Chapter 7: Slytherin's Daily Routine (Part 1)
Early the next morning, Su Yu was woken up by an itch.
Something furry was rubbing against his chin. He reached out groggily, his fingertips sinking into soft fur. Then the thing moved, and a tail swept across his nose—a big, fluffy tail.
Su Yu's nose itched, then itched again, and then—
He opened his eyes wide, looked down, and saw a little fox curled up in his arms.
The fox had golden-red fur, with nine tails spread out behind her. Her ears were pricked, tips twitching slightly, and her amber eyes were staring at him without blinking.
Su Yu froze.
Kurama also watched him.
They stared at each other for about two seconds.
Then Su Yu grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and tossed her toward the foot of the bed...
The scene shifted.
The sound of water in the bathroom stopped. Su Yupushed the door open and walked out, his hair combed and his robes neat. He was buttoning his cuffs as he walked, still looking sleepy.
Kurama was still lying on the bed.
Her posture was exactly the same as before—four legs stretched out, chin resting on the mattress.
Su Yu walked to the bed and glanced at her.
"I've already apologized to you so many times, okay? I didn't know it was you. You materialized in the middle of the night without telling me, and I was startled too, alright?"
Kurama buried her face in her tails and let out a muffled grunt.
Su Yu took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"I was wrong," he said.
"That's it?"
"I was wrong. I shouldn't have thrown you."
"That's it?"
...
Finally, after Su Yu signed a series of unequal treaties, Kurama finally forgave him...
Su Yu bent down and picked her up. Kurama adjusted her posture in his arms, finding the most comfortable spot, resting her chin on his shoulder, her nine tails hanging on both sides of his arms like a fluffy shawl.
"Let's go," Su Yu said, "time to eat."
He pushed open the bedroom door and walked into the Slytherin common room.
Then he froze.
The common room was packed with people—from first years to seventh years, all the Slytherin students were there. They sat on the dark green sofas and silver chairs, some holding teacups, some holding textbooks, but the moment Su Yu pushed the door open, everyone's gaze turned to him in unison.
Su Yu stood at the door, holding Kurama, and swept his gaze across the hall.
"What is this?" he asked.
Daphne Greengrass stood up from the crowd. She was wearing a well-tailored dark green robe, her long golden hair draped loosely over her shoulders. She walked up to Su Yu and pointed at the people filling the hall.
"Everyone is here waiting for you. From now on, Slytherinwill be led by you."
Slytherin is known for cunning, ambition, and a thirst for power. Yesterday, Su Yu's actions—seeing through Professor Dumbledore's little schemes, confronting Professor Dumbledore directly, and the Tailed Beast Ball—just happened to align with...
Su Yu looked at them.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
The crowd looked at Kurama in Su Yu's arms. First, they were full of surprise, then they realized this must be the powerful fox from last night. Many students who had previously been afraid now had eyes that had changed from fear to worship, full of enthusiasm for the strong—it was the very picture of Stockholm syndrome, or to put it bluntly, like a group of perverts.
Daphne walked to Su Yu's side, raised her hand to gently straighten his slightly messy collar. Su Yu sighed inwardly, feeling a headache. He had originally been too lazy to manage these people, thinking it would be better to let these little snakes fend for themselves, but now he had been pushed into the leader's position, and he feared he wouldn't have any peace in the future.
"Let's go," Su Yu said, his voice still lazy. "Let's eat first."
He carried Kurama, took a step, and walked toward the common room exit. Daphne followed beside him, while the others—those sitting, standing, or leaning against the wall—stood up one by one and followed behind him.
When they stepped into the Great Hall, students from the other three houses were still discussing last night's major event in twos and threes. But seeing the unusually orderly Slytherins today, and noticing that the leader was none other than Su Yu, whom they had privately called a half-breed last night, discussions erupted instantly, and various gazes were cast their way.
At the Slytherin table, Su Yu sat down in the middle seat. Kurama jumped from his arms onto the table, crouching next to his plate, her nine tails swaying elegantly behind her.
Su Yu didn't care about the others' discussions. His attention was entirely on Kurama.
Because Kurama was already clamoring for cheesecake.
"Cheesecake!" Kurama's voice exploded in his mind, louder than her roar in the Forbidden Forest last night. "I want cheesecake! I want it now! Immediately!"
Daphne also sat down beside him.
Su Yu looked around and didn't see Hermione or Neville, but when he turned to order breakfast, he was stunned to find the table already full of various cheesecakes, piled high—all ordered by Kurama while he was turning his head.
Su Yu's mouth twitched.
"Ordering so much," he said, his voice carrying a helpless "are you crazy" tone, "can you finish it?"
Kurama turned her head and looked at him. She replied righteously: "None of your business? Being able to eat is a blessing!" Her mouth opened slightly, revealing two sharp canines.
Then she turned back and dove into the nearest caramel cheesecake.
Her eating style—Su Yu didn't want to use the word "elegant." Her eating style was more like a small avalanche. The cake disappeared into her mouth at an astonishing speed; caramel sauce stuck to her nose tip, strawberry juice dripped down the corners of her mouth, and crumbs flew from her mouth, landing on the table, on her paws, and next to Su Yu's plate. Every time she took a bite, she made a satisfied grunt from deep in her chest, like a cat being scratched under the chin.
Su Yu watched her and sighed.
He turned to Daphne.
"Help me order two cheeseburgers," he said, "extra pickles, no ketchup, mustard instead. Also two German sausages, and hash browns with pineapple yogurt."
Daphne nodded. She reached out, tapped the table lightly, and whispered something—Su Yu didn't hear it clearly, but a few seconds later, the things he ordered appeared neatly in front of him.
He picked up a cheeseburger and took a bite.
Today is Monday.
Su Yu chewed the burger while running through today's schedule in his head.
