Although Horace Slughorn had spoken casually, his eyes sparkled as he looked at Wizet, as though he expected Wizet to say something.
Wizet replied gently, "Mr. Slughorn, thank you for your help."
"It was nothing!" Horace Slughorn laughed happily. "We can't let a brilliant talent go to waste, can we?"
Without waiting for Wizet to respond, he continued, "Besides, I'm not someone who plays favorites... Even if Garrick is my friend, I still had to verify things before deciding whether to help."
"I inspected the potion you submitted very carefully... It was clear that your fundamentals were exceptionally solid! I remember the current Potions professor..."
"It should be Severus Snape, right? When I was still teaching at Hogwarts, I noticed his talent. He was an outstanding Slytherin..."
"That's right..." Wizet nodded. "I learned a great deal from Professor Snape."
Horace Slughorn studied Wizet's expression. "I recall that a potion like Soul-Soothing Potion isn't in the Potions textbooks, is it? Did he teach it to you privately?"
Wizet did not hide it and admitted honestly, "Yes..."
"That's truly rare!" Horace Slughorn blinked. "I know Severus's temperament. He's quite a strict man..."
"For him to teach you privately, your talent for Potions must be exceptional..." His tone paused. "That seems like a pointless thing to say. I could already tell as much from your potion."
Wizet blinked. He felt that Horace Slughorn seemed somewhat... overly enthusiastic.
After all, today was his first proper meeting with Horace Slughorn, yet Horace Slughorn was being so amiable that it made him a little uncomfortable.
Even so, he replied politely, "Mr. Slughorn, you're far too kind!"
"How could I be?" Horace Slughorn waved a hand. "I used to travel abroad often and rarely returned to England."
"It was only because I happened to see the news