HP: Those Years Sleeping with the Half-Blood Prince

"Your casting angle is wrong," Severus's voice suddenly came from behind.

Ian turned around and saw that he had finished dealing with the sleep beans and was wiping his hands. "What?"

"Wrist." Severus walked over, picked up his wand, and demonstrated a movement. "Plant life forms perceive magic more like naturally flowing waves. Your spell is too direct, like poking with a stick. Add a slight curve, so that the magic seeps in like water."

Ian tried it, mimicking his movements. This time, the light from the tip of the wand softened, and the rue stem slowly and naturally straightened up a little.

"Hey, that worked!" Ian laughed, his gray eyes gleaming. "Thanks, Master."

Severus didn't respond and turned back to continue processing the materials, but Ian noticed that the tips of his ears seemed a little red—perhaps it was too hot by the potion table.

Meanwhile, Kevin was yelling at a book of common household spells: "Aris! Look at this 'Self-Cleaning Spell,' it says it can be used to clean the room, but if I use it on my robe, does that mean I don't have to wash it myself?"

"Theoretically feasible." Aris didn't look up, calculating some complex rune sequence on a piece of parchment. "But there's a risk of color fading. Let's try it on a rag first."

"Oh..." Kevin was a little disappointed, but quickly cheered up again, "Then I'll go find a rag to try!"

"Don't test it in the dorm," Ian and Severus said at the same time.

Kevin shrank back, "Y-I know... I'll practice here..."

At the end of January, Hogwarts was greeted by another heavy snowfall. The castle seemed to be wrapped in a thick white blanket, the Black Lake was completely frozen, and the canopies of the Forbidden Forest in the distance were all capped with heavy snow.

Flight lessons have been temporarily cancelled, and students are spending more time indoors.

The fireplace in the common room was always crowded with people, playing chess, chatting, and debating Quidditch tactics.

Avery and his gang would occasionally cast a gloomy glance their way, but they never took any further action.

One weekend in early February, Ian returned from Hogsmeade with a large package.

"Here you go." He tossed the package onto Severus's bed.

Severus was reading when the package fell beside him. He looked up, a question in his eyes.

"A robe," Ian said, taking off his snow-soaked coat. "I see the cuffs of yours are almost worn through; getting splashed with corrosive potions in Potions class is no joke. This one is made of dragon hide blend, providing basic protection and durability, and..."

He paused, then added casually, "Dark green, inconspicuous."

Severus didn't move; he stared at the package, his lips pressed into a straight line.

"Don't make that face." Ian walked over and started unpacking the package. "I didn't buy it—my mom sent it. She said she accidentally ordered one in my size from last year, but I've grown taller this year and it doesn't fit me anymore. I can't return it, so it's a waste to leave it here. If it fits you, it'll be a way for us to get rid of our unused items."

The robe was shaken open, revealing a deep, calming dark green color. It was thick and simply cut, without any superfluous decorations, but with fine stitches and subtle reinforcements at the collar and cuffs.

It's not particularly eye-catching, but you can tell at a glance that it's not a cheap product.

Severus's fingers twitched unconsciously.

"Want to try it?" Ian handed over the robe.

A few seconds of silence filled the dormitory.

Kevin held his breath, and Aris looked up from his book.

Severus eventually accepted the robe.

He stood up, turned his back to the others, took off his old robe with worn cuffs and faded color, and put on a new one.

He turned around, and Ian whistled, "Not bad, my mom's eyesight is pretty good."

Severus looked down at his sleeve, then raised his hand and stretched it out.

The material, made of a blend of dragon skin and leather, is flexible and lightweight, and does not impede movement.

"...Thank you," he said in a low voice.

"Thanks, Mom." Ian waved his hand, turned around, and pulled a few boxes of candy from his bag, tossing them to Kevin and Aris. "Honey Duke's new stuff, try some. Severus, yours's over here—"

He took out a plain tin box without any labels. "Sugar-free mint chunks, refreshing, won't affect taste sensitivity, one should be fine to hold while brewing potions."

Severus took the iron box, his fingertips touching the cold metal surface.

He opened it, and inside were neatly arranged light green, translucent crystals, emitting a faint aroma of cool mint and some kind of herbal blend.

"I made this recipe myself, it definitely won't kill anyone," Ian added, already sitting back on his bed and starting to unwrap the Chocolate Frog packaging.

Severus picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.

A cooling sensation spreads instantly, but it's not irritating. Then comes a very faint, sweet-smelling herbal scent, which is truly refreshing.

He glanced again at his well-fitting new robe, then carefully put the tin box into his pocket. "Hmm."

February passed by in practice, assignments, and increasingly frequent library appointments.

The news that Severus had signed up for the Potions Contest spread within Slytherin on a small scale, eliciting mixed reactions.

Some people scoffed, while others began to re-evaluate the always silent mixed-race boy—after all, Professor Slughorn's favoritism towards him was obvious to all.

Whenever Lily bumped into them in the hallway, she would always smile and encourage Severus: "You'll be fine, Severus! You're the most knowledgeable person I've ever met about potions!"

Severus usually just nodded.

James and Sirius responded with eye-rolls and undisguised mockery.

"The Slug Club?" James said loudly to Sirius once as they passed each other in the foyer. "A club that collects all sorts of slimy, slutty stuff? That's quite fitting."

Severus didn't stop walking, but merely turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over James without any fluctuation. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the noise of the corridor:

"It seems flying lessons didn't burn off your excess energy, Potter. Or is it that your pitiful brain capacity can only process monosyllabic noise and can't comprehend complex terms like 'Potionsistology' and 'Club'?"

James's face flushed red instantly.

Ian then turned around, gave James a bright but somewhat fake smile, and continued, "It's better than some things that don't even deserve to be collected and can only buzz around outside, right, Potter? At least Severus is 'learning,' while you seem to be just 'shouting.'"

James's face darkened, and Sirius pulled him back, his gray eyes coldly sweeping over Ian and Severus: "Save your breath, Burke. Wait until your 'Potion Master' blows up the cauldron in the tournament, then let's see if you'll still be laughing."

Severus had already turned away, leaving only his back view, but the voice drifted over again, soft and clear:

"At least my cauldron knows to stay on the fire, instead of being like some people's brooms, always trying to crash into others. However, I look forward to you continuing to prove my assessment with your actions, Blake."

Sirius's face darkened, but Professor McGonagall was coming down the stairs, so they could only glare at Ian and his group before turning away.