Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

Henry opened the small box that had come with the letter and took out a gold snake ring set with an emerald.

He knew that this serpent ring was the engagement ring that Prince Albert gave to Queen Victoria, symbolizing eternal love.

The ring is made of gold and features an emerald set in the snake's head, which is the birthstone for May—the month of Victoria's birth.

The popularity of the snake design originated from Queen Victoria's snake-shaped wedding ring, and snake jewelry subsequently became an essential piece of jewelry for women at the time.

The Queen was so enamored with the "wisdom and eternity" symbolized by snake jewelry that it became almost a lifelong talisman for her.

Of course, this style is very Slytherin-esque, which is probably why his great-grandmother gave him the snake ring.

After breakfast, it was time for Potions class.

If Henry had high expectations for Charms or Transfiguration, then he had at least ten thousand expectations for this course.

Whether I can get rid of baldness depends on how well I learn Potions!

Potions class was held in an underground classroom, which was colder and more gloomy than the main castle building above. Glass jars lined the walls, and the animal specimens inside made people shiver.

Henry even saw two grapes soaking in a jar, which he didn't know had been picked from some Gundam.

Not long after they sat down, the classroom door was flung open with a bang, and Professor Snape swept in like a giant black bat, bringing with him a gust of wind.

He walked to the podium, picked up the roster, and began calling roll, just like Professor Flitwick.

He stopped when he called out Harry Potter's name.

"Oh yes," he said quietly, "Harry Potter, that's our newest—a very famous person."

Draco and his two henchmen, Crabbe and Goyle, covered their mouths and chuckled, clearly with schadenfreude.

Henry remained calm, merely twirling the quill between his fingers, his gaze fixed on Snape's sallow and serious face.

After calling roll, Professor Snape looked up at the class. His eyes were cold, empty, and devoid of any emotion.

"You have come here to learn the precise science and rigorous process of potion-making."

He spoke, his voice barely a whisper, yet everyone heard every word he uttered. Like Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape possessed an effortless, authoritative power to maintain order in the classroom.

"Since there are no fools waving wands here, many of you won't believe this is magic. I don't expect you to truly appreciate the beauty of a cauldron simmering slowly, emitting white smoke and a delicate fragrance. You won't truly understand the wondrous power of the fluid flowing through people's veins, the kind 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's one condition: you must not be the kind of fools I often encounter."

Daphne, sitting next to Henry, leaned forward slightly, as if to prove that she wasn't a fool.

"Potter!" Professor Snape exclaimed suddenly, "What would I get if I added daffodil root powder to wormwood infusion?"

Harry clearly had no idea how to answer Professor Snape's question. Hermione, not far away, had her arm raised high in the air, trying to get Snape to call her name.

"I don't know, sir," Harry said.

Professor Snape curled his lip in disdain.

"Tsk, tsk—it seems fame doesn't mean everything."

He ignored Hermione's plan, even though the silly girl had practically poked her hand to the ceiling.

"Let's try again, Potter. If I asked you to find me a dung heap, where would you look for it?"

"I don't know, sir."

"I suppose you didn't even open a single book before school started, did you, Potter?"

Professor Snape grimaced again.

"Potter, then tell me, what's the difference between Aconitum carmichaelii and Aconitum davidii?"

"I don't know," Harry said quietly, "but I think Hermione knows the answer. Why don't you ask her?"

A burst of laughter erupted in the classroom, and Professor Snape looked very displeased.

"sit down."

He turned and yelled at Hermione, then looked at Harry again.

"Let me tell you, Potter," he leaned forward, looking down at Harry, "that narcissus root powder and artemisia can be mixed together to make a very potent sleeping potion, a dose of 'drowning water.' Dungstone is a type of stone taken from the stomach of a goat, and it has extremely strong detoxifying properties. As for aconite and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, also collectively called aconite, understand?"

At this point, he suddenly changed the subject.

"Then...why don't you write all of this down?"

The students all lowered their heads, took out their quills and notebooks, and began to take notes.

Amidst the commotion, Professor Snape announced, "Potter, Gryffindor will lose a point for talking back to your teacher."

Potions class continued, with Professor Snape dividing the students into pairs and instructing them on how to mix a simple potion to treat boils.

Then he dragged his long black cloak around the classroom, watching everyone dry nettles and crush snake fangs. Almost all the students were sprayed with venom by him, except for Draco's group and Henry's group.

Henry had already previewed the textbook before class, and guided by the theoretical knowledge, he processed the materials with ease, and did not forget to correct Daphne's mistakes.

"Remember to remove the crucible from the flame before adding the porcupine quills," he reminded.

When Snape floated to their table like a ghost, pink smoke was already rising from the cauldron in front of Henry.

Snape stared silently at their cauldrons, his gaze sweeping over Henry and Daphne, before finally giving a barely perceptible nod.

"The materials were handled properly, and the finished product meets the standards..." He paused for a moment, then announced, "Slytherin, ten points!"

But not everyone had it as easy as Henry's group. Neville, the unlucky guy from Gryffindor, didn't remove the cauldron from the flame before adding the porcupine quills. Not only did the cauldron burn through, but it also burned several holes in the shoes of the students around him.

He was in an even worse state; many boils suddenly appeared on his nose.

As Henry expected, after criticizing Neville, Professor Snape turned his attention to Harry, and with an invisible hand, deducted a point from Gryffindor.

Ugh.

What a tragic couple!