I am Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House, Potions professor, and of course, the youngest Potions Master of the current age.
Perhaps not yet the strongest potioner, but in a few years, this title will indisputably fall to me.
But now, I think I'm facing the greatest academic crisis in history. No longer just a teaching crisis. This humanoid creature named "Sterling Page" has made Potions cease to exist.
I just returned to the classroom with potion-testing equipment to see him proudly displaying his potion like Potter at a Quidditch match, even promoting his brewing methods...
"Fifty points from Ravenclaw! Thirty points from Hufflepuff!"
Intense dizziness made my point deduction less forceful. I tried imagining them as Gryffindors to summon strength for scolding.
After my rebuke, these little trolls obediently returned to their seats, except Page, who held his potion, seemingly eager for my testing.
"You'd better pray your potion actually works."
"Of course, Professor! I'm very confident!"
He wasn't wrong.
Looking at the potion showing perfection in every indicator, I felt Potions had ceased to exist.
"You... make it again for me..."
My voice had been this weak for the first time since that night, watching this shameful vandal who trampled potion precision's beauty desecrate potions before my eyes...
Suddenly I felt Potter was quite nice compared to Page. At least he wouldn't mistreat potions like this.
Watching him kick cauldrons made me want to slam the cauldron on his head! I thought I'd seen all his heresy, but it was just the tip of the iceberg!
Wait, this cauldron. I remember it's copper, right?
How could he kick such a large copper cauldron to spin like a top? Merchant fraud or real strength?
Could he really be a troll with flobberworms and slug slime for brains? That's why he's completely different from wizardly Potions?
I was struggling to suppress my anger, but seeing him stick his hand into the cauldron to stir again...
Those old fossils from the Potions Guild would probably faint instantly upon seeing this.
I thought this because I felt ready to faint from rage.
"Two points from Gryffindor..."
Deducting those two points, I felt refreshed. Indeed, life needs interesting activities. Nothing beats discriminating against Gryffindor.
Here it comes. He's adding those two ingredients beyond the potion recipe.
I watched intently. Undoubtedly, my judgement was correct.
Owl feathers carried too many "night" concepts, even some "terror" concepts. Fairy wings contained "dawn" and "beauty" concepts. Adding these two created violent reactions with concepts extracted from original recipe materials.
Manifesting as an explosion.
So far, I couldn't understand what Page had done to stabilise this potion, even surpassing my level as a Potions Master.
As boiling bubbles were about to overflow the cauldron's rim, he pulled out one of his hairs and added it.
One of his own hairs?
Some Eastern potioners have this strange habit, claiming it gives potions a "personal signature". In a sense, not wrong. It makes potions emanate the potioner's own magical fluctuations.
Like an anti-piracy card.
But what effect could this have on an exploding potion... Merlin's beard, what is this thing?
The potion calmed, with colour and consistency changing toward the previous batch's performance.
So when he turned his head, it was to add this hair...
So this hair participated in the potion reaction, even extracting concepts that suppressed conflicting concepts and blended them into the most perfect "dreamless sleep" concept?
Sterling Page might be human, but Sterling Page being human seems impossible.
I glanced at the little Eagles and Badgers stealing looks, somewhat grateful for my habit of not explaining potion theory to non-advanced students.
Otherwise their mood would be as out of control as mine.
"Living materials" that can participate in potion reactions must be magical creature body parts.
And pure-blooded. Veela hair can be used medicinally, but half-blood veela cannot.
I could tell at a glance this guy isn't human.
What a shocking discovery. Even I, a master of Occlumency, could barely control my expression.
"Professor Snape, how's my brewed potion?"
Such a proud tone. If I revealed your non-human truth now, let's see if you could still be proud...
I glared at him, looking at the potion before me, unable to consciously find fault. I couldn't brew anything better.
However... even removing that final step, within the potion recipe's scope, his brewing was also successful.
Actually successful!
Completely ignoring dosage, timing of ingredient addition, any precise requirements... adding whatever came to mind.
Compared to this heaven-defying operation, even his cauldron-kicking seemed acceptable.
At least the potion did rotate in the cauldron. This met requirements.
"...Not bad, for a beginner..."
Seeing his gaze still fixed on me, I gritted my teeth and squeezed from between them: "Five points to Ravenclaw."
"Excellent, Professor! I can understand the potion charm you mentioned in the first class. So fun!"
Yes, you've experienced potion charm, but what's the cost?
Now I can barely understand potion charm, damn Page boy! What kind of potion-brewing method is this?!
I stopped focusing on him to prevent further damage to my potion worldview.
"Ow!"
A scream came from the Hufflepuff side. After looking, I wished I could return to wartime. At least seeing hopeless trolls, I could directly throw curses!
"Pull that fool's hand from the cauldron! Page's hands have Flame-Freezing Charms. Do you think your hands can move unharmed in liquid that dissolves amethyst powder?"
"Ten points from Hufflepuff!"
"Page, take him to the hospital wing!"
"Ah? I wanted to try brewing potions with other materials..."
Well, sorry for not letting Master Sterling enjoy himself...
Watching that humanoid creature take the stupid Badger to the hospital wing, I'd wanted to correct their thinking, but remembering his hair-as-ingredient behaviour...
"Brew independently. Before class ends, place finished products on the podium with the creator's name under the bottle."
I must immediately find that old fool Dumbledore.
Is his brain eaten hollow by tooth worms? Dark wizard Quirrell, Dark Lord Voldemort, now adding a humanoid magical creature... In such a teaching environment, you tell me to "protect Harry's safety"?
Meaning let Potter stay with humanoid creatures after every class?
Who knows if this undiscovered new species is dangerous!
Dumbledore leisurely drank red tea with half a cup of sugar, reading the Muggle newspapers Fudge sent this morning.
"London's new Jack the Ripper? Quite interesting."
He understood Fudge's meaning. This so-called "Jack the Ripper" was a Dark wizard running rampant in the Muggle world. Scotland Yard was powerless, so through Prime Minister-Ministry relations, the message reached him.
Reading Fudge's flattering words, Dumbledore also concluded the Aurors had returned empty-handed.
Otherwise, clinging to his pitiful self-respect, Fudge would never allow him to interfere in Ministry affairs.
Dumbledore sipped fragrant red tea.
"Dumbledore! You owe me an explanation!"
The headmaster's office door was roughly opened. Snape entered with a dark face, slamming a potion bottle on his desk.
"Oh, wonderful potion... to give me sweet dreams? So thoughtful, Severus... I've been having trouble sleeping lately..."
"Fear of humanoid magical creatures suddenly going berserk and closing Hogwarts?"
"Oh?" Dumbledore's eyes flashed with understanding. "You know about Sterling Page, that adorable little fellow."
"Dumbledore! You promised to protect Lily's child. Is this your so-called protection?"
Snape paced anxiously in the office.
"A completely unstudied new species of magical creature... with human appearance and intelligence and magical ability far exceeding normal humans... Such a monster... you let Potter stay with him constantly?"
"Don't say that, Severus. Sterling is a good child."
"How do you ensure he'll always be a good child? What if he gets hungry with only Harry Potter nearby..."
"Oh... well, let's have a proper talk then."
Dumbledore poured Snape tea, indicating he should sit first.
"But before that, I must correct your viewpoint... It's not completely unstudied. Quite the contrary, Sterling's race is household knowledge in England..."