The moment the Potion Class bell rang, the young wizards quickly packed their belongings, eager to rush out of the cold, gloomy underground classroom.
Professor Snape, his black robes billowing, was walking back to his office.
"Dear Professor~ Wait for me!" A deliberately sweet voice rang out behind him.
Snape's steps suddenly halted, and the air pressure around him instantly dropped by several degrees.
Which suicidal troll dared to call him by such a term, comparable to an Amortentia advertisement?
He would surely deplete this idiot's House points!
He slowly, with murderous intent, turned around and saw Lynn smiling brightly.
"Mr. Lynn..." Snape's voice was even colder than usual.
"If you dare to address me with that nauseating tone... I guarantee that your House points will disappear at an unimaginable speed."
He practically spat out the words, his eyes fixed on Lynn.
"Professor~" Lynn seemed not to hear the threat, his smile unwavering, even leaning in a bit closer.
"Hufflepuff, five points deducted! Reason: Disregarding your professor's advice, frivolous behavior."
"I was wrong, Professor!"
Lynn instantly reined in all exaggerated expressions, standing ramrod straight, his face filled with "sincere" remorse, his change of expression astonishingly quick.
Lynn muttered furiously to himself: "Old bat! His heart is smaller than a needle's eye! If it weren't for some ingredients needed for the nutrient solution being unobtainable through normal channels, I wouldn't be looking for you!"
Yes, Lynn was looking for Snape to get Potion ingredients.
He had indeed found several Potion recipes in the library today that sounded perfect for pet nutrient solutions, but some of the ingredients were quite obscure.
"Speak. Why did you stop me?"
Snape coldly scrutinized him. "If your purpose is merely to attract attention like a troll, or to waste your professor's precious time..."
"I've come to beg for your guidance in Potion studies, Professor!"
Lynn quickly stated his prepared reason before more threats of point deductions could be uttered.
Snape narrowed his eyes, examining Lynn.
He recalled the boy's performance in Potion Class when brewing the Elixir to Induce Euphoria, and had to admit that his almost instinctive, precise grasp of ingredient properties and heat control, as well as his daring to deviate slightly from the textbook—though reckless, in his opinion—
did indeed show his Potion talent.
The quality was even... just that tiny, insignificant bit better than what he brewed using standard steps! He would absolutely not admit to anything more!
"Come with me," Snape finally snorted, turning toward his office. "I hope you're not one of those fools who only waste precious ingredients, otherwise... hmph."
Following Snape into his office, Lynn found it to be a bit better than he had imagined.
Although still dimly lit and filled with a mixed scent of dried herbs and Potions, it was at least much better than Professor Quirrell's omnipresent garlic smell.
Several large jars in the corner contained soaking organs of unknown creatures, and the bookshelves were crammed with thick, black-spined tomes.
"So, tell me, which Potions beyond your pathetic capabilities do you wish to be 'guided' in?"
"Frost Resistance Syrup, Professor!" Lynn reported a name that sounded very advanced.
Snape's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, his face growing even darker. "Choose another."
Frost Resistance Syrup? Its main ingredient is the extremely rare Frost Daisy, and even his own private stash has only a few! Why doesn't this boy ask to brew Felix Felicis?
"Then... All-Reviving Potion?" Lynn blinked, switching to something that sounded even more potent.
"Lynn!"
Snape's voice was laced with suppressed fury. "If you propose any more Potion names that I deem impossible for your troll-like brain and infant-like magic to accomplish, then get out of my office immediately!"
This time, even Phoenix Tears and Unicorn Blood were mentioned!
Lynn pouted inwardly, thinking Snape was truly stingy, while quickly switching to a relatively "affordable" option:
"Then... Vitality Tonic, Professor. I should be able to try this one."
Snape merely snorted, tacitly agreeing.
At least the boy was sensible and didn't challenge his patience further.
He rose, walked to a locked Potion ingredients cabinet, opened it with a key, and took out a pot of still-wriggling Mandrake, some Pepper-Up Potion, a few fluffy Vitality Dandelions, and several other auxiliary ingredients, placing them heavily on the empty table in front of Lynn.
"I suppose I don't need to teach you step-by-step how to operate, like I would a first-year?" Snape said mockingly.
"Of course not, Professor. You just need to supervise, and if I make any mistakes, please correct me." Lynn adopted a humble and studious demeanor.
He first put on earmuffs, processed the Mandrake, and brewed Mandrake Reviving Potion as the base.
Then he began to systematically process the other ingredients: precisely grinding, extracting juice, controlling the heat, and adding ingredients in stages... Snape stood in the shadows, arms crossed, intently watching Lynn's every move, already preparing at least ten reasons for point deductions, with the core idea being "wasting Potion ingredients."
However, while Lynn's operations deviated from the standard steps—something Snape himself also did, so he didn't pay much attention to it—the entire process flowed smoothly, and some of his handling techniques even made Snape secretly raise an eyebrow.
Finally, a pot of clear, pale green Potion, emanating a gentle aura of life, formed in the cauldron.
Snape stepped forward, scooped up a bit with a long-handled silver spoon, carefully examined its quality, and sniffed its scent, his face devoid of any expression.
"Passable." He squeezed out the two-word evaluation through gritted teeth.
Want Snape to give a higher evaluation?
Unless Merlin resurrected, it would be absolutely impossible! His stubbornness was etched into his soul.
Lynn didn't care about the evaluation. He happily bottled the freshly brewed Vitality Tonic, then bowed to Snape. "Thank you for your guidance, Professor!"
Then, carrying his bottle of "trophy," he lightly skipped out of Snape's office...
However, Lynn rejoiced too soon.
As he walked through the corridor with the prominent Potion bottle, and the fact that he had just come out of Snape's office, it quickly became a new hotbed for rumors.
"Did you hear? That Lynn from Hufflepuff was bribed by Professor Snape with a high-grade Potion!"
A senior Hufflepuff student mysteriously whispered to his companion.
"Bribed? That was clearly hush money!"
A "well-informed" Ravenclaw senior girl lowered her voice, her eyes flickering.
"Have you forgotten the previous rumors? Professor Snape, he... cough cough, that Lynn is indeed quite delicate-looking..."
"Wait, is his duel with Headmaster Dumbledore still on?"
A passing Slytherin student interjected blankly, clearly mixing up several versions of the rumors.
When these increasingly outrageous rumors finally reached Lynn's ears through various channels, he felt completely out of sorts, and the Vitality Tonic in his hand suddenly didn't feel so good anymore.
He rushed back into the Hufflepuff Common Room, letting out a furious roar at Edgar, who was sharing a bag of sweets with William and Ollie:
"Edgar! Look at those ridiculous rumors you wrote back then! Look at what they've become now!"
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