Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 47: The Potions Teacher
The foolish methods used by the foolish fellow, even if strictly following the steps, will only ever get him to a passing grade.

A wizard with no talent like that... give him another second glance.
All of this is a waste of his precious time, the Potions Master, Severus Snape!
Seeing the flawed method, Snape's dark eyes almost blazed with rage.

But when he gazed into those truly bright emerald green eyes,
His anger gradually subsided.

Thinking back to how the other person had been going through thick and thin, playing hide-and-seek with me all this time,
Just to brew a pot of useless magic potion,
For a moment, Snape felt a strange and complex emotion.

Fortunately, he has indeed made progress; in the last Potions class, he even brewed a potion that was barely acceptable.
That's why Snape didn't fire him immediately.

He would sometimes come here to watch the guy practice frantically, racking his brains as he struggled to figure things out.

Those stupid wizards thought he was in his office?

Little did they know that Hogwarts Castle had more secret passages than towers.

However, there's one thing he might never admit—

That is, he thought he was watching a joke, but in reality he was secretly keeping an eye on the little wizard's safety.

"Failed……"

[You have successfully brewed a potion of scabies medicine to the standards of an apprentice. Proficiency +1]

In the cellar, beside the crucible, Sheen sighed.

But he was not discouraged; he knew that success was not achieved overnight.

He did find inspiration, but he didn't fully grasp it.

A change in one step has a cascading effect on the others, and it was precisely because he failed to adjust the other steps properly that the quality of the potion declined.
But if he has just enough time to brew another potion, he's sure he'll succeed.

Just as he was cleaning the crucible and regrouping.

The cellar door was suddenly pushed open completely, slamming against the stone wall with a dull thud.
Shadows surged in before any figures, followed by the bat-like hem of a black robe, billowing and swallowing the faint light from the doorway.

Footsteps echoed on the damp stone ground, unhurried yet carrying a judgmental rhythm.

Sheen was completely stunned.
His large, bright green eyes stared blankly at Professor Snape as he walked step by step toward him.

The dim, yellowish light barely illuminated the sharp shadow cast by his aquiline nose.

This also added a chill to his gloomy words:
“Sheen Green…”

His voice was like the spitting of a venomous snake.

Sheen's eyes gradually dimmed.

He didn't try to explain; he simply put the materials into his bag, cleaned the crucible, and then prepared to leave the cellar.

Sheen knew that his choice was inherently dangerous.

If you've been discovered, you should be prepared to be discovered.

"I'm sorry, Professor Snape."

Sheen whispered something.
"I'll leave now."

Then, he slung his small black bag over his shoulder and prepared to leave.

"Ha—of course, if I were like you—"

Snape sneered.

"Such a foolish potion-making process, such a flawed technique—I would be so ashamed of it that I would not dare to linger in this sacred place."

Upon hearing Professor Snape's words, Sheehan did not react; he simply felt a pang of regret—he was so close to succeeding.

"Running away—is this your choice?"

Professor Snape suddenly spoke up,
“If I were you, I would immediately light the crucible—and increase the stirring speed during the final stirring, stirring it one more time.”

Sheehan was stunned. He stopped in his tracks and looked at Professor Snape in surprise.

Professor Snape, is he teaching me?
Without hesitation, Sheen put down the bag and was about to take out the materials...

At this moment,
A bundle of materials suddenly floated onto the wooden table.

Sheehan heard Professor Snape's chilling voice:

"If you dare to fail—"

Professor Snape's gaze was cold and threatening, but Sheehan didn't sense it at all.

He has always had the ability to ignore appearances, thanks to his deep understanding.

Like Hermione, she can indeed be a bit condescending at times, and likes to boss others around.

But beneath that arrogant attitude lay her sincere concern.

Like Professor Snape, he always hid his emotions in harshness, bias, and hostility.

But no one can blame him for this, because not everyone has love.

Sheehan recalled Professor Snape's teachings in his mind.

The crucible was reignited, and bubbles started to rise again.

This time, Sheen continued to brew the potion smoothly as always.

A hint of satisfaction appeared on Snape's gloomy face.
Unlike the monstrous, shouting Gryffindors, and unlike the mindless, inanimate Hufflepuffs,

Ravenclaws are always a bit smarter, and this little wizard in front of me is one of the best.

He knows what he wants, he will take action, and that's enough...

Extremely hard working.

When the dark green liquid reappeared, Sheen couldn't help but feel a little nervous, until—

[You have successfully brewed a pot of scabies medicine to a proficient standard. Proficiency +10]

[Scabies medication unlocked]

A new title in the Potions Realm has been unlocked. Please check it out.

[A wizard talent has been unlocked, please check.]

The fireplace sparked even more fiercely, but Sheen remained cautious as he stored the potion in the crystal bottle.

Sheen only began to relax after the crucible had completely extinguished the fire.

This made Snape nod slightly.

Before his eyes,
Sheen was slightly excited, considering he hadn't even used the modified ritual...

"Professor Snape, thank you."

Sheen thanked him sincerely, his clear eyes revealing no emotion other than gratitude.

This startled Snape, who was about to turn and leave.

He didn't even utter a sarcastic remark for a moment, but instead gave Sheen a deeper look.

"You should be thankful you succeeded, otherwise—"

His sallow face showed a mixture of emotions, and a rare complex emotion appeared in his eyes.

"Sheen Green, let me tell you a lesson."
Respect yourself for your failure in potions.

It has the power to change reality.
If you underestimate yourself
I swear,
The potion gate will never be open to you again—

Even after leaving the cellar, these words continued to echo in Sheen's mind, almost shattering his preconceived notions about Professor Snape.

Beneath the enormous oil painting, and above Sir Cadogan's rambling incessant chatter...
Sheehan couldn't help but recall Professor Snape once again:
He was undoubtedly starved for love.

His tragedy lies in the fact that he longed for love his whole life, but lost the ability to understand and express love because of the lack of love in his childhood.

He grasped Lily's only love, but destroyed it with his own hands due to his own flaws and the tragedy of the times.

Ultimately, his life became a long and painful self-punishment written with loyalty and courage.

His greatness lies in his amazing courage and perseverance, but his character is undoubtedly that of a lonely boy who was never nourished by love in the cold house in Spider's End.

and then,
Can you really define Professor Snape as a soulless, lifeless shell that will never grow again?

Sheen,

He said to himself,
You are sorting out your own biases and trying to apply them to a living, breathing person.

(End of this chapter)