At exactly one o'clock in the afternoon, the bell rang on time.
Snape strode into the classroom as the bell was still ringing, his pace quick and forceful. The hem of his black robes fluttered behind him like an old bat skimming just above the ground.
As the strictest professor in the school, Snape had already become the subject of rumors among the new students before classes had even begun. The classroom fell completely silent in an instant.
Tom felt clever for choosing his seat.
An ordinary student might have thought that sitting in the front row was best, but that wasn't necessarily true.
The best seats were in the first few rows near the middle.
Sitting too close to the front meant getting spit on every day during the professor's lecture, especially with an oily-haired old man like Snape.
Spit and hair grease mixed together and spread across your face like cream, making it impossible to focus entirely on your studies.
"You don't need to wave your wand about like an idiot in this class, and you don't need to babble nonsense spells, either." The moment Snape reached the front of the classroom, he launched into his opening speech, bolstering his authority and prestige in the students' eyes.
"So I don't expect many of you to appreciate the profound science and precise art of brewing Potions.
However, for the very few... who truly have the inclination...
I can teach you how to confuse the mind and ensnare the senses.
I'll teach you how to earn fame, brew glory, and even how to live forever."
Snape paused, then turned to the only child in the room who wasn't looking at him as he spoke. "Then again, perhaps some of you came to Hogwarts already possessing exceptional abilities, and with enough confidence to believe you needn't pay attention to my lessons."
"Mr. Potter!"
Everyone's attention shifted to Harry. He had his head down, scribbling something furiously.
Snape glanced over from across the room and saw that Harry seemed to have written down his entire opening speech.
?
That was just something he'd said to show off. It wouldn't be on the exam. Why was Harry taking notes on it?
"As the figurehead of our first-years, tell me, what would you get by adding Asphodel Root Powder to an Infusion of Wormwood?"
"What are Asphodel Root and Wormwood?" Harry's eyes held the pure, bewildered innocence of someone whose mind had never been sullied by knowledge.
"Clearly, fame alone isn't enough. Since you couldn't answer the question, Slytherin loses—" Snape stopped midsentence for no apparent reason.
Wait. Wasn't Harry in Slytherin? If he docked points from Harry, wouldn't he be docking points from his own House?
What was a teacher supposed to do in that situation?
This was awkward...
He really is a specialist in playing favorites, Tom thought.
The rumors about Snape's ruthless point-docking came from how relentlessly he took points from the other Houses, while never touching his own.
To make docking points easier, Snape had memorized not only his own students' names, but those of students from every other House, too.
In a way, he really was a serious and responsible teacher.
"Mr. Riddle!" To ease the awkwardness, Snape abruptly changed tack and turned to Tom.
From Snape's eyes, Tom sensed a trace of loathing and hatred buried deep beneath the surface.
"Tell me, what would you get by adding Black Datura Root Powder to an infusion of yew?"
This was a question that had never come up in the original story.
"Heh." Draco chuckled from the corner.
If even he, an excellent Pure-blood, didn't know the answer to such a complicated question, how could Tom, that reckless oaf, possibly know?
Tom stood up and thought for a moment before answering slowly and clearly. "Black Datura and Mandrake both belong to the nightshade family and have powerful hallucinogenic effects. Yew grows in the environment we're studying, and apart from its red outer aril, every part of it is highly poisonous. It can cause cardiac arrest, and yew itself conducts magic exceptionally well. Combining the two can produce a potent poison. Just one drop can make someone unconsciously stop breathing while hallucinating. But if it's refined using other processes, it can also be used to make anesthetics and potions for treating various ailments..."
After explaining all that, Tom could only think that Snape was far too devious.
First-years weren't taught how to make poisons. That was second-year material. Luckily, Tom had memorized it in advance.
Clap, clap!
Harry seemed to be playing the part of an enthusiastic audience member. When Snape didn't immediately criticize Tom, Harry realized he must have answered correctly and began applauding.
Snape froze in place.
He'd intended to use this question, which was beyond the first-year syllabus, to give Tom a thorough dressing-down, even if he couldn't dock points from him. He hadn't expected Tom to answer it.
"Since you're so capable, why not answer Harry's question for him, too? Tell me, what would you get by adding Asphodel Root Powder to an Infusion of Wormwood?"
"You'd get a powerful sleeping potion called Draught of Living Death."
"Very good. Sit down." Snape was convinced.
Two difficult questions in a row, and Tom hadn't been stumped by either. He hadn't given Snape so much as a crack to exploit.
Snape knew even more complicated potion recipes, but those were for upper years. If he asked Tom about those, his intention to target him would be far too obvious.
And even though Snape was a Potions Master, and would never admit it aloud, he couldn't help admiring Tom.
What an exceptional young wizard. He must have a remarkable talent for Potions, and he was a Slytherin, too.
Normally, Snape would have found a way to make Tom his star pupil. Unfortunately, his name was Tom Riddle.
["Potions Prodigy" +100 progress. Impression Level reached Lv. 1. Persona activated. Achievement Points +1] [Persona: Potions Prodigy (New)] [Impression Level: Lv. 1 (Progress: 0/200)] [Description: You seem to have been born to brew Potions. Your eyes can see the inner structure of ingredients, and you can understand and learn Potions several times faster than usual.]
Huh?
Tom was startled. Starting from zero, he'd instantly gained a whole new Persona.
He didn't need to think twice to know Snape must have been the one who brought it about.
But...
Why had his progress increased by 100 all at once?
He'd only managed to raise [Born Dark Lord] by 100 progress in a short time by fooling Dumbledore. Snape was nowhere near Dumbledore in either reputation or ability, so how had he brought [Potions Prodigy] up by 100 so quickly?
Could it be...
Authority.
Snape was an authority on Potions, a professor of the subject. When it came to Potions, even Dumbledore had to ask him for advice.
That meant Snape's influence on a Potions-related Persona was far greater than anyone else's.
Great. He'd figured out another rule governing the status panel.
"Hm? Why haven't you sat down yet?"
Snape turned around. He'd already finished asking his questions, but Tom was still standing.
"Because I haven't finished speaking, Professor. I think there's more I can add about your two questions."
Before Snape could respond, Tom continued:
"During the Victorian era, it was popular to use the language of flowers to express feelings indirectly.
Black Datura (Mandragora officinarum) symbolizes 'revenge unto death,' while yew (Taxus baccata) was rumored to have been used as the material for the Dark Lord's wand.
Asphodel means 'my regrets follow you to the grave,' while Wormwood carries a sense of bitterness and regret.
From the effects of the two potions made from these recipes, we can draw a conclusion: the person who wrote the questions was using the language of flowers to express hatred for the Dark Lord indirectly. Perhaps the Dark Lord once killed someone as elegant as an Asphodel flower, leaving the question writer with deep regret and remorse.
Asphodel can also be called Lily. Perhaps the elegant person killed by the Dark Lord was named Lily."
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