Hogwarts and the Holy Grail War

Snape paused again, and turned his gaze from the roll call to Ethan: "This one is even more important - a rare special recruit."

Malfoy, who was sitting in front of them, could no longer hold back his laughter, and he and his two followers, Crabbe and Goyle, covered their mouths and laughed.

Ethan sighed imperceptibly, ignored the ridicule of Malfoy and his gang sitting in the front row, and curled his lips.

Is this old bat so aggressive?

You deserve it for not choosing you! You deserve it for being so rude!

Harry remained seated, and squeezed out a voice that only he and Ethan could hear: "Ethan, why do I feel like Professor Snape hates me?"

"You don't need to feel it, he just hates you - at least for now." Ethan squeezed out a small voice from between his teeth, "That's why I reminded you of so many precautions yesterday - Okay, stop talking."

This is the truth.

The reason why Snape chose to protect Harry was entirely because of his love for Harry's mother Lily and his remorse for indirectly killing her, but his disgust for Harry was also real.

It's like your first love, your childhood goddess, married your sworn enemy who had been bullying you since childhood (from Snape's perspective), and then the two of them had a baby. Out of love for the goddess, you swore to protect the goddess's child after the couple died (although you contributed greatly to their death), but the unfortunate child looked exactly like his dead father, and he was jumping around under your nose all day long. As soon as you saw him, you would be reminded of the painful memories of your childhood.

Humanoid self-propelled childhood nightmare.jpg

It would be hard for anyone to hold back.

What’s even more amazing is that this child doesn’t look exactly like his father. His eyes are exactly the same as his mother’s, so his existence itself is a constant reminder of the fact that the person you love most was taken away by the person you hate the most.

It's even harder to hold on.

The fact that Snape did not break down mentally because of this contradictory fact showed that he had a very strong psychological endurance.

So to some extent, Ethan still admires this vicious and awkward old bat, even though he has always been unfair to Harry and sarcastic to Harry in the original book. But he has never harmed the child of Harry, his mortal enemy, just because Harry has the same eyes as Lily.

Oh, that's not right. Why does Snape sound like a bootlicker?

"Quiet."

Snape closed the roll call and glared at Malfoy in dissatisfaction, which frightened Malfoy so much that his smile disappeared from his face and he sat down obediently. Then, he said slowly and without any emotion in his voice:

"You are here to learn the precise science and art of potion making."

Snape spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, but everyone could hear every word he said. Like Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape had the power of intimidation to keep the classroom in order without any effort.

"Since there is no foolish waving of wands here, many of you will not believe in magic. I do not expect you to truly appreciate the beauty of the simmering cauldron with white smoke and bursts of fragrance, you will not really understand the magical power of the liquid flowing into people's veins, making people's hearts and minds excited and confused. . . I can teach you how to improve your reputation, brew glory, and even prevent death-"

Snape paused, standing on the podium like a talking sculpture, and scanning the students who were sitting in awe with his bottomless black eyes. Finally, his sight passed through Malfoy in the front row and stopped at Harry.

"But there is one condition: you are not the kind of idiots I often meet."

Ethan nodded slightly, agreeing deeply with Snape's words.

The course of potion making is like a chemistry experiment in the wizarding world. You must have an extremely rigorous experimental attitude towards it. Even if there is only a slight carelessness in the operation or non-standard materials, these tiny mistakes may make your results far from your expectations, or even cause you to die on the spot.

Not to mention that there are always some self-righteous idiots who ignore the operating regulations, mess up everything, and then kill themselves without leaving any residue. All I can say is that they died a good death.

But from what Snape just said, the process of making potions is more like... stewing soup than a chemical experiment.

Look at what he said, slow cooking with bursts of fragrance, what else could this be but cooking?

It's hard not to think wrongly.

Well, maybe I can use the crucible to make hotpot or soup or something.

Ahem, that’s too far off topic.

"Mr. Potter." Snape's eyes swept around the classroom and stopped at Harry again. His tone was full of oppression, "Ours, the new generation, a celebrity."

Hearing Snape mention his name, Harry swallowed and knew that what was coming had finally come.

Thank God, Professor Snape asked questions that he had reviewed last night.

"Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered narcissus root to an infusion of wormwood?"

