Snape

The rest of the first Transfiguration lesson went fairly smoothly. After Professor McGonagall demonstrated, Harry somehow performed beyond his usual level and became one of the three people who successfully turned a matchstick into a needle. One of only three in the entire year!

The other two were Hermione and Hinata.

Even Li Mu failed. His pronunciation while casting was strange; he turned the Transfiguration Charm "transfarge" into "transfigure," and his matchstick burst into flames, becoming clusters of beautiful fireworks. ("Transfigure" could also mean beautify, besides transform.)

Even so, Harry could not muster the slightest enthusiasm. Because of Ron's remark about "stewing all cats into soup," Professor McGonagall pointed her wand at him as well, and he sprouted a pair of soft cat ears, looking like a cat demon whose transformation had gone wrong.

Li Mu was even more depressed. He had been waiting to watch the show, only to get caught in the crossfire. Three long whiskers had appeared on his nose.

But Ron undoubtedly had it the worst. He had to finish the lesson covered head to toe in fiery red cat fur.

Seeing them like this, Hinata kept her little head lowered and giggled throughout the entire class. Hermione merely said coldly to the group of four, "Serves you right!"

Thankfully, Professor McGonagall did not deduct any House points.

After Transfiguration came the lunch break. Li Mu did not have a habit of taking naps, so after eating, he arranged to attend class with Harry that afternoon and went outside the castle for a stroll. He planned to properly admire the old British castle he had long dreamed of seeing and ease his pent-up frustration.

Then, when he met Harry, Ron, and Neville in the Great Hall as arranged, he could not help shuddering. Ron's heavy gloom in particular seemed to freeze everything around him.

Only after Li Mu asked with concern did he learn that, back in the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry and the other two had thoroughly relived the unbearable events that had just taken place—

"Since you have such boundless energy for making cat soup..." Fred shouted, doing his best to imitate Professor McGonagall's stern voice while putting on a magnanimous, compassionate expression.

Then George Weasley jumped out with a dark face and shouted as he picked up where Fred left off. "You'll be cleaning the Trophy Room this week. I'll inform Mr. Filch and have him make sure you work properly!"

The Common Room erupted with laughter. The first-years who had personally experienced the incident laughed especially hard...

"George, Fred, they'll regret this!" Ron waved his fist in front of Li Mu, his face as red as his hair. Even thinking about it now left him both furious and helpless. There was nothing to be done when he had two older brothers who loved teasing people.

"Haha, there's an old saying back home: good news never leaves the door, but bad news travels a thousand miles." Li Mu could only laugh and console him. "More than ten years ago, I often helped old ladies cross the street, but no one ever publicized that. Didn't I just put up with it?"

After a moment of silence, Neville asked, "What class do we have this afternoon?"

"Potions."

A crisp voice suddenly rang out behind them, startling Neville so badly he nearly jumped.

"Oh... Hermione? When did you get here?!"

Li Mu and the others quickly discovered that if Transfiguration had merely been their misfortune, then Potions was practically a disaster for them... no, mainly a disaster for Gryffindor.

Potions was held in a basement. It was cold there, with very little light, making it feel dark and eerie. Countless glass jars stood along the walls, most of them containing strange ingredients, including quite a few preserved animal carcasses that made people feel nauseated and afraid just looking at them. With nearly a hundred students crammed into the dim underground space, it felt even narrower and more sinister.

And... it was hard to find. Fortunately, Li Mu and the others had set out more than ten minutes early, and happened to run into the Slytherins who were attending the same class, so they did not end up late again.

Standing at the basement entrance, Ron viciously wondered, "Do people who stay here for too long become mentally twisted?"

In fact, Li Mu knew that Ron had probably guessed right.

The Potions professor, Severus Snape, had a glossy head of hair and a frightening hooked nose. Following Professor Flitwick's example, he began the lesson by calling roll.

Likewise, he paused when he called Harry Potter's name, then suddenly pulled his mouth into an ugly smile. "Oh, Harry Potter, our school's newly arrived... very famous person!"

His tone was strange. Anyone could hear that it was not sincere praise, but more like mockery. Malfoy and his two short, fat bodyguards immediately began to snicker.

Many Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students also turned their attention to Harry Potter. After the two classes that morning—especially the Transfiguration incident—they had already become somewhat familiar with Harry, and there was more amusement than curiosity in their eyes.

"Potter!" The smile vanished, and Snape suddenly shouted with a grim face, startling even Li Mu. "What would happen if powdered root of asphodel were added to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry looked utterly lost. He secretly glanced at the others and found that most of them were just as confused as he was.

Only Hermione in the back row raised her hand high.

But Hermione was obviously ignored outright. Snape asked Harry two more questions in succession, and Harry could not answer a single one.

Hermione kept her hand raised, her arm and face trembling slightly as though she could not wait to stand up and answer for him. Snape never acknowledged her.

"It seems fame cannot represent much, Potter. Do you never prepare before class?" Snape sneered, and Harry could only remain silent. "Very well, then. Because of you, Gryffindor loses one point."

Snape greatly enjoyed the indignant yet helpless expression on Harry's face.

"Professor, I can answer those questions." Hermione finally stood up, her face full of anxiety. "I can—"

"Shut up, Granger! I did not ask you! Gryffindor loses another point!" Snape's grim roar was the only response she received.

Hermione froze. The air seemed to have frozen as well, and the dark underground classroom became even colder. The students from all four Houses stared at the suddenly enraged professor, unable to say a word.

Hermione sat down angrily, her eyes red, tears seeming to well up inside them.

Li Mu frowned as he watched her. He took a deep breath... then raised his hand as well.

Snape raised an eyebrow, and his sinister gaze immediately turned in his direction.

"Professor Snape..." Before Snape could speak, the words slipped from Li Mu's mouth of their own accord. "I do not think you have any reason to deduct points from Hermione and Harry. There is no rule requiring us to prepare material that has not yet been taught before class, and there is no rule forbidding us from actively answering questions in class!"

End of Chapter