"You should understand that this isn't something first-year students should be concerning themselves with," Snape frowned, paused, and then continued, "Since you're asking this question, you must have a grasp of the principles of the Draught of the Living Death reaction. It only requires reverse stirring to interrupt the reaction at the precise moment and add the subsequent ingredients; there's no need to forcibly maintain the original potion's magical form. Next question."
In the following, Maca asked about several problems he had encountered. However, he keenly realized that Snape didn't show the impatience he had imagined, but instead answered each question meticulously.
"...Any more questions? Then get out."
After Maca had finished asking his questions, Snape reverted to his initial impatient expression, waving Maca out of his office.
"Whew—" Standing in the corridor around the corner from the office door, Maca couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
To be honest, he really didn't want to get too close to Snape. For him, facing someone he couldn't understand was more terrifying than anything else.
Come to think of it, the person he was most afraid of approaching was undoubtedly Dumbledore.
After a moment's reflection on his actions and words in Snape's office, finding nothing amiss, Maca quickly departed.
Once he'd sorted out the practical difficulties he'd encountered, the rest was much easier. He just needed to get the missing tools and find a quiet, secluded place to start his experiments.
"Hagrid's hut? Not a bad idea!" Maca muttered to himself, turning toward the door. "I don't have any classes this afternoon. Might as well go see Hagrid."
It was a beautiful day, although the wind was stronger than the previous few days. The sky was a clear, bright blue, which lifted his spirits. The air outside the castle was exceptionally fresh, a stark contrast to Snape's dim office.
Maca took a deep breath of the fresh air outside—a gift from nature that sustained human life, equally available to both wizards and Muggles.
Hagrid's hut was located not far from the Forbidden Forest, and he could reach it quickly by crossing the fields.
"Hey, Hagrid! Good afternoon!" Maca spotted Hagrid's tall figure from a distance.
"Oh, Maca! Yes, good afternoon!" Hagrid turned around at the sound of the voice and smiled happily when he saw Maca.
However, he quickly stopped smiling and said in a serious tone, "Yes, I'm very glad you came to see me, and I welcome you to my hut. But, it should be time for class soon, you shouldn't be here."
"Yes, to be exact, class has already started," Maca shrugged. "But I don't have any classes today."
"So that's how it is," Hagrid nodded, enlightened. "I should have thought of that, last time I called Harry and the others over, I specifically chose a time when they didn't have classes."
"Come on, come in, come in, I'll pour you a cup of tea." He said as he put his arm around Maca's shoulder and walked toward the hut. "Oh, the door is a bit small, you go in first."
"Woof! Woof!" Hagrid's black hound barked at Maca, its iron collar clanking as it shook its head.
"That's Fang. A bit timid, but very friendly, he's a good dog." Hagrid pulled Fang back and gestured for Maca to sit on the sofa.
While Hagrid was making tea, Maca looked around the inside of the hut. There was basically nothing here except for a fireplace, two sofas, and a small round table. Well, Hagrid had to stay in here, so there really wasn't room for too much furniture.
"Would you like some Rock Cakes? Harry and Ron seem to be enjoying them," Hagrid asked, turning around.
"No, thank you. They're a bit hard, and my teeth haven't been feeling great lately," Maca quickly declined. "You know, it's about time for a new set."
"Oh, yes, that's a shame," Hagrid nodded. "But if you want to get rid of those old teeth quickly, Rock Cakes aren't a bad choice, really."
"I might come looking for you, Hagrid, if one is about to come loose," Maca said with a wry smile.
Maca chatted with Hagrid on and off for the rest of the afternoon. They talked about all sorts of magical creatures, then moved on to Dumbledore, and finally, his brother, Aberforth. Maca learned a lot of random information.
Overall, under Maca's skillful guidance, the two discussed many topics that Hagrid found interesting, and they seemed to be enjoying themselves.
It wasn't until Maca was ready to leave that he stood at the door and, seemingly casually, brought up his request.
"Oh, right, Hagrid," Maca said, as if suddenly remembering something. "I was wondering if I could come here and practice making potions in my free time? Professor Snape always glares at me in school, and I can't concentrate on practicing."
