A Second Clash with Snape

"Accordingly, because Harry Potter's recklessness put his classmates in danger, Gryffindor will lose twenty points."

The cheers from the Gryffindor side came to an abrupt stop.

Slytherin shouted even louder, the girls wearing smug expressions.

Harry stood there, embarrassed and guilty, at a complete loss. He knew he had caused the commotion and brought trouble to everyone.

"Harry, don't be so down. This was just an accident. Trust me, there are no Whomping Willows on a Quidditch pitch. You'll become an excellent Seeker because you have excellent genes." Chu Yang gently put an arm around Harry's shoulders and comforted him in a low voice.

"Chu Yang's right!" Ron encouraged him from the side. "Other than Chu Yang, you learn the fastest and fly the best! No one else can compare to you!"

Harry scratched his head and gave an awkward smile. Ron was clearly trying to comfort him, but why did it sound so strange?

"Ron, what you said wasn't comforting in the slightest!" Hermione said with a frown, looking at him disdainfully. "Next time you comfort someone, try seeing things from their perspective!"

Ron looked utterly bewildered.

"Please allow me to interrupt your conversation." Professor McGonagall walked over. "I need Mr. Potter to come with me for a while."

"Of course, Professor McGonagall." Harry answered nervously, then followed her out of the Great Hall.

"He hasn't even eaten yet..." Ron muttered, clutching his stomach. "I'm starving too!"

After wolfing down dinner, Chu Yang planned to head to the Forbidden Forest under cover of darkness to examine the mutated Whomping Willow. However, Professor McGonagall hurried over and blocked him at the entrance.

"As I recall, school rules state that students are not permitted to leave the school grounds freely after dark." Professor McGonagall's icy voice echoed in Chu Yang's ears. "Am I correct, Mr. Chu Yang?"

Chu Yang smiled awkwardly. "Yes, Professor."

"Headmaster Dumbledore was right. Your head is full of all sorts of schemes. I'll have to keep an eye on you at all times." Seemingly imagining the busy days ahead, Professor McGonagall rubbed her brow wearily. "Now, immediately, go back to your dormitory!"

"Good night, Professor McGonagall." Chu Yang tried to salvage his image with an innocent smile, but Professor McGonagall remained unmoved. She stared at him impassively, leaving Chu Yang no choice but to go around her and head toward the dark, damp dungeons.

In just two days, Chu Yang had given Dumbledore rather more surprises than the old man could handle, forcing him to keep a close watch on the boy.

When he returned to the Slytherin Common Room, Chu Yang found it unusually quiet.

Looking closely, he noticed Snape sitting upright on the sofa.

"Good evening, Professor Snape." Chu Yang greeted Snape amicably, though he could not help feeling surprised. Snape rarely came to the Common Room.

"Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to arrange a double room for you. I hadn't realized you had such influence, Mr. Chu Yang." Snape rose to his feet, his words as barbed as ever.

"Headmaster Dumbledore probably did it to ensure that Slytherin's first-years don't fill up the hospital wing." Chu Yang shot back without yielding an inch. "If, by the end of the term, I'm the only Slytherin boy still attending classes, it would damage the House's reputation."

Snape's face turned livid. Chu Yang's sharp tongue always exceeded his expectations.

Having achieved his goal of irritating Snape, Chu Yang did not forget to offer him a sweetener. "Professor, I earned twenty points for Slytherin today. I've already made up for the points deducted earlier."

"Do you expect me to congratulate you?" Snape snorted coldly, though his expression eased considerably. Turning, he strode toward the spiral staircase. "Follow me. I'll take you to your new dormitory. But let me warn you in advance: do not get into another conflict with your roommate!"

Chu Yang followed close behind Snape and smiled politely. "I promise that as long as he doesn't provoke me, I definitely won't make a move."

Snape acted as though he had not heard the promise. It was no different from not saying it at all.

Slytherin's double rooms were generally reserved for upper-year students and were located relatively close to the prefects' rooms.

Like the prefects' single rooms, the double rooms had private washrooms and did not need to be shared with anyone else.

The double room was spacious, equivalent to six people's worth of space for just two.

Two large beds stood on either side, each by a window.

Chu Yang smiled in satisfaction. Sharing a room with someone still made him somewhat uncomfortable, but fortunately, there was enough space that he could practically ignore the other person's existence.

"This will be your new room from now on. I hope you can stay here peacefully. I don't want to have to change your room a second time this term." Snape narrowed his eyes. "I hope you understand what I mean, Mr. Chu Yang."

"I've received enough warnings today, Professor Snape." Chu Yang no longer maintained his earlier pleasant attitude. He replied with a cool expression, "Good night."

Snape snorted and turned away. He had originally intended to ask in detail about the accident during Flying Class, but Chu Yang's attitude made him abandon the idea.

Snape actually admired Chu Yang. First, because of the extraordinary learning ability Chu Yang had displayed, and second, because Chu Yang possessed courage and composure far beyond his age.

In all his years of teaching, Snape had never seen an eleven-year-old child who could verbally spar with a professor as calmly and fearlessly as Chu Yang—and still not fall behind.

Yet strangely enough, despite how much he admired Chu Yang, Snape was still easily provoked by him. Beyond his cutting words, Snape sensed an arrogance in Chu Yang's attitude, one that seemed to place him above wizards.

As though he himself were far nobler than wizards!

Snape found that deeply baffling—and deeply irritating.

Snape did not know that part of Chu Yang's sense of superiority came from the Golden Finger he possessed.

The other part came from his knowledge of the future of the non-magical world.

Wizards might appear lofty and untouchable now, but their glory would sooner or later become ancient history. Modern science was advancing at a pace wizards could not comprehend.

Meanwhile, the magical world's development had stagnated for many years. Coupled with most wizards' outdated ways of thinking, everything about it carried the stench of decay.