Hogwarts: I Obtained the Paternal System

He wished Snape would rot in his office waiting until dawn!

The first class that afternoon was Arithmancy.

Darren did not have to attend, so Harry and the others dragged him into playing Wizard's Chess for a full two hours.

So when Hermione returned, she was shocked to discover that not even Darren had written a single word.

The last class of the afternoon was Potions class.

The Potions classroom was still in the basement.

But it was no longer as gloomy as it had been when Snape was there.

It was filled with Slughorn-style enthusiasm.

Smoke also filled the classroom.

And there were cauldrons everywhere.

Strange scents wafted from the pots.

The four of them picked a golden cauldron and set their things down beside it.

Darren smelled damp earth after rain, spicy strips, the fragrance of stinky tofu, and the scents of all sorts of girls he could name.

Obviously.

It was Love Potion.

Everyone sitting near that cauldron wore satisfied smiles.

They looked far more intoxicated than Darren.

"Oh, children, hurry, hurry! Take out your scales, cauldrons... and your textbooks."

Harry and Ron raised their hands at the same time.

"Professor, we didn't prepare anything, because we only got Acceptable on our exams, so..."

"Yes, yes, Michaelova told me about that. You can write to Flourish and Blotts. I have old textbooks here, as well as old equipment. You can use them for now!"

Slughorn walked to an old cabinet and took out two books and two sets of equipment, handing them out to Harry and Ron.

Darren watched the Half-Blood Prince's book end up in Harry's hands, but he had no intention of taking it for himself.

Because he had long since surpassed the Half-Blood Prince.

He smiled.

He saw Slughorn pointing at a cauldron of