can prioritize efficiency, allowing you to substitute less expensive ingredients where appropriate.] [Brewing Speed: +50%] [Ingredient Cost: -50%] [Potion Effectiveness: -50%] — [Precision Brewing] [You have developed a thorough understanding of most magical ingredients and their properties.
Future potion brewing can prioritize quality, allowing you to identify superior ingredients and optimize established recipes.] [Brewing Speed: -50%] [Ingredient Cost: +50%] [Potion Effectiveness: +50%] — Severus calmly opened the system interface and examined both options.
He barely needed to think before making his decision.
[You have selected: Precision Brewing.] In an instant, countless new insights flooded into his mind.
Recipes he had memorized years ago suddenly revealed entirely new possibilities.
More effective ingredients.
Improved proportions.
Refined brewing techniques.
Severus immediately understood that following these newly optimized methods would automatically invoke the effects of Precision Brewing.
Objectively speaking, Assembly-Line Brewing wasn’t a poor choice.
If he were still struggling through the poverty of two years ago, he would have selected it without hesitation.
It would have allowed him to produce large quantities of affordable potions and quickly accumulate wealth.
But circumstances had changed.
Thanks to the overwhelming success of his Scar-Removing Paste, sold exclusively through Rainbow Beauty Shop, the product had become a household name throughout the British Wizarding World.
Money was no longer his greatest concern.
Quality was.
This also meant that every six months, Severus would receive an extremely generous payment from the sales of the Scar-Removing Paste.
For the time being, it was more than enough to support his astonishing expenditure on magical ingredients.
Compared to Assembly-Line Brewing, Precision Brewing clearly suited his long-term plans far better.
Especially once he accumulated enough experience to copy Lily’s [Master Craftsman] talent.
Combined with his own [Master Inventor], the two abilities would complement each other perfectly, allowing the potions he brewed to far surpass those made by ordinary potion-makers.
Looking even further ahead…
If he ever developed potions specifically for combat, that advantage could very well become a decisive factor on the battlefield.
Of course, Potions wasn’t the only area in which he had improved.
After two years of relentless study, nearly every one of Severus’s magical disciplines had advanced dramatically.
— Name: Severus Snape (Eric Horn) Age: 11 Experience: 389,645 Skills: Spells Lv.3 Transfiguration Lv.2 Ancient Runes Lv.1 Dark Arts Lv.1 Potions Lv.5 Herbology Lv.4 Talents: [Dark Instinct] — Gold Dark Arts learning speed ×2 Dark Arts innovation speed ×2 [Master Inventor] — Red Potions learning speed ×3 Herbology learning speed ×3 Research and innovation speed ×3 — These dramatically improved skill levels were the clearest proof of the effort he had devoted to studying magic over the past two years.
If the current Severus were forced to face his eleven-year-old self from two years ago, he was confident he could defeat ten of them by himself.
The only problem…
Teaching Lily alone was simply too inefficient.
As the lessons continued day after day, it became increasingly difficult to maintain the quality required for high-tier teaching.
Most sessions eventually dropped to the Absent-minded category, awarding only around a hundred experience points.
It was better than nothing.
But nowhere near enough.
Fortunately, Severus wasn’t worried.
Once he arrived at Hogwarts, he would have no shortage of students.
As long as he could steadily expand the number of people he taught, the enormous experience required to copy Gold-grade talents would no longer seem quite so unattainable.
After taking one last glance at his status, Severus closed the system interface.
He began tidying the cluttered workbench.
As agreed with Lily yesterday, today’s lesson would begin shortly.
Before leaving, he also packed several bottles of the newly brewed Focus Potion.
Something that improved concentration would undoubtedly be invaluable to any student.
Just then— Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
A gentle knocking sounded against the window.
Juliet, who had been lazily dozing on her perch, immediately became alert.
She raised her head and fixed her brilliant violet eyes on the window without blinking.
Severus followed her gaze.
A large owl stood nervously on the windowsill with an envelope clasped in its beak.
For some reason, it kept stealing wary glances at Juliet, as though afraid the raven might suddenly attack it.
Severus’s heart skipped a beat.
A familiar premonition surfaced in his mind.
Even with his usual composure, he couldn’t suppress the excitement rising within him as he hurried over and opened the window.
He accepted the envelope before rewarding the weary Great Horned Owl with a handful of nuts.
At the same time, he shot Juliet a warning look, stopping the raven from eyeing the owl as though it were today’s lunch.
Only then did Severus lower his gaze to the envelope in his hands.
The wax seal bore a magnificent coat of arms.
A golden lion.
A bronze eagle upon a blue shield.
A black badger upon yellow.
And a silver serpent upon green.
Surrounding them was a large letter H.
There could be no mistaking it.
It was the crest of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Taking a slow breath to steady himself, Severus broke the seal.
His heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears as he unfolded the parchment inside.
— [Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore] [Order of Merlin, First Class; Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot; Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards] Dear Mr.
Snape, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September the first.
We await your owl by July thirty-first.
Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress —