The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 39 Snape's Sudden Concern
Ada did not agree with the twins' plan. This approach was too hateful. She could not care about other people's opinions, but the twins were different. They had parents and brothers and sisters.

The romantic atmosphere of Valentine's Day continued, and on Thursday there was no sign of it dissipating. However, this romance could not save the Gryffindor first years on Friday. In front of Snape, this romantic atmosphere did not cause any waves.

Ada performed very well in this Potions class and did not give Snape any reason to deduct points. She now had some experience in dealing with Snape, and the points deducted were getting fewer and fewer.

Snape walked around the classroom, picking on the little lions, and even the little snakes were not spared from Snape's clutches. This class was a torture for everyone, and it seemed that only Ada had escaped.

Ada was at her position, brewing potions honestly, following all the steps as Snape said, although Snape's steps for making potions were different from those written in the book.

At first, Ada only followed Snape's method to avoid giving him a chance to criticize. But later, Ada found that the proficiency gained by making potions using Snape's method was greater than that gained by following the method in the book. So, Ada changed from not being criticized at first to being willing to do it. It's really delicious!

The potion in the crucible gradually began to glow with a silvery luster. It was almost done. Ada was still one step away from completing it. She stood patiently in front of the crucible, waiting for the right moment to complete the last step.

Snape, who was wandering around the classroom like a ghost, naturally saw Ada's cauldron. He kept finding faults with the students, but this did not affect Snape's observation of Ada. Snape was so angry today, not because Ada answered his challenge, but for other reasons.

Snape discovered that in addition to lying in bed restlessly at night, Ada would also wander around the castle during the day.

Others might not realize what Ada was doing, but how could Snape not know? Although Ada had disrupted everything and even re-planned the route, this deception could not fool Snape at all.

Snape was also paying close attention to Foley's movements, so he naturally knew that she was "copying" Foley's actions. Her little tricks were seen through at a glance. In front of Snape, Ada was as innocent as a little white rabbit.

"A smug fool", "a self-righteous idiot" were the evaluations Snape gave in front of Dumbledore, and unsurprisingly his workload increased again!

There was no reward for it, just a personal request from an old man.

Snape walked slowly to Ida's cauldron and said, "Miss Drizzt, don't you think your stupid operation will ruin a pot of perfect potion?"

"Professor, this is done exactly according to your method, and it will be completed soon." Ada did not notice Snape's tone. She was a little inflated today.

"Self-righteous, is this your Gryffindor tradition?" Snape said with a hint of disgust in his tone.

Ada knew that Snape intended to continue to make trouble, but she had no choice but to endure it, although she wanted to throw the cauldron at Snape more than once.

Looking at the silent and pitiful Ada, Snape's mood did not change at all. He said, "When will you realize your own shortcomings and the gap between you and others?"

"Then what should I do?" Ada could only pretend to be humble and listen to Snape's teachings. Ada was not bragging, but when it came to making potions, no one in this room could beat Snape!

"Your laziness astonishes me, Miss Drizzt," Snape said, taking out his wand, and using it he emptied all the potions from Ada's cauldron.

This action stunned Ada instantly. It’s too obvious. Don’t you care about reputation at all?

"Professor, this..."

"Now you need to make it again, and learn it well in the process." Snape's tone was really annoying. "Finish it before the end of get out of class."

"But professor..." Looking at her empty crucible, Ada felt a little withdrawn. Although there was still some time before the end of get out of class, Ada only had a 10% to 20% chance of making a new one and completing it on time.

"Finish it before the end of get out of class and hand it in a glass bottle." Snape looked at Ada and said, "If you don't finish it, you will be detained, Miss Drizzt."

Ada did not struggle anymore, because Snape's face was full of the message: If you say another word, you will deduct points, deduct points, deduct points.

She could only go get the materials again and put all her energy into making it, hoping that she would not make any mistakes in the process, and complete all the steps at once and before the get out of class was over, so that she would not have to be alone with the annoying Snape.

