Devro sat in a chair in the common room, clutching the parchment in his hand, feeling somewhat dazed.
Around him, students were furiously scribbling away, diligently working on their assignments for Transfiguration and Potions. But Devro? He didn't have to write a single word.
Why?
It all went back to what had just happened—after Snape handed him the parchment. The professor had spoken briefly about borrowing restrictions in the Restricted Section before trying to dismiss him.
As Devro was about to be shown out, he quickly raised a hand and asked:
"But Professor, if I come here every night... um... what about my homework?"
To his surprise, Snape scoffed at the question.
"Homework? What homework?"
Snape pushed Devro out the door, looked down at him, and said, "For a wizard like you, doing homework is a waste of life and talent! So, you don't need to do my homework anymore."
As he spoke, Snape thoughtfully stroked his chin, as if pondering something further.
"As for other subjects, I'll speak to the other professors. You're no longer required to complete school assignments. Now, go."
With that, he shut the door behind Devro, leaving him alone in the dungeon corridor, completely bewildered.
— — —
"This kid... a true genius?"
Snape collapsed into his chair, eyes blank as he stared up at the ceiling.
Originally, today's goal had been a simple discussion with Devro about improvements to the Polyjuice Potion. As the youngest professor at Hogwarts, Snape was impressed—but still capable of spotting flaws with his years of experience. He had intended to offer suggestions for improvement.
But what he hadn't expected was for Devro to come up with an entirely new plan on his own.
More importantly, the academic language, diagrams, and structure had all dramatically improved!
It was like being presented with the work of a seasoned instructor rather than a first-year student!
And that plan—this new one Devro shared—corrected most of the issues from his previous submission. It was stunning.
Snape covered his face with his hands.
This kid is terrifying.
His speed of progress was unnatural.
In comparison, Snape's thirty years of accumulated knowledge suddenly felt... pitifully small.
"Where on earth did this child learn all this?"
Initially, Snape had decided—starting today—to officially take Devro as an apprentice. That's why he had revealed so much to him: magical ingredients, secret books, even his personal office.
He wanted to teach Devro seriously—to help him avoid the detours and missteps Snape had once encountered on his own path.
But now...
Devro was practically a monster!
When Devro explained his ideas earlier, it wasn't just the knowledge that shocked Snape. It was the way he explained them—with patience and clarity—using logic that required a sharp intuition few potion masters possessed.
At one point, Snape even struggled to follow his reasoning.
Devro had to slow down and explain everything.
The roles had reversed. It felt like the student was teaching the teacher.
Snape's thoughts wandered.
Perhaps they would become master and apprentice after all.
But at this rate... it was unclear who would be calling whom "teacher" in the end.
"Li... your son is far more terrifying than you ever were..."
Snape muttered as he turned to glance at a black book resting in the corner of his desk.
— — —
Back in the common room, Devro was still reflecting on Snape's speech.
"Is this what it feels like to be a genius?"
In less than a week since enrolling, he had unlocked a shocking number of privileges.
The freedom to choose his year group, permission to stay out late, full access to the Slytherin Head of House's office... and even weekly visits to the Restricted Section!
And now, he didn't even have to do homework.
This was the life Devro had dreamed of for two lifetimes.
He had surpassed Harry Potter and taken the title of Hogwarts Privilege King.
Of course, there was one catch: he had to meet with Snape every night.
"What did he mean by next Friday's task? Is it related to Polyjuice Potion?"
Devro frowned slightly, lost in thought.
"And today, he even let me browse through his rare collection—saying I could use anything freely. What is Snape really after?"
"Could it be... that he's planning to steal the credit for my Polyjuice Potion improvements?"
A flash of suspicion appeared in Devro's eyes.
Hiss!
That was definitely a possibility.
Though, in the original story, Snape never seemed particularly concerned with fame and fortune.
If he was, he would've done things differently—like Slughorn, who made connections and reaped benefits, rather than serving as a double agent for most of his life, seemingly sacrificing everything for penance.
Still, that didn't rule out the possibility.
At that thought, Devro let out a breath and leaned back in his chair.
If Snape truly had such motives, Devro would actually be fine with it.
Because he had a secret: he was likely a once-in-a-millennium Potion Spirit Body.
Coming up with new potion recipes—or improving old ones—was almost second nature.
Letting Snape take credit for the Polyjuice Potion improvement could be a good trade, especially if it earned Devro a personal storage room and experimental space at Hogwarts.
That was worth it.
"But... what if Snape really sees something in me... and wants to make me his apprentice?"
At the thought, Devro shivered.
The already damp and cold air of the Slytherin common room seemed to grow colder.
Even the atmosphere felt like a cold mist wrapping tightly around him.
He instinctively curled deeper into his chair and pulled his cloak closer.
To be honest, Devro deeply admired Snape's skills. The man was a top-tier potioneer—recognized across the magical world. His experience and knowledge were leagues ahead of others.
If Devro could learn directly from him, his potion-making ability would undoubtedly leap forward.
But the price?
Facing Snape's icy glare and harsh criticism every single day?
Just the thought of it made Devro want to crawl into a hole.
"Oh well... there's always a way. Hopefully, Snape is a bit greedy. That would make him easier to manipulate."
Devro stood up, then suddenly slapped his forehead in frustration.
"Ugh! I forgot to ask about my family!"
Earlier, he had planned to bring up his family with Snape—hoping it might trigger the [Blessing of Love] entry he had copied from Harry.
But in the excitement over the ingredient storage room, he'd gotten distracted.
Then he dove headfirst into potion theory, and finally got the good news about skipping homework. All thoughts of his original goal had vanished.
"I guess I'll just ask next time. No big deal—there will be plenty of opportunities to see Snape in the future."
With a sigh, he grabbed the parchment from the table in front of him.
Looking at Snape's signature, the corners of Devro's lips curled upward.
"That's right. I've never been to the Restricted Section before. Might as well go explore a little, level up my exploration skill... maybe find some interesting reads."
A glint of mischief flashed in his eyes.
"Something like Severe Magical Injury Case Collection, perhaps... I might be able to learn a few useful tricks."
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