Jon Hart's smile vanished in an instant.
His mind raced...
What the hell?
Snape invited him for afternoon tea?
He didn't remember Snape ever being the type to enjoy afternoon tea.
But Daphne didn't give him a chance to ask. She practically turned and ran away.
Jon checked his watch. It was already 12:45—less than half an hour until Snape's appointment.
No time to waste. He knew all too well the consequences of being late with Snape.
He rushed to the Great Hall, stuffed down a quick meal, and hurried straight for the dungeons.
By around 1:10 p.m., he was standing outside Snape's office. He paused, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open.
The room was dim and cramped, with shelves lining both sides, packed with hundreds of various glass containers. Slimy animal and plant specimens floated in vividly colored potions.
These "creepy" specimens didn't bother Jon in the slightest—on the contrary, they felt oddly familiar. In his past life, he'd seen far more grotesque things: human remains, diseased tissue samples, parasitic specimens... These were nothing in comparison.
If anything, he missed the familiar sting of formalin in the air.
He was studying a specimen of a sow's uterus when the office door creaked open.
"You're early, Mr. Hart." Severus Snape's cold voice came from the shadows near the entrance.
"My apologies, Professor," Jon replied quickly, averting his gaze.
"Sit."
Following Snape's command, Jon sat down quietly. Snape stepped into the light and sat across from him.
"You're not afraid of them?" Snape asked offhandedly, glancing at the specimen racks.
"Of course not," Jon answered honestly with a nod. "I just found them kind of... familiar, so I took a longer look."
"Familiar, is it?" Snape's pale lips pressed together briefly before he said coldly, "Very well... Hart, go cut me a piece of a five-legged beast's heart. Sixth row, fourth column on the rack."
"Yes, Professor!" Jon stood at once, pulled on a pair of dragon-hide gloves from the shelf, and climbed up on a stool. His small frame struggled slightly as he reached for a glass jar filled with dark red liquid.
"What's in this?" he asked curiously.
"Human blood," Snape replied grimly. "The five-legged beast is a dark magical creature that feeds on large amounts of human blood. It stores what it drains in its heart... Even when removed, the heart continues to expel blood periodically."
"Really?" Jon's face remained calm, even intrigued, as he opened the jar. "No wonder the smell of blood is so strong."
Snape frowned, watching as the first-year boy—armed with a twenty-centimeter blade—reached into the jar, grabbed the bloody heart, and began cutting without hesitation.
"How much do you want, Professor?" Jon asked as he worked steadily.
"Ten ounces."
Five minutes later, Jon had carved out a piece of the five-legged beast's heart, roughly the size of a wine glass. He placed it on an iron tray and handed it to Snape.
Even severed, the chunk of heart continued to twitch and spurt blood. The potions master's office was soon splattered with crimson, and both Snape and Jon were stained as well.
"Will this do, Professor?" Jon asked softly.
"Hmph." The old bat let out a cold grunt, drew his wand, and with a flick, the blood vanished from their clothes and the desk. The heart fragment floated into another jar.
"Sit," Snape ordered again.
Jon gave a slight shrug and obediently sat back down.
...
"Would you like something to drink?" the old bat asked flatly.
"No thank you... Professor..." Jon stammered a little.
After witnessing such a bloody scene, the idea of afternoon tea was a bit stomach-turning—not to mention, who would casually sip a drink offered by a potions master? What if he'd added something strange?
Fortunately, Snape didn't press the matter.
"I wrote to Slug & Jiggers Apothecary in Diagon Alley," Snape continued coldly. "They told me that over three months ago, you purchased bicorn horn powder and Boomslang skin from them?"
"Yes, Professor," Jon replied calmly, unsurprised.
"May I ask," Snape sneered, "what potion you were trying to brew with those ingredients?"
"Bicorn horn powder is used in slow-release potions, and Boomslang skin is a key ingredient in nightmare draughts," Jon answered steadily. "I couldn't find either ingredient in the classroom cabinet, so I had to source them from Diagon Alley."
"Those are potions taught only to third- and fourth-years!" Snape growled. "So... your attempt failed, didn't it, Hart?"
"Actually, no," Jon said with a hint of nervousness, then shook his head. "Unless I've misjudged, both potions were successful. I stored the finished products in my labeled cabinet in the potions classroom."
Snape froze, then after a moment's pause, said, "I'll verify that myself."
"Of course, Professor." Jon met Snape's hollow black eyes without flinching.
"You're certain you're not lying?"
"Absolutely, sir."
...
Several minutes passed before Severus Snape finally looked away.
"I suppose you're not lying," he said evenly.
Jon exhaled inwardly. All the effort he'd gone through to cover his tracks... had clearly paid off.
"Severus! Severus!" came a familiar voice from outside the door, interrupting their conversation.
"I heard you invited a student for afternoon tea... How rare, Severus. I never thought you had such... interests!"
The cheerful voice was unmistakable—
It was Gilderoy Lockhart.