But this time, old man Merlin did not stand on Ada's side. When the bell rang for the end of get out of class, Ada was still one step away from completing it.

"Please bring some food back to the lounge for me." Ada whispered to Fred and George.
"Your potion is almost done. It shouldn't be late for dinner, right?" Fred asked. It was still a long time before the dinner time at Hogwarts, and he felt that Ada had plenty of time to eat.

"I have a bad feeling, and it's a very strong feeling." Ada said worriedly. She didn't think there was any danger in being with Snape, but she felt that she might starve.

The students left one after another, and only Ada and Snape were left in the classroom. Ada stared at her cauldron without saying anything. Snape was very satisfied with Ada's self-awareness, and he just sat in his seat without moving. After a while, Ada's potion was finally made. Ada had never found that silver was so beautiful.

She put the finished product into a glass bottle, then walked over to Snape and said, "Professor, I'm done."

Snape took the glass bottle and said nothing.

"Professor, can I go back now?" Ada asked, hoping that Snape would be merciful and let her go.

"Who said you can leave after you finish the work?" Snape said slowly. Indeed, he had said that if you didn't finish the work, you would be detained, but he didn't say when you could leave. That was fine.

Snape walked to the storage cabinet and took out a bunch of materials needed to make potions, none of which had been processed.

"Finish up these things." Snape placed the materials on the workbench and gave orders to Ada.

"Professor, can I leave after I finish this?" Ada asked. She wanted a definite answer and didn't want to continue playing word games with Snape.

Snape glanced at her, then said, "It depends on my mood."

I knew it, I knew my hunch was right! Ada thought to herself. She walked to the crafting table, put on dragonhide gloves and began to process the materials.

Just think of it as a way to improve your proficiency. This kind of opportunity is hard to come by, and I can't afford the ingredients for the potion. Ada comforted herself silently, but practicing on your own initiative and being forced to practice were two completely different feelings that could not be compared at all.

While Ada was working hard, Snape was not idle either. He walked to the crucible that Ada had not put away and planned to make a potion.

The noise Snape made naturally attracted Ada's attention. As payment for using her own cauldron, Ada decided to steal his skills, even though she didn't even know what Snape made.

Snape also noticed Ada who was always peeking, but he didn't care about Ada's stealing behavior at all. He didn't think Ada could succeed in stealing with her "stupid" brain.

If Ada really did it, he might even look at her differently.

Time passed minute by minute. Whenever Ada had almost finished processing the materials, Snape would give her some more, treating her as free labor. Ada also carefully recorded the process of Snape making the potion.

In the dim underground classroom, Ada didn't know how much material she had processed, she thought it was enough for the first and second graders. She was very hungry now, and her stomach was rumbling.

Snape's potion was completed. It was not a complicated potion, of course, it was only for Snape. He packed up all the potions, not knowing what to do with them.

He walked up to Ada and watched her process the materials. Finally, someone spoke in the underground classroom, which had been silent all this time. He said, "Is it because you have too little homework that you have time to wander around?"

Ada paused for a moment before continuing, "I'm not wandering around, professor. I love the castle so much that I can't help but want to look around."

She didn't think she could hide these words from Snape, but she couldn't just say what she thought. She thought Snape wouldn't hurt her as a student, but that didn't mean she could trust Snape completely. She only said half of what she said to people.

Snape added another sentence to Ada in his mind, "You can go now. Leave the remaining materials for next time. I will notify you separately."

Ada, who resisted Snape's atrocities, ultimately failed. Ada became a child laborer hired by him. No, Snape did not pay her, so she was not even a child laborer.

Autistic Ada walked back to the common room. Dinner time had long passed, and she could only hope that the twins would bring her food. In the common room, exhausted Ada sat in an armchair, eating the food brought back by the twins. Ada finally found the meaning of life.

"Ada, something happened at school again!" said Fred.

"Nothing can be more important than eating." Ada said while eating the cake.

"There's a thief in the school!" George said mysteriously.

(End of this chapter)