The person is at Hogwarts, but the system is in Middle-earth!

Snape's Potions class has begun.

"Just five minutes." Rowe stared at the "specially made Lambas" hidden in his sleeve, as hard as a rock, and silently counted down in his mind. "I have to create an opportunity for Hermione..."

He glanced at Hermione at the other end of the classroom. She was nervously stirring her cauldron, but her eyes kept drifting towards the private storeroom behind Snape. Their targets were there—the horn of a two-horned beast and the skin of an African tree snake.

"Ready, Rowe?" Harry asked in a low voice. The original plan was for him to throw the difficult-to-pull fireworks, but Rowe insisted on executing a tactic that was "more concealed, more destructive, and could create perfect chaos."

"Stand by, Ringbearer." Rowe kept his eyes fixed on Goyle at the Slytherin table. "Awaiting the optimal bombing window. Wind correction... Distance locked... Target: Goyle's Cauldron."

Snape patrolled the classroom, stopping in front of Ron's cauldron and letting out a cold laugh.

"Weasley, if you cut the slug that thick again, I'll turn you into a slug and use you to feed my snakes."

"Now!"

With a sudden flick of his wrist, the specially made Lambas traced an arc in the air and fell into the boiling swollen potion crucible in Gore's hands.

"thump."

The potion, which was originally a disgusting grassy green, suddenly turned a dangerous purplish-red, like an enraged monstrous creature, and began to expand violently, emitting a hissing sound.

[WARNING: Alchemy reaction out of control]

[High-energy reaction detected: Isengard bomb]

[Catalyst: High-Density Pokémon Food + Swelling Potion]

[Countdown: 3... 2... 1...]

"Get down!" Rowe roared, shoving Justin Finley under the table. "Cover with artillery fire!"

"boom!!!"

The deafening explosion sent dust flying from the ceiling. Gore's crucible shattered completely, scattering fragments everywhere, and the purplish-red liquid erupted like a volcano, filling the entire classroom.

"Aaaaaah!"

Screams rose and fell. The students splashed with the potion were horrified to find that parts of their bodies began to swell at a visible rate. Goyle's eyes swelled up like two large plates, and he could see nothing at all; Malfoy's nose turned into a pink balloon, stretching his entire face out of shape; even Snape's robes were stained with a few drops, which were hissing white smoke.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Amidst the chaotic screams and purple smoke, Rowe leaped out from under the table. Waving a frying pan he'd pulled from his backpack, he shouted commands through the smoke.

"The orcs' biological weapon has leaked! Everyone evacuate to the ventilation shafts! Keep your airways open! Do not touch your wounds!"

As he shouted, he deliberately made even louder noise, kicking over several empty crucibles that clattered on the ground. He even splashed a bucket of water used to wash test tubes in Snape's direction, yelling, "Dilute the gas! That's the only way to neutralize it!"

"Baggins!" Snape roared, his voice sounding especially terrifying through the smoke. "What are you doing?! Put down that stupid pot!"

"I'm in control, sir!" Lowe shouted, his voice booming. "This is standard biohazard response procedure! We're containing the spread!"

But his true gaze bypassed the chaotic crowd and glanced towards the storage room.

Through the thick smoke, he saw a petite figure slip into the half-open door like a nimble cat while everyone was busy screaming and running away.

[Mission Status: The stalkers have entered the target area]

[Tactical feint attack: remarkably effective]

Chaos Index: 95% (Perfect)

"Stop! Everyone!" Snape waved his wand, casting a powerful wind spell to clear the purplish-red smoke from the air. "No one is to move! Swallow those damned screams back to your throats!"

He strode toward the still-bubbling pile of wreckage at Goyle, his face grim. Among the deformed crucible fragments, he used his wand to pick up a piece of hard, black slag that hadn't completely melted.

"What is this?" Snape narrowed his eyes, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate Rowe's soul.

Luo Wei straightened his back and stood at attention.

"Report, that's an expired loaf of bread, Professor," Lowe said calmly. "I was going to throw it in the trash, but the wind direction was a bit off, plus there were unusual fluctuations in gravity..."

"Wind direction?" Snape's voice was terrifyingly low. "In the underground classroom? Anomaly in gravity?"

"Yes, Professor. There's an evil current here, possibly some kind of dark magic remnant," Rowe said, spouting nonsense with a straight face. "It's interfering with the flight paths of objects. That's very dangerous, Professor."

Snape stared at Rowe for a full ten seconds. During those ten seconds, Rowe felt as if he were being repeatedly scanned by the Eye of Sauron, every nerve screaming for escape. But he didn't back down, maintaining his innocent "I'm doing my duty" expression, and even blinked.

Finally, just a second before Snape was about to explode, Hermione reappeared at the edge of the smoke, her robe pockets bulging, and she gave Rowe a barely perceptible "OK" sign.

Snape seemed to sense something, but when he turned around, Hermione had already blended into the crowd.

Snape tossed the bread back into the cauldron. "Twenty points deducted from Hufflepuff for littering in class, for your stupid excuses, and for trying to murder your Potions professor..."

"Yes, sir! Thank you for your kindness!" Lowe answered loudly, interrupting the question.

As they cleaned the classroom and walked down the corridor smelling of medicine, Ron was still rubbing his swollen fingers.

"That's insane, Rowe," Ron complained, but his tone was more admiration than anything else. "You actually dared to throw water on Snape!"

"That was tactical cover." Hermione patted her bulging pocket, her face flushed with excitement, her eyes sparkling. "I got it! A two-horned beast horn and an African tree snake skin! I have it all! That storage room was a treasure trove!"

"That's right." Rowe nodded in satisfaction. "Sacrificing a few points is worthwhile. Besides, we also tested the practical effectiveness of 'High-Explosive Lambas'."

He glanced back at the eerie entrance to the underground classroom, as if he could still feel those dark eyes watching them.

“However,” Rowe lowered his voice, “I don’t think Snape completely believed me. He looked at me like I was a hobbit who knew too many secrets. He doubted me.”

[System notification: Severus Snape's attention level towards you has increased]

Threat Level: Orange (Alert) → Red (Locked)

[Achievement: Successful Tactical Deception]

"Anyway, we succeeded." Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Now all we have to do is wait for the potion to brew, and then we can expose Malfoy's true colors."

“Yes, but before that,” Rowe looked around, “we’d ​​better take a shower first. I think I still have Goyle’s snot on my cloak.”