HP: Those Years Sleeping with the Half-Blood Prince

August passed by in a flurry of searching and haggling.

Ian didn't mention the twists and turns of the process in his letter; he simply sent a thick, protective package in the middle of the month. Inside were neatly packaged materials and a simple note: "I've gathered them all. Give it a try. Let me know if you need more."

This time, Severus's reply came a little faster. It was still brief: "Materials received, excellent quality. Thank you."

But Ian discovered that the small bottle that was included with the letter contained a viscous liquid he had never seen before, shimmering with a pearly luster. The label read "Repair Agent (Trial)," and on the back was a line of small print: "Treats corrosive burns, such as venomous tentacle sap."

Ian looked at the small bottle, recalling his casual remark about raising venomous tentacles, and felt a strange mix of emotions. He carefully put the bottle into the drawer where he kept his "treasures."

As late August drew to a close, a sense of unease began to rise as the new school term approached. Ian received a letter and a reading list from Hogwarts.

One evening at dinner, he casually remarked to his parents, "By the way, I invited Severus to come with me to Diagon Alley to buy books and supplies before school starts. It might be inconvenient for him to shop alone."

Leah immediately agreed: "Great idea! It'll be good for you two kids to look after each other. Remember to treat him to ice cream; I heard the new flavor at Florin's Ice Cream Shop is pretty good."

John looked up from behind the Daily Prophecy and said gently, "Be careful, Ian. Need some extra pocket money?"

"No need, Dad, I have it." Ian breathed a sigh of relief, but was still a little unsure.

He has not yet received a reply from Severus.

Two days later, Severus's owl brought a reply.

There was only one line, even more stiff than before: "No need to trouble yourself, I can do it myself."

Ian had expected this to happen.

He replied immediately, his handwriting messy but his tone leaving no room for refusal: "No trouble at all, it's on my way. I also need to buy some things for myself, and there are a few herbal medicine shops in rather out-of-the-way locations that you might not be able to find the first time you go."

"It's settled then. August 30th, 10 AM, meet me at the Leaky Cauldron. Don't be late, or all the good stuff will be gone. —Ian"

He tied the letter to the owl's leg, watched it fly away, and thought that if Severus really didn't come that day... he would go to Spider's End to find him.

However, he had a vague feeling that Severus would come.

August 30th, the weather was sunny.

Ian arrived at the Leaky Cauldron bar a quarter of an hour early.

At this hour, the bar was already quite noisy, with wizards dressed in various styles and carrying packages of all sizes coming and going. Many of them were parents and students who had brought their children to shop.

Ian, dressed in Muggle jeans and a T-shirt with a dark, thin jacket over them, looked somewhat out of place, but he didn't care. He leaned against the rough brick wall outside the bar, observing the crowds coming and going.

At three minutes to ten, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows of a narrow alleyway nearby.

Severus carried the old wooden box, his face was somewhat pale, his lips were tightly pursed, and his dark eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. When he saw Ian, his gaze paused for a moment before he slowly walked over.

Ian straightened up, flashed a bright smile, walked over and patted his arm. "Pretty punctual! Let's go, there will definitely be a lot of people today, we need to hurry."

Severus nodded slightly, said nothing, and silently followed Ian as the two walked through the noisy lobby of the Leaky Cauldron and into the backyard.

Ian skillfully drew his wand and tapped it three times on specific bricks in the wall.

The brick walls rotate, revealing the archway and the bustling scene of Diagon Alley.

Sunlight streamed onto the cobblestone streets, shop signs swayed in the breeze, and the air was filled with the vibrant energy of the upcoming school term.

"How about checking out 'The Forgotten Scrolls' from the book list?" Ian asked, tilting his head. He knew Severus would definitely prefer to go there. "It'll save you some money, and if you're lucky, you might find one with notes. Go to the other shops later; they'll be more crowded then."

Severus's eyes seemed to light up for a moment, but quickly returned to calm, and he nodded: "...Okay."

The two entered the shabby little shop. Severus had a very clear goal: he went straight to the area labeled "Potions," "Enchanted Books," and "Defense Against the Dark Arts (Theory)," looking for the names on the list while also not letting go of any old books that might be of interest and were in decent condition.

Ian was more casual. He first gathered all the necessary textbooks, then wandered over to the "Fantastic Creatures" and "Herbalism" bookshelves to see if there were any interesting, off-the-beaten-path books.

After a while, Severus came over carrying a small stack of books, the top of which was a tattered potions book with a blurred cover.

"Is everything complete?" Ian asked, gesturing to the items he had found.

"All done," Severus whispered.

As Severus left the bookstore and passed a small shop selling secondhand laboratory equipment, he slowed down, his gaze drawn to a set of glass instruments in the window that looked extremely well-maintained.

It was a fine distillation apparatus, including a condenser and a retort flask, which was clearly not required for a second-year course.

Ian saw it too. "Want it?"

Severus immediately looked away and shook his head: "No need."

But Ian caught a fleeting glimpse of something in his eyes.

"Wait here." Ian shoved the backpack into his hands and slipped into the shop.

A few minutes later, he came out, holding a long package wrapped in thick paper.

"Here you go," he said, shoving the package into Severus's hands. "I haggled with the boss for ages and got a bargain. Your experiments need more equipment to work properly."

Severus clutched the package, his fingers tightening, the papers rustling softly.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he only whispered, "...How much? I'll pay you back."

"No need, consider it a belated gift to celebrate your potions competition victory, and also... thank you for tutoring me so I wouldn't fail potions."

Ian waved his hand, his tone relaxed, "Let's go, go buy quills and parchment, then go to Madam Malkin's."

At the stationery store, Severus only bought the most basic necessities.

Ian took the opportunity to add a whole bunch of random things, including several inks that supposedly could automatically correct spelling ("For Kevin, he always writes runes like a spider crawling"), and a set of quill pens with extremely high drawing precision ("Aris would definitely like it").

Finally, there was the Madam Malkin's Robe Shop, which was packed with students trying on clothes, chattering away.

"My dears, new school robes?" Mrs. Malkin greeted them with a smile. "Oh, the Burke lad, you've grown taller! And this is?"

"My classmate, Severus Snape, needs a new school uniform," Ian said.

Severus appeared somewhat stiff, especially when Madam Malkin used her magic ruler to measure him up and muttered, "Too thin, darling, eat more." His ears turned slightly red, and his lips pursed even tighter.

Ian suppressed a laugh and stood aside watching.

He noticed that although Severus was in a difficult situation, he no longer exuded the strong aura of someone who was unapproachable, but was simply enduring it in silence.

After taking the measurements and choosing the fabric (Severus insisted on the most ordinary black fabric), Mrs. Malkin told them to wait a moment while she went next door for a drink.

"What would you like to drink? Butterbeer? Or chilled pumpkin juice?" Ian asked, pointing to the beverage shop across the street.