First period: no class. Second period: Defense Against the Dark Arts Class. Third period: Herbology Class. Afternoon first period: History of Magic. Second period: Transfiguration.
He took a bite of the burger. The most important thing now was eating breakfast—and watching Kurama so she wouldn't stuff herself to death.
Kurama had already finished the third cheesecake and was attacking the fourth. Her nose was covered in caramel sauce, and a strawberry slice was stuck to the tip of her tail; she looked like a warrior who had just finished a battle and was covered in injuries. Her eating method was far from elegant, but her happiness was real.
After breakfast, the Slytherin students who were leaving greeted Su Yu respectfully before walking away.
Just as the crowd dispersed, Su Yu remembered two people who seemed very familiar.
The first was a third-year girl. She stood at the back of the crowd. Her hair was dark brown, in lazy, big waves, with a natural and fluffy curl, full of atmosphere, both charming and cool.
She said her name was Gemma Farley.
The second was a second-year girl. She stood not far from Gemma, but their states were completely different. If Gemma was a sword kept in its scabbard, this girl was a dagger already drawn—her gaze was sharp, and there was a half-smile on the corner of her mouth. Her hair was light blonde, slightly curled, hanging over her shoulders. Her features were as exquisite as a painting, but those eyes—those green eyes, with a sharpness inconsistent with her age—reminded Su Yu of some kind of feline.
Cassandra Vole.
Why were they here? Su Yu also noticed that when they looked at each other, something seemed to crackle in the air; there was a subtle, wordless confrontation between them.
Farley and Cassandra, Su Yu muttered in his heart.
But he didn't think too much about it; when in Rome, do as the Romans do. He stuffed the last bite of his burger into his mouth and scooped Kurama up from the cheesecake wreckage. Kurama burped in his arms, contentedly buried her face in the crook of his arm, and let Su Yu wipe her body.
Daphne just sat quietly beside him.
The people in the hall gradually dispersed. The Slytherins who had classes all greeted Su Yu before leaving. He held Kurama, lay on the Slytherin long table, and chatted with Daphne off and on.
"Are you very tired?" Daphne asked.
"Tired, because I can't lie down," Su Yu said.
"Then why don't you go back to the common room to lie down for a while?"
"It's close to the classroom here. Don't want to walk anymore."
Daphne looked at him. She didn't say anything else, just sat quietly beside him, opened her textbook, and occasionally looked up at the time.
Soon, it was almost time for class.
Su Yu straightened up from the table and stretched lazily. Kurama was squeezed in his arms and let out an unsatisfied grunt, but soon found a comfortable position and lay back down.
"Let's go," Su Yu said, "let's go to the fourth floor."
He walked with Daphne, Malfoy, and a few new Slytherinstudents toward Classroom 401 on the fourth floor. The corridor was crowded—Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs—everyone was rushing to their second class of the day. Some were digging through schoolbags for textbooks, some were chatting with friends, some were running, some were chasing.
Su Yu pushed open the door to Classroom 401.
A strong smell of garlic rushed out.
Su Yu's nose wrinkled. Kurama suddenly raised her head in his arms, her nose twitching twice, then her whole face crinkled up, like a cat that had just been stuffed with a lemon.
"What is this smell!" Her voice exploded in Su Yu's mind. "Is this a classroom or a slop bucket?"
Su Yu didn't answer. He found a seat by the window and sat down, placing Kurama on the table. Daphne sat beside him, took out her Defense Against the Dark Arts Classtextbook from her bag, and turned to the first lesson.
Not long after, Professor Quirrell walked in.
He was wearing a purple robe, and the huge turban on his head had some kind of incomprehensible pattern embroidered on the purple fabric. His pace was fast, almost a trot, and he tripped when he reached the front of the podium, almost falling.
"Heh—heh—hello students," Professor Quirrell's voice was intermittent, as if his throat was stuck with something. "To—today we are going to talk about—about an experience I had when I was in Africa."
"At—at that time, I was in a small country in Africa—helping an African prince—drive away a troublesome revenant." He reached out and touched the turban on his head. "This—this is what the prince gave me—to thank me."
Daphne sat next to Su Yu, her hands clasped on the table, leaning forward slightly, with some admiration on her face.
"I'd love to experience that too," she whispered to Su Yu. "An African prince, a revenant, and a gift..."
Su Yu leaned back in his chair, looked at her, and whispered to her: "There are princes everywhere in Africa; a village can have several."
"And those princes will eat people," Su Yu continued, "because they are still in a tribal conflict mode over there. Just imagine—a guy, wearing nothing but a pair of underpants made of leaves and shells, with white paint on his face, wah-wah-wah-ing as he rushes toward you to hug and kiss you—"
Daphne's expression changed visibly.
Her eyes widened first, then narrowed; her mouth went from slightly open to tightly pursed; the admiration on her face seemed to be erased bit by bit by an eraser. Finally, she turned her head and looked at Su Yu with a "why would you do this to me" look.
Then she reached out and pinched Su Yu's waist.
Su Yu grimaced in pain. He shrank to the side, almost knocking Kurama off the table. Kurama raised her head, looked at Su Yu, then at Daphne, let out an ambiguous grunt, and buried her face back into her paws.
Su Yu rubbed his waist; this girl really pinched hard.
When class ended, Kurama stood up from the table and shook her fur.
"Su Yu," she said to him, "that Professor Quirrell is full of malice."
"Not ordinary malice," Kurama continued, her amber eyes staring at the direction where Professor Quirrelldisappeared at the classroom door, "it's very thick, very deep... like something is living inside him."
Su Yu didn't answer; he already knew. He just nodded, picked up Kurama, and walked out of the classroom.
Third period was Herbology Class.
