Chapter 45
"Draco!" Snape muttered angrily. With a flick of his wand, he made the spilled potion disappear from the floor.
"Did you not remove the cauldron from the heat before adding the porcupine quills? How could you be so reckless!?" Malfoy was crying uncontrollably, his face now covered in acne.
"Professor, I was too rushed, trying to finish quickly…"
It was clear. Malfoy must have noticed how swiftly Devero had completed the potion and gained points for his house. Even Neville Longbottom, the boy Malfoy always regarded as a fool, had received points from Snape. This was intolerable for Malfoy. In his eagerness to hasten his own process, he caused this mishap.
"You two, take Draco to the hospital wing!" Snape ordered Goyle and Crabbe sharply. Then, with a grim expression, he instructed the other students to continue with their potion-making.
Harry and Ron, attempting to suppress their laughter, made odd sounds and were penalized two points by Snape.
After that, the class continued without any further issues. Everyone began to brew their potions systematically. Devero, having completed his potion early, sat at his desk practicing Zen meditation to boost his mental strength.
With controlled breathing, a faint gray mist gradually surrounded Devero, then slowly faded away. His perception had sharpened to the point where it now spanned the entire classroom. His senses manifested as thin blue threads, enabling him to feel every movement and detail in the room with perfect clarity.
During his meditation, Devero realized he could keep studying. His memory retention was significantly enhanced in this state. Coupled with his [Exam Genius] trait, while calling him photographic might be a slight overstatement, his recall was impressively close to it.
So, Devero sat there with a copy of The Book of Potions he'd purchased earlier, appearing to memorize it. In reality, he was memorizing it while simultaneously training his magical energy.
Snape noticed but chose to overlook him. After all, Devero would be joining the fifth-year Potions class next week, so whether he paid attention to the current lesson hardly mattered. Neville, too, benefited from Devero's "ignore package," as Snape didn't bother him throughout the entire class.
Soon, the lesson concluded amidst Devero's meditation.
As soon as class was over, a group of Gryffindors surrounded Devero, inviting him to lunch.
"Devero! Come eat with us!" Ron exclaimed excitedly.
The little lions encircled him immediately, while some Slytherins who wanted to speak with Devero were pushed to the edges of the crowd.
"Devero, you're amazing! How did you finish so quickly?" asked Hermione, who was the second in the class to complete her potion, though it took her nearly twice as long as Devero.
"Devero, you're so courageous! I wouldn't dare speak to Professor Snape like that, not in a million years!" said Seamus, clearly impressed by how Devero had negotiated with Snape earlier.
Harry and Neville nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
"Devero, your Potions skills are incredible! Can you help me out? I don't want to get scolded by Snape again," Parvati said pitifully, igniting a brief struggle among the students over who would be Devero's desk partner for the next Potions class.
After his standout performances in Flying and Potions, Devero had become a superstar in their eyes.
Devero gave a wry smile. "Ron, sorry, I need to see Madam Pomfrey for another check-up. You guys go eat first." He also addressed the students competing for his attention.
"Sorry, everyone, I won't be in the same Potions class as you next week. I'll be joining the fifth-year course."
The announcement left everyone in shock. "Devero… you're… you're taking fifth-year Potions?" Hermione stuttered, her jaw nearly dropping. The Gryffindors were astonished, their mouths wide open.
"Yeah, the first-year course is too easy for me, so I talked to Professor Snape, and he agreed," Devero replied casually.
Even the Slytherins on the outskirts of the crowd were taken aback by the news. Unlike the Gryffindors, many of whom were Muggle-born or half-blood, most Slytherins came from pure-blood families with strong connections to Hogwarts. They had never heard of a first-year student, barely a week into school, being permitted to take fifth-year classes—and with Snape's approval, no less! It was unbelievable!
As the group struggled to comprehend this revelation, Devero raised his hand. "Hey, you guys go eat. I've got an appointment with Madam Pomfrey, so I'm heading out."
Leaving the stunned Gryffindors and Slytherins behind, Devero hurried out of the dungeon classroom and made his way to the hospital wing. After last night's check-up, he needed to rest quickly. That afternoon, Snape had specifically arranged a meeting in his office. Devero wasn't sure what it was about, but it likely involved a new formula for Polyjuice Potion.
Still, having clashed with Snape in class earlier, he wondered if the professor would hold a grudge and assign extra work…
No way!
Devero slapped his cheeks with both hands.
How could he think Snape wouldn't hold a grudge? Of course he would! No room for wishful thinking! He couldn't waste time chatting in the classroom any longer.
With a determined expression, Devero walked toward the hospital wing, eager to complete his check-up, rest, and prepare for a battle of wits with the old bat!
As soon as Devero left, the dungeon classroom erupted.
"Devero is unbelievable! He's got to be the greatest Slytherin ever!"
"Yeah! Our year's Slytherins are incredibly strong!" The Slytherins on the outskirts cheered loudly, proud to have the school's most exceptional student in their house. They were already envisioning Devero leading them to victory in the House Cup, accumulating a thousand points together!
The Gryffindors, on the other hand, were mostly in disbelief.
"My God! He's not just a genius—he's a prodigy! I can't believe I'm at the same school as him!" Dean exclaimed, clutching his head, his eyes vacant.
Harry and Ron had similar reactions.
"Devero… he's already at this level?" Hermione murmured, sitting at her desk with a shadow over her face. She felt a sad, thick barrier had already formed between her and Devero.
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