Chapter 27 - 27: 27: Snape's Class

"Hey, Terry, wake up, it's time for class."

Terry heard someone calling him and groggily opened his eyes.

He saw the smiling face of his roommate, Lucien.

"Ah, this is the dorm? I remember coming back last night and smelling a fragrance…"

Lucien's mouth twitched, and he turned his head away.

How did this kid still remember?

The improved Sleeping Draught had kept Terry asleep the entire night; if Lucien hadn't woken him, he probably still wouldn't be up.

It seemed the potion's lasting effect was quite strong, which wasn't bad.

"You must've been too tired from class yesterday. You fell asleep as soon as you got back. Hurry and get ready. Our first class this morning is Potions, with Professor Snape."

At Lucien's reminder, Terry sat bolt upright.

The upperclassmen had warned them—the one teacher in the entire school they absolutely could not afford to offend was Snape!

"Oh, right, right! I'm getting up. I definitely can't be late for his class!"

Witnessing Terry complete the entire process of waking up, changing clothes, and washing in less than five minutes, Lucien couldn't help but sigh.

Such was the formidable reputation of Snape.

"I'm ready! Let's go quickly!"

Potions classroom.

As soon as the class bell rang, the door swung open.

A tall, thin man with a large hooked nose strode inside.

His rapid steps made his black cloak billow behind him like the wings of a great bat.

At the same time, a harsh, cold voice rang out:

"Since there is no foolish wand-waving here, many of you will doubt this is real magic."

"I do not expect you to truly appreciate the subtle beauty of a cauldron with its shimmering fumes or the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind and ensnaring the senses…"

As he spoke, Snape's eyes swept the room.

His gaze lingered briefly on Lucien; he remembered this one.

The student who had made history at the Sorting Ceremony, even mentioned specifically by Minerva.

"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper in death—but only if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Many young Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were awed by Snape's presence.

Some had already straightened their backs, beginning to yearn for such promises.

Lucien, however, listened with a calm expression.

Hmm, it was impressive, but compared to glory, fame, and stopping death, Lucien thought Snape might long even more for a resurrection potion to reverse life and death—or a regret potion that could change the past.

Snape flicked his hand, and words appeared on the blackboard.

"In this class, we will learn to brew the Sleeping Draught. The ingredients include Frobberworm Mucus, lavender, Valerian sprigs, Sopophorous beans... If you don't have a brain like a Troll's or eyes as beautiful as a ..Sloth's, you could identify the concentration and strength of a Sleeping Draught by its consistency and the shade of purple.…"

Sitting below, Lucien heard the name, and his eyelids twitched.

What a coincidence.

"…after use, a wizard will fall asleep in ten seconds, while magical creatures, depending on their size, will fall asleep in thirty seconds to six minutes."

Listening to Snape's explanation, Lucien gave the slightest nod.

The improved Sleeping Draught he had learned was indeed much stronger than the original.

Especially when used on magical creatures, the time required for the improved version to take effect was significantly reduced.

At that time, he could first burn incense to make them sleep, which would make it easier to observe and record them.

After introducing the effects and uses of the Sleeping Draught, Snape began to explain the brewing techniques.

This made Lucien pay close attention.

Because Lucien knew that no matter how harsh or foul-mouthed Snape was, he was the youngest Potion Master of his time.

His teachings, his explanations, could only be heard casually here, at Hogwarts.

"Sopophorous Beans must be squeezed for juice with the side of a silver knife, not sliced, and stirred counter-clockwise until clear…"

The Old Bat mentioned a small detail in material processing, which made Lucien's eyes light up.

Indeed, Snape had something to teach.

Although he had already mastered the improved Sleeping Draught, he had to admit that some of the techniques Snape taught were still very useful.

While quickly taking notes, he compared Snape's explanation with the improved formula, thereby deepening his understanding of Potions.

"Alright, begin brewing the potion."

The young Wizards immediately got to work.

As Lucien prepared to process the ingredients, he suddenly thought of something and asked the system:

"System, to repay the formula loan, I need to brew 5 potions.

Can the improved Sleeping Draught and the original version count as two different ones?"

Lucien was speechless. Since he couldn't use the original Sleeping Draught to exploit a bug, he would just brew the improved version.

Hmm, if he borrowed another finished potion, it would be equivalent to consuming one set of ingredients but yielding two potions!

After Little Qilin woke up, Lucien planned to go to the Forbidden Forest to find 5 magical creatures and record their information.

To be safe, he could prepare more Sleeping Draught as an auxiliary tool.

"I want to borrow a Beginner Finished Potion (Daily Loan), and the content is the improved Sleeping Draught."

On the other side, Snape also stepped down from the podium and began to inspect the students' operating techniques.

"Bones, why aren't you wearing a mask? Are you planning to wash your face in the cauldron?"

"Abbott, oh, don't cry. When brewing the Sleeping Draught, there's no need to add a little girl's tears!"

It was the first Potion Class for the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, and also their first time witnessing Snape's "terror."

Lucien had just weighed the Valerian Sprigs and taken them off the scale, preparing to grind them.

A chilling voice sounded behind him:

"Tell me, Grafton, did I forget to mention that Valerian Sprigs require eight grams? Why did you only weigh five grams?"

Hearing Snape's question, Lucien didn't stop his movements, placing the Valerian Sprigs into the mortar and grinding them finely.

"Yes, Professor, you said eight grams. However, if ground into powder, five grams is enough."

Snape continued to press, his tone even colder, "But I requested slices. Powdered Valerian Sprigs will quickly lose their efficacy once added to the cauldron."

Lucien was not intimidated by Snape's tone and replied while grinding, "So, when adding them, the flame needs to be lowered to 150°C, allowing the Valerian Sprigs powder to integrate more slowly."

Lucien believed that as long as he clearly explained the reason for doing so, Snape would be able to judge whether the operation was correct.

Since his operation was not problematic, there was no need to back down because of his questioning.

This time, Snape fell silent.

With his knowledge and experience, he instantly realized that Lucien's proposed operation was feasible and consistent with the properties of Valerian Sprigs.

It also had no impact on Potion brewing and even slightly reduced the required amount of Valerian Sprigs.

"Grafton, mere opportunism is not applicable in the field of Potions."

Snape dropped this remark and turned away, without saying whether Lucien's operation was right or wrong.

Terry whispered to Lucien beside him, "Even though he was asking you, I couldn't help but tremble just now. Aren't you scared?"

"Why should I be scared? Was my operation wrong?"

"But Professor Snape just now…"

"If I had done something wrong, shouldn't he have scolded me until I corrected it?"

Terry scratched his head, finding Lucien's words irrefutable.

Glancing to the side, Lucien kindly reminded him: "If you don't stir, your Potion will burn."

"Oh, no!"

And so, Lucien continued brewing the improved Sleeping Draught.

Snape would occasionally drift behind him, relentlessly questioning his every move.

But Lucien not only answered fluently, his hands remained steady, never faltering.

At last, Lucien's Potion was the first to be finished.

He handed the Sleeping Draught to Snape, who stood nearby.

"Professor, would you like to check if it meets the standard?"