Snape's Unusual Behavior

It wasn't just Malfoy who had this strange feeling; the whole class did.

It was only after class that they realized what was wrong.

Professor Snape hadn't said a single word to Harry today!

That was simply unimaginable.

Normally, Snape would always call on Harry. Even if Harry answered perfectly, Snape wouldn't immediately let him sit down. He would wait a moment before seeming to realize it, then say angrily, "Mr. Potter, how long are you planning to stand there?"

At first, everyone felt an agonizing sense of frustration over this. Just how much did Professor Snape hate Harry? But gradually, they got used to it.

And even when he didn't call on Harry, Harry's name would still come up several times, usually in comparisons.

For example:

"Miss Granger! If you had noticed that the famous Harry Potter was sitting beside you, you wouldn't have made the mistake of adding five extra ounces of Bullhead Powder."

"Neville, you idiot! If you had even one ten-thousandth of the intelligence of the famous Harry Potter, you wouldn't have mistaken Kui Xing Grass for Black Star Wood while extracting potion juice!"

Whenever criticism was involved, the phrase "the famous Harry Potter" would undoubtedly appear. In other classes, it was praise, but in Potions class, it was a deeply sarcastic title.

Today, Professor Snape seemed to be deliberately ignoring Harry. Harry's name hadn't come up even once.

That strange sense of incongruity was exactly why everyone felt that something was off.

Hermione and Harry followed the crowd out of the cold, gloomy dungeon. Hermione said, "Don't you think Professor Snape was a little strange today?"

Harry said, "What's strange about it? Is it strange just because he didn't make things difficult for me today?"

"When you put it that way... I suppose so. Looks like everyone has gotten used to Professor Snape being like this."

Harry had guessed part of the reason. Perhaps Snape had thought of Lily again today...

"Hermione, don't you think Professor Snape treats me differently? He seems to hate me in particular," Harry said.

"How could that be?" Hermione frowned. "You must have gotten the wrong idea."

"But Ron, Seamus, and even Neville have told me that they feel Professor Snape's attitude toward me is terrible."

"This... I think there must be a reason for it."

As Hermione thought, she said seriously, "Even though I don't know why, you have to understand that Headmaster Dumbledore would never allow a professor who might harm students to remain at Hogwarts!... Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something dirty on my face?"

Harry had brought this up with Hermione not because he hated Professor Snape, but because Ron had also believed in the original story that Professor Snape was not a good person.

Yet when Harry and Hermione talked about this, Hermione had told him in an utterly certain tone that Professor Snape could never hurt him!

And she had said something so simple, yet so piercing: Dumbledore would never allow such a professor to be in the school!

All that could be said was that Hermione was truly too clever. She had already seen through everything.

Who knew how many people only cried out six years later, "My eyes must have been blind!"

Yet Harry remained firm in his own beliefs. Even after learning that Professor Snape had not been trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone, that Snape had not cast a spell on his Flying Broomstick, and that when Lupin turned into a Werewolf, Snape had thrown himself over Harry without hesitation, again and again...

That misunderstanding lasted until the moment Snape died...

Those heartbreaking words: "Look at me..."

He wasn't looking at Harry. He was looking at those gentle green eyes, the same as his beloved's.

Thinking of that man who had fallen into darkness, Harry felt somewhat dazed.

Then he grinned and said, "Hmm, that spot is dirty. Don't tell me you got squid ink on it."

Hermione jumped, her face flushing red. She quickly lowered her head and rubbed hard at the cheek Harry had pointed to.

"Well? Is it clean now?" Hermione glanced at Harry and asked shyly, the spot she had rubbed already bright red.

Harry felt a little sorry for her. "No. Let me wipe it for you."

Hermione gave a soft "Mm," raised her head, and revealed her smooth neck.

Harry examined Hermione as she tilted her head back and half-closed her eyes. Her long hair fell over her shoulders; her pearly teeth and delicate brows, her small, straight nose, little red lips, and fair skin complemented one another beautifully.

Hermione said awkwardly, "Hurry up."

Gulp.

Embarrassed and nervous, Hermione couldn't help swallowing.

Harry smiled slightly, his slender fingers slowly brushing across Hermione's cheek.

"Hehe, that tickles. Hurry up and wipe it clean for me," Hermione said hurriedly. She felt a little uncomfortable, though she couldn't explain why. It was as if she had no defenses at all like this, and she couldn't help regretting it.

But she had already agreed to let him do it. Refusing now would look rather bad.

She was caught in an awkward position, desperately wanting to find an excuse to refuse Harry.

"Got it," Harry answered casually.

Harry slowly moved closer to Hermione, his breath falling on her neck and making her heart suddenly tighten.

Harry watched Hermione squeeze her eyes shut, her small hands clutching the books to her chest as though they could offer her a trace of security.

He lowered his head slightly and kissed the cheek Hermione had just wiped!

It was soft and warm, making him reluctant to pull away. He wanted to take a bite and see if he could make water come out.

Hermione's heart immediately began pounding wildly, and her head felt dizzy.

She didn't need a mirror to know just how red her face was now.

"Hermione, you can open your eyes now," Harry's irritating voice sounded beside her ear.

Hermione abruptly opened her eyes and saw the infuriating smile on Harry's face.

"You..." Hermione felt wronged, yet there was also a faint trace of delight.

Harry took Hermione's hand and said innocently, "I went through so much effort to help you wipe your face clean. Why aren't you thanking me?"

Even with her complicated feelings, Hermione couldn't help feeling speechless.

She rubbed her cheek. The place Harry had kissed still seemed a little damp, but that tingling sensation from that instant lingered in her heart and refused to fade.

"Hurry to Professor Sprout's greenhouse. I wonder how the fungi we planted two days ago have grown." Harry pulled Hermione through the corridor and ran toward the back of the castle.

Hermione was pulled along by him, her body following involuntarily. Though she wanted to argue with him a little, the smile at the corner of her lips could not be hidden no matter what she did.

Luo Bei: Snape.

Because he loved Harry's mother with such despair,

he endured humiliation and burdens for so many years,

protecting the child of the person he loved most and the person he hated most.

In the end, he gave up his own life.

Even before dying, he called out to Harry, "Look at me,"

just so he could see his beloved's eyes one more time...

It was strangely moving...

Actually, I don't like Harry, because Snape once said that he was just like his father: arrogant, conceited, fond of showing off, distrustful of others, and unwilling to listen to anyone else... All of that was true.

For example, he misunderstood Snape countless times and had no idea how much Snape had sacrificed for him.

What I remember most clearly was Sirius Black's death. It happened entirely because Harry didn't believe Hermione, thought he was right, and stubbornly insisted on going to find Sirius Black. In the end, everyone in the Phoenix Society was mobilized, and Sirius Black died as a result.