Chapter 42: What's Wrong with Playing Around in Potions Class?

"Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered narcissus root to an infusion of wormwood?"

What powder should be added to what liquid?

Ron blinked, bewildered. Beside him, Hermione raised her arms high in the air, looking anxious.

"Yes, Professor," Harry answered, standing up and looking Snape straight in the eye. "Powdered daffodil root and infused wormwood can be used to make a decoction of the living hell, which is a very strong sleeping potion."

"The correct answer." Snape raised his eyebrows, a hint of surprise flashed across his face at Harry's fluent answer. He walked down the podium, deliberately ignoring Hermione's raised arm, and walked straight through the front row of seats to Harry.

"The next question is, if I need a bezoar, where can I find one?"

"In the stomach of goats, Professor," Harry continued. "Bezoars have a very strong detoxifying effect. You can find something similar in the stomach of cows."

"Correct answer." Snape placed his hands on the workbench in front of Harry, leaned forward slightly, and looked Harry in the eyes. "Last question, what is the difference between Aconitum naviculatum and Aconitum wolfsbane?"

"They are the same plant, collectively known as Aconitum."

(Author's comment: In this paragraph, Aconitum naviculatum, Aconitum davidianum, and Aconitum truncatum are three different English words, so Harry didn't know the connection between them in the original book, but after being translated into Chinese... it looks pretty stupid.)

"Absolutely right, Mr. Potter." Snape reluctantly squeezed out this compliment from between his teeth. His expression was slightly distorted, as if he had accidentally swallowed a mouthful of troll snot. "But you have to remember that fame alone is not enough. The most important thing is to have the ability to match it."

"Of course, Professor." Harry's face was full of fake sincerity and humility. "I deeply realize that the knowledge I have learned in this subject is just the tip of the iceberg. I hope you can teach me everything you know in future courses."

"As you wish, Mr. Potter - you can sit down now." Snape loosened his arms and stood up, looking at the other students unhappily, "As for the others, why don't you write down these knowledge points? Do you think you are better than Mr. Potter?"

The classroom was suddenly filled with the rustling sound of quills and parchment being fumbled with.

Harry wrote down the answer he had just given in his notebook, and he couldn't help feeling ecstatic.

It feels so good to show off your abilities in front of others and leave those who are looking for trouble speechless!

Ethan really didn't fool him. All of Snape's actions were calculated by him, and he took the open-book test completely according to the standard answers.

You can always trust the invincible Doraemon!

"Ah, and you, Mr. Ethan." Snape, who wanted to vent his inner dissatisfaction, turned his spearhead to Ethan, whose face was flushed red from trying not to laugh. "Mr. Potter has proven his strength. I wonder if you can live up to your fame?"

Snape's emotionless voice reached Ethan's ears, causing his heart to skip a beat.

This old bat is taking his anger out on himself.

However, even though it may be unpleasant inside, it is still necessary to observe the necessary business etiquette.

After all, this guy is very arrogant and will only respond to soft tactics and not hard ones.

"It would be more intuitive for you to test it directly, professor, than my own ideas, isn't it?" Ethan stood up and looked at Snape, saying neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"As you wish, Mr. Ethan." Snape stretched his sleeves, crossed his arms over his chest, and began to ask, "What is the sign that the boil remover is successfully brewed?"

"Pink smoke, Professor."

"Correct. Next question: What is the function of the Flobberworm's slime?"

"It's a popular thickener for potions, but it also serves as an active ingredient in some potions, such as sleeping potions."

"Correct. Which one should be ground up with the dried nettles to make the swelling potion? Eel eyes or shark eyes?"

"Neither of them. It's a puffer fish eye."

Ethan laughed secretly in his heart. This old bat actually wanted to trap himself with the question.

But those are useless, I have memorized the whole book and study notes. The tricky questions can't do anything to me.

Obviously you don't know who I am.

The two people, one old and one young, with black hair and black eyes, just stared at each other, neither giving in to the other, and continued their question-and-answer dialogue.

"…Aside from shrinking organisms, what other effects does the shrinking potion have?"

"Drinking in large enough doses can cause the organism to regress to a younger state."

"correct."

Snape took a deep breath, feeling a little complicated.

