"An antidote personally made by Snape for you?" The young wizards gathered around Harry in the infirmary.
"Maybe you shouldn't drink it. I think you're pretty good this way," Ron said. "What if it's poison? It's not worth the risk."
Harry glared with his green eyes, "Ron, I'm Harry! Your best friend! You can't let me stay a girl forever!"
"Okay, forget I said anything…" Ron said guiltily.
"Although I also think you're fine this way," Hermione added, "I don't think Snape would dare to poison you openly in school, right? After all, everyone knows he's treating you."
"Not everyone," Tom said. "In fact, only a few professors and us know about Harry's situation since he doesn't want it publicized."
"If the professors trust Snape enough, he might just find some excuse to get away with it."
Harry's shoulders slumped, sharing the same worry.
But the thought of living as a girl filled him with inexplicable fear.
"No, I have to try it!"
He took out the potion and took a deep breath. "If I die after drinking this, you must tell the other professors that Snape definitely did it on purpose."
He opened the bottle and was about to drink the antidote when Autumn Zhang suddenly held his hand, "Wait."
"Don't rush," she advised. "Why don't we ask another professor? Professor Murphy also knows a lot about transformation potions. Even if he can't make an antidote, he should be able to tell if this one is poisonous, right?"
"But the professors seem to be on vacation," Hermione mentioned. "I heard Professor Flitwick saying he was going to have a drink with Professor Murphy at the Three Broomsticks. We're not in our third year yet, so we can't go to Hogsmeade."
"Should we wait for the professors to come back?" Tom asked.
"Hogsmeade?" Ron's eyes suddenly lit up. "We might still be able to go... George and Fred once mentioned they found a secret passage..."
...
"Duang!"
In a separate booth at the Three Broomsticks, Murphy filled an oversized cup, meant for butterbeer, with liquor and slammed it in front of Snape.
"I'll report you for kidnapping! Kidnapping a Hogwarts professor in broad daylight! You'll be thrown into Azkaban!" Snape was so agitated that he began to speak incoherently.
Murphy had already released him and forced him to sit opposite with his magic.
"You're going to report me?" Murphy almost burst into laughter. "On what grounds?"
"I'm Murphy, a Hogwarts governor, a leading tycoon in the British wizarding world, with friends in the Ministry of Magic. How do you think you can take me down?"
"You…" Snape was at a loss for words. Beyond his position as a Hogwarts professor, what did he have? He couldn't possibly bring Murphy down, making his earlier threat seem incredibly weak.
"What do you want?" Snape gritted his teeth.
Murphy pushed the glass of liquor towards him. "Drink this."
Snape had watched Murphy pour an entire bottle of strong whiskey into the cup and even blatantly mix in a potion from a small bottle.
"Why should I drink this?!"
However, with a "duang," Murphy placed a similar cup in front of himself, filling it with even more whiskey and adding more liquid from the small bottle.
"You drink as much as I drink," Murphy challenged. "Dare you?"
"Have you gone mad?" Snape stared at him, confused and incredulous.
Murphy grinned, his eyes gleaming fiercely. "So what if I'm mad?"
"Who isn't crazy in this world?"
"Aren't you mad?"
"Isn't Dumbledore mad?"
"They think I'm crazy because I disregard conventions, because I dare to challenge authority, and speak my mind. Perhaps that's madness."
"But living a mundane, restrained, fearful life, turning yourself into a turtle or a donkey only fit for grinding, isn't that madness?!"
He continued, looking at Snape, "Besides, you dared to drink the Draught of Despair, so why fear a mere cup of liquor?"
Snape's eyes widened in shock. "You're talking nonsense, uncultured, undignified…"
"But I feel relieved saying it," Murphy laughed. "Damn, I've been suffocated these days…"
"Hogwarts is not a place for humans…"
"Just like the Ministry of Magic…"
"Teaching classes every day is one thing, but also fulfilling the headmaster's orders? Why? Who gave him the right?"
"You're complaining about this?" Snape was surprised.
Murphy looked back at him. "Don't you have grievances?"
Snape fell silent.
When it came to doing private errands for the headmaster, few professors did more than he did.
"Let me go," Snape demanded.
"Drink the liquor first."
"How am I supposed to drink tied up?!" Snape glared.
"Good point." Murphy raised an eyebrow, seemingly pleased. "You're angry now. That's more like it."
"…" Snape truly thought the man opposite him was seriously ill.
However, once Murphy untied him, Snape stared at the cup of whiskey in front of him and, as if making a firm decision, suddenly grabbed it and gulped down three big mouthfuls.
Murphy was shocked. This was high-proof Scottish whiskey mixed with Veritaserum. At this rate, Snape wouldn't last three minutes.
"Burp…" Unable to help it, Snape belched from drinking too fast.
He looked at Murphy.
The latter smiled, "Ah, refreshing."
He picked up his cup and drank three big mouthfuls, slamming it on the table with even less liquid left than Snape's.
"You drink as much as I drink," Murphy repeated. "How about it? Another bet?"
Snape's cheeks visibly reddened. "Bet on what?"
"If you win, I'll nullify the last bet," Murphy offered. "You've been resentful all along, right?"
"Hmph!" Snape glared fiercely. "If it weren't for your tricks, I would have defeated your Draught of Despair."
"But I still won," Murphy countered. "Haven't you learned your lesson? Winning is winning; the result is all that matters."
Snape clenched his teeth. "And if you win?"
Murphy looked at him, suddenly smiling. "How about we blow up Hogwarts together?"
___________________
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