An Accident in Potions Class

William had long been prepared to be given a hard time, but he had not expected it to happen so quickly.

No sooner had Snape finished his opening remarks than he turned his gaze back to William.

"Stark, what would I get if I added Jobberknoll feathers to an infusion of powdered lionfish spine?"

William stood up and answered, "Veritaserum."

Snape's expression soured again, as though William owed him a thousand Galleons.

"If I told you to find a Bezoar, where would you look?"

William had wanted to say he would ask Hagrid, but looking at Snape's face, he abandoned the wisecrack and answered seriously, "A Bezoar counteracts poison. It should be taken from a goat's stomach."

Snape snorted.

"If I told you to extract Flobberworm Mucus, what would you do?"

"Put the Flobberworms in an environment full of lettuce. After they've eaten the lettuce, they'll secrete a large amount of liquid."

"Parroting the book," Snape remarked coolly.

But whether William was parroting the book or had an outstanding memory, Hogwarts' grading rules required points to be awarded for a correct answer. Snape still had that much professional integrity.

Of course, it had a lot to do with William being in Ravenclaw. If he were in Gryffindor...

"One point to Ravenclaw!"

Before a smile could appear on William's face, Snape continued lazily, "When answering a question, you should add 'Professor' at the end! Stark has shown disrespect to his teacher. Two points off."

William shrugged and sat down.

"Why aren't you writing all this down? Have you mastered it already?" Snape's roar rang out again.

"You are the worst class I have ever taught!"

The classroom immediately filled with the rustling of students scrambling for quills and parchment.

Amid the commotion, Snape said, "Today, I will teach you to make a simple Cure for Boils Potion."

"I really can't think of a simpler potion. If anyone still manages to fail, I'll have to suggest that the headmaster think carefully about whether he's admitted an imbecile!"

Everyone held their breath and listened closely, afraid they might miss something, ruin their potion, and be judged an imbecile.

Snape waved his wand, and a great deal of writing appeared on the blackboard.

"Ah, yes, the Magical Drafts and Potions in your hands..." Snape drawled, a mocking look on his face.

"Written by the famous wizard Arsenius Jigger and designated as a textbook by the Ministry of Magic. I mean no offense, but some of its contents really are fifty years out of date."

"If my experimental steps differ from the book, don't be too surprised. Just follow mine."

A young Hufflepuff badger muttered, "Then why did we buy these textbooks?"

William recognized him as Cadwallader.

Snape stared at Cadwallader. For once, he did not get angry, but explained, "The contents of the textbook are all correct. Many of the steps are simply outdated."

When Snape spoke about Potions, his whole demeanor changed. He walked to the front of the classroom and spoke almost in a whisper.

"I will repeat myself: Potions is a precise science and an exacting craft. For us, there is no such thing as a textbook, only reference books!

"Apart from principles that have already been proven, many brewing steps are still developing and are not entirely fixed."

"I won't cover too much theory or rely entirely on the book. That is what you should study and master on your own outside class.

"I will only guide you through repeating what I consider the best brewing method!"

Expressionless, Snape pointed to the blackboard beside him, which was covered in writing in white chalk.

"That's enough talk. All the steps are written on the blackboard, and the ingredients are on the workbenches.

"Work in pairs. You may begin now."

As soon as he finished speaking, the students hurried into action.

Snape smiled maliciously once more.

"Stark, since your answers were entirely correct, you can work alone. That will give everyone a chance to see Ravenclaw's genius!"

Marietta Edgecombe, who was beside William, looked disappointed. She could only pair up with Cho.

William unfolded his cauldron without concern.

In fact, he had brewed many potions at home by following the steps in the textbook.

Some had failed, and some had succeeded.

But a Cure for Boils Potion certainly would not be a problem for him.

Thirty minutes later, Snape began walking back and forth around the classroom, his long black cloak trailing behind him.

Wherever he went, sounds like explosions followed.

Snape's oppressive presence was too strong. Standing beside someone, he was like a venomous snake, with an inscrutable, mocking smile on his face.

His smile, as though he were looking at an idiot, would make any young wizard instinctively think they had made a mistake, leaving them flustered and cold all over.

Snape strode around the classroom, deliberately making clack, clack, clack sounds, venom spilling from his mouth as he mocked them without restraint:

"I used to think that everything existed for a reason, that even rubbish had its uses. It seems I was wrong."

Almost every student had been criticized. After making a round of the room, Snape stationed himself beside William, waiting for him to make a mistake.

Without hurrying, William put four slugs and two Porcupine Quills into the cauldron, stirred five times clockwise, and waved his wand.

All right... done!

Snape bent over to inspect the cauldron. Deep blue bubbles rose from it, and his hooked nose sniffed the air. Yes, it was that familiar, intoxicating smell of rotten eggs!

The color, the smell, the time taken... everything was perfect. Even he could find no fault with it.

Snape was about to say something when Marietta Edgecombe, not far away, waved her wand with exaggerated motions and accidentally poked him in the butt.

Walnut Wood, Dragon Heartstring, thirteen and three-quarter inches... excellent rigidity!

Hogwarts charm ultimate technique: wand: thousand years of death!

Struck in a vital spot, Snape trembled all over and nearly plunged headfirst into William's cauldron.

Fortunately, as a professor, Snape still had a few tricks up his sleeve.

At that critical moment, he united waist and stance and used an old tree's tangled roots move he had practiced for years, successfully bringing his upper body under control.

Snape's great hooked nose was only a centimeter from the potion.

He caught his breath. His lifelong reputation had nearly been ruined.

Snape then flew into a rage.

This was outright murder!

But a thick cloud of acidic green smoke suddenly billowed through the dungeon classroom, accompanied by a loud hissing sound.

Marietta Edgecombe had waved her wand improperly and somehow burned Cho's cauldron into a twisted lump, spilling the potion inside onto the stone floor.

In terms of position, William's cauldron was next to Cho's, and Snape happened to be standing between them, with his back to Cho's cauldron.

A large amount of green liquid splashed out, burning holes in Snape's shoes.

His united waist and stance were broken, and his face plunged straight into William's potion.

Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools. When the cauldron overturned, Professor Snape was soaked through with potion.

Red, swollen boils covered Snape's back, arms, and legs.

It was clearly a potion to cure boils, yet its effect was exactly the opposite. Who knew how the two girls had made it!

Snape could only whimper, unable to speak. There were no boils on his face, since William had successfully brewed his potion, but the potion had not cooled yet!

At a temperature of several dozen degrees, Snape was scalded beyond even his mother's recognition, especially his sexy great hooked nose.

----I am Snape's divider----

(Snape: Please vote! Only recommendation votes can cure the boils on my body!)