"It's the same no matter who it is, Miss Zhang."
Snape's expression didn't change as he frowned slightly and continued, "Although irregular cuts can sometimes enhance the potion's effects, this is just a Boil-Cure Potion. Doing this is a waste of time."
He paused, then added, "But considering your serious effort... five points to Hufflepuff."
A wave of shock rippled through the classroom. Students turned their heads in disbelief, eyes wide with astonishment.
Some Hufflepuff students even slapped their ears, wondering if there was something wrong with their hearing. The first half of the Potions class had already demonstrated just how unpleasant and harsh Professor Snape could be. As the prefects had warned, only Slytherin ever seemed to gain points in his class, while the other houses were left trying to avoid losing any.
Even after the two Slytherins had nearly blown up the classroom earlier, Snape had punished them with detention but did not take a single point from their house.
And yet, here he was, awarding five points to Zhang, a first-year Hufflepuff!
This was an unprecedented event, one that would surely send shockwaves through the entire school.
---
While Hufflepuff students were stunned, Slytherins were in disbelief. They stared at their head of house with resentment, on the verge of tears.
Why was Snape awarding points to Hufflepuff? This was supposed to be a privilege reserved for Slytherin alone. Had their head of house changed? He was never like this before.
However, Snape remained unmoved by the Slytherin students' reactions. He set down the porcupine quill he was holding and, without another word, returned his attention to the class. "Don't waste time with unnecessary things next time," he said coldly.
"Yes, Professor," Zhang replied timidly.
Snape nodded and turned his gaze toward Kyle. His expression immediately soured as he surveyed the slow progress Kyle had made in cutting his porcupine quill. "Look at the others, then look at yourself," Snape snapped. "It took you all this time to do something so simple? It's as if you're using a troll's brain. You're wasting everyone's time. Five points from Hufflepuff!"
Kyle stood speechless, wondering what he had done to deserve this punishment. He had only been a little slow. Did that warrant the loss of points? Was there no justice at Hogwarts? Were there no rules?
Unfortunately, it seemed no one cared. Even his classmates didn't sympathize with him. Instead, many of them breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Snape's ire had been directed away from them.
The Slytherins, in particular, exchanged relieved glances. Tears of joy welled up in some of their eyes.
This was the Snape they knew. The previous, seemingly fair version must have been an illusion. Perhaps Headmaster Dumbledore had used some sort of spell to make Snape behave more impartially—probably in an attempt to prevent Slytherin from winning the House Cup for the sixth year in a row.
The Slytherins silently cursed the headmaster.
---
After Snape's outburst, he largely ignored Kyle for the remainder of the lesson. As class neared its end, he began to inspect the potions each student had brewed.
Kyle and Zhang's potion was flawless. Pink smoke rose gently from their cauldron, and even Snape couldn't find any fault with it. "Five points to Hufflepuff," he muttered before walking away, though the expression on his face made it clear he was less than pleased.
This was the second time in one class that Snape had awarded points to Hufflepuff, though he had deducted Kyle's five points immediately afterward. Still, by dinner, word of Snape's unusual behavior had spread like wildfire throughout the school.
Zhang quickly became the center of attention, and this time, the entire school knew her name. It wasn't just the few students from earlier lessons who had taken note of her. No, this time, everyone at Hogwarts was curious about the first-year Hufflepuff who had managed to earn Snape's favor.
---
During dinner, Fred and George Weasley, the notorious pranksters of Gryffindor, risked further detention by approaching the Hufflepuff table.
"Finally, Kyle, you're out of that dungeon you call a common room!" Fred exclaimed as he sat down.
The twins didn't look well. Their eyes were ringed with dark circles, and their hands trembled so badly that they could hardly hold their utensils. Fred's pork chop looked as though it had been mutilated rather than sliced.
"What happened to you two?" Kyle asked, concerned. "You both look like you've been up all night."
"We have," George groaned. "McGonagall gave us the worst detention imaginable. She's making us copy a textbook by hand. Fifteen inches thick! It's taller than a wand. She's trying to kill us, I swear."
"At least she won't let us die of exhaustion before we finish," Fred added with a weak laugh.
Kyle didn't press for details. It was clear that the twins were in no state to discuss the matter further.
After a moment of silence, George suddenly smacked his forehead. "Hey, we came here for a reason, didn't we?" he said, scanning the Hufflepuff table. "Who's this legendary Zhang we've been hearing about? We need to meet her and get her autograph."
Fred nodded enthusiastically. "A Hufflepuff getting points from Snape? That's a miracle. She deserves an award—something like curing Snape's bias."
Kyle shrugged. "You're out of luck. She didn't come to dinner tonight."
"She didn't?" George frowned. "She's not skipping dinner, is she?"
"No," Kyle replied. "She just didn't come to the Great Hall. Our common room is right next to the kitchens. She's probably having something brought to her."
"Oh, right!" George slapped his forehead again. "How could I forget? You Hufflepuffs live right next to the kitchens. Must be convenient."
Fred sighed. "Too bad we're stuck in detention tonight. Otherwise, we could wait around and catch her for an autograph."
Kyle chuckled to himself. Something told him that Zhang wouldn't be eager to give out autographs.
Seeing that they wouldn't get to meet her that evening, the twins hastily finished their meal and left, stuffing their bags with baked potatoes for later.
As they departed, Kyle called after them, "Why don't you just head to the kitchens for something fresh?"
Fred shot him a tired glare. "It's two in the morning when we get back, Kyle," he said. "It's a miracle we even make it back to Gryffindor Tower alive at that hour."
(End of chapter)
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