Valentine's Day, which had enchanted the girls, finally came to an end.
The boys felt like everything was finally returning to normal—they no longer had to worry about their every move disturbing the girls.
Both fortunately and unfortunately, after Valentine's Day, the Dueling Prince still hadn't found a partner.
This meant they still had a perfect chance of finding a partner for the single girls at school.
But this was precisely where the tragedy began.
As long as the Dueling Prince wasn't sure of his partner, every girl felt they might have a chance—the more talented the witch, the more so.
In a sense, their perfect chance of finding a partner also completely lost it in another sense.
From the breathtakingly beautiful first-year school beauty Ginny, to the renowned second-year Patil sisters, to the third-year Quidditch star Cho Chang, to the sixth-year Slytherin beauty Gemma Farley, they all unexpectedly and perfectly justifiably remained single.
The wizard who might have had the potential for a close relationship with them had now had his door and windows slammed shut by the god known as the 'Prince of Duelling.'
Fortunately, they managed to maintain a clear mind—they knew it wasn't Daemon's fault, but simply because they weren't good enough.
Consequently, Snape's Defense Against the Dark Arts course had become the most popular at Hogwarts recently—everyone wanted to learn more, not just for the final exams, but even longer-term, the Overwatch League.
If it had previously been a matter of academics, now it was a matter of mate choice, even a matter of the very serious importance of procreation!
Amidst the busy studies of the Hogwarts students, the summer lotus flowers quietly blossomed.
The sky, like the lake, turned a pale blue tinged with purple, and flowers as large as cabbages burst forth in the greenhouses.
Thanks to Snape's persistence and the students' heartfelt efforts, the Duelling Club was revived—led by Professor Flitwick, with Snape as his assistant.
This left Snape rather resigned, but he had no choice but to accept it, even if it hurt.
"Dumbledore never trusted me, just like he never trusted you."
After class one Friday, Snape blurted out those words, looking at Damon, who had once again perfectly brewed a potion.
"Why are you saying that?" Damon was a bit confused. "Oh—I see. It's about the Duelling Club?"
Seeing Snape's sullen face and silence, Damon couldn't help but laugh.
"Professor, are you just trying to show off?"
"What are you talking about?" Snape glared at Damon fiercely.
"Professor Flitwick is an excellent instructor, and he was a duelling champion in his youth. I think it's a compelling thing for him to lead the charge."
"Why, can't I? Is being a duelling champion so impressive?
To me, that's just tying someone's hands and feet and putting them in shackles—what's the difference between a duel and a monkey show?"
"Hmm—what a sour smell—"
Damon feigned intolerance, fanning his nose with his hand.
Snape's expression turned even more grim.
If it were his first year, he would have told Damon to get out of his office with the potion!
But now, things were getting a bit dicey. Even if Snape didn't want to admit it, it was no use—he hoped to gain Damon's approval on this matter.
If Damon recognized his dueling skills, believing he was no worse than Flitwick's, and that he was only a deputy because of Dumbledore's distrust, Snape felt that this would make him feel much better.
It was strange. When had he become so 'fragile'? He actually had to seek confidence from a child?
Snape searched his heart and sneered at himself.
"Professor, I certainly don't doubt your ability, but there's no need to attack someone else's game."
Damon shook his head. "Professor Flitwick is very easy to talk to. You can tell him anything you think about the specific policies of the club. He'll definitely accept your reasonable suggestions. If you didn't always favor the Slytherins, perhaps everyone would trust you more."
"Are you teaching me how to do things?"
Snape, relieved at the answer he wanted, prepared to send the man away.
"As for Professor Dumbledore—"
Damon hadn't forgotten Snape's initial question, which softened Snape's expression. Although he hadn't asked, he knew Damon understood his meaning.
If Damon didn't want to answer, he would have simply played dumb and ignored the question, and he wouldn't have pressed the issue.
But if he was willing to answer, that was excellent. Perhaps this also meant that his relationship with this boy was closer than with Dumbledore?
After all, while Dumbledore was nominally Damon's teacher, he had been the one who taught him Occlumency. And
these high-level potions were even more important.
"I believe Professor Dumbledore has complete trust in me—and similarly, I believe he doesn't completely trust you."
Hearing the affirmative tone in Damon's words, Snape looked disdainful and quirked his lips.
"If that's a conclusion based on your dulled senses—if you're willing to put your complete trust in a teacher who accepted you as his apprentice but never taught you anything, then so be it. I have no objection."
"If that's what you want to think, then so be it. Live with your prejudice and arrogance. I quite like your attitude, Professor."
Damon smiled too, but this smile was clearly much more sincere than Snape's.
He no longer looked at Snape, waved his hand, and floated away, leaving Snape alone in his thoughts.
Damon's attitude made him wonder—could this master and apprentice have reached some kind of consensus, unknown to him?
Didn't he know Damon well enough?!
This didn't mean he cared deeply about Damon, or that he wanted to understand him. Rather, it meant he could use this boy to gain a deeper understanding of Dumbledore. Even after working with the old man for so long, Snape still felt he hadn't fully understood this powerful wizard.
Voldemort would return one day, and he would fulfill his promise and return to his double agent role. Had he been too relaxed lately?
However, with Dumbledore and Damon around, Voldemort had proven not to be invincible. Did he really need to keep himself on his toes?
In the cold office, the light on Snape's face flickered, constantly appearing and disappearing.
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(End of this chapter)