Su Yu, along with Daphne and the little Slytherin snakes, walked through the back door of the Castle, along a path paved with stone slabs, toward the greenhouse behind the Castle. Kurama lay in his arms, occasionally raising her head to look at the flowers and plants on both sides of the road.
The greenhouse was warm, and the air was filled with the damp smell of soil and humus. Professor Sprout stood at the very front of the greenhouse, wearing an old, patched robe, her smile as warm as an apple roasted by the fireplace for a whole afternoon.
"Alright, alright, children," her voice was loud and enthusiastic, "today we are going to learn about a very interesting plant—Bubotuber. Come, everyone, gather around—"
Su Yu didn't go over. He and Kurama lagged at the very back of the line, slowly walking along the edge of the greenhouse. Daphne walked beside him, holding a small notebook, stopping from time to time to take a few notes.
"This is wormwood," she pointed to a cluster of silver-green plants, her voice light and natural, "it can be used to make Forgetfulness Potion. This is nettle, it can be used to make Swelling Solution. This is—"
Su Yu followed her finger and nodded. He didn't really care what these plants were called or what they were used for—he was more concerned with another matter.
"Are these edible?" he asked.
Daphne froze for a moment. Of course only you would ask such a question...
"Most of them are not," she said, "but those raspberries planted on both sides of the road are edible."
She squatted down, picked a few red raspberries from the bushes by the road, and handed them to Su Yu.
Su Yu took them and popped one into his mouth. The sweet and sour juice exploded on his tongue, carrying a clear, cool feeling that belonged to the morning. Kuramapoked her head out of his arms, her nose twitched twice, then her mouth opened, revealing an "I want some too" expression.
Su Yu stuffed another raspberry into Kurama's mouth. Kurama chewed twice, her amber eyes narrowed, and the tip of her tail brushed lightly against Su Yu's arm.
Daphne squatted by the road, continuing to pick raspberries. Her hands were deft, her movements fast, and soon she had a small handful in her palm. She handed the raspberries to Su Yu, then stood up, patted the dirt off her robes, and continued walking forward.
"This is Mandrake," Professor Sprout pointed to a row of large flowerpots not far away. The plants in the pots had broad leaves, and the tops of a few small, wrinkled roots were exposed in the middle of the leaves, "I will have you transplant them next semester. But you must wear earmuffs, otherwise their cries can kill."
A group of young Wizards retreated a few steps in fear.
"This is Dittany," she said, pointing to the plant on the other side. Its leaves were thick, with a fine layer of fuzz along the edges. "This is..."
Su Yu followed Daphne the entire way. He didn't take notes, didn't ask questions, and just listened quietly to Professor Sprout. Daphne would also add explanations for Su Yu about whether each plant was edible.
Su Yu felt that even if he couldn't remember the names and uses of these plants, at least he could remember which ones were edible and which ones were not. That was probably enough.
When class ended, because Su Yu had eaten too many raspberries, he wiped his mouth and hands on Kurama's back.
He rubbed his hands on Kurama's fur, smearing the raspberry juice onto her golden-red fur. Kurama's body stiffened, and then she slowly, inch by inch, turned her head around, activating her Spinosaurus form.
Su Yu looked at her expression, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
Then he turned and ran.
"Su Yu—!"
Kurama let out a wild roar. She sprang up from the ground, pushed off with her four legs, and spread her nine tails out behind her, chasing after Su Yu.
Su Yu ran a few steps, took a turn, and circled behind Daphne.
"You—stop—right—there—!" Kurama's voice was intermittent because she was running at full speed; with every step, a syllable was squeezed out of her throat.
Su Yu circled around Daphne. Kurama chased behind, her claws making a clattering sound on the ground, and her nine tails whipping through the air with a whistling noise. Daphne stood in the middle, holding her little notebook, the expression on her face shifting from surprise to helplessness, and then from helplessness to a kind of amused tenderness.
"You two—" she said.
Su Yu circled from her left to her right. Kurama chased from her right to her left.
"Don't run!" Kurama shouted.
"If you stop, I won't run!" Su Yu shouted.
"You stop first!"
"You first!"
Daphne reached out and blocked Su Yu. Su Yu's footsteps stopped abruptly, and Kurama, unable to brake in time, crashed into Daphne's calf, did a somersault, and landed on the ground on her back with her four paws in the air.
Her nine tails spread out beneath her in an irregular circle; her four legs kicked in the air twice, then fell limply.
Daphne picked Kurama up gently and carefully wiped the stains off her body bit by bit with a handkerchief.
Su Yu stood behind Daphne and reached out to touch Kurama's head.
Kurama's tail lashed out violently, slapping his hand.
"Don't touch me," her voice was cold. "I'm angry. I'm really angry. This time it's for real."
Su Yu didn't pull his hand back. He reached out again.
Kurama's tail slapped him again.
"Don't touch me."
Su Yu reached out again.
Kurama's tail raised up, suspended in mid-air, and didn't come down. She paused, then turned her head and gave Su Yu a look that said, "You won, but I won't admit it."
Su Yu's hand landed on the top of her head and rubbed it gently twice.
Kurama's ears twitched.
Daphne held Kurama, watching the antics of this boy and fox.
By the time Herbology Class ended, it was almost noon. Su Yu, holding Kurama again, returned to the Great Hallwith Daphne. On the Slytherin table, lunch had already been laid out—roast beef, fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and a large plate of lettuce that didn't look very fresh.
Su Yu sat down and was just about to reach for the roast beef when a voice came from behind him.
"Su Yu!"
The voice was crisp and rapid, like someone scattering a handful of beans on a drum. Su Yu turned his head and saw a mass of bushy brown hair moving toward him.
Hermione Granger was practically running. Her face was full of excitement, her eyes shining as if a lamp had been lit inside them, and she was clutching a thick book—Su Yuglanced at the cover; it was "Introduction to Advanced Transfiguration"—the edges of the book were already curling from being flipped through.
