Snape's Astonishment

"Th-this is advanced Principles of Transfiguration!?" Percy exclaimed after taking the notes.

"Principles of Transfiguration?" Hermione squeezed over too, but Tierra's notes were a dizzying jumble of symbols, formulas, and geometric figures to her.

"You shouldn't need to study this at your age. What are you trying to do, sit your O.W.L.s?" Percy asked sternly. He thought Tierra had conspired with his two younger brothers to make things difficult for him with advanced Transfiguration theory.

Having grown up with those two brothers and attended school only a few years ahead of them, Percy had been tormented into something like PTSD by the pair of troublemakers.

"No, Mr. Prefect. I just want to make magical items," Tierra said.

Tierra understood. He had always learned the theory first and experimented afterward. That was the normal approach to education in China.

Books like Principles of Potions and A Brief Discussion of Transfiguration were usually read by older students who had passed their O.W.L.s and wanted to take their magic further.

Apart from a handful of wizards, such as Dumbledore, Grindelwald, Voldemort, and Snape in their youth, only Tierra and Hermione would read books like these at their age.

Hogwarts, however, took the opposite approach: practice first. Lots of practice until the students mastered the techniques, and then... then... then practice made perfect.

As a result, Hogwarts students, and even some graduates, might never read these books in their lives. Even so, they could still use Transfiguration with great skill.

"Learn what you're supposed to learn at your age. Don't get ahead of yourselves," Percy scolded. The mention of magical items seemed to have struck a nerve.

With that, Percy stormed off.

Tierra and Hermione looked at each other.

Hermione couldn't understand how a perfectly ordinary academic question had ended like that.

Tierra had a theory. Remembering Weasley's Wizard Wheezes from the books, he figured the twins had probably begun developing their prank products by now.

Their early attempts couldn't have gone smoothly. Tierra had just seen an expression of utter loathing on Percy's face.

Not long after Percy left, Harry and Ron arrived at the dining hall.

"We're counting on you in Potions today, Tierra," Ron said.

"Even if you drink the Calming Draught," Hermione said loudly, lifting her chin, "even with Tierra's Calming Draught, Snape will still take points if you do the work badly. So I suggest you review Tierra's Potions notes right now."

"'Review Tierra's Potions notes!'" Ron repeated in an exaggerated imitation of Hermione. "You'd think you fancied Tierra or something."

"You!" A blush flashed across Hermione's face before she glared fiercely at Ron. "You're impossible!"

Hermione slammed her book shut and moved to another seat.

"She's the one who's impossible!" Ron told Harry and Tierra once Hermione was out of earshot.

Harry nodded silently.

Tierra objected. "Stop saying that about her."

"She... does lecture people a bit, and she can be annoying, but she means well."

Besides, she's going to be your wife someday, Tierra added silently.

As it turned out, Hermione had been right.

After drinking the Calming Draught, Harry and Ron were much more focused. At least they didn't knock anything over in Snape's Potions class.

But that still didn't change their situation.

In the eyes of Potions Master Snape, their technique was riddled with mistakes.

Harry and Ron endured his mockery for the entire lesson.

Thankfully, Gryffindor lost only fifteen points that class.

And thanks to the Calming Draught, Harry and Ron managed to tune out Snape's taunts and actually learn something from the lesson.

That softened Hermione's expression a little after a whole morning of gloom.

"All your classmates have left. Is there a reason you're still here, our brilliant Mr. Wu?"

Once everyone else had gone, Tierra remained behind, holding a glass bottle of red potion.

Ever since Snape had caught him helping Harry cheat, Snape's opinion of him had plummeted.

Tierra suspected Snape now saw him and the Trio as a new set of Marauders.

It had probably brought back some unpleasant memories.

"Well, Professor Snape," Tierra began, putting on the air of a young wizard eager to learn.

"This is a Calming Draught I brewed, but I don't know why it's dark red and pungent instead of the pale purple described in the book. Sorry for the trouble, but could you take a look?" Tierra offered him the glass bottle with both hands.

"Hmph!" Snape scoffed. "It seems our brilliant young wizard has decided to improve a potion himself!"

Despite his words, Snape motioned for Tierra to place the bottle on a desk in the front row, then waved his wand and cast an unfamiliar spell.

"The Potion Identification Charm," Snape said. "Page eighty-nine of Potions Explained. Next time, you can do this your—"

Snape broke off mid-sentence. His eyes widened as though he had seen something impossible.

The Potion Identification Charm worked on the potion, but only the caster could see its results. To show someone else, the caster had to follow it with a Flashback Charm.

After standing stunned for a moment, Snape cast the Potion Identification Charm again.

Whatever result he got, Snape picked up the potion and retreated to his private potion room.

He left Tierra standing there, completely ignored.

"This..." Tierra didn't know whether to leave or stay, so he stood there uneasily.

Tierra had brought the potion to Snape to check how far he had come in Potions. Only then would he feel safe drinking the Hydra Poison he planned to brew next.

That was a poison derived from the Blood-Cursed Orc. At Tierra's current level of ability, even the Curse Worm might not be able to purge a curse that powerful from his body.

If anything went wrong, it would be too late for regrets.

But he hadn't expected Snape to react so strongly to this potion.

By Tierra's reckoning, even if his improved brew was considerably stronger than an ordinary Calming Draught, surely it shouldn't have shaken Snape this badly?

Hadn't Snape himself often tinkered with potions when he was young?

Sorry, everyone, the fourth update came late. There'll be a fifth one soon, but it may not be until around one. Get some sleep and read it tomorrow morning~~~