Aurora didn't care about Snape's attitude; after all, she knew Snape never liked her, otherwise she wouldn't have used the [Evans Dance Warning] on him.
"Very well, the idiots in this class are only twenty more than I expected."
Once Snape had checked everyone's potion, the little wizards, finally able to relax, filed out of the classroom. Ian glanced back and was taken aback by a surprising sight—Snape didn't walk out as usual after class but instead took out big locks and started to secure the classroom's supply cabinets.
"Who is he guarding against!"
Ian kept looking back every few steps, feeling frustrated. He was willing to bet that if Snape went through all this trouble for ordinary classroom supplies, he surely wouldn't be lax with the cabinets in his underground office—most likely fortified with the same high security locks as the library, ones even his Level 3 Unlocking Spell couldn't handle.
"It's all Quirrell's fault!" Ian shifted the blame to the Professor of Muggle Studies. And indeed, there was a logic to it; Snape hadn't been so vigilant before Quirrell arrived.
He wasn't just cautious of Ian, but didn't guard against any of the other little wizards either. The Professor of Potions might have some questionable teaching methods, but he never stopped any wizard talented enough to steal his supplies—much like the ancient tradition at Hogwarts: if you're not caught, it's tacitly approved.
Many professors still silently adhere to this tradition, just like Snape, who, even after so many years since graduation, still applied it to Hagrid.
Isn't this yet another legacy of a tradition from the Middle Ages?
"The weather is getting colder; it's definitely going to snow soon."
"The Pocket Fire really comes in handy, and it's cheap too. I bought eight of them, even tuck one in at bedtime."
"I use one too, but I tuck it inside."
...
Seeing many little wizards clutching the Weasley Twins' fire bottle in their hands, and thinking about his unsold heated underwear, Ian's already gloomy mood took a further nosedive.
He prided himself on having better alchemy skills than the twins, but he listened to his bad-influence roommate's flattery, missing out on a golden opportunity to corner the winter market at Hogwarts.
"Thankfully, the sales of the Living Map are decent." This was about the only comfort Ian had; the school's market was still too small, with too few wizard children. If thousands of new students could enroll every year, Ian believed selling just the regular version of his maps would make him rich.
He could leverage his great relationship with Dumbledore to open a shop right in Hogwarts Castle—everyone knows that's even more profitable than opening one in Diagon Alley.
"Eating is the only thing that can lift my spirits." The dinner banquet was as lavish as usual, with quite a few innovative dishes added; Ian even spotted the ginseng chicken soup he had suggested before.
"Ugh! They used turkey!"
The culinary skills of the house-elves clearly needed some improvement. Dumbledore made a rare appearance at Hogwarts for the banquet, chatting and laughing with the professors in his purple robes.
Of course.
Professor Quirrell's smile was more of a forced one; he couldn't even stomach the food in front of him. Even the little wizards sensed something was off with him.
"Are you alright, Professor Quirrell? You look unwell." Professor McGonagall was deeply concerned about her colleague's health, but when she suddenly placed a hand on Quirrell's shoulder, it caused him to spill quite a bit of water from his cup. Noticing Dumbledore looking over, he hurriedly stood and left the hall, using feeling unwell as an excuse.
"Our Professor Quirrell must have caught something outside." Dumbledore made an excuse for Quirrell, but his voice carried a hint of deeper meaning.
"I'll accompany Madam Pomfrey to check on him later." Snape immersed himself in his food; his rare gesture of offering help surprised Professor McGonagall.
"Severus, I'll leave this matter to you. Please take good care of our Professor Quirrell." Dumbledore's instructions to Snape seemed to have a hidden implication.
Not far away.
From the student seats, Ian "eavesdropped" on the professors' conversation and noticed that after speaking, Dumbledore turned towards him and gave a quick wink and smile.
"So much for the supposedly undetectable eavesdropping spell—the author of the books in the Forbidden Book Area was just bragging!" Ian downed a large bowl of turkey soup to mask his embarrassment.
It didn't taste good at all.
But it must have been nutritious, given that it had ginseng. Ian chewed the dry turkey meat in his mouth and overheard the professors all concerned about the items stolen from Dumbledore.
Earlier, Dumbledore's unauthorized entry into Gringotts hadn't been exposed, and after the Ministry of Magic struggled to cover up the robbery incident, somehow it turned into items being stolen from Dumbledore.
Gringotts even made a sincere compensation to Dumbledore… Truly, this magical world never ceases to amaze Ian.
"They say it was to show me that even wizards like him have a sinister side; I see it as a factual lesson in what power and authority mean."
"Lucky that I have no ambitions, otherwise he might have groomed me into the fourth Black Demon King." With his hunger satisfied, Ian headed to the library, only returning to the common room when it was time to teach the little wizards.