"Su Yu!" Hermione ran up to the Slytherin table, breathless, and said, "You—you last night—I saw it—that—that fox—so big—so amazing—you—"
Her speaking speed was like a machine gun with a jammed trigger, every word crowding the next, joining together into a mass of indistinct syllables. Her face was flushed from running too fast, fine beads of sweat on her forehead, and a few strands of her curly hair stuck up in front, looking like a dandelion scattered by the wind.
Su Yu looked at her.
"Slow down," he said. "One sentence at a time."
Hermione took a deep breath, then another deep breath, and then—
"Did you see it yesterday!" Her voice was louder than before. "I saw it! That fox! That big one! Standing in the Forbidden Forest! The whole school saw it! Professor McGonagall said it was—it was what—she said it was from the East—but didn't know what it was called—"
"Kurama," Su Yu said. "Her name is Kurama."
"Kurama!" Hermione repeated, her pronunciation a bit awkward but surprisingly accurate. "How do you know? Is she your—your—pet? Familiar? Or—"
"She is my friend," Su Yu said.
Kurama shifted in his arms, her ears perking up, then she lay back down.
Hermione's eyes shone even brighter. She opened her mouth and was just about to continue asking when Su Yureached out and pointed to the seat next to him.
"Sit down and talk," he said. "You haven't eaten yet, have you?"
Hermione looked down at the Slytherin table, hesitated, then sat down. She placed the "Introduction to Advanced Transfiguration" book on the table, folded her hands on her lap, and leaned forward slightly, like a bird ready to take flight at any moment.
"This is Daphne," Su Yu pointed to the girl on his other side. "Daphne Greengrass. She's also in Slytherin, in our year."
Daphne smiled and nodded at Hermione. "Hello, Miss Granger."
"Just call me Hermione," Hermione said, her speaking speed quickening again. "You're in Slytherin too? Then you must know what happened last night, right? Did you see it? That fox—"
"I saw it," Daphne said, her voice gentle and calm. "I was in the Great Hall at the time."
"Then you must have been terrified!"
Daphne smiled. "A little."
Su Yu pointed to the Kurama in his arms. "This is Kurama."
Hermione looked down at the golden-red fox in Su Yu's arms. Kurama raised her head and looked at Hermionewith a weary "you're doing this again" look, her ears drooping and her tail curled into a ball.
"She's the one from last night? But she's so cute!" Hermione said, reaching out to touch Kurama's head.
Kurama tilted her head to the side, avoiding Hermione's hand.
"She doesn't really like being touched by strangers," Su Yusaid. "Give her some time."
Hermione pulled her hand back and nodded. Then she started again.
She talked about how she had found an ancient book on Eastern magic systems in the library this morning, she talked about how she had successfully cast Alohomora in Charms Class, and Professor Flitwick had given her five points; she talked about how she had encountered Peevesin the corridor, and Peeves had thrown a bucket of water at her, but she was lucky and dodged it after seeing it, and the bucket of water had splashed right onto Filch—
Su Yu listened to Hermione while eating the roast beef on his plate. He nodded occasionally, said "hmm" occasionally, and occasionally interjected with "what happened after that?"—he found that he had mastered a technique for conversing with Hermione: you don't need to say much, you just need to give her a start, and she can finish the rest of the content all by herself.
Kurama let out a long, painful sigh in his arms.
"She's started again," Kurama's voice echoed in Su Yu's mind, filled with despair. "From the moment she sat down until now, her mouth hasn't stopped."
"She's just excited," Su Yu responded in his heart.
"Excited? You call this excited? This is called—" Kuramaseemed to be searching for an appropriate word, "—this is called noise pollution."
Su Yu didn't respond.
Hermione talked for about another ten minutes. Her voice grew louder, her speed faster, her gestures more elaborate, as if her whole person was driven by an invisible engine that couldn't be stopped.
Kurama's ears perked up. She looked at Hermione, then at Su Yu, and then did something Su Yu had completely not expected.
She stood up from Su Yu's arms, reached out her paw, grabbed a piece of cheesecake from the table—Daphnehad helped her get it at some point—and then used her paw to stuff the entire piece of cake into Hermione's mouth.
Hermione continued talking to Su Yu while saying thank you.
Then one piece, another piece, and another.
Hermione's words came to an abrupt halt.
Her mouth was now stuffed full of cake, her cheeks bulging like a squirrel storing nuts. Her eyes were wide open, her mouth unable to make any sound, only able to emit indistinct "mmph mmph mmph" noises.
Kurama retracted her paw with satisfaction and lay back down in Su Yu's arms. She buried her face in the crook of Su Yu's arm and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Finally quiet," Kurama said, her voice filled with smugness. "Now I can eat properly."
Su Yu looked at Hermione. Hermione's face was bright red, choking on the cake. Her eyes were wider than before, her mouth opened, wanting to say something, but the cake blocked her throat, and she couldn't make a sound. Her hands gestured wildly in the air, as if calling for help, or perhaps as if accusing someone.
Su Yu hurriedly picked up a glass of water from the table and brought it to Hermione's lips. Hermione took it and gulped it down; once the cup was empty, her complexion slowly returned to normal.
"Cough, cough, cough—" Hermione coughed a few times, wiped the cream from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, and then took a deep breath. "I—I almost choked to death."
Su Yu reached out and patted her back. Hermione's back was narrow, and through her robes, he could feel her shoulder blades trembling slightly.
"Are you okay?" Su Yu asked.
"I'm fine," Hermione said, her voice much lower than before because there was still uneaten cake in her mouth. "It's just—it was just a bit sudden."
Su Yu glanced at Kurama. Kurama buried her face in his arm, pretending she knew nothing. The tip of her tail brushed lightly against Su Yu's arm.
