Question and Answer

Gemini rested his chin in one hand, while the other deftly spun a ballpoint pen – he still hadn't learned how to use a quill…

Quills were too messy; they always ended up getting ink all over his hands. Gemini had used one twice before tossing it into a corner to gather dust.

"Potter!"

From the lectern, Snape suddenly called out, "What would I get if I added powdered asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

At the back of the classroom, Harry, who had been suddenly called out by Snape, froze. Hermione, sitting next to him, immediately raised her hand, but Snape ignored her raised hand.

"I don't know, sir." After a few seconds of hesitation, Harry resignedly replied.

"Tsk tsk… It seems fame isn't everything." Snape sneered, pursing his lips.

Gemini, propping up his chin, quietly watched the show.

Adding powdered asphodel to an infusion of wormwood would create the Draught of Living Death, a potent sleeping potion, so strong that if not handled carefully, it could cause the user to sleep forever.

He had read this passage in books more than twenty times and seen it in movies more than ten times in his previous life.

The book stated daffodil root powder, while Snape's original words were asphodelos—asphodel.

In his past life, there had been some discussion about Snape's question.

Because asphodel belonged to the lily family at that time, and daffodil root was actually a mistranslation.

Therefore, some people believed that Snape's question held another meaning.

Asphodel is a type of lily, closely associated with grief in Western countries, meaning "remembered beyond the tomb" and "my regrets follow you to the grave."

Wormwood infusion usually implied regret, bitterness, and remorse, with the overall meaning being, "I deeply regret your mother's death."

So, from a literary symbolism perspective, the implied meaning should be:

'Lily falls into bitter sorrow, I deeply regret your mother's death, and from then on, I lived a hellish, gloomy life.'

This perfectly matched the properties of the 'Draught of Living Death' potion.

Of course, some people said it was overthinking.

However, Gemini felt that even without considering that the author himself was a master of hidden meanings, given Snape's personality – someone so proud they wouldn't rest until death – the possibility was quite high.

After all, this man in front of them was a potions genius who had highly optimized the sixth-year Potions textbook during his own school days.

With their first-year Potions textbook, "One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi," Gemini suspected Snape could probably recite the entire book from memory, and perhaps even correct it along the way.

For such a potions master, playing with subtle floral language was effortless.

Of course, whether or not Snape's words contained these hidden meanings was not important.

What was important was that Gemini noticed Snape's gaze never left Harry's eyes while asking the questions.

This reminded him of something.

Before the term 'simp' existed, people used to call it 'devotion.'

"Let's try again, Potter."

Snape on the lectern continued, "If I were to ask you to find me a bezoar, where would you look?"

Beside Harry, Hermione was raising her hand so high she was almost standing up from her seat, while Harry still looked bewildered.

"I don't know, sir."

"I think… you haven't opened a single book before the start of term, have you? Potter…"

Snape scoffed and glanced in Gemini's direction: "Similarly, for first-year new students, some enjoy their fame but achieve nothing, while others, with no one to rely on, have mastered all five years of Defense Against the Dark Arts within a month—"

Draco looked at Gemini in astonishment. He was self-aware enough to know that Snape's glance was definitely not directed at him.

Besides the prodigy sitting next to him, there was probably no one else who could earn a second glance from the haughty Snape.

Harry's face turned red. He wasn't afraid of Snape mocking him because anyone could see that Snape didn't like him.

He was only afraid of Snape comparing him to other students, as that would make him feel useless.

"Tsk… Look at those unwilling little eyes." Snape mocked, "Last question, Potter, tell me the difference between wolfsbane and wolfsbane."

"I don't know," Harry said softly. "But I think Hermione would know the answer. Why don't you ask her?"

A few students chuckled. Gemini didn't find anything funny about it.

From his perspective as an observer, he just felt it was a pity.

While Snape was mocking Harry, he was also hoping Harry would know these things.

In the story of Half-Blood Prince, Harry saved Ron's life with a bezoar after Ron accidentally drank poisoned wine.

Bezoars can neutralize the toxicity of most poisons. Generally, if you don't know what poison you've been afflicted with but it's critical, swallowing a bezoar is the right move; at the very least, it can keep you alive temporarily!

This is how bezoars are described in "One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi."

Beside Harry, Hermione was still pointlessly raising her hand.

"Sit down! You stupid girl!" Snape snapped at Hermione.

"Let me tell you, Potter! Powdered asphodel and an infusion of wormwood combined can create a very potent sleeping potion, the Draught of Living Death; a bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat, with extremely strong detoxification properties; as for wolfsbane and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, also known as aconite… Understood?!"

As Snape spoke, his gaze finally left Harry's eyes, and he scanned the room: "Why aren't you all writing this down?"

A rustling of quills and parchment filled the classroom.

"Mr. Fox, are you deaf?" Snape's sinister gaze fell upon Gemini, clearly in a foul mood and ready to lash out.

"I've mostly memorized the key points, and I've finished taking notes, Professor," Gemini said, unfolding a small notebook filled with dense writing.

Snape's eyes flickered over the notebook before he slowly asked, "Then, in the absence of a bezoar, what can serve as a substitute?"

"Ox gall, Professor."

"What should be the dosage of the Draught of Living Death?"

"Less than an ounce."

"Is the cry of the Mandrake pleasant to hear?"

"Anyone who hears it dies, Professor."

"How do you distinguish it from Belladonna?"

"There's no need to distinguish; they are the same species. Belladonna is another name for Mandrake."

"What are the main ingredients of the Calming Draught?"

"Moonstone powder and Hellebore syrup."

"What is the use of Gillyweed?"

"To treat various bruises and contusions."

"Evidently—there are indeed some people whose reputation is not unearned..."

Finally, Snape stopped asking questions, a smile appearing on his face for the first time, though it was stiff and rather unpleasant.

"Slytherin gains five points. As for you, Potter, Gryffindor loses five points for contradicting your teacher."

In the Potions classroom, the Slytherin students burst into applause, cheering for the menace in their house for the first time.

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