Potion Class

"Hey, Terry, wake up. Get up for class."

Terry felt someone calling him and opened his eyes groggily.

He saw the handsome face of his roommate, Lucien.

"Ah, is this the dormitory?"

"I remember coming back last night and smelling something fragrant..."

The corner of Lucien's mouth twitched, and he turned his head away.

How did this kid still remember?

The improved version of Sleeping Incense had made Terry sleep straight through the night. If Lucien hadn't come to wake him, he probably still wouldn't have gotten up.

Looks like this potion's lasting effect was pretty long too. Not bad.

"You were probably too tired from class yesterday. You fell asleep as soon as you came back."

"Hurry up and get ready. First period this morning is Potions, with Professor Snape."

At Lucien's reminder, Terry suddenly sat bolt upright.

The seniors had reminded them that the one teacher in the entire school they absolutely must not offend was Snape!

"Oh, right, right. I'm getting up. We absolutely can't be late for his class!"

After personally witnessing Terry complete the entire process of getting up, changing clothes, and washing up in under five minutes, Lucien couldn't help sighing. This was Snape's illustrious reputation at work.

"I'm ready. Let's hurry up and go!"

The Potions classroom.

As soon as the bell rang, the classroom door burst open with a crash.

A tall, thin man with an enormous hooked nose walked in.

His quick strides swept up his black cloak, making him look like a giant bat.

At the same time, a harsh, cold voice came from his mouth:

"In my class, there will be no foolish wand-waving and no random incantations."

"Personally, I do not expect most of you to grasp the subtleties of potion-making."

"However, for the very few who possess the aptitude..."

As he spoke, Snape swept his gaze around the classroom.

His eyes paused only briefly on Lucien. He had some impression of this student.

A student who had made history at the Sorting Ceremony, and whom Minerva had specifically mentioned as well.

"I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses."

"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stopper death!"

Quite a few Little Eagles and Little Badgers were cowed by Snape's presence.

Some of them had already straightened their backs, as though they had begun yearning for that wonderful vision.

Lucien, however, merely listened to Snape's speech with a calm expression.

Mm, it was fairly compelling, but compared with glory, fame, and stopping death, Lucien instead felt that what Snape probably wanted more was a resurrection potion that could reverse life and death, or a regret potion that could change reality.

With a wave of Snape's hand, writing began to appear on the blackboard.

"In this lesson, we will learn to brew Sleeping Incense."

"This is a kind of..."

Hearing that name from below the podium, Lucien's eyelid twitched.

What a coincidence?

"...After use, it causes wizards to fall asleep in ten seconds. Magical creatures fall asleep in anywhere from thirty seconds to six minutes, depending on their size."

Listening to Snape's explanation, Lucien gave an almost imperceptible nod.

The improved version of Sleeping Incense he had learned was indeed much stronger than the original.

Especially when used on magical creatures. The improved version dramatically reduced the time needed to take effect.

When the time came, he would burn the incense first to make them fall asleep, and observing and recording them would be much easier.

After introducing the effects and uses of Sleeping Incense, Snape began explaining the brewing technique.

That made Lucien perk up.

Because Lucien knew very well that no matter how harsh and sharp-tongued he was, Snape was still the youngest Potions Master of the present age.

His teaching, his explanations—only someone like Lucien, who was studying at Hogwarts, could listen to them so freely.

"The juice of the Soporific Bean must be extracted by pressing it with the flat of a silver knife. Do not slice it. Stir counterclockwise until it becomes clear as water..."

The moment Snape mentioned a small detail in handling the ingredient, Lucien's eyes lit up.

Sure enough, Old Bat really did know what he was teaching.

Although Lucien had already mastered the improved version of Sleeping Incense, he still had to admit that some of Snape's techniques were very useful.

As he quickly took notes, he compared Snape's explanation with the improved formula, deepening his own understanding of potions.

"All right. Begin brewing your potions."

The young wizards immediately got to work.

Just as Lucien was about to start preparing the ingredients, something suddenly occurred to him, and he asked the system, "System, to repay the formula loan, I need to brew five kinds of potions."

"Then can the improved Sleeping Incense and the original version count as two kinds?"

[No, Host. This is not a hidden repayment method.]

"..."

Lucien was speechless. Since he couldn't exploit a loophole with the original Sleeping Incense, he might as well brew the improved version directly.

Mm, if he borrowed another finished potion loan, that would be equivalent to using up one set of ingredients, but gaining two potions!

Once the little Qilin woke up, Lucien planned to go to the Forbidden Forest to look for five kinds of magical creatures and record their information.

To be safe, he could prepare more auxiliary tools like Sleeping Incense.

"I want to borrow a beginner finished potion, daily loan. The item will be the improved Sleeping Incense."

[Loan successful. Item has been stored in the system space. Please check it at any time.]

On the other side, Snape had also stepped down from the platform and begun inspecting the students' techniques.

"Bones, why are you not wearing a mask? Are you planning to sleep in your cauldron and wash your face in it?"

"Abbott, oh, stop crying. When brewing Sleeping Incense, there is no need to add little girls' tears!"

"..."

For the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs attending Potions class for the first time, this was also their first glimpse of Snape's "terror."

Lucien had just finished weighing the Polygonum Vine and taken it off the scales, preparing to grind it.

A sinister voice sounded behind him.

"Tell me, Grafton, did I forget to say it? The Polygonum Vine requires eight grams. Why have you only weighed five?"

Hearing Snape's question, Lucien did not stop what he was doing. He placed the Polygonum Vine into the mortar and began grinding it finely.

"Yes, Professor. You said it required eight grams."

"But if it's ground into powder, five grams is enough."

Snape continued to press him, his tone even colder.

"But what I required was slices. Once powdered Polygonum Vine is added to the cauldron, it will quickly lose its effect."

Lucien was not frightened by Snape's tone. As he ground the ingredient, he answered, "That's why, when adding it, the flame needs to be lowered to 150°C, so the Polygonum Vine powder blends in more slowly."

Lucien believed that as long as he explained the reason for doing so clearly, Snape would be able to judge whether the operation was correct.

Since there was nothing wrong with what he was doing, there was no need to back down just because Snape had questioned him.

This time, Snape fell silent.

With his knowledge and experience, he instantly realized that Lucien's method was feasible and suited the properties of Polygonum Vine.

It would not have any effect on the potion brewing either, and it did indeed reduce the required amount of Polygonum Vine a little.

"Grafton, mere opportunism does not apply in the field of potions."

Snape left that sentence behind, then turned and walked away without saying whether Lucien's method was right or wrong.

Beside him, Terry whispered to Lucien, "Even though he was asking you, I couldn't help trembling just now. Aren't you scared?"

"Why should I be? Was my method wrong?"

"But Professor Snape just now..."

"If I'd done something wrong, shouldn't he have scolded me until I corrected it?"

Terry scratched his head and felt there was no way to refute Lucien's words.

Glancing to the side, Lucien kindly reminded him, "If you don't stir soon, your cauldron's going to burn."

"Oh, no!"

And so, Lucien continued brewing the improved Sleeping Incense.

Snape would drift behind him from time to time, relentlessly pressing him about each step of his process.

And not only could Lucien answer every question smoothly, the movements of his hands were steady as an old hand.

In the end, Lucien's potion was the first to be completed.

He handed the Sleeping Incense in his hand to Snape, who was standing to the side.

"Professor, would you like to check whether it meets the standard?"