The Potion Fountain (Seeking Collection, Seeking Recommendation)

Kyle had not expected Kanna's potion-making skills to be unexpectedly good.

Whether it was preparing the nettle infusion or grinding snake fangs, every step was methodical. He couldn't even find a way to help, so he could only sit there bored, staring blankly at the cauldron.

Compared to the flustered young wizards around them, Kyle looked like he was on vacation.

The main thing was that there really wasn't much to help with; Potions was not like other subjects, as the actual hands-on portion was quite limited. Most of the time, they were simply waiting for the potion to brew.

It was much like making soup: ten minutes to prepare the ingredients, and two hours of simmering.

Of course, all of this assumed the operation was correct. Otherwise, the simple step of producing a standard nettle infusion could keep some people busy for half the lesson.

Just like the two Slytherin first-years at the desk to their left; they had already gone to the storage cupboard seven times for nettles so far.

This resulted in Snape's expression turning exceptionally ugly every time he looked at them, though it was hard to tell if he was pained by the wasted nettles or furious that his own house had produced two students with the intelligence of "trolls."

Kyle glanced to the left and noticed one of the little snakes standing up yet again.

Very good... that's eight times.

"Flada, Walker, I suggest you try using your meager brains for once." Snape finally couldn't hold back, looking at them coldly. "If you cannot produce a standard yellowish-green solution this time, I will shove your heads into the cauldron!"

The two Slytherin first-years were terrified, especially the unlucky one who had gone to fetch the nettles; the way he walked made it look as if he were heading to the executioner's block.

Snape glared at them, swished his robes, and arrived next to two other young wizards.

"What is this you've brewed, Licorice Candy syrup? Pour it out and start over!"

"The color isn't yellow enough, pour it out and start over!"

"Pour it out!"

At this moment, Snape drifted through the corners of the classroom like a bat-demon, and everywhere he went, wails of despair followed.

Listening to the constant cries of "pour it out and start over," everyone became nervous, and their movements grew even more cautious.

Kyle, however, remained unaffected. He kept his eyes fixed on the cauldron, and the moment the solution shifted from yellowish-green to a pale yellow, he turned the flame down to its lowest setting.

At the same time, Kanna immediately poured in the ground snake fang powder.

The step was a success, and a foul, sweet-smelling, fishy odor soon wafted from the cauldron.

"Perfect." Kyle nodded and turned the heat back up.

After that, it was back to the long wait.

Kyle looked at Kanna and asked curiously, "Did you brew potions before starting school?"

"No." Kanna blinked, shaking her head. "Why do you ask?"

"Your talent for Potions is quite good," Kyle remarked. "Usually, when first-years first encounter Potions, it's a complete disaster; some even manage to make their cauldrons explode."

"That's impossible." Kanna clearly didn't believe him.

Kyle didn't explain, simply gesturing for her to look around.

Kanna looked up, skeptical, and only then did she realize that the Potions classroom had descended into total chaos.

Young wizards were running back and forth between their cauldrons and the storage cupboards, faces covered in soot, their once-tidy clothes in shambles, and some even had smoke rising from their hair.

Anyone who didn't know better would think they had been hit by a blasting curse.

Furthermore, various colors of smoke constantly drifted above many people's cauldrons, gathering at the ceiling to form a strange, grayish-brown cloud, accompanied by an indescribable, pungent stench.

The smell was unique—a bit like rotten eggs, mixed with the scent of burning wool.

Kanna only had to smell it for two seconds before her stomach began to churn.

Kanna muttered to herself, "How is this possible? Potions is so simple..."

She turned her gaze toward the Slytherin side. The young wizards there were all pure-bloods, and Professor Snape was their Head of House, so it should be much better...

The moment Kanna turned her head, she witnessed a scene she would never forget.

The cauldron at the table next to her exploded!

No, it would be more accurate to say the potion inside the cauldron exploded.

The liquid potion suddenly began to bubble violently for no apparent reason, expanding rapidly until it filled the entire cauldron in the blink of an eye.

Yet, it didn't end there.

The next second, a massive amount of foam surged out of the cauldron, slamming straight into the classroom ceiling.

The scene was truly spectacular.

"Flada, Walker, you two idiots!"

Snape looked as if he wanted to commit murder, but out of a professor's instinct, he didn't immediately punish the two culprits, instead quickly drawing his wand and pointing it at the cauldron that was still spewing foam.

"

Wind-swept Clean

"

"

Scourgify

"

Under Snape's spells, the cauldron and the foam were quickly cleared away.

Only after confirming that no young wizards were injured did Snape walk furiously toward the two Slytherin students.

He didn't curse or deduct points; instead, he grabbed the two by their collars and tossed them right out of the Potions classroom.

"Get to Filch for detention!"

Following Snape's roar, the classroom returned to silence. Everyone kept their mouths shut, struggling not to make a single sound.

Although Kyle had nothing to do on his end, he decided to prepare the ingredients he would need later just to look busy.

In fact, Magical Drafts and Potions didn't mention this step, but Snape required them to cut a thin, long slit along the side of the porcupine quills, and the slugs also had to be steamed first.

He didn't explain why. Ryan had asked out of curiosity and ended up losing three points for it, so no one dared to speak up again.

Kyle took the bag containing the materials, picked out a decent-looking porcupine quill, and prepared to start with the simple task.

Because he was stalling for time, Kyle cut very slowly; it took him over ten minutes to finish a single porcupine quill less than 30 centimeters long.

However, this blatant slacking off soon caught Snape's attention.

He appeared silently beside Kyle, picked up a porcupine quill from the table, and sneered as he looked at the crooked cut on it: "I recall saying to cut a straight line. What is this? A dried Flobberworm?

Or perhaps you don't understand what a 'straight line' means."

Huh?

Kyle looked up in confusion, glancing from Snape to the unfinished porcupine quill in his hand.

He was pretty sure he had only picked up this one...

Did he have amnesia?

Or was Snape deliberately grabbing a quill from someone else just to find an excuse to berate him?

That shouldn't be right. While Snape was indeed shameless when it came to deducting points, he wasn't quite that low.

Besides, his last name wasn't Potter.

"P-Professor..."

Just then, Kanna beside him suddenly raised her hand tremblingly, her voice laced with a hint of tears as she said, "That one... I cut that."