Snape, the Model Professor

As a professor at Hogwarts, setting aside Snape's professional ethics for the moment, his teaching ability was undeniably first-rate.

Andy had a Potions Master at home. He occasionally helped out with simple potion ingredients, so he knew a fair amount about the subject of Potions.

But Helen basically brewed potions by following instructions to the letter. They could be sold for money, but they could hardly be called masterpieces.

Snape was different. He had thoroughly understood the properties of every potion ingredient.

Not only that, he had made quite a few changes to the brewing procedures based on the differing properties of each ingredient.

Some changes made potion brewing easier, while others improved the quality of the potion.

Although Cure for Scabies Potion was only a simple potion, Snape explained it in great detail. In Snape's words—anyone who wasn't a complete idiot could brew it successfully.

If Snape's class had any shortcomings, it was probably that his personal image was truly dreadful.

Andy glanced around. Quite a few Little Wizards had been frightened stiff by Snape and probably hadn't understood a word of what he was saying.

Fortunately, Andy was an adult inside.

It was one thing for children to fear teachers, but what adult would be afraid of one? Forget being afraid of teachers—if Hogwarts had a young and beautiful female teacher, Andy would even dare send her a love letter.

"That is all for now regarding Cure for Scabies Potion."

Snape still spoke in that unhurried tone. "All the steps are written on the blackboard. The ingredients are on the worktables."

"Now, work in pairs. You may begin."

The Little Wizards stared blankly at Snape. What did he mean, that was all the material? Had he really been teaching just now instead of telling them a horror story? Oh! The steps were all on the blackboard, then there was no problem.

The Little Wizards might not have been good at other things, but copying answers was their specialty.

You had written the answers on the blackboard, and we could still get it wrong? That was looking down on us too much! Andy glanced at Hermione and signaled with his eyes: The two of us together? Hermione proudly lifted her chin and nodded with great restraint.

Andy lit the fire beneath the cauldron and began brewing the potion according to the steps on the blackboard.

Hermione was the studious type too. Asking her to innovate might have been a little difficult, but asking her to follow instructions to the letter—forget brewing a potion, even if she had to memorize an entire book, she would not get a single word wrong.

Brewing potions was actually a bit like cooking.

Two people could follow the same recipe and still end up with dishes that tasted vastly different.

Potion brewing was the same.

Even if everyone brewed according to the steps Snape had given them, the finished products could still differ like heaven and earth—especially for beginners.

Ten minutes later, Snape drifted back and forth through the classroom like a ghost, using his sinister voice to point out every Little Wizard's mistakes.

Yet it was completely useless.

Because every Little Wizard whose mistake Snape pointed out would act as though they had lost their minds and make an even bigger mistake.

Then Snape would look at them as if they were mentally deficient, point out the new mistake in a mocking tone, and deduct a point from their House.

"Goldstein, I believe I have already made you write this down in your notebook. Porcupine Quills must be added to the cauldron after the fire has been extinguished."

"Ravenclaw will lose one point for this."

Even Andy's roommate could not escape.

Anthony Goldstein held Porcupine Quills in his hand, his eyes fixed tightly on the cauldron. Snape had clearly pointed out his mistake, but Anthony now seemed like a complete idiot, utterly unable to figure out what he was supposed to do.

Andy stole a glance at Anthony. He was trembling all over and looked as though he were about to cry.

Snape finally seemed to notice Andy's group. He walked behind Andy and Hermione, his gaze passing over both of them as he stared intently at their work.

Andy could clearly feel Hermione grow tense all over.

Fortunately, Hermione was different from the other Little Wizards. She aspired to be a model student; the greater the pressure a teacher placed on her, the more it brought out her potential.

Andy had been watching Hermione the whole time, yet he never saw her make a single mistake.

Snape watched for a while, then silently walked away. He looked as though he had lost all interest, and did not glance at Andy's group again for the rest of the lesson.

To be fair, judging Snape's behavior alone, he was practically Hogwarts' model teacher.

He explained the key points in great detail and had his own understanding of potion theory.

While the Little Wizards worked hands-on, Snape did not rest for even a moment. He spent the entire lesson walking around and promptly correcting their mistakes.

He was unafraid of hardship, unafraid of exhaustion, and full of passion.

But factoring in Snape's uniquely chilling aura, the real situation was this—the Little Wizards were taking class in an evil laboratory, with an eerie chill blowing through the room all lesson long, making their hair stand on end.

The professor's guidance was more like the whispers of a demon, as though he wanted to drag you straight into hell.

"Professor Snape, we're finished." The moment the potion was done, Hermione immediately raised her hand to signal Snape.

Snape swept over with his black robes trailing behind him. He first looked at Andy and Hermione, then bent down to inspect the potion.

The potion's color and smell were both perfect. Though it could not be considered a masterpiece, no one would bother putting much effort into researching such a simple potion. As long as it met the standard for use, that was enough.

A normal teacher might have been very fond of excellent students like Andy and Hermione.

But Snape merely gave a faint grunt, indicated for them to bottle the potion, and left without looking back.

Leaving behind only the words, "One point to Ravenclaw."

Hermione looked somewhat disappointed.

Andy said quietly, "Professor Snape is just like that. Maybe he's simply a rather strict person."

To avoid dampening the Little Witch's enthusiasm for studying, Andy forcibly held back the words he wanted to use to badmouth Snape.

Andy had gotten some intelligence on Snape from the Weasley Twins.

According to the Twins, Professor Snape had this sort of air about him: three parts mockery, three parts cold indifference, four parts carelessness, and ninety points deducted from Gryffindor.

For Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, Snape rarely awarded points, but he would not deduct them casually either.

But when it came to Gryffindor, if Snape had an opportunity to deduct points, he would do so. If he did not have one, he would create one.

"Mm!"

The Little Witch quickly accepted Andy's explanation and whispered, "It looks like you weren't lying this time."

"What?" Andy looked utterly baffled. Just what kind of image did he have in this little girl's mind?

How had I lied?

"I mean when you said you were the practical type," Hermione said.