Since it was the first lesson, and the next Transfiguration class would cover the same material, Professor McGonagall did not assign any homework.
The same was true for Fel and Hermione.
Hogwarts’ curriculum was much like a university’s, where professors only taught a limited number of core lessons.
As for everything else, if you truly wanted to learn, you had to study it yourself.
After all, if you never visited the library or took the initiative to ask professors questions, relying only on what was taught in class, there was no way you could earn an “O” (Outstanding) in your exams.
There was still some time before lunch, so Fel suggested that Hermione stop reviewing.
Instead, they should explore Hogwarts Castle and familiarize themselves with the classrooms, corridors, staircases, and routes.
That way, they would not end up getting lost and arriving late like Harry and Ron.
Hermione wholeheartedly agreed.
If she were ever scolded by a professor for being late, she would probably cry the entire night.
Along the way, Fel and Hermione looked around everywhere they went, and after asking older students for directions, they finally memorized the general layout of Hogwarts.
Fel even made a point of asking where Professor McGonagall’s office was.
There was only one Potions lesson that afternoon, and after that they would be free.
He planned to visit Professor McGonagall after Potions class to ask about his mother, Isa Hefis.
…
After the lunch break, everyone was full of energy again.
Everyone from Fel’s dormitory, along with Hermione and her two roommates, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, headed together toward the Potions classroom.
Parvati Patil was the girl who danced with Harry at the Yule Ball in the original story.
She was of Indian descent, but her features were extremely delicate.
Her skin was much fairer than Fel remembered from the films, making it obvious at a glance that she came from a Brahmin family.
Fel remembered that someone in the original story had once called her the prettiest girl in the entire year, but he did not agree.
Perhaps it was because spending so much time together created a favorable bias, or perhaps they simply had different standards of beauty.
In any case, Fel thought Parvati was indeed beautiful, but still slightly inferior to Hermione.
Hermione simply did not care about her appearance.
Her thick, bushy hair, large front teeth, the way she always held her hand high in class, and her studious aura…
To outsiders, it was easy to overlook her hidden beauty and simply see her as an ordinary academic genius.
In fact, in the original novel, when Hermione appeared at the ball after dressing up carefully, even Malfoy could not find a single insult to throw at her.
That was probably the greatest compliment to her appearance.
Lavender Brown was the girl who would date Ron in the future.
Her appearance had not changed at all. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Aside from being hopelessly lovestruck, she did not really have any major flaws.
There were only three girls in Hermione’s dormitory, and at the moment, the three of them got along quite well.
The group entered the Potions classroom and took their seats.
Fel, Hermione, and Harry occupied the middle table in the second row.
They had just finished preparing their textbooks, notebooks, cauldrons, and other potion making equipment.
Without arriving even a second early or a second late, Snape pushed open the classroom door exactly on time, and every conversation in the room instantly disappeared.
His eyes were sharp, perceptive, and intimidating, as though they could see through every secret hidden within a person’s heart.
His greasy hair looked as though it had not been washed in a month.
He wore flowing black wizard robes with wide sleeves that billowed dramatically as he walked.
Seen from behind, the sleeves looked like a pair of enormous black wings flapping behind him, making him resemble a giant bat.
Fel clicked his tongue.
Sure enough, there were only mistaken names, never mistaken nicknames.
“This class does not require you to wave your wands around like fools, nor will you be chanting spells blindly.”
Snape’s voice carried its peculiar drawl.
“So, most of you will never learn to appreciate the subtle science and exact art of potion making. Some of you may even believe it is not magic at all.”
Then, in a tone dripping with contempt, he continued, “I do not expect many of you to truly appreciate the beauty of a gently simmering cauldron sending white steam into the air while releasing a fragrant aroma…”
“You will never truly understand the miraculous power of the liquid that flows through human veins, capable of enchanting the mind and clouding the senses.”
“But for a select few,” Snape said as he glanced toward Malfoy.
Malfoy’s eyes immediately lit up.
‘Could I be the chosen one?’
“I can teach you how to improve your reputation, brew glory, and even put a stop to death,” Snape said as his gaze shifted toward Harry.
To be perfectly fair, Harry was listening more attentively than anyone else.
He was even writing down the meaningless phrases Snape had just spoken with his quill.
Unfortunately, the old bat was not a qualified teacher.
From the very beginning, he was prejudiced against Harry and assumed he was not paying attention.
“Perhaps some of you arrived at Hogwarts already burdened with enough fame and confidence to believe you need not listen carefully to my lessons,” Snape said as he stared directly at Harry.
Ron nudged Harry with his elbow, and Harry quickly put down his quill and looked at Snape.
“Mr. Potter, tell me, what would happen if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”
Hermione, the ultimate exam ace, immediately shot her hand high into the air, but Snape ignored her completely and fired three questions at Harry in succession. Read this novel at NovelPing for the best experience.
Harry was utterly dumbfounded.
How was he supposed to know the answers?
He was not like Hermione, who had already read through nearly everything the first years would study before even arriving at Hogwarts.
“How unfortunate. It seems fame alone is of little use,” Snape said flatly.
Even the most patient person had their limits.
Whatever hidden meaning Snape’s questions might have carried, Harry genuinely did not know the answers.
For a first year who had only just arrived at Hogwarts, this was obviously an attempt to make things difficult for him.
“Clearly Hermione knows the answers. The real shame is that you won’t let her answer,” Harry replied, causing the class to quietly chuckle.
Snape stared intently into Harry’s eyes, as though trying to see something more clearly.
He walked down from the front of the classroom and stopped beside Harry’s desk, casually saying to Hermione, “Put your hand down, you silly girl.”
Fel narrowed his eyes.
It was obvious that despite being a Potions Master, Snape was not a qualified teacher.
He lacked patience with his students and constantly mocked them with biting sarcasm.
Especially when it came to Harry.
On one hand, Harry was Lily’s son, and his eyes resembled Lily’s, so Snape would unquestionably protect him.
On the other hand, Harry looked exactly like his father, James Potter, and that made Snape despise him.
Because of that, Snape’s attitude toward Harry was deeply contradictory.
His desire to see Harry embarrassed was genuine, and so was his determination to protect Harry’s life.
As for the grudges between the previous generation, especially those between Snape and James Potter…
Do not assume Snape was merely an innocent victim of school bullying.
He had genuinely been a Death Eater, although he later abandoned the Dark Lord and turned away from evil.
With Snape’s personality, who in all of Hogwarts would honestly believe he was a good man?
If Dumbledore actually said so, even his nose would grow longer.
To sum it up in one sentence, it was dogs biting dogs until everyone’s mouth was full of fur.
The whole mess had become such a tangled stew that right and wrong could no longer be separated.
Fel gently patted Hermione’s arm to comfort her.
Snape continued staring into Harry’s eyes, as though remembering something.
His tone suddenly softened, and he slowly explained the answers to the questions he had asked moments earlier.
Then he immediately returned to his usual self, dragging out his strange drawl as he instructed everyone to write the answers down.
“Since someone dared to talk back to a teacher, Gryffindor will lose five points!”