Professor Snape Is Very Kind

Harry and Ron finally waited for Eliana as lunch was about to disappear from their plates.

"Hey, sis, it's really hard to get a chance to see you," Ron mumbled, his mouth full of chicken legs.

"Wait, wait, wait a minute."

Eliana plopped down in front of the dining table, urgently dished herself two steaks, a piece of lamb, and a large bunch of pea shoots. She took a big gulp of pumpkin juice to catch her breath before replying, "What's up?"

Ron nudged Harry with his elbow. "Hey, weren't you going to say something? She's right in front of you now."

Eliana took a bite of her steak and turned her gaze to Harry.

Her eyes were beautiful, her black pupils like obsidian in the sun, staring unblinkingly, as if joyfully gazing at her favorite treasure.

"It's like this," Harry said haltingly, feeling a bit shy under her gaze, "Hagrid invited me to his hut for tea this afternoon. Do you want to come with me?"

"This afternoon?" Eliana swallowed the food in her mouth and shook her head regretfully. "Sorry, Harry, I can't. I have class."

"Huh? I thought we didn't have class this afternoon. Did I miss something?!" Ron frantically pulled out his schedule. "Yeah, we really don't have class."

He let out a big sigh of relief, then looked over suspiciously.

"Oh, no, I'm going to take Potions Class again with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. They have Potions Class this afternoon."

"What??!!"

"I only got an E in Potions, so I have to go back and work on my weaknesses. It can't be helped, I haven't been studying Potions for long, and it's better not to practice on my own without a professor watching. Think of Longbottom. Luckily, Professor Snape is very nice, and he agreed."

"An E? Work on weaknesses??"

"Snape, is very nice???"

Exclamations erupted from the two boys, one after another, as if they had been struck by lightning.

Boys this age are easily surprised, Eliana shook her head maturely and took a bite of pea shoots.

For some reason, she always felt it was healthy to eat some green vegetables with every meal.

Ron's mouth looked wide enough to fit a whole chicken leg vertically. After a long while, he finally came to his senses. "You forgot he docked a point from you in class just this morning? Did Snape drug you while you were cleaning... Ouch!"

Eliana smacked his big head with a plate. "Don't talk about Professor Snape like that! It was my fault for standing on the podium, it's normal for powerful people to have tempers!"

She shoved the last piece of steak into her mouth, grabbed a treacle tart from the table, and stomped off angrily.

Leaving the two stunned boys looking at each other blankly.

Ron rubbed his red forehead and muttered, "Powerful people have tempers... She's got a point there. I think she has quite a temper too."

However, he quickly put the matter out of his mind. "Hey, I've never been to Hagrid's hut before. When are we leaving?"

Instead of returning to the Gryffindor common room, Eliana found an empty classroom next to the Potions classroom and practiced Transfiguration on her own.

After a week of practice, her Transfiguration had greatly improved. She could already transform a stone into a crude little house.

It was a bit too crude, like something a primitive person who had just learned to use their hands would build—but at least it had a roof and walls. Wasn't that progress?

At this rate, she would be able to create delicate micro-carvings, like the ones she saw in Chinatown, by Thanksgiving at the latest.

By then, the walnuts should be ready for harvest. If she got two from the kitchens every day, she'd have fifty or sixty by the time the Christmas holidays came around. Then she could take them all to London to sell!

This was simply a brilliant business with no capital required.

Oh my, how could there be such a smart person in the world as her?

If you like this book, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.

Eliana hugged herself blissfully.

Her little schemes were clicking into place.

Right, she needed to find time to locate the kitchens.

Eliana added this to her to-do list.

After practicing Transfiguration, she napped on a desk in the classroom. When she woke up, it was already 1:55. Fortunately, the Potions classroom was right next door, so she wasn't in a rush.

There were five minutes until class, but the classroom was already filled with students. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students didn't seem to be accustomed to arriving at the last minute.

Since she was there to audit the class, she had to be discreet. Eliana slyly chose a spot in the corner—even though the seat in the front row, center, closest to Snape, was still empty.

She glanced regretfully at that prime seat and set up her cauldron.

Snape on the podium ignored her.

The familiar pre-class lecture (still exciting to hear again), the familiar practical session. Eliana took out the notes she had taken that morning and Snape's advice, and began working with confidence.

This time, the result was excellent. The potion was clear and transparent, emitting a beautiful sky blue with a hint of emerald green, just as the textbook described.

She happily poured the potion into a bottle and then held the bottle up, turning towards Snape.

Snape sneered. Before he could speak, the familiar hissing sound echoed through the classroom, accompanied by familiar green smoke, and then—

"Boom!!!"

The familiar sound of the floor being corroded, familiar screams and cries.

Eliana leaped onto the table again in a flash and saw Snape, whose expression had been fine just moments ago, suddenly fly into a rage.

"It's always like this! Different years, different classes, always the same fools!!"

"Mr. Finnegan, perhaps you'd be willing to open your eyes, which seem to be covered in something, and look at the blackboard. Didn't I clearly write, 'Remove the cauldron from the heat before adding porcupine quills'? I even specifically marked it because of Mr. Longbottom this morning, who was just as foolish as you!"

Eliana felt as if she were looking at a snake spitting venom furiously in anger.

Then came the familiar routine of being sent to the hospital wing, cleaning up messes, and losing points.

For some reason, looking at Snape's face, which had returned to its usual impassive expression, Eliana felt he was quite pitiable.

When class ended, the shaken little eagles and badgers filed out of the dungeon classroom. Eliana, holding up a potion bottle, approached him. "Professor Snape, will this bottle earn me an 'O'?"

"If you can't even make the simplest scab potion after two classes, Miss Richie, you won't need to come to the next class. You can go to the hospital wing with Mr. Longbottom to get your head checked."

Snape habitually spat venom, but Eliana saw him draw an 'O' on her name tag.

"But your classwork grade is still an 'E'," he said coldly.

Eliana nodded in understanding—after all, this was only her second class. If this assignment were the sole basis for grading, it wouldn't be fair to others.

Eliana didn't particularly care to get first place in this manner.

However, her 'E' was already the highest score in their class—only Hermione and Malfoy had the same.

"Dinner is not served in the Potions classroom. How long are you going to stand there daydreaming?" Snape said impatiently.

Eliana grinned and held up the rag in her hand. "Professor, I'll help you clean! Thank you for being willing to spend extra time teaching me!"

In the end, Eliana didn't use the rag to clean the entire classroom.

Fifteen minutes later, she walked out of the classroom, armed with a newly learned spell: the Scouring Charm.

—She knew Professor Snape was actually quite nice!