Night fell.
Inside a Slytherin dormitory, a minor conflict was quietly brewing.
The cause was simple.
After repeatedly failing to cast the Levitation Charm, Melki finally snapped.
The pride born of his pure-blood upbringing had collided head-on with harsh reality, and all of that frustration was now directed at Severus.
The atmosphere in the dormitory became noticeably tense.
Had Severus shown even the slightest hostility, the situation would likely have escalated much further.
Instead, Melki was left performing a one-man show.
“The noble blood of the Avery family flows through my veins, and you?
You’re nothing but a half-blood!
How can you possibly be better than me?!” In stark contrast to Melki’s outburst, Severus sat calmly on his bed, reading a Potions book he had borrowed from the library titled Fragrant Brewing.
Remaining completely unfazed despite standing at the center of the storm filled Leo, who was nervously watching from the side, with genuine admiration.
As it turned out, an argument required both sides.
Since Severus refused to respond, Melki’s sudden outburst burned itself out just as quickly as it had begun.
Finally, after angrily throwing out one last threat— “Just wait!
I’ll definitely do better than you!” —Melki buried himself beneath his blankets and sulked in silence, leaving Leo to quietly let out a sigh of relief that the fire hadn’t spread to him.
However, before Leo could completely relax, the mysterious Severus in his eyes suddenly closed the book in his hands and turned to look directly at him.
His deep black eyes met Leo’s.
“Do you want to learn?
I can teach you.” “…Huh?” “If I remember correctly, you still haven’t mastered the Levitation Charm.
If you don’t want to struggle with tomorrow’s homework, I can help.” Severus patiently explained himself again, leaving Leo somewhat flattered.
After understanding what Severus meant, Leo was naturally tempted, but he instinctively glanced toward Melki’s bed.
The only pure-blood in the dormitory was wrapped tightly in his blankets with his back facing them, making it impossible to tell whether he was asleep or simply pretending not to listen.
Leo’s thoughts were in turmoil.
Deep down, he didn’t want to miss such a valuable opportunity.
After only a single day of classes, every first-year in Slytherin had already realized one thing.
Severus Snape was operating on an entirely different level from the rest of them.
On his very first day at Hogwarts, he had earned twenty-five House points and received praise from two professors.
Many students disliked him precisely because he was a mere half-blood who had outperformed every pure-blood in their year.
At the same time, however, they all recognized his talent.
If they could receive his private guidance and catch up with the others, very few of those proud pure-blood students would actually refuse.
The only condition was that Severus had to be the one asking them.
Only after satisfying their pride would they reluctantly lower themselves to accept his help.
Leo was different.
As a half-blood, he knew he had no such pride to protect, nor did he pretend otherwise.
His only wish was to spend the next seven years peacefully, graduate without incident, and hopefully secure a stable position at the Ministry of Magic so he could live a comfortable life.
Therefore, the only thing holding him back now was Melki’s attitude as the self-appointed leader of their dormitory.
That final hesitation vanished the moment Severus spoke again.
“Learning magic isn’t just for your own sake.” “It’s so you can better help Melki.” “If he ever needs you to fight beside him and you can’t…” “You’ll only embarrass him.” He paused before calmly adding, “Or are you really that selfish?” “You’d rather watch your leader lose face in the future than put in a little effort now?” Leo hesitated no longer.
He immediately pulled over a chair and sat beside Severus.
Under Severus’s patient guidance, the confusion in his eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by understanding.
“The key to the Levitation Charm is pronunciation.
The pitch and emphasis of every syllable matter, and you can’t make any mistakes.” “As for Transfiguration, the first thing you need is a clear mental image of what you’re trying to create.” “You need to know its appearance, its details, and its size.
If you can’t picture it yourself, Transfiguration naturally won’t succeed.” …
Time quietly passed.
To Leo’s delight, the Levitation Charm that had repeatedly failed him during class suddenly became remarkably stable.
It no longer failed for reasons he couldn’t understand.
Even Transfiguration, which had seemed so difficult during class, suddenly became much clearer.
Under Severus’s guidance, Leo finally succeeded in transforming the matchstick into a vibrant green leaf.
[You have completed a highly effective teaching session for 2 people, gaining a total of 1,130 Experience Points!] One step closer to replicating another Gold talent.
Severus’s gaze drifted quietly toward Melki’s bed.
The boy remained facing the wall.
Whether he was asleep or simply pretending not to hear, Severus neither knew nor cared.
A trace of disdain flashed through his eyes before disappearing.
“Thank you, Snape.” Leo looked genuinely embarrassed.
“Can I come to you again if there’s something I don’t understand?” Severus nodded without hesitation.
“Of course.” His straightforward answer made Leo even more grateful.
“Is there anything I can help you with?
If there is, don’t be polite.” “There is, actually.” After considering his words for a moment, Severus met Leo’s determined gaze and said calmly, “If you know any classmates who are struggling with their coursework, bring them to me.” “I’ll tutor them.” “Tomorrow morning.
Will that work?” “Of course!
No problem!” Leo patted his chest confidently.
“I’ll tell them first thing tomorrow.” Unlike the solitary and aloof Severus, Leo had already become acquainted with quite a few first-years.
Then, as though remembering something, he scratched his head awkwardly.
“But…
they’re all half-bloods.” “It doesn’t matter.” Severus answered calmly.
“I don’t care about that.” Leo’s eyes widened in surprise.
He could hardly believe what he had just heard.
From Severus’s perspective, however, the first-year half-bloods in Slytherin were the ideal people to cultivate first.
They were ambitious.
They wanted to distinguish themselves.
Once they experienced Severus’s teaching firsthand, they would naturally become his first group of supporters.
Without the excessive pride common among pure-blood students, they would also be much easier for Severus to influence from the shadows.
Naturally, there was no need to explain any of this to Leo.
After wishing each other good night, Severus drew the curtains around his bed.
“Lumos.” By the soft white light at the tip of his wand, he opened a black notebook and quietly began writing down his future plans.
…
Refine and improve the Muggle Threat Theory, attempt to eliminate the influence of pure-blood ideology within the dormitory.
(Observation targets: Melvin, Leo) (Time limit: Before the end of first year) ( ) Develop a study group and harvest Experience on a large scale.
(Target 1: Slytherin first-years, use Leo to recruit them.
√) (Target 2: Ravenclaw first-years, attempt to recruit them through academic competition.) ( ) Make physical contact with all students and professors to unlock their talent information.
( ) Find an opportunity to use Lucius to join the Dark Eye Society and obtain internal Dark Arts knowledge.
( ) Develop covert connections and monitor the movements of James and the Marauders.
(Note: Beware of the Invisibility Cloak.) (Target 1: Lupin – Doubtful.
√) (Target 2: House-elves) (Target 3: Peeves) (Target 4: Peter) Find the Room of Requirement and determine a permanent location for practicing spells and brewing potions.
( ) Continue borrowing books from the library.
(Current: 1 book) …