His voice was warm and clear, without a trace of emotion, as if he were answering the most ordinary question in class.
That unflappable calm only deepened the displeasure in Snape's eyes.
He hated little brats who pretended to be profound.
"Very good." Snape's voice grew colder. "Then let's start with the first question. What do powdered Asphodel Root and Infusion of Wormwood produce?"
For Hermione, who had done the reading, this question was simple. But it was clear that Snape wanted more than just the answer.
"When powdered Asphodel Root is added to an Infusion of Wormwood and brewed correctly, it produces a powerful sleeping potion called the 'Draught of the Living Dead,' also known as the 'Living Hell Potion.'" Lin Yuan's answer was fluent and precise, as if he were reading from an instruction manual.
There wasn't a trace of surprise on Snape's face. Instead, his sneer deepened.
"Oh? Is that all? It seems you're just another bookworm who can memorize things by rote." He spoke sarcastically. "Then tell me, why? Why these two ingredients? What role does each play in the potion? How do their properties interact?"
This question was already far beyond the scope of Beginner Potions.
The entire classroom fell silent. Even Hermione looked bewildered.
Lin Yuan, however, remained calm, as if the answer had long been etched into his mind.
"Professor, to answer that, we need to analyze the intrinsic properties of the two ingredients." He spoke slowly, his tone like that of someone giving an academic presentation.
"From a Potions Mastery perspective, Asphodel Root releases magical particles that deeply suppress mental activity. It is the primary ingredient responsible for the 'sleep' effect in the Living Hell Potion."
"Infusion of Wormwood, on the other hand, has mild properties, but contains a special alkaloid. When heated, this alkaloid acts as a 'catalyst' and a 'guide.' It tempers the violent numbing particles in the Asphodel Root and directs them precisely toward the mind, rather than allowing them to crudely damage the nerves. It is the secondary ingredient in the Living Hell Potion, as well as its stabilizer."
He paused and glanced at Snape, whose mouth had fallen slightly open in shock. Then he dropped the final bombshell.
"In fact, Advanced Potion Making mentions that adding a small amount of Sluggish Brain Slime during brewing can enhance Wormwood's guiding effect, increasing the stability of the finished potion by at least fifteen percent and reducing the risk of side effects like 'memory confusion.'"
"..."
A deathly silence settled over the dungeon.
If Lin Yuan's earlier answer of "Living Hell Potion" could still be mocked as "rote memorization,"
then this flawless explanation, worthy of a doctoral thesis defense, had completely robbed Snape of any grounds for attack.
Ron and Harry were dumbfounded. They felt as if they weren't in Potions Class at all, but at some advanced lecture on magical theory that they couldn't understand.
Hermione looked at Lin Yuan as if he were a god. The "preparation" she was so proud of seemed utterly insignificant beside Lin Yuan's "understanding of the essence."
At last, Snape's dark eyes stirred with a genuine, violent emotion.
Shock, confusion, and... a flash of mortified rage he would never admit to himself: a first-year had publicly "put him in his place" in the field he knew best.
But Snape was still Snape.
"Clearly, you have read a few books." His voice turned hoarse. "Now, the second question. Bezoar. What is its detoxifying principle? What are its advantages and disadvantages compared to a carefully brewed antidote?"
This was another tricky question.
Lin Yuan answered without hesitation.
"Professor, a Bezoar is essentially a 'physical filter.' Its microscopic structure is a natural 'molecular sieve.' Through powerful physical adsorption, it traps toxin molecules in the blood and carries them out of the body."
"Its advantages are its 'broad spectrum' and 'high efficacy.' It works immediately against common toxins, making it an emergency remedy."
"Its disadvantages are just as obvious. First, it is ineffective against magical toxins, such as those caused by curses. Second, its adsorption is nonselective, so it also removes beneficial magical elements. Long-term use can cause magical power to decline. So a Bezoar is a first-aid remedy that 'treats the symptoms, not the root cause,' while an antidote is a 'prescription medicine' that provides 'targeted treatment' and solves the problem at its source. They serve different purposes, so their merits can't be judged in simple terms."
When Lin Yuan brought his flawless explanation to a close with the brilliant comparison of "first-aid remedies and prescription medicine,"
Snape was utterly speechless.
For the first time, an extremely complicated expression appeared on his sallow face.
This boy... wasn't reciting a textbook.
He was using his own complete and coherent logic—one even more profound than existing Potions theory—to redefine Potions.
What on earth was this eleven-year-old monster?!
Snape stared hard at Lin Yuan for a good ten seconds, then abruptly jerked his head away and addressed the class in a voice colder than before:
"It seems there is at least one person in this class who isn't a complete idiot."
It sounded like praise, but his tone held not a trace of warmth.
"Now, take out your cauldrons and ingredients! Follow the instructions on the blackboard and start brewing your first potion!"
"You have one hour. Begin!"
The classroom was instantly drowned in a clatter of noise.
The lesson moved on to the practical portion. Snape poured all the anger Lin Yuan had stirred up into the other unfortunate Gryffindors.
The classroom filled with scolding, dropped ingredients, and the "pfft" of cauldrons, all rising and falling like the din of a chaotic battlefield.
"Weasley! Is your brain there for a Troll to kick around? I said to add the Porcupine Quills first!"
"Longbottom! I swear, if your cauldron explodes, I'll turn whatever's left of you into another failed potion!"
"Potter! Stop staring at your cauldron with that ridiculous expression. It won't improve just because you're looking at it!"
Against this backdrop of misery, Lin Yuan's corner was a world unto itself.
And in all the chaos, Lin Yuan remained the only island of calm.
He calmly studied the few steps on the blackboard, which amounted to a "foolproof beginner's guide," then quickly scanned the ingredients in front of him with his Spiritual Sense.
[ Dried Nettles ]: Contains faint Wood-attributed spiritual energy; poor quality.
[ Snake Fangs ]: Residual faint Poison-attributed energy; crudely processed.
[ Horned Slug ]: Contains Water-attributed spiritual energy; far too many impurities.
[ Porcupine Quills ]: Harsh in nature, Fire-attributed; serves as a catalyst.
In his mind, the information was automatically translated into the language of alchemy.
As for this so-called "brewing of Potions" before him, in his eyes, it didn't deserve to be called "refining" at all.
It was nothing but a complete... mishmash.
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