Hermione swallowed the last bite of cake and took a deep breath. Her eyes lit up again, and her mouth opened—
Kurama's ears perked up.
"So," Hermione said, "what classes do you have this afternoon? I have Defense Against the Dark Arts Class this afternoon."
Kurama buried her face even deeper; how was she starting again?
Su Yu let out a laugh in his heart but didn't show it. He listened to Hermione while finishing the last piece of beef on his plate. Daphne sat next to him, drinking tea quietly, occasionally nodding at Hermione, and occasionally giving Su Yu a look that said "she really can talk a lot."
As lunch was coming to an end, Su Yu noticed some movement at the Malfoy table.
"Where is my cheesecake!" Malfoy's voice came from the other end of the long table, filled with offended anger. "Who ate my cheesecake!"
Kurama's body stiffened.
She poked her head out from Su Yu's arms and glanced in Malfoy's direction. Malfoy was standing by the long table, both hands pressed on the tabletop, his gray eyes scanning the table, looking irritable that something he had ordered was missing. Crabbe and Goyle stood behind him, still unable to put together a single brain between them.
Kurama shrank back into Su Yu's arms.
She wiped her mouth with Su Yu's robe—the movement was quick, like a cat that had stolen a fish wiping away the evidence before being discovered—and then buried her face in the crook of Su Yu's arm and closed her eyes.
Her breathing became steady and quiet, like a small animal that had fallen asleep.
Su Yu didn't expose her.
Daphne sat nearby, having seen everything. She took a handkerchief out of her pocket, leaned over, and gently helped Su Yu wipe the traces of cream off his robe.
"You and Kurama," Daphne's voice was very soft, with a gentle smile, "are really alike."
Su Yu didn't answer. He just hugged the Kurama in his arms a little tighter.
The afternoon History of Magic Class was on the second floor.
Su Yu, holding Kurama, walked into the classroom with Daphne. The classroom wasn't large, the desks and chairs were arranged neatly, the windows were high, and sunlight shone in through the window glass, casting square patches of light on the desks. The air was filled with the smell of old books and dust.
Professor Binns was already standing behind the podium.
He was a ghost. His grayish-white, semi-transparent body floated behind the podium, wearing old-fashioned robes, his voice very small, so small it sounded like a bee buzzing in the distance, intermittent.
"Today—we are going to talk about—the first part of—the Introduction to History of Magic—"
Su Yu sat in the back, placing Kurama on the desk. Daphnesat next to him, opened her notebook, and uncapped her quill.
Professor Binns began the lecture.
His voice had no inflection, no pauses, no emphasis—every word seemed to be placed on a conveyor belt, transmitted from the direction of the podium at a steady, monotonous, endless pace. He talked about various figures, various dates, methods of study, laws of development—all the content was mixed together, like a pot of porridge without salt; one bite was enough to know what the whole pot tasted like.
Su Yu's eyes began to grow heavy.
His head lowered bit by bit, like a flower wilted by the sun. Kurama lay on the desk, her chin resting on her paws, her eyes half-open and half-closed, her tail swaying slowly on the desk like a snake falling asleep.
Daphne sat nearby, her quill moving rapidly across the notebook, making a scratching sound. Her handwriting was neat and beautiful, line by line, like laying out a neat little path on the paper. She occasionally stopped, looked up at Professor Binns, and then looked back down to continue writing.
Su Yu's head finally lowered completely, his forehead resting on the desk.
"You're asleep," Daphne's voice came from the side, soft, as if calling to a sleeping kitten.
"No," Su Yu said indistinctly. "I'm listening with my eyes closed."
"You were snoring."
"I didn't."
"You were. Very quietly, but you were."
Su Yu didn't answer. His breathing became steady and deep, his shoulders slowly relaxed, his fingers slipped from the desk and hung by the chair. Kurama also closed her eyes beside him, her nine tails curled into a soft cushion, resting her chin on it.
Daphne looked at them. She reached out helplessly, pushed Su Yu's textbook, which was about to slide onto the floor, back onto the desk, and then lowered her head to continue taking notes.
"You'll definitely be able to use these notes at the end of the term, I'll take them down for you," she whispered to Su Yu.
Su Yu didn't answer. He was already in a dream. In the dream, there was no Professor Binns, no Introduction to History of Magic.
Chapter 8: Daily Life in Slytherin (II)
The second class in the afternoon was Transfiguration.
When Su Yu was shaken awake from his dream by Daphne, he was still dazed.
He rubbed his eyes, scooped Kurama off the table, followed Daphne out of the History of Magic classroom, and walked along the corridor toward the Transfigurationclassroom on the third floor.
Kurama yawned in his arms, revealing two sharp canines.
Su Yu was thinking about Transfiguration.
The Transfiguration classroom was at the far east end of the third floor; the door was made of oak, and the doorknob was made of copper, polished shiny by countless hands.
When Su Yu pushed the door open, quite a few people were already sitting in the classroom—Slytherin students sat on the left, Ravenclaw students sat on the right, with an invisible line between them that everyone could feel.
Su Yu found a seat near the back and sat down.
Daphne was still sitting next to him, and Kurama lay on the table, her tail curled into a ball.
Professor McGonagall was already standing behind the podium.
She wore a dark green robe, her black hair pulled back tightly, her eyes behind the lenses looking sharply at everyone; her lips were pursed, her chin slightly raised, and her whole person exuded a unique aura—this is what a Professor should be like.
"Transfiguration," Professor McGonagall began, her voice neither high nor low, "can be said to be one of the most complex and dangerous types of magic you will learn at Hogwarts."
Her gaze swept across the face of every student.
"If anyone wants to mess around in my class," she said, her voice carrying an unquestionable cold hardness, "get out immediately and never come back. I'm just stating the ugly truth upfront."
