That sliver of self-doubt in Snape's heart flickered briefly and disappeared.
Slytherin never prided itself on high moral standards. "Achieving goals by any means necessary"—that was the true Slytherin creed.
"Everything I do is for Slytherin to win the House Cup," Snape muttered to himself.
"Besides, what kind of Little Wizard would be so foolish as to stay up all night just to be a Potions assistant—just for the privilege of cleaning the classroom and squeezing Flobberworm mucus?"
He frowned.
"That's a whole basket of Flobberworms. You need to stay highly focused the entire night to deal with them properly."
"And it's not just about quantity. Even with gloves on, long exposure to Flobberworm mucus causes an itchy, irritating sensation."
"That's right. Robert Sprout himself won't last long," Snape scoffed.
With that thought, Snape quickened his pace and left.
As soon as the classroom was empty, Robert let out a soft breath, clutching a key tightly in his hand. His eyes gleamed with determination and excitement.
Now, he had a legitimate excuse to remain in the Potions classroom—and to search for the Advanced Potion-Making textbook signed by the Half-Blood Prince.
"Let's start by checking the lockers."
Robert walked toward the row of lockers at the far end of the room.
Fortunately, the key to the classroom also unlocked the lockers. A practical design—otherwise, every Professor would be burdened with dozens of keys just to teach a few classes.
Good news for Robert.
He inserted the key and twisted it gently.
Click.
The locker creaked open.
But Robert's expression immediately changed.
A chaotic avalanche of old textbooks, cauldrons, worn-out gloves, and dusty, stale-smelling items spilled out, forming a mini mountain on the floor.
Clearly, students had been stuffing things into these lockers for years and never bothered to take them back.
Even with Undetectable Extension Charms, some lockers were so overfilled that opening them released the contents in one giant heap.
Robert sighed.
No choice.
Search.
He knelt and began digging through the mess, flipping open books and examining each one.
"Elementary Potion-Making—not the right book."
"One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi… this edition is over a century old?!"
"…Succubus Queen and Dragon Maid? What even is this?"
An hour passed.
Robert finally closed the last book with a sigh. The locker search was complete.
He had to admit, Hogwarts students were truly unpredictable. Who knew what random things they'd shove into their lockers and forget?
Unfortunately, no sign of the Half-Blood Prince's Advanced Potion-Making textbook.
"It's not here," Robert muttered, his gaze shifting toward the next row of lockers.
There were likely seven or eight more Potions classrooms just like this across the school. Each with its own mountain of clutter.
He took a deep breath.
Without Harry Potter's protagonist halo, tracking down that textbook would not be easy.
Still, he quickly collected his thoughts and steadied his mindset.
"The worst-case scenario is just going through every locker."
"As long as I'm willing to put in the time, I'll find it eventually."
"There's no rush."
His eyes drifted to the basket of Flobberworms that Snape had left for him.
If he wanted access to the classroom for long periods, he'd have to complete the tasks Snape had assigned.
Immediately, Robert picked up a Flobberworm.
With a gentle squeeze, a stream of mucus squirted out into a special collection container.
The sticky, slightly prickly texture of the creature pressed against his gloved palm. Most Little Wizards probably would've recoiled by now—some would've gotten goosebumps just touching the squishy creatures.
But Robert?
Insects and slimy creatures were nothing new to him.
Before coming to Hogwarts, he had spent his previous life researching agriculture. Nights in the field, under lamplight, often brought him face-to-face with strange and extraordinary insects that defied common imagination.
Compared to the labor-intensive composting and manure fermentation required for studying plant root systems, squeezing Flobberworms was a breeze.
Furry and harmless, Flobberworms were even a little cute in their own way. And squeezing them?
Weirdly therapeutic.
With each squirt of mucus and soft splash into the container, Robert felt a quiet calm settle over his mind.
Then, something unusual caught his attention.
The mucus quality varied.
Some Flobberworms produced thick, clear, high-quality mucus. Others… not so much.
That reminded him of what Snape had said earlier.
Even Flobberworm mucus had to meet precise standards.
Snape, a true Potions Master, might make things difficult, but he wouldn't lie about potion material quality.
Meaning: technique mattered.
The same Flobberworm might produce different results based on how you processed it.
Robert frowned thoughtfully.
What determined the difference?
He recalled his time pruning and processing magical herbs.
The best results came when he tuned into the flow of magical energy within the plants before harvesting or cutting.
Could the same be true for magical creatures used in Potions?
Could sensing the flow of magic in a Flobberworm lead to better mucus extraction?
It was worth testing.
Robert gently held another Flobberworm in his hand.
He closed his eyes for a moment and focused, trying to sense the faint magical aura within the creature.
Then, he squeezed.
A stream of mucus—more concentrated, clearer, and more viscous than before—dripped into the container.
Robert's eyes lit up.
It worked.
When he sensed and followed the creature's magical flow, the mucus quality improved dramatically.
And then something else happened.
On his system panel, the passive skill [Magic Perception Boost]—which had long been stuck at the border between bronze and silver—suddenly glimmered.
That faint silver hue… had just grown slightly stronger.
Robert's heart raced.
"Working with Flobberworms actually helps me train my Magic Perception?"
Suddenly, the basket of squirming Flobberworms didn't seem like a chore.
They were an opportunity.
He had assumed this task would be a waste of time, but now it felt like a golden chance to advance a key skill.
From that moment on, Robert focused all his attention on his task.
He picked up each Flobberworm slowly, deliberately sensing its magical energy before extracting the mucus.
With each successful squeeze, the mucus quality increased.
More importantly, the silvery glow of his skill continued to grow—bit by bit.
Time passed quietly.
The basket of Flobberworms slowly emptied as Robert moved through them with care and precision, a soft rhythm forming between his hands and the container.
And on the system panel, the [Magic Perception Boost] skill continued its silent march toward the silver rank.
In the stillness of the Potions classroom, late into the night, Robert worked with a calm, focused intensity.
Far from being a mundane assistant's chore, this was becoming a personal breakthrough.
And deep down, he knew—whether or not he found the Half-Blood Prince's textbook tomorrow, tonight's quiet lesson was already a victory.
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