"Hiss! Damn! Old Biden's playing both sides!"
Ian realized the trickery Dumbledore was up to.
But he still felt a bit indignant.
"Why not just lock me up in Hogwarts' kitchen so I can never get out? Why do they have to take me out!" Ian felt so wronged.
"So, you don't want to be taken out?"
Aurora's little face was filled with earnest advice. Perhaps, she didn't really have a problem with reading comprehension; rather, it was just her way of steering Ian away from mischief.
"I shouldn't have stopped Dumbledore from hanging himself!"
Ian was furious.
Reply?
Photo?
Forget the reply and photo!
His somewhat frantic outburst caught Aurora off guard... The Little Witch's eyes widened in bewilderment, clearly not expecting Ian's reaction.
"Dumbledore wants to hang himself?"
Aurora seemed to sense something.
Before she could ask further.
A fiery Snape walked into the classroom through the main door. As usual, he waved his Magic Wand to close the door, leaving a few Little Wizards behind him outside.
They were all Slytherin Little Wizards.
Who knew Snape had such a selfless side?
"Today, we're learning the Stimulating Potion."
Snape's mental state wasn't great, perhaps because of staying up all night brewing potions. He was using the same incomprehensible teaching methods for dull students as always.
As if passing by Ian absentmindedly, he quickly stretched out his hand while talking about precautions and plucked a tuft of hair from Ian's head.
"Enough already!"
Ian didn't dare to lash out at Snape in class, as Snape was notorious for docking points. He could only glare angrily, touching his slightly bulging robe.
It was just in case.
If Snape was unkind, Ian couldn't be blamed for being unrighteous!
"Alright, now go get your materials to brew the Stimulating Potion. Such a simple formula, don't blame me if I didn't warn you. If there's a repeat of last class's hysteria, I'll definitely punish you all harshly."
As he said this.
Snape glared at Singe and Giggs at the Slytherin table. The two were teaming up again, making him feel incredibly uneasy inside.
Everyone found their ingredients and started working. Ian had hoped Aurora would secretly make two portions while he just stirred up some chaos to gain Skill Level, but Snape was watching him more closely than anyone else.
He reluctantly set up his Crucible.
"White Musk leaves need to be cut."
"Mr. Parker, are you sure you picked Hoklap Mushroom? Are you planning to see your great-grandmother?"
"You're brewing a Magic Potion, not a booger stew! Dump out that disgusting stuff in your pot and start over. My White Musk leaves were ruined by your damn sneeze!"
...
For this healing potion, Hoklap Juice and White Musk leaves are the main ingredients, and the process is indeed simple. However, over at the Slytherin table, some were in a frenzy.
"Fools! You're embarrassing me!"
Snape likely noticed that the Ravenclaw Little Wizards secretly tutored were exceedingly adept, and in contrast, the Slytherin side made his expression sour immediately.
"Who taught you to juice like that?"
The more he looked, the more wrong it seemed.
Snape grabbed a Ravenclaw Little Wizard in the middle of preparing materials.
"Huh?"
The flustered Little Wizard stole a glance at Ian, seeing him shake his head wildly. Under Snape's oppressive gaze, he could only stammer out the introduction Ian frequently mentioned in class.
"It was the Half-blood Prince, Professor."
He didn't know where the title came from. All he knew was that after Ian, the Young Professor, finished Magic Potion Class, he would lead everyone in gratitude towards ancestors, Hogwarts, and the Half-blood Prince.
"Ian Prince!!"
Upon hearing this, Snape immediately realized the problem, growling angrily with a flushed face and turned to glare at Ian with the fiercest look of his life.
Snape had heard about Ian sneaking around, earning Galleons with his private lessons, but he didn't expect Ian was also teaching others how to handle Magic Potions. The most crucial part was that he did it under that embarrassing name!
Damn bastard!
Don't you have your own name!
"Professor! My Magic Potion!"
Ian directly handed the freshly bottled Magic Potion to Snape.
His pocket had already deflated.
"Heh, while it seems flawless, it's clear you didn't truly put your heart into brewing it. It's still just a soulless, mechanical work."
Seeing that the product's quality was much higher than the last lesson, Snape's expression softened a bit, but he still, as Ian had anticipated, criticized Ian's results.
"If someday you understand that brewing Magic Potions requires pouring in your own efforts and spirit, perhaps you'll set yourself apart from those mediocre fools."
Leisurely, with a hint of sarcasm in his critique. Snape shook the Magic Potion and then opened the bottle to try and catch the potion's scent.
So.
Ian predicted Snape's demand to make a Potion with heart.
"Scare you to death!"
A soul emerged from within.
Peeves pressed his face against Snape's.
[ps: Debt, tomorrow, 1.2]