Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is not meant to infringe upon copyrights.
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Kyle hadn't expected Kanna's potion-making skills to be surprisingly good.
Whether brewing a nettle solution or grinding a snake fang, every step was meticulously executed. He couldn't even offer any assistance, only sitting there, bored and vacant, staring at the cauldron.
Compared to the frantic young wizards around him, Kyle looked like he was on vacation.
Mainly because there wasn't much he could do to help. Potions wasn't like any other class; the actual hands-on part wasn't much. Most of the time, they were waiting for the potion to brew.
It was like making soup: ten minutes to prep the ingredients, two hours to simmer.
Of course, all this presupposed being perfectly executed. Otherwise, just making a standard nettle infusion could keep some people busy for half a class.
Take the two Slytherin first-years to their left, for example: they'd already made seven trips to the cupboard to get nettles.
This also caused Snape's expression to be unusually grim every time he looked at them. It was unclear whether he felt sorry for the nettles or was angry that his own house had produced two students with IQs comparable to those of a "troll."
Kyle glanced to his left and saw that one of the little snakes had stood up again.
Very good... for the eighth time.
"Vlada, Walker, I hope you can use your meager brains for a moment." Snape finally lost control and glared at them coldly. "If you can't brew the standard yellow-green solution this time, I'll shove your heads into the crucible!"
The two Slytherin first-years were terrified, especially the unfortunate one who went to get the nettles. He walked as if he was going to a place of execution.
Snape glared at them, tossed his robes, and approached the other two young wizards.
"What is this you've brewed, licorice syrup? Pour it out and start again!"
"It's not yellow enough. Pour it out and start again!"
"Pour it out!"
Snape, now like a bat spirit, drifted through the classroom, echoing wails wherever he went.
Hearing the constant cries of "Dump it and start over," everyone around them began to tense up, their movements becoming more cautious.
Kyle, however, remained unfazed. He stared intently at the cauldron, waiting for the moment the solution faded from yellow-green to pale yellow before turning the flame down to minimum.
Meanwhile, Kanna immediately poured in the ground snake tooth powder.
This was a success, and a disagreeable sweet, fishy smell soon wafted from the crucible.
"Perfect," Kyle nodded, turning the flame up again.
Then came another long wait.
Kyle looked at Kanna, curiously asking, "Did you brew potions before enrolling?"
"No," Kanna paused, then shook her head.
"What's wrong?"
"Then you have a talent for Potions," Kyle exclaimed. "Usually, first-years's first encounter with Potions is a disaster; the cauldron might even explode."
"How could that be possible?" Kanna said, clearly unconvinced.
Kyle didn't explain, simply gestured for her to look around.
Kanna looked up with suspicion, and then she realized that the Potions classroom was already in chaos.
The young wizards were running between the cauldrons and the storage cabinets, their once decent clothes gone, and some of them even had smoke coming out of their hair.
Those who didn't know would think they had been blown up by the blasting spell.
Moreover, smoke of various colors continued to float above the cauldrons of many people. They gathered on the roof of the classroom and gradually condensed into a ball of strange gray-brown gas. At the same time, there was also an indescribable strange smell.
The smell was very unique, a bit like rotten eggs, and a bit like the smell of burning wool.
Kanna smelled it for only two seconds, and her stomach felt churning.
Kanna muttered to herself: "How is this possible? The potion is so simple..."
She turned her gaze towards Slytherin again. The young wizards there were all purebloods, and Professor Snape was their head of house. It should be all right...
Turning her head, Kanna witnessed a scene she would never forget.
The cauldron on the table next to her had exploded!
No, rather, the potion inside had exploded.
The previously liquid potion had somehow suddenly begun to foam and rapidly expand, filling the entire crucible in the blink of an eye.
But that wasn't the end of it.
The next second, a torrent of foam erupted from the crucible, crashing directly into the classroom ceiling.
The scene was spectacular.
"Vlada, Walker, you two fools!"
Snape's murderous intent flared up, but his professorial instincts prevented him from immediately punishing the two perpetrators. Instead, he quickly drew his wand and pointed it at the still-spewing cauldron.
"Evanesco!"
"Scourgify!"
Snape's spells quickly cleared the cauldron and the foam.
After ensuring no young wizards were injured, Snape angrily approached the two Slytherin students.
He didn't curse or deduct points, but simply grabbed them by the collar and threw them out of the Potions classroom.
"Go find Filch! Detention!"
Snape roared, and silence fell upon the classroom. Everyone hushed their lips, trying not to make a sound.
Kyle, though short on tasks, decided to prep the ingredients he'd need in advance to avoid looking too idle.
Actually, Magical Draughts and Potions didn't mention this step, but Snape had instructed them to cut a long, thin slit into the side of the porcupine quill and steam the slugs.
He didn't elaborate on the reason, but Ryan, curious, inquired, only to be deducted three points. After that, no one dared to speak any further.
Kyle took the bag of ingredients, selected a porcupine quill that looked attractive, and prepared to start with the simplest one.
Because he needed to save time, Kyle cut very slowly, taking over ten minutes to complete a single quill, less than 30 centimeters long.
However, this blatant slacking quickly caught Snape's attention.
He silently appeared beside Kyle, picked up a quill from the table, and sneered at the crooked cut. "I remember I said I was cutting a straight line. What is this, a dried philoprogenitor?
Or do you not understand what 'straight line' means?"
Huh?
Kyle looked up, bewildered, at Snape, then at the unfinished quill in his hand. It seemed he'd only taken this one… had he lost his memory?
Or had Snape deliberately taken a quill from someone else just to give him a reason to scold him?
That shouldn't be the case. While Snape was a bit shameless about deducting points, he wasn't this shameless.
Besides, his last name wasn't Potter.
"Professor..."
At this moment, Kanna next to him suddenly raised her hand tremblingly and said in a voice that sounded a bit tearful: "I cut this."
[End of the chapter]