Hearing Snape mock him like that,
Douglas felt that he was an adult now, and a professor at that. Of course he could stand on his own feet.
"Oh, Professor Snape, you just don't understand the delights of fine food.
The brine may stink, but the stinky tofu it makes is wonderfully fragrant and tender...
Incidentally, I got an O on my Potions OWL."
Professor Sprout's eyes brightened when she heard that this foul-smelling liquid was specifically for making a new delicacy.
Just as she was about to ask for details,
Professor Snape beat her to it and said mockingly,
"Heh, someone who mistook a Horklump for a mushroom...
Did the Gnomes in your head take the exam for you?"
Good heavens, who knew how long Snape had been holding that in? He had finally said it today. How satisfying!
(A Horklump was an animal that looked like a fleshy pink mushroom covered in black bristles, and it was a Gnome's favorite food. Horklump Juice was an ingredient used to make weed-killing potions.)
It was Professor Sprout's first time hearing about this, and she could not help patting her forehead. Still, it was very much like Douglas.
But Douglas was not happy. There was no need to bring up someone's embarrassing past!
Snape, you've gone too far!
But what could he say? For world peace, for peace in the Wizarding World, for peace at Hogwarts,
Douglas forcibly suppressed the urge to mouth off.
He said quietly,
"I got an O on my Potions OWL!"
Snape gave a disdainful laugh.
"Some people can't even tell Horseradish from a radish!
And yet they can still get an O on the exam. What a joke!"
Douglas was furious!
How many years ago had that been?
All he had done was pick up some