Professor McGonagall turned around, drew her wand, and gave a light wave toward a desk on the podium.
Under everyone's gaze, the desk began to transform. Its surface wrinkled, and a few seconds later, the desk disappeared, replaced by a pig.
A pig that was rooting at the podium with its nose.
A low gasp of amazement echoed in the classroom. A few students on the Ravenclaw side covered their mouths, and a few students on the Slytherin side stood up from their chairs. Daphne's mouth was slightly open, and her eyes were shining with excitement.
Professor McGonagall waved her wand again. The pig twitched its ears, and a few seconds later, the desk was back, standing intact behind the podium as if nothing had happened.
"This is Transfiguration!" Professor McGonagall said, her voice returning to that calm, instructional rhythm.
Then she began the formal lesson, and the young Wizards began to take that pile of complex and tedious notes.
When the notes were finished.
She distributed a box of matches to every student's desk.
"Your task today," Professor McGonagall stood behind the podium, hands resting on the desk, "is to turn this match into a needle."
She paused.
"Begin."
The sound of wands waving and incantations being chanted filled the classroom. Someone shouted "Animagus," someone shouted "Animagus," and someone shouted a string of words Su Yu couldn't hear clearly.
Su Yu looked down at the match in front of him. He couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. He had always been severely lopsided in his studies; before awakening the system at six, he had been training his magical abilities and had long ago figured out his own baseline: if the maximum score was ten, his level in Transfiguration and Potion Classcould get at most one point, but he could easily get full marks in Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. This was far from his limit; it was just that the test paper was only worth ten points.
Thinking about having to face the strict Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape for the long term, Su Yufelt his future was bleak and dark.
He drew his wand.
"Animagus," he said.
The match didn't move.
"Animagus," he said again.
The match still didn't move.
"Animagus," the third time.
The match lay quietly on the desktop, its red head facing left, its wooden body straight and calm, like a stranger saying, "I don't know you."
Su Yu's brow furrowed.
Sure enough, his Transfiguration was like a wall. No matter what he threw at the wall—spells, magic power, willpower, prayers—the wall remained motionless, standing there quietly, silently, stubbornly, mocking him with its existence.
Su Yu took a deep breath and raised his wand again.
"Animagus."
The corner of Su Yu's mouth twitched.
The match still didn't move.
Kurama lay on the table, chin resting on her paws, her amber eyes watching him.
"Can't you just try using Chakra?" Kurama's voice sounded in Su Yu's mind, "It's all transformation anyway. You wrap the match in Chakra, imagine it's a needle, and it will turn into a needle. How simple."
Su Yu ignored her.
This class was Transfiguration, using magic, not Chakra. He came to Hogwarts to learn magic, not to show off Chakra. He wanted to use magic to turn the match into a needle, not cheat with Chakra.
"Animagus."
The match moved.
It rolled to the side once and then stopped.
Su Yu stared at the match. The match lay quietly on the desktop, its red head facing right, its wooden body straight and calm; the only difference from before was—it had changed direction.
Kurama let out a low laugh, as if she had held it in for a long time and finally couldn't help it.
Su Yu glared at her.
On the other side of the classroom, a small cheer came from the Ravenclaw table. A girl wearing glasses held up a silvery, shining needle; the eye was tiny, the tip was sharp, reflecting bright light in the sunlight from outside the window. Professor McGonagall walked over, looked at the needle, nodded, and added five points to Ravenclaw.
Another Ravenclaw student succeeded. And another. And another.
The cheering on the Ravenclaw side got louder and louder, while on the Slytherin side, it got quieter and quieter.
Su Yu could feel those gazes—gazes cast from Ravenclawon the other side of the classroom.
The corner of Su Yu's mouth twitched.
He raised his wand.
"Reducto!"
Kurama's laughter exploded in his mind.
"Hahaha hahaha—you—you're going to blow up the match—hahahaha—"
A ball of red light had already emerged from the tip of Su Yu's wand.
A hand pressed onto Su Yu's hand.
Daphne's hand. Her hand was not large, her fingers slender, her palm warm.
Daphne comforted Su Yu from the side, "Don't do that."
Su Yu turned his head and looked at her.
"Transfiguration isn't something you can learn in a day," she said, "Professor McGonagall said it takes a long time of study and practice. If you can't do it today, maybe you can tomorrow. If you can't do it tomorrow, maybe the day after. Even if you never can—" she paused, "you have other abilities. You're already amazing enough."
The light at the tip of Su Yu's wand slowly dissipated.
He lowered his wand.
Daphne's hand also let go. She lowered her head and continued to fiddle with the match in front of her. Her match hadn't turned into a needle either—it hadn't even moved—but her expression was very calm.
At this moment, Professor McGonagall walked over.
Professor McGonagall looked at the match, then at Su Yu. Her expression didn't change.
"Mr. Sean Foley," her voice sounded, "what spell were you reciting when you raised your wand just now?"
Su Yu looked up at Professor McGonagall. "Reducto," he said.
Professor McGonagall's lips pursed.
Then she looked at him for two seconds.
"Because Mr. Sean Foley showed inappropriate judgment in his Transfiguration practice," she said, "five points from Slytherin."
The Slytherin students sat in their seats; no one spoke, no one protested, their expressions were a unified calm. If you looked closely, you could see the corners of a few people's mouths slightly curled up—not in mockery, but a sense of relief that "great, our boss didn't learn it either, so we can justifiably not know how to do it."
Kurama watched from the side, laughing heartily, while Daphne continued to comfort Su Yu.
However, Su Yu also seized the opportunity to lie in Daphne's arms seeking comfort.
Daphne just held Su Yu like that until class ended.
