As the old saying goes: "Know shame, then become brave."
Sterling had been at full alertness since waking up, flipping through potion books with the same intensity Hermione showed before her first Transfiguration class.
Of course, he'd already roughly read through the entire first-year textbook. Though he couldn't reach Hermione's level of complete memorisation, he could at least answer whatever was asked.
Was today's goal to become a potions genius?
No, not getting fifty points docked would count as a victory.
Based on last night's crash tutoring from Prefect Robert, Sterling was 100% certain Professor Snape would focus fire on him in class, possibly reaching Harry Potter levels.
Ravenclaw now classified Snape's difficulty levels into four tiers: Slytherin, Other Houses, Gryffindor, and Harry Potter.
Harry Potter had made it big, ranked alongside the four houses.
This was mainly because Ravenclaw now threatened Slytherin's consecutive House Cup ambitions, and upperclass Potions lessons had already tasted Snape's targeting.
However, since he couldn't go too overboard with Ravenclaw's rich knowledge base, they averaged no more than 20 points docked per class.
But Sterling was different!
He was the notorious "Potions genius" and "Hospital Wing speedrunner". No matter how much Snape picked on someone like him, any point deduction would be reasonable!
"I thought of a problem. You read through the first-year book, right? What about second year? Or beyond?"
On the way to class, Terry leaned his head close to Sterling.
"Of course not. Potion books are so thick. How could I memorise that much in just one week? I'll study upper-year material when I get there."
Terry wagged his index finger.
"Big mistake. Guess whether Snape will ask you questions beyond the syllabus."
"?" Sterling looked puzzled. "That's... not likely, right?"
"I'll bet a pack of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Whoever loses has to eat an entire pack."
As soon as he spoke, all three simultaneously gasped. Hermione and Padma stared at them in shock, their eyes conveying one message:
Playing for such high stakes?
Sterling decided to trust Snape's teaching ethics. "Deal!"
A cool breeze blew past. They'd reached the Potions classroom door. Sterling swallowed hard, his expression becoming resolute.
Past failure didn't mean permanent failure!
Just thinking about this still made Sterling angry. Before he could hold Vivian accountable, she and Maleficent had both vanished, leaving him still puzzled why magic from the same source had differences specifically in Potions and Transfiguration.
Transfiguration's "can't transfigure food";
Potions brewing methods... well, everything.
Most coincidentally, both Transfiguration and Potions were taught by Vivian.
These thoughts only briefly circled his mind. By the time he and Terry took their seats, Sterling's head contained only various Potions safety regulations.
If he ended up in the hospital wing again during Potions class, he'd immediately ask Headmaster Dumbledore to never attend Potions again.
Terry also opened his Potions book. If Sterling forgot something, perhaps he could quietly offer tiny hints?
More punctual than the class bell were Snape's heavy footsteps.
He still loved making his robes billow, and somehow the classroom door automatically closed after he entered.
"Now, let us see. We have a very dazzling, very famous genius in our classroom."
He spoke deliberately, and combined with his voice and the Potions classroom atmosphere, even the temperature seemed to drop.
Sterling could especially feel that undisguised gaze aimed straight at him.
"How rare... a Transfiguration genius, a Charms genius, and of course, in my Potions class, also a rare... genius?"
Snape chuckled lowly. Terry had almost wanted to laugh too, but considering his life safety, he held it in.
"Sterling Page..."
Sterling immediately stood up, his mind rapidly reviewing potion-brewing processes, though he was obviously nervous and didn't notice Snape hadn't finished speaking.
"Ravenclaw loses five points for standing up and interrupting while the professor is speaking."
Snape showed a satisfied smile. But unexpectedly, he didn't continue harassing Sterling, lightly docking the five points as if moving on.
After Sterling sat down, he and Terry exchanged glances, both pairs of eyes filled with surprise, with Terry's containing an additional layer of fear.
"I'll ask the Weasley twins tonight if they have Bertie Bott's beans for sale."
"Ugh, can we negotiate?"
"At this moment? Terry, surely you jest?"
Snape, writing on the board with his back to them, twitched his mouth corners. Did they think his hearing was poor?
"Ravenclaw loses five points for whispering. Now, keep quiet!"
If Snape followed his own inclinations, he'd dock at least twenty points, and earlier he'd definitely harass Sterling by asking about Felix Felicis brewing tips. Fifty points for not answering...
Unfortunately, Dumbledore had spoken with him before class.
So the mighty Slytherin Head was reduced to only docking five points for whispering. Five points! He used to consider that an appetiser.
Every time Harry blinked, letting those detestable Potter eyelids cover Lily's eyes, he wanted to dock Gryffindor five points!
Thinking this, Snape snapped a piece of chalk.
Looking down at the half-chalk on the floor, he felt he'd need the hospital wing if he didn't vent somehow.
So, under everyone's fearful gazes, he spoke:
"Gryffindor loses ten points!"
Percy, passing the Great Hall, saw Gryffindor's hourglass suddenly lose several gems. He immediately pressed against the glass and checked the schedule, then the hourglass.
"Bloody hell! The entire Gryffindor house has no classes right now!"
In the Potions classroom, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs looked at each other, trying to find who'd brought Gryffindor students in.
"For their pranking the professor, causing chalk to break."
Hearing this supplementary reason, Sterling felt his smile becoming impossible to suppress. This reason wasn't even as good as saying last class's Gryffindors had polluted the Potions classroom air.
Terry quickly covered Sterling's mouth. Laughing now would make points disappear!
In the eerie silence, Snape finished explaining the lesson's potion, then with a grand wave, declared official brewing could begin.
He'd been watching Sterling since materials collection began, not even scolding a nearby Hufflepuff who nearly dropped his knife into the cauldron.
Sterling moved like a stiff robot, reading one textbook page per brewing step, even using tips from Robert's advanced Potions class.
Stabilising tips, of course. Sterling didn't seek great effects or speed. Just successfully brewing was victory!
Terry assisted from the side. Their coordinated teamwork meant they finished only five minutes after Hermione and Padma's combination.
Snape pinched the glass vial containing Sterling's team's potion with two fingers. Light blue appearance, slightly irritating smell... and viscous texture...
"Barely adequate textbook reproduction."
Snape thought more highly of Sterling now. From his first-class performance, he'd genuinely thought Sterling was the most hopeless student in his teaching career.
Today's performance was surprisingly good.
Successfully reproducing textbook standards seemed simple, but actually 90% of young wizards couldn't do it. Basically, reproducing 70-80% of standards earned a mental "O" from Snape.
Why mental? Because actual grading depended on house affiliation. For Gryffindor, a grudging "E" at best.
Snape gave this potion an "O".
For Dumbledore's sake, though he didn't know how such a young wizard could affect Harry Potter's safety.
Sterling finally felt at ease.
The "genius" label for Potions could be stripped from him.