[Note: Read up to Chapter - 137 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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[Congratulations, host! Your question successfully stumped a professor and stirred his emotions — you've been awarded 500 academic points.]
As Aris stepped out of the Headmaster's office, the system prompt sounded right on cue.
He grinned, hardly able to believe it.
Five hundred points!
That was the highest he'd ever earned from a single task since activating the system!
Well, the task wasn't quite finished yet. Once complete, he might snag another 500 points!
That'd make a grand total of a thousand points!
Since when did the system get this generous?
Aris thought back over the mission, and a few clues started to click.
It seemed the secret was stirring up strong emotions in the person being asked!
He'd seen the same happen when he questioned Professors Flitwick and McGonagall.
So now it was clear — as long as you could rattle the emotions of the one you're questioning, you'd bag more points, no matter if they gave you an answer or not.
"This is interesting!"
A sly smile crept across the boy's face.
He'd never dream of bullying anyone, but there's nothing wrong with being studious and picking brains, right?
Ravenclaw students love to study, so there's nothing wrong with that!
Aris glanced at his system points.
Nine thousand three hundred!
Ten thousand wasn't far off!
Looks like I'll have to come up with some sharp, insightful questions to keep system happy.
If I'm lucky, I could hit 10,000 points by tomorrow!
The boy's mood lifted instantly.
"Oh, I nearly forgot something!"
Suddenly, Aris stopped.
He flicked his wand to grab a quill and some paper, quickly scribbled a letter, and sent it off by the school owl.
For this, he even made a special trip to the Owlery.
…
The next morning.
Quite a few young witches and wizards were already having breakfast in the school dining hall.
After nearly half a term settling in, the thirty young teachers rarely arrived late or skipped breakfast anymore.
The whole hall buzzed with energy, especially as the owls prepared to deliver their parcels.
Some students kept glancing towards the entrance, clearly expecting something.
"Ron, have you got a package?"
Harry noticed Ronald's eyes fixed on the direction the owl would come from and asked.
"Maybe!" Ron shrugged, sounding indifferent.
"Around this time each year, my mum sends George and his mates some sweaters. They look new, but really, it's just old wool ripped apart and re-knitted. No idea why she bothers!"
"I should be getting one this year, too!"
"That's brilliant, isn't it?" Harry said, clearly jealous.
He wasn't being sarcastic or winding anyone up — he genuinely thought it was a wonderful thing.
The care and company of family were something he'd always longed for.
"Aris, are you waiting for an owl as well?"
Nearby, Hermione seemed to be keeping an eye on Aris, who was sitting at the long table across the hall.
She'd picked a seat just behind him, the two separated only by a narrow aisle.
"Me? Well, I did order a few things!"
Thinking about the deal he'd struck with Dumbledore, Aris couldn't help feeling a bit cross.
That old wizard really was something else!
You can't just make Huǒ Lóng Xuè Wǎng — he had only managed to learn how to speak the name of the dish correctly after practicing many times — with ordinary methods. It's the dragon blood that you are dealing with!
It's packed with powerful magical properties, and even diluted, it's tough to coagulate, super dense, and full of vitality.
Just stirring it with starch won't do a thing to get whatever this Huǒ Lóng Xuè Wǎng dish is.
Now, Aris realised how tricky it really was to whip up a dish using Dragon Blood.
But since he'd promised Dumbledore, he'd have to think of another way to solidify the dragon blood.
Plus... the compensation he'd promised Snape — he couldn't go back on his word now.
As time passed, the young witches and wizards were nearly done with breakfast.
Flitwick had already stood up at the teachers' table, looking ready to start the lesson.
Aris still hadn't spotted Professor McGonagall.
Hermione had mentioned she'd been holed up in the library lately, completely absorbed in her reading.
Even when a little wizard called out to her, she didn't respond!
"Here we go!"
Suddenly, an owl's hoot echoed from the gate.
A flurry of owls swooped into the hall.
Aris managed to snag some potion ingredients neatly packed in boxes.
Ron had guessed wrong — Mrs Weasley hadn't sent any new sweaters this time.
At the teachers' table, Snape — who had just stood up and was about to leave — also received a package.
He looked a bit surprised when the owl dropped a colourful gift box right in front of him.
Snape glanced around carefully to make sure no one else was coming for the box, then picked it up with a frown.
"Oi, did you see? Professor Snape got a gift too?"
"Really? That's something..."
"I thought no one ever gave him presents."
"That's rarer than McGonagall being late for class!"
A few young wizards nearby noticed the gift box in Snape's hand and whispered among themselves.
Especially Harry and Ron — they looked properly surprised at first.
All eyes shifted from the potion ingredients in Aris's hands to the teachers' table.
"Is this for real? Professor Snape actually got a gift?" someone in the Gryffindor said, looking at Fred in disbelief.
His mate's expression mirrored his, his eyes widening without meaning to. "Who d'you reckon sent it?"
"Maybe a mate from outside school..." Ron guessed, adding from the side.
Then, with certainty, he added, "No one at Hogwarts would give him a present, right?!"
"That's a bit harsh," Hermione frowned.
Ever since she'd learned on the Quidditch pitch that Snape might've actually helped Harry and Aris, her opinion of the professor had shifted drastically.
Beneath that cold, gloomy, and harsh exterior, he had a heart that wanted to protect his students.
That's a trait he shared with Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore.
"Hermione's right!" Aris's voice came from behind the three of them.
He strolled over, potion materials in hand, and said seriously, "No matter what, as Hogwarts students, respecting our professors is basic decency. Even if you don't like a professor, you shouldn't badmouth them behind their backs!"
"If it were me, I'd say it to their face!"
With that, Aris gave Harry and Ron a meaningful look, then turned and headed toward the Room of Requirement.
