Friday mornings for the first-years meant Potions.
And today, Professor Snape was in a truly foul mood.
There were two reasons for his sour disposition—both of them Gryffindors.
The first was Harry Potter, whose infuriating face so closely resembled his father, James Potter. Every time Snape looked at him, old memories of being bullied by James flickered to the surface—memories he'd much rather forget.
The second was Hermione Granger. She had the same relentless determination as her brother, Qin—always eager to challenge, always striving to break through boundaries.
With Harry, Snape dispatched him with a few painfully simple questions, leaving him tongue-tied. The boy even tried to argue back. If a student like that wasn't kept on a tight leash, he'd turn into "James the Second" in no time. Docking a point from Gryffindor felt more than justified.
As for Miss Granger—always shooting her hand up as high as it would go whenever a question was asked—well, with a brother like Qin, of course she'd know all the answers. And just like her brother, she seemed to enjoy being in the spotlight. Snape found the whole thing deeply irritating.
Still, considering that Hermione Granger was Qin's little sister—well, not that there was any real familial connection, of course—it was hard for him to be too harsh.
"Miss Granger, in future, you may remain seated when you raise your hand. I worry you'll poke a hole in the ceiling if you stand up again," Snape remarked coolly, eyeing the eager young witch.
"Yes, Professor Snape! I promise I won't stand up next time!" Hermione replied with a bright, earnest smile.
"..."
Just like Qin, he thought grimly. Impossible to stay in a good mood around them.
Thanks to these two, Snape spent the rest of the lesson delivering a series of scathing reprimands to the first-years.
The effect was immediate and lasting. Most of the students left the dungeon in abject terror, mentally ranking Potions as Hogwarts' most dreaded class.
...
But unlike her classmates, Hermione wasn't the least bit afraid of Professor Snape—she'd read all about his temperament in Qin Yu's letters a year earlier.
In fact, quite the opposite: she admired his teaching style. It was crisp, efficient, and to the point—everything a good teacher should be.
Of course, her favorite teacher was still Qin Yu. He explained things in detail, encouraged her when she learned quickly or made connections, sometimes ruffled her hair, and occasionally looked at her with a gentle, special gaze, giving her cheek a soft pinch, and then...
Ahem! This was class. No daydreaming!
Forcing herself to focus, Hermione methodically stirred the thick potion in her cauldron, watching the colors swirl and deepen, determined to set a certain someone aside in her mind.
Sure enough, without that distracting presence, she finished her potion swiftly and perfectly.
She even had time to stop Neville from tossing porcupine quills into the cauldron too early, averting what could have been a cauldron-melting disaster.
"Mr. Longbottom, you ought to thank the ever-attentive Miss Granger for her warning. Had she been a moment later, you'd be covered in boils by now!" Snape fixed Neville Longbottom with a withering glare.
The round-faced boy froze, then pouted and burst into tears, stammering, "S-sorry, Professor Snape..."
"I hope you learn from this and truly understand your mistake," Snape said coldly, turning away.
He then fixed his gaze on Harry Potter. "Miss Granger prevented a catastrophe. And what were you doing, Mr. Potter?"
"Huh?" Harry blinked, caught off guard.
"Not only did you fail to warn him—you didn't even care afterward. I suppose you were inwardly laughing at Mr. Longbottom's carelessness, perhaps even hoping for someone to slip up..."
"I wasn't—"
"Given your conduct, one point from Gryffindor."
"But—"
Harry tried to protest, but Ron quickly shushed him. "Don't bother, mate. Snape's always like this. He's taken loads of points off Fred and George."
"Professor!" Hermione couldn't help but stand up.
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Snape arched an eyebrow.
"I don't think it's fair for you to judge Harry's intentions and take points just because you assume the worst!" Hermione said, her voice steady.
"Oh? Is that so?" Snape paused, then stared her down. "Well then, for questioning and contradicting your teacher in class—another point from Gryffindor."
He half-expected her to burst into tears, like Neville had. That would teach the lot of them not to get cheeky in his dungeon.
As for Qin finding out—why should he care?
Absolutely no reason to.