"Well, Severus, yes, he always looks like someone owes him money," Hagrid said, chuckling and nodding. "Of course you can, you're welcome anytime. I'm usually around here."
"Alright, thank you." After thanking Hagrid, Maca closed the door and left.
Of course, it would be great if he could find the Room of Requirement, but unfortunately, Maca had forgotten exactly where it was.
"I'll look for it later! It would be great if I could find it."
He mused as he walked towards the castle. Dinner time would be coming up soon.
Dinner time at Hogwarts was always the liveliest time of the day. At this time, everyone would discuss the gossip and thoughts of the entire day while dealing with the food on their plates.
Today, Maca finally wasn't in a hurry because he planned to take a break. He had always been holed up in the library recently, and even though he didn't feel mentally tired, his body was already fatigued.
"...Is it her?"
Maca glanced towards the Slytherin table unintentionally and immediately spotted the mysterious girl he had encountered in the library earlier.
She was sitting at the edge of the Slytherin table, delicately eating pudding. The oversized robes of her house uniform trailed on the floor, but she didn't seem to care. The students around her were chatting amongst themselves, the atmosphere lively, yet she remained isolated from the joyful mood, and no one paid her any attention.
Logically, her solitary presence should have felt out of place. However, Maca found that she seemed to blend into the environment, less inconspicuous and more like she didn't even exist.
The dinner gradually drew to a close amidst the pleasant atmosphere.
Just as Maca was watching the mysterious girl finish her meal and leave quietly, pondering her true identity, he saw Malfoy approach the Gryffindor table.
"Having your last meal, Potter? When are you taking the train back to the Muggles?"
"You think the professors haven't noticed you here, and with your little cronies around, you've gotten bolder," Harry said coldly.
Maca had already walked over, looking at Crabbe and Goyle. Their towering figures certainly couldn't be described as "small fry."
The two of them seemed to be wary of the teachers at the head table, not daring to cause trouble. They could only scowl, cracking their knuckles.
"I'm willing to duel you anytime," Malfoy said. "If you're up for it, tonight, a wizard's duel! Wands only—no touching. What? I guess you've never even heard of a wizard's duel?"
"Of course, he has," Ron said, suddenly turning around. "I'm his second. Who's yours?"
Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.
"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight, then? Meet us in the trophy room. The door's never locked."
After Malfoy left, Harry and Ron exchanged glances.
"What's a wizard's duel?" Harry asked. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"
"Oh, if you die, the assistant takes over," Ron said offhandedly, finally returning to his cooled pie.
He saw the look on Harry's face and quickly added, "But you know, people only die in proper duels with real wizards. You and Malfoy will at most just shoot a few sparks at each other – you both know too little magic to actually hurt each other. Still, I bet he thought you'd refuse."
"What if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"
"Then throw the wand away and punch him in the nose," Ron suggested with a grin.
"Excuse me, but…" Hermione suddenly spoke from across the table.
"Can't a person eat in peace here?" Ron said.
Hermione ignored him and said to Harry, "I couldn't help overhearing what you said to Malfoy…"
"I knew you would," Ron grumbled.
"You absolutely can't wander around the school at night. Think about it, how many points will you lose for Gryffindor if you get caught! And you definitely will get caught, you're really selfish."
"It really doesn't concern you," Harry said.
"Goodbye," Ron added.
Hermione watched them leave, then stomped her foot in annoyance. Suddenly, she spotted Maca sitting not far away.
"Hey, you heard that too, right? You should stop them."
Ever since she talked with Maca that day during Herbology class, Hermione would occasionally meet Maca in the library, and she usually sat down to ask Maca some questions about her studies.
Over time, they became somewhat familiar.
"You saw them, there's no use in stopping them," Maca walked over and shrugged, indicating helplessness. "Don't let Harry's usual affable demeanor fool you, he's actually quite stubborn at heart. It's hard to change his mind once he's decided on something."
Hermione pursed her lips and walked towards the door without saying a word. Just as she was leaving, she suddenly turned back, gave Maca an angry look, and rolled her eyes.
....
Fully Completed English PDF of this fan-fic on my Patreon shop if you want to support and own the full fan-fic in one go. Just grab the PDF and binge the entire story from start to finish!
Patreon.com/AniFic