Snape's Change
It's nine o'clock in the Potions Classroom.
Snape and Flitwick shared the same teaching habits; Snape would pick up the roster as soon as class started, and even, like Flitwick, would stop when he called Harry's name.
"Oh yes," he said in a low voice, "Harry Potter, that's our new...famous guy."
Harry looked puzzled. This so-called friend of his mother didn't seem to like him much, just like he had initially felt. She even hated him.
This made Harry look at Dudley and communicate with Dudley through his eyes, while Dudley also looked confused.
From Dudley's perspective, this guy named Snape, although terrifying and completely unmoved by his feigned crying, was indeed quite considerate of him. Why was he so sarcastic towards the son of his mother's friend, whom he considered to be closer to?
Snape seemed oblivious to the exchange of glances between Harry and Dudley, but the muscles at the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily. Clearly, Harry's wounded expression, coupled with those green eyes just like Lily Evans's, deeply stung him; it was as if Lily was questioning him.
Snape suddenly stopped calling roll, as if he had already read all the names.
He looked up at the students below. The dark eyes that had just been warm to Ryan had become cold and empty, like two dark tunnels.
"This Snape is really interesting. He even needs to use Occlumency to teach a class?"
"Oh, this must be to shut down their hearts, to suppress their sympathy for Harry Potter, so they can bully him more recklessly," Ryan "thought", but couldn't help but laugh. The inability to Honesty face one's conscience is a common problem among Slytherin.
"You have come here to learn the precise science and rigorous process of this Potions- making technique."
"Since there are no silly wands being waved here, many of you won't believe this is magic."
"I don't expect you to truly appreciate the beauty of that cauldron simmering slowly over a low flame, its white smoke rising and its fragrant aroma wafting out," Snape, speaking in a voice slightly higher than a whisper, yet loud enough for everyone to hear every word.
Ryan couldn't help but think to himself, "This statement might be more appropriate for other houses, but aren't Hufflepuff just people who spend all day in the common room simmering all sorts of delicious food in their own little pots?"
"You will never truly understand the fluid that flows through people's veins, that wondrous magic that captivates the heart and confuses the mind... I can teach you how to increase your reputation, brew glory, and even stop death—but there is one condition: you must not be the kind of fools I often encounter." As he spoke of fools, his eyes couldn't help but glance toward Hufflepuff.
Some of the Ravenclaws raised their heads high, looking arrogant and conceited; among these young wizards, Michael Corner was particularly noticeable.
Harry and Ron raised their eyebrows, exchanged glances, noticed this, and quietly moved aside, a little further away from Michael.
Hermione, however, paid no attention to the strange atmosphere or the faint anger of the Hufflepuff as they came to their senses. She was almost moving to the edge of the chair, leaning forward, eager to prove that she wasn't a fool.
"That dark-skinned Ravenclaw! I need you to find me a Bezoar. Where are you going to find it?" Snape frowned and suddenly said. Because he didn't pronounce the name as in the original timeline, he could only refer to the overly arrogant Ravenclaw student by his features.
"Me, Professor? My name is Michael Corner," Michael asked, puzzled.
"Nobody cares what your name is. Answer the question, Mr. Cornelius," Snape said coldly. The Hufflepuff area, which had just been secretly mocking Michael's performance, immediately fell silent again. His words possessed an almost effortless power to restore order to the classroom.
"I... I don't know," Michael stammered. Terry, standing beside him, rubbed his forehead, looking like he had a headache, while Hermione raised her right hand, as if hoping she would answer.
"Good, very good. It seems that not all Ravenclaw are smart. There are also some of the idiots and fools I often encounter." A small number of freshmen at the Hufflepuff table began to chuckle, with Dudley being the most obvious. However, Snape seemed not to notice and was very lenient towards him.
Ryan even noticed that after Dudley expressed his opinion, some Hufflepuff who were originally a bit far away from him gradually stopped deliberately sitting far away and slowly began to accept him. Dudley also noticed something and showed a surprised smile.
"Potter! You answer." Snape looked intently at Harry, a hint of barely perceptible expectation in his eyes.
"In the cow's stomach," Harry replied, secretly relieved that this was one of the questions Ryan had asked yesterday, and that he had prepared well beforehand.
"What would I get if I added Asphodel Root Powder to Wormwood Infusion?" Snape's voice trembled slightly.
"Draught of Living Death? That's not something we learn in the first year," Harry said.
"What's the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?" Snape ignored him.
"No difference, what else, sir," Harry emphasized the word "sir."
"Good, very good, Ravenclaw 10 points!" Snape ignored Harry's troubles and didn't even emphasize that Harry called him Professor. His sallow face flushed slightly and his dark eyes began to warm up.
"Can I sit down now?" Michael Corner blurted out, oblivious to the danger.
"Sit down." Surprisingly, Snape didn't lose any points.
"Michael, and all of you, do you think you're as good as Harry?"
"Granger, your hand is about to break through the ceiling, put it down!"
"Why don't you write all of this down?" Snape suddenly shifted from sunny to cloudy, and a rustling sound of quills and parchment being fumbled in the classroom suddenly filled the air.
Potions Class continued, and it must be said that although Ravenclaw was initially targeted because of Ravenclaws like Michael, Snape was too busy to continue targeting them due to the presence of Hufflepuff.
Snape divided all the students into pairs and instructed them to mix and prepare a simple potion to treat scabies, writing down the ingredients and preparation method needed to make the Potions on the blackboard.
Snape dragged his long black cloak around the classroom, watching them Dried Nettle and crush snake fangs. Almost all the students were reprimanded, except for Harry, Ryan, Hermione.
Ryan wasn't targeted because he had a low profile, which allowed Hermione to escape unscathed as well. However, everyone was surprised that Harry wasn't targeted.
After Harry answered the question, Snape seemed to regard him as his prized student, which reminded everyone of the conversation between Dudley and Harry in the hallway earlier, and it was probably true.