Hearing Aris's words, the two Gryffindor lions exchanged a glance.
Then, almost without thinking, they looked over at Snape and couldn't help but shudder.
"If I really said those things in front of him, I reckon I'd lose 30 points straight away!"
"Maybe get detention."
"Perhaps even kicked out of school!"
Muttering to themselves, the pair looked up just as Snape glanced their way.
It was almost instinctive.
Harry and Ron instantly ducked their heads and stuffed bread into their mouths like mad, as if that'd make them invisible.
Meanwhile, at the teachers' table, Snape's eyes flickered with hesitation.
"..."
He scanned the hall, still clueless.
Whose idea was this prank gift?
When Snape first spotted the box, he was convinced it had to be some joke.
He simply couldn't believe any student would actually send him a present!
And if the professors wanted to give him something, they wouldn't bother sending it by owl.
You've got to admit, the man knows himself pretty well.
Just then, Aris happened to stroll past the teachers' table, flashing Snape a smile and a nod.
Snape's expression shifted slightly.
He suspected the gift box was a 'surprise' from Aris.
His eyes turned cold in an instant, but he did open the box.
Snape was dead certain no one could pull a fast one on him — not even this boy, whose talent Dumbledore so often praised.
Even if there was some powerful Dark Magic hidden inside that gift box, he wasn't about to be fooled!
"Is this... a robe?"
Snape's eyes flickered as he looked inside the box.
Then he froze.
He couldn't detect a single trace of magic from the robe — no dark magic, no curses, no evil spells... nothing.
Just a plain, ordinary black robe, as ordinary as you could get, well, other than being made of good materials and looking really expensive.
In fact, it looked quite elegant.
The design was top-notch, with all the modern perks — wrinkle-proof, stain-resistant, quick to rinse.
Some even claimed it had a defensive enchantment sewn in...
Of course, not many knew the full story.
Few would splash out on this latest wizarding robe.
Word was, Madam Malkin's shop in Diagon Alley sold these at hundreds of Galleons a pop — an absolute fortune.
Regular wizards couldn't dream of affording one. Only pure-blood nobles wore them in public to flaunt their wealth and status.
"Why a robe?"
Snape muttered under his breath, then quickly shoved the robe back into the box, like he was afraid someone might catch him ogling it.
Maybe Snape felt it would damage his dignity.
Without another word, he grabbed the gift box and strode out of the hall, following after Aris.
Just now, something had suddenly clicked in Aris's mind.
An idea popped up without him even meaning to — maybe it was that boy who'd done it...
"Look, Snape's chasing after Aris!"
At the long table, Harry was worried Snape would keep glaring at him, so he glanced up cautiously to see what was happening.
There was Snape, looking grim as he picked up the gift box and set off after Aris.
Harry's shout caught Hermione and Ron's attention.
"Let's go check it out!" Hermione stood up and headed off first.
"Do you reckon he's going to give Aris a hard time?" Ron asked, looking concerned.
"Why?" Harry frowned, unconvinced. "Aris didn't do anything wrong."
"Maybe be badmouthed professor Snape to his face... that can't be ignored..."
Hermione was speechless and quickened her pace.
Harry and Ron naturally followed close behind.
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Corridor.
Snape finally caught up to Aris.
"Shafiq, stop right there!"
A deep voice rang out, making Aris halt.
"Professor Snape, what do you want to talk about?"
The boy smiled, showing none of the fear other young witches and wizards had when facing Snape.
That, right there, was what annoyed Snape most about the lad.
He couldn't stand it — a mere freshman standing in front of him with such a calm smile.
It made him feel utterly stripped of dignity!
"Did you buy this robe?" Snape asked bluntly, his face sour.
"That's right," Aris nodded seriously. "I was in the wrong on the Quidditch pitch. I damaged your robe, so I had someone pick out a new one for you. Consider this wizard robe my compensation for mistakenly burning your robe."
"You must be joking!" Snape's voice dropped, and he blurted out without thinking, "You reckon I can't afford a robe?"
"Of course not..." Aris was taken aback for a moment, then frowned slightly.
He hadn't expected Snape to be so proud.
It's just a robe as compensation — how can he make such a big deal of it?
At this, Aris lost patience and said outright, "This robe is my compensation. Whether you want it or not, I'm not taking it back. If you don't like it... just bin it!"
With that, Aris turned and walked off without even glancing at Snape's reaction.
Behind him, Snape stood frozen, watching Aris's retreating back, eyes full of complicated feelings.
After a moment, he snorted coldly at Aris's back.
"Don't think for a second I'll say thank you!"
Saying that, he spun on his heel and headed toward the Potions classroom.
Hearing this, Aris smiled to himself.
Oh, that arrogant git!
But honestly, if you look past the harsh words and gloomy expression, he's actually a decent person, uh… maybe his obsession with Lily Evans, his hatred towards the Marauders, and his past as a Death Eater have to be ignored as well…. Yeah, if these things are ignored, Snape is indeed a decent person, probably, right? Right?
…
"That gift looked like it was from Aris to Professor Snape, didn't it?"
At the back, Hermione, Harry, and Ron had arrived late and missed most of the conversation between the two.
Now, watching Snape's retreating back with the gift box and recalling his last words, Hermione's expression twisted into something strange.
"They can't be that close, can they?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"I even thought Snape was chasing Aris to give him a proper telling-off!" Ron added, surprised.
"What the hell!" Hermione suddenly spun around and stomped off in a huff.
At that moment, the little witch felt a bit off balance.
Why did Aris give Snape a gift... and never even think about giving her one?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and she quietly made a decision in her heart.
This time, I'm going to ignore that stinky boy for three whole days!
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Drop power Powerstonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 137 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]