At dinner, Su Yu finally recovered from the "needing Daphne's comfort and hugs" state. He sat at the Slytherinlong table, his plate piled with a few slices of pizza and a pile of fries; Kurama lay next to him, launching a new offensive against a piece of cheesecake. Daphne sat on his other side, drinking soup quietly, occasionally looking up at him, then revealing a faint smile.
Su Yu took a bite of roast beef, chewed twice, and swallowed. He glanced at the Gryffindor table—Harry and Ron were sitting together, talking with their heads down; Hermione was not there. She was probably in some corner of the library reading, having forgotten the time.
Su Yu withdrew his gaze and took another bite of pizza.
Kurama let out a burp next to him.
Daphne smiled, took a handkerchief out of her pocket, and helped Su Yu wipe the corner of his mouth.
"Thank you," he said.
Daphne just smiled and didn't speak.
Chapter 9: Slytherin's Evening Talk
After dinner, Su Yu brought the Slytherins back to the common room.
He sat on the sofa in the common room, holding Kurama in his arms, looking at everyone standing before him—from first years to seventh years, packing the entire Great Hall.
They stood there, some nervous, some expectant, others with their heads bowed, not daring to look at him.
Su Yu scanned the room, speaking to everyone for the first time.
"I know you chose me because of my strength. Because my strength is powerful enough to terrify you, and because you are terrified, you intend to cling to me. Whether you're sincere or just playing along. But now, I am the SlytherinLeader."
The Great Hall was so quiet that the crackling of the firewood in the fireplace could be heard.
No one spoke, no one moved.
Su Yu leaned back into the sofa, his voice low.
"Then let me share my thoughts. First of all, I think this world is wrong. They call several of the magic we often use the Unforgivable Curses. This is wrong. Is there right or wrong in power? Only strength determines right or wrong. Being weak is what's wrong."
A few older students exchanged glances, but no one dared to speak.
"We are Slytherin. Every one of us has been exposed to magic since birth; our resources are far superior to theirs. But what about you?"
Su Yu's gaze landed on Malfoy. "Malfoy, you are still pleased with yourself for mocking Harry after dumping a bag of sweets sent from home onto the table, making a loud clatter."
Malfoy kept his head down, saying nothing. Crabbe and Goyle stood behind him, playing with their fingers, looking exactly like a pair of simpletons.
"I remember, ambition, desire, elegance, and nobility are synonymous with Slytherin, right? But bullying the weak is not among them."
Malfoy lowered his head even further.
Su Yu continued: "I don't think being ambitious is a derogatory term. Is there anything wrong with putting interests first? Other houses say that Slytherins are all Dark Wizards—but they forget that the most famous Dark Wizards came from Slytherin. We are just prone to producing some Wizards who go down the wrong path. Those evil Wizards only care about achieving their goals by any means necessary, but they don't deserve to be called Slytherins. We have ambition, we use any means necessary, but our greatest strength is our proud heart."
He paused, his voice turning cold.
"Like the Dark Lord? Looking down on his own father? Just because his father was a Muggle? After killing his own father, he didn't even dare to write down his name?"
A gasp of cold air sounded in the Great Hall. A few younger students took a step back, and Cedrian's expression shifted, but no one dared to interrupt.
Su Yu ignored their reactions.
"Regardless of whether his father was a Muggle, he didn't even dare to face his own father. Can a person like that even be called a Slytherin? He is a disgrace. What is his ideal? To be a terrorist every day, creating some black humor for those Muggle families? Or hiding in a dark, stinking gutter waiting for revenge? Look at the pathetic things he's done—a Dark Lord, a Dark Lord! What has he led your parents and elders to do? Petty thievery every day?"
Kurama lifted her head from his arms, glanced at him, and then lay back down.
"And your parents' generation," Su Yu's voice was not loud, but every word was like a nail driven into everyone's ears, "You are proud of them, they followed the Dark Lord and threw their weight around. But do they know what it means to never put all your eggs in one basket? Where did the Slytherin priority of interests go? Was it just to take the whole family to rebel? The whole family are Death Eaters—hilarious, they have no brains, and you don't have brains either? You're just going to follow them down this dead end? What do you consider a family to be?"
No one spoke. The faces of a few people had already turned pale.
"I know Slytherins value family ties. But, the more critical the time, the more you should consider the family. But what about you? Being fence-sitters? If you can't beat them, join them, right?"
Su Yu's tone became even colder.
"Do you know about the families in the East? Every time they face a major crisis, they split the family up, each choosing a faction. They wholeheartedly assist the factions they have chosen, even if it means turning their swords against each other, it doesn't matter, so in the end, no matter who wins, they win. This is why they have been able to pass down their legacy for thousands of years. And you? Short-sighted, only focusing on those petty profits. Where did all your connections, wealth, bribery, and manipulation of rules go? What is your current style of doing things? Simple and crude, naked methods, ruined image, abnormally irritable, acting entirely on instinct, never considering the consequences and costs."
He scanned everyone.
"Tell me, among you, how many have a brain?"
Silence.
"Oh, I'm not targeting you two, Crabbe and Goyle, you two keep playing."
Crabbe and Goyle looked up, exchanged a blank look, as if they had understood and yet hadn't. But they were very happy because the Leader had mentioned them! Then they lowered their heads and continued playing with their fingers.
Su Yu stood up from the sofa. Kurama jumped from his arms to the floor and squatted at his feet, her nine tails swaying gently behind her.
"In short, you are Slytherins, not gangsters. Remember, your hearts are proud. No matter when or where, you must maintain your proud hearts—that heart of yours that must never be weak, never lose your fighting spirit, no matter what happens! Even if one day you have nothing, you cannot change that heart of yours! Always remember in your hearts—"
His voice was deep and powerful.