How come both Harry and Ethan responded to my questions without warning? It was as if they knew I would ask them questions in advance.

Why are there so many top students in Gryffindor this year? Can't there be a few for us Slytherins?

No, I have to give him some strength.

Snape, who had decided not to follow the rules of martial ethics, continued to ask, "What effect would it have if the juice of sleepy beans was drunk directly?"

"Removes the user's memories."

"Correct. One last question: If the Polyjuice Potion is brewed successfully, what will it look like?"

Snape made his final move with confidence.

Polyjuice Potion is a high-level potion that allows the drinker to transform into someone else. Its production process is so complicated that it takes a month and is also a big challenge for adult wizards.

Accordingly, its method is not included in the "Magical Pharmacy and Potion" which is a textbook for lower grades. Even the "Advanced Magic Potion Making" textbook used for the NEWT course in higher grades only mentions it briefly.

The book "Mighty Potions" which actually contains the recipe is currently in the restricted section of the Hogwarts library.

So in Snape's opinion, unless Ethan was really interested in Potions and took the initiative to learn more about it, there was no way he would know the real answer to this question.

“It takes on different colors and flavors depending on the final ingredients, but it’s a dark gray, sticky slurry before the final ingredients are added.”

Ethan smiled confidently and gave the correct answer without any hesitation.

"Perfect answer, Mr. Ethan. You may take a seat now."

Snape's attitude suddenly softened and he nodded slightly at Ethan. His complex expression showed both his admiration for Ethan's rich knowledge and his dissatisfaction with his own anger that could not be vented.

Just as Professor Garrick said, Snape's teaching attitude is very rigorous. As long as you do well enough, you will get his heartfelt recognition.

But whether he will hurt you because of his bad mood is another matter.

Snape turned and strode back to the podium, facing the students, and said, "We have wasted enough time on you. We should continue with the class."

"Thank you, Professor."

Ethan sat down steadily and secretly high-fived Harry under the workbench.

The feeling of successfully overcoming the tribulation is really great.

The Potions class continued, and Snape divided the students into groups of two and instructed them to mix the boil remover mentioned above.

This is a very easy potion to make, and the method is so simple that it is almost for beginners to practice. And even if the production fails, it will not cause the pot to explode or produce severe toxicity, which ensures the safety of these novices to a certain extent.

But there are always exceptions to everything.

"BOOM!"

The sudden loud noise behind him startled Ethan, who was grinding the viper's fangs according to the steps in the book.

"Oh my god, what's going on?"

Chapter 43: A Little Art Shock to Potions Class

"BOOM!"

Ethan was grinding the pit viper fangs according to the steps in the book when he suddenly heard a loud noise behind him. He looked back and saw a black mushroom cloud slowly dissipating above Seamus's cauldron.

Well, it's you, the bomber, again.

Seamus, if you really can't make it, you can go to the Muggle world and work in the mountains and mining. It's a waste of your talent to stay in the wizarding world.

Seamus's hair had been blown into an afro by his own masterpiece, and even half of Neville's face was blackened. The two people in the same group looked at each other innocently, not realizing where they had gone wrong.

The sound also attracted the attention of Snape, who was patrolling the classroom in his robes. He came to Seamus and Neville's workbench and saw their problem at a glance.

"The amount of dried nettles was too much. You didn't grind the dried nettles and the pit viper fangs separately but put them together, right?"

I can only say that he is worthy of being a senior Potions professor. He is so skilled that he can tell at a glance what strange tricks the students are playing.

Neville and Seamus nodded in sudden realization.

"Gryffindor will be deducted one point for your lack of attention to potion-making regulations."

Snape, who finally found a reason to deduct points, became in a good mood and continued to walk around the classroom in his bat spirit cosplay costume.

Ethan shook his head in amusement, raised his spoon and began to mash the half-melted slugs in the cauldron.

You're an adult already, but you're still getting upset over such a small matter. Even after your revenge was successful, you're showing off so obviously.

A child? You?

"Nice technique, Mr. Ethan." Snape stopped in front of Ethan and Harry's workbench, and forced a strange smile on his face. "Since you know the properties of various herbal potions by heart, then making a small boil remover must be a piece of cake for you."

"Of course, professor." Ethan said without looking up, "Thank you for your encouragement."