"..." Hermione's eyes widened. She hadn't expected him to be even more unreasonable than she'd imagined.
But Qin had told her there was nothing to fear.
With that thought, she straightened her back, lifted her chin, and declared, "Even if you take more points, Professor Snape, I stand by what I said!"
"Very brave, Miss Granger. Another point from Gryffindor," Snape said, unmoved.
Hermione's lips trembled. Her eyes reddened.
But she refused to cry.
I'll tell Qin! I'll show him—this professor really is impossible! she fumed silently, breathing hard through her nose.
Watching her finally sit down, Snape allowed himself the faintest of smiles and, inwardly, a sigh of relief.
Last year, one headache. This year, two. Snape was starting to think Merlin himself had sent them as punishment.
...
Although Hermione was furious at Professor Snape's unfairness, she didn't complain much when she saw Qin Yu. She was determined to handle such things on her own—how else could she hope to keep up with Qin, to become Hogwarts' next star student?
She didn't want people to say she was just "Qin's little sister."
What she wanted was for people to point at Qin and say, "Look, that's the Minister of Magic's..."
Well, maybe that was a bit much. But Qin was always telling her she'd be Minister of Magic someday, and sometimes she almost believed it herself.
"What's on your mind? Did Potions not go well?" Qin Yu asked, noticing her distracted look as they lunched in the Great Hall.
Ever since he'd sat down, he'd noticed the other first-years casting odd glances at Hermione, and she seemed lost in thought.
Knowing Snape's usual temperament, Qin Yu could guess what had happened.
"It was... alright. Professor Snape was just a bit too harsh," Hermione said, choosing her words carefully.
"Harsh? He's downright unfair! He's always picking on us!" Harry huffed indignantly.
"So, you all lost points too, then," Qin Yu said, shrugging.
"Hmm?" The kids looked at him in surprise.
Except for Hermione, none of the other first-years knew how many points Qin Yu had lost during his own first year.
"That's right. I lost a point my very first Potions class," Qin Yu admitted easily.
Their shock was almost comical—Harry even looked relieved, almost excited.
Not wanting them to get the wrong idea, Qin Yu continued, "But I still got an Outstanding in Potions. I wasn't docked for not paying attention or for bad grades."
He briefly explained the reason for his own lost point. If it hadn't come up, he might have forgotten it entirely.
"Alright, let's hear your stories."
Harry did most of the talking, with Ron chiming in, Neville apologizing, and Adam nodding along.
By the end, all the first-years—and even a few others nearby—were looking at Hermione with awe.
Who else would dare stand up to Professor Snape in his own classroom? In their eyes, Hermione had instantly become a legend—a true Gryffindor.
Hermione, however, blushed under their admiring stares. She looked at Qin Yu, biting her lip, and stammered, "I... I just said what I thought."
Well, Qin had warned her not to be too eager in Snape's class, and had mentioned his odd temper.
But she hadn't listened...
"Nicely done!" To her surprise, Qin Yu reached out and ruffled her hair, beaming with pride.
He'd only warned her out of concern—he didn't want her to end up in tears.
But clearly, the Sorting Hat had put Hermione in Gryffindor for a reason. She had courage to spare. There were some things he couldn't—and shouldn't—try to protect her from. She was strong, and getting stronger every day.
She really might be the future Minister of Magic!
He couldn't help but imagine introducing himself as "the Minister's brother (or... boyfriend?)"—now that would be something.
Qin Yu's encouragement made Hermione light up, grinning from ear to ear. Next time, she thought, she could probably hold out until she'd lost five points before giving up.
The others, meanwhile, suddenly found the conversation a lot less interesting.
Look at us, grumbling about Snape, while you two are just... showing off your relationship?
Oi, Ministry of Magic? Isn't there a law against this sort of public affection?
Many nearby students found themselves thinking the exact same thing.
——Dimensional Wall——
Special thanks to "雨台山的枝叶懔" for the Inspiration Capsule, a Show-off, two Update Flowers, and three "Powered by Love" gifts. You're far too generous!
And thank you to every reader for your gifts, encouragement, and reviews!
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!
Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!
��patreon.com/GoldenLong