Most of the students were busy trying not to ruin their potions when disaster finally struck.
A thick cloud of acidic green smoke suddenly erupted from one of the cauldrons with a violent hiss that echoed throughout the dungeon classroom.
"IDIOT!"
Snape's roar crashed through the room like thunder.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
His wand snapped upward instantly.
In that split second, Snape saw exactly what had happened. Neville Longbottom had attempted to add the porcupine quills directly into the potion while the cauldron was still sitting over the fire.
For a Potions Master, the outcome was obvious.
The potion would explode.
A flash of magic shot from Snape's wand as he cast a perfectly controlled Levitation Charm. The porcupine quills froze in midair mere inches above the bubbling surface.
At the same moment, Leo moved.
Unlike Snape, his attention wasn't on the ingredients.
It was on Neville.
The terrified Gryffindor had clearly panicked when Snape shouted. His foot caught in his robes as he stumbled backward, nearly dragging the entire cauldron onto himself.
Without hesitation, Leo flicked his wand.
Neville's robes jerked sharply backward under the pull of the spell, stopping him just before he crashed into the cauldron. The heavy pot rocked dangerously but remained upright.
For one brief moment, it looked as though the disaster had been avoided.
Then Seamus Finnigan ruined everything.
Startled by the commotion, Seamus spun around too quickly and accidentally knocked a container of crushed snake fangs directly into Neville's cauldron.
There was a split second of silence.
Then—
BOOM!
The cauldron exploded spectacularly.
A wave of thick smoke blasted across the room while boiling potion splattered in every direction. Several students screamed and dove beneath their desks.
By some miracle, Neville remained completely unharmed thanks to Leo's intervention.
Seamus, unfortunately, was not so fortunate.
His hair stood straight upward. His face was blackened with soot and sticky potion residue. He looked as though he had lost a duel against a chimney.
Snape stood frozen for a dangerous second, still holding the suspended porcupine quills in midair.
He looked at the untouched ingredients.
Then at Neville, who had narrowly escaped disaster.
Then at Seamus.
Then finally at the completely destroyed cauldron.
His expression became terrifying.
"Take this idiot to the Hospital Wing," Snape said coldly, glaring at Neville as though personally offended by his existence.
Madam Pomfrey was going to have a very long day.
Leo quietly observed Snape's darkening expression and suddenly felt he could almost hear the professor's thoughts.
This is the worst class I have ever taught.
With an irritated flick of his wand, Snape cleaned the scorched floor and vanished the shattered remains of the cauldron.
Then he swept around Harry and Ron's workstation like an approaching storm cloud.
"And you," Snape snapped at Harry, "why didn't you stop him from adding the quills?"
Harry stared at him in disbelief.
"What?"
"Do you think standing there watching your classmate fail makes you look clever?" Snape continued viciously. "Another point from Gryffindor."
"That's not fair!" Harry burst out before he could stop himself.
Ron immediately kicked him hard under the table.
"Shut up," Ron hissed urgently, grabbing Harry's sleeve before he could continue arguing.
Harry clenched his fists but forced himself to remain silent.
Meanwhile, Snape finally turned toward Leo.
"For your quick reaction," he said stiffly, "Slytherin gains two points."
Leo honestly didn't care about the points at all, but the surrounding Slytherins still looked pleased.
After the explosion, the atmosphere in the classroom became painfully tense.
Nobody dared relax.
Students followed the instructions on the blackboard with extreme caution, carefully measuring ingredients while constantly glancing over their shoulders to make sure Snape wasn't about to appear behind them.
Leo, meanwhile, remained completely calm.
His movements were smooth and unhurried as he handled each ingredient with practiced precision. Every step was completed flawlessly and almost casually, as though brewing potions required no more effort than making tea.
Draco stared at him in growing disbelief.
"How are you this relaxed?"
Leo continued stirring the potion clockwise.
"Panicking won't improve the potion."
"That's not the point," Draco muttered.
At last, the dungeon bell rang.
The sound was practically heavenly.
The students nearly collapsed with relief as Snape dismissed the class. Everyone hurried to pack their bags and escape before another explosion—or another round of Snape's sarcasm—could occur.
Leo and Draco deliberately slowed their pace until they caught up with Harry and Ron near the back of the departing crowd.
Harry still looked miserable.
"Potter," Draco said quietly, wearing a strangely mysterious expression, "don't you think Professor Snape's behavior today was a little... odd?"
His eyes gleamed with the excitement of someone who believed he had uncovered an important secret.
Ron immediately looked suspicious.
"What's odd about it?" he scoffed. "Fred and George said Snape's always stealing points from Gryffindor."
Ron crossed his arms firmly.
To him, no Slytherin except Leo—and maybe Rose—deserved automatic trust. Draco was still under very heavy probation.
Harry looked uncertain.
"I don't know," he admitted quietly. "It feels more personal than that."
He frowned.
"Ever since I arrived at Hogwarts, he's looked at me like he hates me."
The memory of Snape's stare during the Sorting Feast resurfaced vividly in Harry's mind. Combined with today's humiliation, it left him deeply confused.
Leo smiled faintly.
"Maybe things aren't as simple as they appear."
Harry frowned harder.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Before Leo could answer, Draco immediately leaned forward with visible excitement.
"Leo said earlier there might be some secret behind all this," Draco announced dramatically.
His tone made it sound as though they were discussing hidden treasure rather than a bitter Potions professor.
"Oh? A secret?"
Rose suddenly appeared out of nowhere like an overly enthusiastic ghost.
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"What secret? Tell me."
Even Hermione slowed her pace to listen. Pansy Parkinson glanced over despite herself, while Blaise Zabini raised an interested eyebrow from farther behind them.
Harry looked between Leo and Draco uncertainly.
Despite his skepticism, part of him genuinely wanted an explanation. He couldn't understand why Snape treated him with such cold hostility.
There had to be a reason.
Meanwhile, back inside the now-empty dungeon classroom, Severus Snape stood alone among the rows of abandoned cauldrons.
The room had fallen silent once more.
Slowly, his eyes drifted toward the doorway where Harry had disappeared moments earlier.
Complicated emotions churned beneath the surface of his expression.
Hatred.
Regret.
Bitterness.
Guilt.
All hopelessly tangled together.
He knew perfectly well that his feelings toward Harry Potter remained a knot he could never truly untangle.
And yet, despite everything, the first-years had witnessed something remarkable today.
Not only Snape's terrifying mastery of potions—but also his astonishing control over silent spellcasting.
....
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