Chapter 56: 56: The Same Knowledge

Professor Snape was not always so disliked by young wizards; at least, Sheen looked forward to seeing the Potions Master in the dungeons.

Though he loved to mock, the knowledge he imparted did not vanish.

This knowledge was the accumulation of many years from a Potions Master, and it was always precise, allowing Sheen to benefit greatly.

In the evening, the Hogwarts corridors were immersed in a lazy and warm atmosphere.

The setting sun cast long patches of golden light across the cold stone floor through the towering arched windows.

The edge of the Forbidden Forest in the distance began to blur, as a thin layer of twilight drifted from between the trees, slowly swallowing the tops of the towering pines.

Carrying his small black bag, Sheen bypassed the frolicking young wizards.

As he passed, several Hufflepuffs looked up to watch him, remaining silent for a moment.

An orphan residing at the school would not have many opportunities to make money.

The methods Sheen considered for making money were roughly

Writing assignments—though the income was low, and there might be competitors.

Personal shopping—one would need to master some secret passages, and Sheen suspected the twins might already be in this business.

The method he favored most was going to the greenhouses—Professor Sprout was quite happy to give young wizards some seeds, which Sheen could grow himself and then sell.

Earning Galleons was an important matter, but if it came at the expense of time spent studying magic, Sheen felt it would not be worth it.

Just like his History of Magic notes, Sheen would not rush to perfect them simply because he needed to earn Galleons.

History of Magic itself was interesting enough; if one could not take a long time to brew a sincere masterpiece and instead produced something merely for profit, it would be hard to call it a good thing.

Thus, Professor Snape's words arrived just in time

"Even the most mediocre potions will not lack wizards eager to obtain them..."

The last time Professor Snape had said this, Sheen's eyes had brightened significantly, causing the Potions Master to pause for a second.

The surroundings gradually grew cold and dim as Sheen pushed open the dungeon doors.

He felt a slight disappointment upon not seeing the Potions Master's figure.

However, this did not stop him from efficiently taking out his materials and lighting his cauldron.

While Professor Snape's guidance could certainly multiply his learning progress, without a solid foundation, one could not achieve deep understanding or mastery.

Melodious white steam rose in wisps through the dungeon once again. The scene here seemed never to have changed since the tenth century; only the figures before the cauldrons changed, the only constant being the focused eyes.

Well, two pairs of eyes.

Deep in the dungeon, beside a row of strangely shaped specimens, a pair of dark eyes emerged, currently lingering frequently and for longer durations by Sheen's cauldron, silently observing every step.

Progress, immense progress, came from almost clumsy, stubborn effort...

Just as Sheen was about to brew the leeches, a cold voice drifted over

"Is your intelligence so low that you cannot even recognize a leech? On the second shelf, to the left—"

Sheen paused, looked up at the high shelf, and then used the Levitation Charm to carefully catch the glass jar.

"Your impoverished vision can only collect inferior materials. Next time, if I see you desecrating a wonderful potion with such inferior ingredients again... Sheen Green—you had better get out of my dungeon ahead of time!"

Sheen naturally ignored Professor Snape's sarcasm, momentarily stunned—

What a strange thing; Professor Snape was actually willing to let him use his own materials?

*Well,* Sheen thought, *it turns out the professors at Hogwarts are all hidden wealthy individuals.*

As Sheen immersed himself once more in the brewing, Professor Snape also fell into a rare silence.

He could not forget that technique; although it was merely a clumsy imitation of his own, it was something unprecedented. Few wizards were clever enough to memorize every single detail of how he brewed potions during class.

Constant imitation and constant correction—this was almost the universal path to success.

The wizard before him was not a Potions genius, but he could be described as a solitary student who shared an equal passion for Potions.

Snape had observed him casually; he did not care for social interaction and cared only for the cauldron before him. This mannerism made it hard not to see shadows of the boy from Spinner's End.

Connecting this to the foolish explosions the stupid Gryffindors caused in Potions class—especially Harry Potter, who actually failed to stop his idiot friends in advance!

It was clearly a provocation!

Consequently, Professor Snape's brow, which often furrowed with sarcasm and dissatisfaction, relaxed slightly.

Bubbles gurgled from the cauldron as the thick liquid gradually turned a dark green. Sheen focused on controlling the heat; the cauldron control techniques from Master Libatius Borage could almost cause a leap in potion quality.

But this caused Professor Snape's pupils to contract

"Where did you learn that heat control—I do not recall teaching it that way!"

Sheen's heart tightened.

*Oh no, does Professor Snape not approve of Master Libatius Borage's philosophy on heat control?*

Sheen remembered from the original story that when Professor Snape used Master Borage's book, he had made extensive annotations to improve the potion-making methods within.

"Advanced Potion-Making, Professor," Sheen admitted.

"Hmph—"

Professor Snape let out a cold sneer.

"The final step's heat is too low, and the stirring direction in step three is reversed. Redo it! Are your eyes merely decorative?"

Sheen was stunned; Professor Snape actually knew about these hidden details?

He did not hesitate and quickly overturned the batch to start again.

Two hours later.

[You have completed a batch of Scabbed Potion to a Proficient standard. Proficiency +10]

"Thank you, Professor."

This was the second batch of Scabbed Potion Sheen had brewed to a Proficient level, reaching the standard for sale.

Professor Snape reclaimed the potion in the name of the Hogwarts fixed potion recovery regulations. Although Sheen suspected this was made up on the spot, the professor gave him a massive sum of three Galleons.

Thus, he silently placed the Galleons carefully into his bag, thinking to himself that Potions was truly a high-profit industry in the wizarding world.

Snape looked at the cautious young wizard, his face written with "Hmph—no ambition."

After the potion was completed, he scrutinized the barely passing potion once more, a cold arc forming at the corner of his mouth.

His voice was like a rustling sound in the dungeon, hoarse and full of malice

"It seems that even the most barren soil can occasionally squeeze out something decent by sheer luck. An acceptable product merely means you have barely crossed the abyss of incompetence, rather than stepping onto the pedestal of Potions. Do not use 'arrogance' to numb your senses. Otherwise, regret will be your only antidote—Sheen Green—mediocrity is a choice, and here, I will never accept those who choose it."

(End of Chapter)