If the heavens were to give Brian another chance, he would have answered Snape's three questions rather than endure half an hour of verbal abuse, as he was now.
"If it is not killed, it will kill itself. No zuo no die. The ancients truly did not deceive me," he lamented inwardly.
Snape finally stopped ranting about the rumors surrounding Harry the Savior and the foolish behavior of a so-called fool like Brian. With the tone of delivering a sentence, he deducted ten points from Gryffindor, then turned around to continue the class.
Brian clearly saw that the murderous intent in Snape's eyes faded the moment he turned around, replaced by a subtle smirk. On the other hand, Harry's eyes now burned with anger. His face was pale, and he looked like he might slam the table and argue at any moment. Fortunately, Brian pulled him down to sit before anything could happen, averting a new disaster.
Snape didn't lecture much longer before assigning practical work. Today's task was to brew the Boil-Cure Potion. This was Snape's specialty. Aside from occasional scoldings hurled at students who made mistakes, he hovered near Harry like a hawk, coldly scrutinizing every move. Occasionally, his eyes flicked toward Ron and Brian as well.
Ron's luck wasn't any better. Snape had explicitly forbidden the use of books during potion brewing, and Ron, planning to muddle through, was flustered. Eventually, under Snape's withering glare, he gave up and tossed uncut ingredients straight into the cauldron, producing a foul-smelling, yellowish-brown mess. As expected, Snape deducted ten points.
Still, Ron should have thanked Merlin he got off with only that. Seeing Brian, who had been utterly dismantled by Snape's words earlier, Ron realized he had escaped lightly.
"What's the matter? The Savior's best friend can't even brew a simple Boil-Cure Potion?" Snape sneered.
Brian remembered the steps and ingredients clearly. But he was stuck wondering just how much "some hellebore juice" really meant. Before he could resolve it, Snape had finished berating Ron and was already looming over him.
Snape had no patience left. He only wanted another excuse to deduct points. "Well? Why does an idiot like you need so much time to think stupid thoughts while brewing Potions? Get on with it!"
Brian had never encountered such an infuriating person in either of his lives. Even knowing Snape's true nature wasn't bad, being humiliated in public like this stung. And to avoid another round of Snape's mockery, Brian finally mustered the courage to ask, "Professor, how much hellebore juice should I add?"
Harry nearly dropped his ladle, eyes wide with disbelief. Did Brian forget the thirty-minute verbal beating earlier? How could he dare ask Snape a question?
A strange flicker passed through Snape's eyes. He gave Brian a cold, disdainful look—but unexpectedly answered, "Two drops."
In potion-making, most quantities listed in books are vague at best. Potion Masters rely on instinct and experience. This secrecy makes Potion Masters so rare in the wizarding world. Snape's answer was no accident; it came from countless trials and errors.
Thanks to the precise answer, the rest of the brewing process went smoothly. Brian's movements became fluid—three drops, then heat, stir. Each motion executed with clean precision.
Even a harsh critic like Snape found no fault. He gave Brian a few more glances, snorted, and walked away. On the other side of the classroom, Neville had somehow melted the bottom of his cauldron, causing the potion to spill and splash like an acidic bioweapon.
"Idiot!" Snape's roar echoed across the room once again.
…
If other professors' classes brought joy, then Snape's Potions class was sheer torture. When it finally ended, the students fled the dungeon like prisoners escaping captivity.
"Oh my god, I finally understand why George and Fred hate Snape so much," Ron groaned, teary-eyed. "How could Dumbledore hire such a devil?"
Harry nodded solemnly, still pale. He couldn't understand why Snape targeted him so harshly, especially when this was only their second encounter. Still rattled, he turned to Brian hesitantly: "I'm sorry. Because of me, Snape—"
"It's fine. You know I don't care about that. Don't worry," Brian said with a sigh. Only now did he fully grasp the devil Harry was up against. No wonder he hated Snape so much.
"Oh, by the way," Harry added, "Hagrid sent Hedwig with a letter this morning. He's invited us to his hut this afternoon. Want to come?"
Brian thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Next time. I've got something to do this afternoon. I need to visit the Library."
In truth, he didn't have any pressing task—but he wanted to spend the next two and a half days researching the Disillusionment Charm. That way, he wouldn't have to sneak around his dorm every night. More importantly, he had long been curious about the Forbidden Section of Hogwarts' Library. Since Harry wouldn't get the Invisibility Cloak until Christmas, learning the Disillusionment Charm felt urgent.
"Oh my god! You're actually going to the Library? I thought only that know-it-all went to places like that," Ron exclaimed dramatically.
Before he could finish, he tripped—his textbooks scattering across the floor.
The figure that had brushed past him was, of course, the very "know-it-all" he had just mocked. She must've heard Ron's remark. Harry and Brian stood awkwardly, none of them expecting Ron to be overheard by the target of his sarcasm.
Brian hesitated, then advised, "I think she heard you. Talking about someone behind their back isn't great. We should apologize."
"Yeah, Ron, Brian's right," Harry agreed.
"So what?" Ron muttered, his face clearly uneasy, though he tried to act stubborn. "She's already acting like a big shot just days into school. Always trying to manage everyone! Harry, can I go with you to Hagrid's?"
Since Ron had made up his mind, Brian and Harry didn't try to change it. Harry was a little disappointed that Brian wasn't coming, but when he saw Ron—his fellow sufferer from the Potions disaster—volunteering, he welcomed the company.
The trio returned to the Gryffindor common room for a short rest before heading off. Harry and Ron set out across the grounds to Hagrid's hut, while Brian made his way to the Hogwarts Library.
He had long looked forward to seeing this legendary collection—the most comprehensive repository of magical knowledge in the wizarding world.