Chapter 44
"Such a simple task, hardly worthy of being called potion-making. How many points do you want to add? Mr. Alexander, when did your judgment of potions become so poor?!"
Snape was like a vicious wolf invading someone's territory. His dark eyes locked onto Devero.
"Professor, that's not what I meant," Devero replied, completely unfazed by Snape's intimidating presence. Or rather, he had become largely immune to it. After all, they had lived together for over a year, and such glaring and huffing moments were not uncommon.
"I meant, you forgot to award Neville points," Devero said, placing a hand on the shoulder of the stout boy beside him. But he felt a tremor run through Neville.
Snape glanced sideways. Neville's face was bright red, his body trembling uncontrollably, looking as if he wanted to crawl under the table. The surrounding classmates all turned to look at Neville.
"Neville helped me organize the herbs. He's quick at handling them, and with his help, I was able to finish brewing so fast," Devero argued reasonably. He was telling the truth. When Neville tried to add a porcupine quill to the cauldron prematurely, Devero stopped him from touching it—a decision that proved wise. After being kept away from the highly unstable cauldron (in Neville's view), Neville's nerves settled. He methodically sorted the herbs to be added, assisting Devero with precision. His meticulousness even impressed Devero, who took a serious look at Neville's profile for the first time.
...
Name: Neville Longbottom
Age: 11
Spell Inventory: None
Traits: Herbology Talent (Purple), Brave Heart (Purple), Magical Ability (Blue)
Herbology Talent (Purple): Exceptionally gifted in Herbology, with an innate ability to identify and sense magical plants, potentially leading to significant achievements in the field.
Brave Heart (Purple): Courage is the foundation of your character. When someone crosses your bottom line, your bravery surges, making you a leader among others!
Magical Ability (Blue): Has the potential to become a wizard.
...
Hmm! Quite an impressive trait setup! Neville had two purple traits?! Devero hadn't noticed this before, mainly because their first meeting on the train—when Neville was crying—left a poor impression. He had overlooked this future Gryffindor swordmaster! The Brave Heart trait seemed perfectly suited for Gryffindor. If Devero wanted to get his hands on the Gryffindor sword in the future, this trait might be worth considering. With that in mind, he mentally added the trait to his shopping cart, plotting how to borrow the Sorting Hat from Dumbledore.
"Neville provided significant help, and I think it's fair to award him points," Devero insisted.
Snape stared intensely at Neville's face. Neville could feel his serpentine gaze, lowering his head as if trying to disappear into a drawer. At this moment, not only were the Slytherins in awe of Devero, but many Gryffindors also felt admiration. After all, their houses were like fire and water! For Devero to stand up to Snape, his own house's head, for a Gryffindor student took immense courage. (Though Devero was simply used to it by now.)
They suddenly felt that Devero was the true Gryffindor! He was so brave! Harry and Ron looked at him with reverence, and Devero even caught Ron giving him a thumbs-up out of the corner of his eye.
Snape's gaze shifted to Devero. "Mr. Alexander, is that so?"
Devero stood tall, meeting Snape's eyes. "Professor, absolutely true!"
Snape's expression darkened further. Devero barely saw his lips move, but a barely audible voice slipped through Snape's teeth: "Gryffindor, one point."
Instantly, all the Gryffindor students erupted as if they had won a great victory, their faces beaming with excitement. They had just earned a point from Snape! In the first week of school, no other Gryffindor year had achieved such a feat! Devero's status in their hearts soared, making him an ambassador of diplomacy between Slytherin and Gryffindor, fostering a rare moment of harmony between the two houses.
Devero happily patted Neville's shoulder. "Neville, you earned a point for the house!"
Neville looked up, his face still flushed. He was thrilled, even forgetting his fear of Snape as he smiled. In his first week at school, he had never earned a point for his house. Today's experience elated him.
But seeing Gryffindor so happy, Snape was ready to strike. With a dark expression, he strode to their desk, eyeing the leftover materials. "Longbottom! What are these materials still doing here? Planning to pocket them and take them back to your dormitory?"
Neville paled at the accusation. Devero started to rise to explain, but Snape cut him off. "For your wasteful behavior, Gryffindor loses three points! And you, Alexander, sit down!"
With that, Snape whirled around to face Harry. "Potter! Weasley! What were those gestures earlier?" Without his robes even seeming to flutter, Snape glided to Harry and Ron. "Or do you think class is a game of pretend? For your insolence, Gryffindor loses another point!"
His sharp gaze swept the room. "What are you all looking at? Have you all finished your potions?"
Everyone hurriedly lowered their heads, scrambling to continue their work. Devero didn't stand up to argue this time—Snape was clearly on edge, and he didn't want to push his luck. He could only pat Neville's back in consolation. Poor kid—his first earned point in his school career was taken back, with an extra two points deducted. Devero could only offer his deepest sympathy.
Surprisingly, Neville wasn't as fragile as Devero thought. He turned and gave a faint smile, tears welling in his eyes but held back with effort.
Just then, a sharp, acidic green smoke filled the dungeon classroom, accompanied by a loud hissing sound.
"Ahh!!!"
Everyone turned to see Malfoy drenched in potion, his arms and legs covered in red, swollen sores, screaming in pain.
****
[Thank you StinkykingBoo for Support]
Want to read more of this fanfic [20+ chapters], and support me :- Patreon.com/Theuntamed0