Chapter -48.
Since Friday was packed with classes for both Slytherin and Gryffindor, Hermione was on a mission to outscore Dudley in their two Potions classes. She was practically wearing out her first-year Potions textbook in the process!
The Potions classroom was in the basement, which made it a bit cooler and gloomier than the rest of the castle.
Honestly, Dudley wasn't a fan of brewing potions down there. He preferred a room with a more comfortable temperature so he could manage the heat and timing better. Maybe it was just Professor Snape's quirky choice.
The walls of the Potions room were lined with glass jars filled with all sorts of animal specimens, including some pretty rare and forbidden items from the wizarding world, which made Dudley a little envious.
As expected from a Potions Master, Snape had some truly unique and hard-to-find items on display. Rumor had it that he had a secret stash of potion materials, and Dudley couldn't help but think that if he could get his hands on that, he'd be set for years! But then again, he'd probably be chased down by Snape for the rest of his life.
"Hey, Dudley," Harry said quietly as he approached him before class.
Just the day before, Harry had mentioned that Hagrid had invited both of them to visit his hut that afternoon.
How to describe Hagrid? At heart, he was a good guy.
If he hadn't been rude to Vernon first, Dudley wouldn't have had any issues with him. After Hagrid earned Dudley's forgiveness, he also won over Harry, since he was a friend of Harry's parents and had a lot of stories to share about their past.
But if Dudley hadn't forgiven Hagrid, Harry wouldn't have either. Even if Harry said he had moved on, his relationship with Hagrid was pretty much centered around Dudley. If Dudley said no, Harry would too.
Dudley agreed without hesitation. Hagrid's hut was near the edge of the Forbidden Forest, a place that sparked Dudley's imagination. It was a spot that anyone interested in herbology and potions would love.
Sure, it was a bit dangerous, but it was also full of resources.
After spending some time with Hagrid, Dudley thought of him as "terrifyingly simple-minded." It wasn't exactly a compliment, but it wasn't an insult either.
The reason for this thought was that Hagrid reminded him of someone—a certain whirlwind of simplicity. Of course, Hagrid was better; at least he wasn't as bloodthirsty. Otherwise, given Hagrid's background, he could have easily been labeled a small dark wizard, um, a physical dark wizard.
This was the first time Dudley felt a little uneasy.
With just a minute to go before class started, Professor Snape strode in through the door.
With his cold, piercing gaze, large hooked nose, greasy hair, and all-black outfit, Snape looked like a villain straight out of a fairy tale; it was hard for any young wizard to have a good first impression of him.
He made his way to the front of the classroom and picked up the attendance sheet to call the roll.
When he got to Harry's name, he paused.
"Oh, look who it is! Harry Potter, the famous one," he said with a sarcastic tone that drew some muffled laughter from the students, including Malfoy and his gang. But when Dudley glanced around, he noticed that the Slytherins had gone silent, with only a few clueless Gryffindors still chuckling.
"You're here to learn about potion-making," Snape continued.
As soon as he spoke, the classroom fell into line; his intimidating presence was almost as strong as Dudley's.
"There's no silly wand-waving here, so many of you might not think this is magic. I don't expect you to truly appreciate the beauty of a potion simmering slowly, with white smoke rising and a delightful aroma filling the air. I can teach you how to boost your reputation, brew glory, and even fend off death. But there's one catch: you must not be the kind of foolish idiots I often encounter."
Potions can do so much that spells can't; others might not get it, but Dudley did.
He had already seen the magic of potions firsthand. Even if he couldn't cast spells in the future, he felt confident that his potion-making skills could rival those of other wizards.
However, Dudley noticed that when Snape said these words, his gaze would often drift toward Harry.
Was he thinking about my poor aunt?
"Potter!" Snape suddenly called out, raising his voice. "What would happen if I added powdered daffodil root to the mugwort infusion?"
"I don't know, sir," Harry replied honestly.
He didn't even know what daffodil root powder or mugwort was!
Snape's gaze shifted from Harry's green eyes to his face, curling his lip in disdain.
"Tsk, tsk, it seems fame doesn't mean everything."
Another sarcastic jab, followed by laughter, but this time it was all from the Gryffindors; the Slytherins were silent.
"Let's try again. Potter, if I asked you to find me a piece of bezoar, where would you look?"
As he spoke, Snape's gaze once again locked onto Harry's eyes, staring into those green orbs.
Deep down, maybe there was a hint of expectation.
Unfortunately, Harry's answer let him down again.
"I don't know, sir."
Harry shook his head; he genuinely didn't know.
"I suppose you haven't opened a single book before school started, have you, Potter?"
Snape's expression turned even more contemptuous, but underneath it all, there was a hint of disappointment.
That person was gone and would never return; it was a shame her child didn't inherit her talents.
"Potter, one last question: what's the difference between Aconitum and Wolfsbane?"
Aconitum?
Hearing that term, Harry perked up; he actually knew this one, thanks to Dudley's earlier explanation.
"They can both be used to make poisons, sir."
As soon as Harry spoke, Snape was taken aback.
"Aconitum and Wolfsbane are both plants from the Aconitum genus; they are both Aconitum, a slender, upright, and toxic perennial herb, especially the tubers which are highly poisonous, with black skin and beautiful flowers. Its juice can be used on arrows to create poisoned arrows to kill people or animals, and it's sometimes used as a poison for death row inmates. Its flower language is 'malice.' Once accidentally poisoned, the heart rate slows down, followed by numbness throughout the body, then the heart rate speeds up, leading to confusion, unconsciousness, and finally death."
Harry spoke rapidly, his eyes shining with excitement; finally, there was a question he could answer.
But this excitement had a different vibe in the eyes of the Slytherins in the room.
When it came to other questions, he hesitated and seemed lost, but when it was about poisons, he spoke at length, and when death was mentioned, he was full of enthusiasm.
Potter, something's definitely off with you.
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Upcoming chapters :-
49. Snape, the bully.
50. Want to learn potions from me?
51. Warm black tea and biscuits.