Chapter 47
What?!
Devero heard Snape's words, and his brain practically crashed!
What did he mean by "use them freely"?
Could it be that all the materials and finished potions in this room were at his disposal?
In terms of value, everything in this room was worth far more than five thousand Galleons!
Even selling Devero himself wouldn't cover the cost of these rare materials!
"P-Professor, do you mean I can use them to brew potions?" Devero stammered, still reeling from the shocking news.
"Which part didn't you understand? Yes, exactly!" Snape replied, his brow furrowing.
Devero immediately stood at attention, giving Professor Snape a respectful salute.
Merlin's beard!
This Snape felt like a stranger!
Was this still the same old bat?!
How was he so generous today?
Snape, of course, couldn't stand seeing Devero so smug. A cold smirk curled his lips.
"Naturally, I claim eighty percent ownership of any potions you produce."
Devero froze.
A 20-80 split?
Eighty percent was his!
Devero instantly wanted to negotiate. This was exploitation!
The potions made with his [Potion Spirit] ability were priceless on the market!
He deserved at least thirty percent!
"Professor! This deal isn't fair!" Devero wasn't the same powerless kid who relied on Snape for food and shelter anymore. His wings had grown!
Snape's eyes narrowed at his words.
Thus began a long verbal tug-of-war.
After much heated back-and-forth, Snape relented, agreeing to a 25-75 split in Devero's favor.
At Devero's insistence, Snape grudgingly signed a written contract.
Devero had even wanted to seal an Unbreakable Vow, but with no witness present, they decided to hold off.
For now, the written contract was enough.
Snape wasn't going to weasel out of it.
Satisfied, Devero tucked the contract into his pocket.
Snape's face darkened, clearly displeased about signing the deal.
But to Devero, even Snape's sour expression was downright delightful.
His mood was absolutely soaring!
He couldn't wait to grab some materials and head to the basement classroom to get to work!
However…
Even with his [Potion Spirit] trait, which gave him an intuitive sense of what the materials could do, it was best to hear Snape's guidance and precautions to avoid any mishaps.
Snape, his face grim, spoke up. "Alright, I need you to understand some precautions. I don't want to come back to a destroyed storeroom."
He walked to a wall lined with jars of magical creature remains, his fingers lightly brushing over them.
"These are magical creature parts I've collected over the years, each with unique uses." His tone was cold but professional. "For example, unicorn tail hair has gentle properties, essential for beauty potions."
Snape turned, locking eyes with Devero to ensure he was listening before continuing.
"But remember, hair-based materials are highly volatile. Unicorn tail hair is fragile; if damaged, its magic dissipates quickly. Don't touch these jars unless you want to ruin a priceless potion."
"Of course, with special treatment, they're less fragile, but that compromises the potion's effectiveness."
Devero nodded, mentally noting the precautions.
With the contract signed, a quarter of this storeroom's materials were effectively his!
He had to take care of them.
Snape went on to explain the specific uses of several other creature parts, and Devero nodded, committing each to memory.
As a [Test-Taking Genius], he absorbed Snape's emphasized points with perfect clarity.
Snape eyed him suspiciously. Devero wasn't taking notes or showing any signs of struggling to remember.
"Have you actually memorized this?" Snape asked, skeptical.
Devero grinned, tapping his temple. "Professor, I'm not bragging, but my brain's sharper than you'd expect."
Snape's lips twitched at Devero's smugness, but he ignored it and moved to a wall of magical herbs.
"These herbs are the foundation of potion-making," he said, picking up a glass jar of dried powder.
"This is dittany. You should've studied it in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi during your first year."
Devero nodded slightly.
"Dittany is a magical plant used in potions and has strong healing properties. But during drying, it must be kept at a constant temperature, or its magic weakens significantly."
Snape went through each herb, explaining their uses and cautions, emphasizing key points.
Devero listened intently, his eyes darting between the jars, trying to memorize every detail.
Finally, Snape finished explaining the herbs.
Devero squinted, rubbing his temples.
Even as a [Test-Taking Genius], cramming so much information felt like a semester's worth of herbology in an hour.
Snape, meanwhile, seemed to revel in it, his expression growing smug.
Devero darkly suspected Snape was deliberately overwhelming him to exhaust him, satisfying some twisted pleasure.
As Devero mentally grumbled, Snape moved to the final wall, pausing.
He turned, his expression more serious than ever that night.
Pointing at the finished potions lining the wall, his voice carried a warning. "These are my meticulously crafted potions. Each is either extremely dangerous or valuable."
"I won't tell you what each does."
Blocking the wall with his body, he faced Devero.
"But know this: every one of these potions is highly dangerous, some even deadly!"
His tone grew menacing.
"I don't want to return and find you a corpse. And…" He sneered. "These potions are costly. If you accidentally spill one, our contract's profit split becomes 90-10. You'll get just ten percent, and the rest is mine."
Devero inwardly cursed Snape's stinginess.
He could tell the potions' effects just by glancing at them—did Snape think he needed to be told?
But on the surface, he nodded respectfully. "Yes, Professor. I'll be very careful."
Satisfied, Snape straightened and walked past Devero out of the storeroom, looking slightly weary.
"Alright, I've covered the storeroom. Now, let's discuss the Polyjuice Potion recipe."
He pulled a parchment that looked like a contract from thin air and placed it on his desk.
Devero restrained his urge to grab materials immediately and followed Snape out.
Speaking of Polyjuice Potion, something occurred to him.
"By the way, Professor, I've thought of a way to complete the Polyjuice Potion in seven days."
At that, Snape shot up from his chair "What?!"
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