Chapter 200
Chapter 200
For the past few days, Suer had gone to Snape after dinner to work–or, more accurately, to be worked over. The wisest course would have been to avoid the professor while he was in such a foul mood.
What Neville had done in Defence Against the Dark Arts should have lost its novelty after a few days. Unfortunately, a small moving figurine suddenly became fashionable throughout the castle.
It was a model of Snape in women’s clothing, made from a lump of clay infused with magic.
Suer did not need to think hard to identify its creators. No one but the Weasley twins of Gryffindor would possess such courage.
They had probably spotted a business opportunity. Students could buy a figurine of Snape in black robes, then use their imagination and Transfiguration to dress it however they pleased.
When Snape found one wearing a brilliant red dress inside Harry’s bag during Potions, he was furious.
He viciously deducted fifty points from Gryffindor, then identified the culprits as quickly as possible.
It made no difference. Truthfully, the twins’ figurines required almost no skill and simply fell apart when their magic faded.
So even after the Weasley twins stopped selling them, students secretly made their own and amused themselves by giving Snape new outfits.
There was no helping it. From first year through seventh, almost everyone outside Slytherin had suffered beneath Snape to some degree.
One could say Snape’s reputation in the castle had reached the highest possible figure–provided a minus sign was placed before it.
Suer’s opportunity came on the night before the full moon. Snape left him alone in the potion laboratory and carried out a bottle of still-warm potion.
A potion brewed for the full moon and delivered personally by Snape was not difficult to identify: Wolfsbane Potion.
Hopefully Professor Lupin would still be capable of teaching the following week after drinking it…
Suer had personally watched Snape add ten times the usual quantity of bitter-root grass during the final stage.
Whatever the case, the long-suffering Suer finally had his chance.
Heh heh heh. Suer grinned wickedly and extended a sinful hand towards the shelves packed with jars.
After so many beatings, it was only reasonable to seek a little emotional compensation, wasn’t it?
After doing so much work, asking for a little payment was reasonable too, wasn’t it?
Snape left quickly and returned just as quickly, since the staff room was not far away. Even so, Suer had enough time to help himself to several rare potion ingredients.
Professor Snape possessed one habit that greatly favoured Suer: he loved processing ingredients, storing them in labelled bottles and collecting anything exceptionally rare.
That made Suer’s task remarkably convenient.
After routinely using Legilimency to examine–or torment–Suer’s progress in Occlumency, Snape immediately threw him out.
Once Suer left, Snape stared at the shelves for a long time, doubt repeatedly flickering through his eyes.
Was it his imagination, or were some of his treasures missing?
The following evening, Friday, Suer calmly set out one potion ingredient after another beneath Hermione’s astonished gaze.
“Armadillo bile… Antipodean Opaleye eggshell… Libyan insect chelicerae… Doxy venom…”
Hermione read the label of every bottle she picked up.
“Did you rob Professor Snape’s potion stores? And actually succeed?”
“Keep your voice down. It was a routine operation.” Suer thrust out his chest righteously. “There were some things I didn’t take because the quantities were too small and the professor would notice. He had plenty of everything here.”
“Right, all the ingredients for that potion are here.” From among the many bottles and jars, Suer selected everything required for the potion he and Hermione had discussed.
“It’s nearly time. We should go outside the castle first. The moonlight is excellent tonight, perfect for beginning the first stage of becoming an Animagus.”
Suer produced a bottle filled with liquid. A curled Mandrake leaf floated inside.
“But before that…” Suer handed the Mandrake leaf to Hermione, then took out an empty bottle.
“Saliva.”
Hermione accepted the bottle with a miserable expression. “I think I could endure the pain of the Animagus transformation.”
“Trust me, it truly hurts.” Suer held the bottle out towards her.
The wizard’s saliva was essential if this potion was to avoid interfering with the Animagus transformation, and the person who would drink it had to be the wizard preparing to transform.
The wizard’s own hair would also need to be added during the middle or later stages of brewing.
“Then leave.” Hermione’s face reddened. She absolutely refused to spit in front of Suer. Such an undignified act would ruin the image of a beautiful young witch.
Suer was extremely reluctant and invented every excuse he could to remain. Before the little lioness lost her temper, however, he had no choice but to leave the Room of Requirement temporarily.
“We’ll be exchanging saliva eventually… Is this really necessary?”
“I am counting to three.” Hermione narrowed her eyes.
“Fine, I’m going, I’m going…”
The moment the door of the Room of Requirement closed, Suer’s smile rose. He had secretly left a recording orb among the pile of potion ingredients.
She would never expect that.
Recording orbs were wonderful things. Once Suer learnt the shop’s address, he immediately sent Little Gray and Hedwig–the owl pair had become mates–to purchase two boxes. Anything capable of preserving an embarrassing moment deserved to be kept in ample supply.
They were an endless source of amusement…
Hermione emerged from the Room of Requirement not long afterwards, carrying a small bottle filled with thick, bubbling liquid.
Suer could not help marvelling. His mouth had gone dry before he managed to collect half a bottle, while Hermione had filled an entire small bottle in hardly any time.
Whatever Merlin might have said on the subject, several pages of the calendar soon turned.
During that time, Hogwarts remained peaceful.
Their third Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson was theoretical. Professor Lupin introduced a Dark creature he had encountered during his travels, formally known as a Kappa.
One could also call it a river imp. To Suer, it was not merely similar to the kappa of Japanese folklore; it looked exactly the same.
It resembled a scaled monkey, bald and web-fingered, that lived in water and dragged unsuspecting wizards or Muggles below the surface to drown or strangle them.
In Potions, Snape’s hostility towards Gryffindor became almost deranged. Even when a potion was brewed successfully, he found an excuse to deduct several points, leaving the young lions bitterly resentful.
Their resentment did nothing to stop him, especially where Neville was concerned. Suer had several times found Neville secretly wiping away tears in an empty classroom.
Poor Neville. Terrifying Snape.
In short, less than a month into the school year, Gryffindor had nearly secured last place, while Hufflepuff had a real chance of winning the House Cup.
Even Dumbledore could hardly award Gryffindor three hundred points from nowhere… could he?