"We are born noble! We are naturally elegant! We are full of ambition! We crave power! Greatness invites jealousy! Jealousy breeds hatred! Your ability to bring me benefits is your true capability!"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces.
"Let the students of other houses see what a true Slytherinis."
The Great Hall was quiet for three seconds.
Then, it was unclear who started it, one, two, three—all the Slytherin students, from first years to seventh years, from Malfoy to Cedrian, knelt down on one knee one after another.
Their right fists pressed against their chests, heads slightly bowed, their voices as uniform as one person.
"We obey your will, Leader!"
At this moment, all the Slytherins were willing to accept this Leader.
Gemma Farley knelt in the middle of the crowd, looking up at Su Yu. Her eyes were unnaturally bright, her lips slightly parted, and two unnatural flushes appeared on her cheeks. Her hands gripped the hem of her robe, her knuckles turning white, her legs involuntarily clamping together for a moment.
This was the boy she should rely on.
Cassandra Vole knelt beside her, her gaze never leaving Su Yu's face. There was no sharpness or cunning in those green eyes, replaced by something she had never shown anyone before. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, but the smile was different from usual—not mockery, not appraisal, but a pure, heartfelt appreciation.
This boy was incredibly handsome.
Su Yu stood in front of the sofa, looking down at the Slytherins kneeling on the floor, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
Having finished speaking, he turned and left.
Kurama followed at his feet, her tails held high.
Chapter 10: Potion Class and the Dungeon
Early in the morning, at the long table in the Great Hall.
Su Yu collapsed into Daphne's arms because he hadn't slept well last night.
Who could have guessed that Gemma Farley would fight so unfairly, ambushing him, a pure-hearted young man, in the middle of the night?
Can you imagine it? Waking up in the middle of the night to find a stunningly beautiful older woman with a seductive look and sexy red lips already straddling your bed, with an expression that truly made it look like she wanted to eat you—what would you do?
Su Yu had originally intended to just enjoy it if he couldn't resist, but who knew Kurama would just flick her tail and swat Farley away, knocking her unconscious.
Su Yu had no choice but to pick up Farley, put her back on the bed, and then plan to go to sleep.
But Kurama firmly disagreed. He had no choice but to spend the night sleepless on the dormitory sofa.
At this moment, Su Yu was collapsed in Daphne's arms, not even wanting to eat.
Daphne didn't say anything; she just held him like that, patting his back, wanting him to sleep more soundly.
Her movements were very light, her palm landing on his back rhythmically. Kurama was lying on the tabletop with a piece of cheesecake in front of her, but she didn't eat it. She just rested her chin on her paws, her amber eyes watching Su Yu, the tip of her tail gently swaying on the tabletop.
Su Yu closed his eyes. Daphne's embrace was very soft, carrying a faint scent of soap, like freshly washed clothes.
He had originally only intended to close his eyes for a moment, but his breathing became deeper and more even, his shoulders slowly relaxed, and his fingers slid off Daphne's sleeve.
It wasn't until it was time for class that Daphne gently shook his shoulder.
"Su Yu, it's time to go."
Su Yu lifted his head groggily and rubbed his eyes.
Daphne's robes had been wrinkled by him, and she was smoothing them out with her hand, her expression very calm, as if nothing had happened.
"What time is it?" Su Yu asked.
"Class is about to start. The first period is Potion Class, in the basement."
Su Yu stood up and scooped Kurama up from the table.
Kurama stretched in his arms, resting her paws on his shoulder, and yawned.
Everyone headed to the Potion Class classroom together.
The Potion Class classroom was located in the dungeon in the basement. The further down they went, the colder the air became.
In the classroom, there were niches on the surrounding walls filled with glass jars. Floating inside the jars were the preserved corpses of animals—in the yellowish-green liquid soaked octopus tentacles, the eyeballs of some unknown creature, and a few lumps of things Su Yucouldn't recognize.
The lower-grade students walked forward with their necks hunched, no one speaking.
The dungeon was much colder than the upper parts of the Castle; it was gloomy and terrifying, truly enough to make one's hair stand on end.
Su Yu found a seat near the back, and Daphne sat next to him.
Kurama lay on the table, took a glance at the glass jars around, and buried her face back into her paws.
Before long, Professor Snape came in like a gust of wind.
His black robes billowed behind him, his pace fast. When he reached the front of the podium, he turned abruptly, the hem of his robes tracing an arc in the air.
His hair was black and greasy, hanging down on both sides of his face like two curtains.
His eyes were black, icy, and hollow, reminding people of a deep, dark tunnel.
His gaze swept across every student's face like a cold blade.
The classroom was so quiet one could hear their own heartbeat.
He picked up the roll and began to call names.
When Snape reached Harry Potter, he slowly lifted his head, his gaze landing on Harry's face.
"Ah, yes," he said in a low, soft voice, "Harry Potter. Our school's new—celebrity."
Malfoy and his cronies Crabbe and Goyle covered their mouths and snickered.
Snape continued calling the roll. After finishing, he placed the roll on the podium, braced his hands on the desk, and looked up at everyone.
His gaze swept over everyone's face once more.
"You are here to learn the subtle science of Potion-making," Snape said.
His voice was very low, almost a whisper, but everyone could hear every word clearly—like Professor McGonagall, Snape had a mysterious power that could easily make students stay quiet.
"Because there are some fools here who only know how to wave their wands about, many of you don't quite believe this is magic. I don't expect you to truly understand the beauty of Potion-making. Think about it: when simmering herbs in a large cauldron, the Potion slowly boils, white steam curling up... and the liquids flowing in human veins, those liquids with incredibly subtle power... it can simply intoxicate your heart, fascinate all your senses..."
He paused.
"I can teach you how to bottle fame, how to brew glory, even... store death... as long as you aren't as stupid as the bunch of fools I used to teach."
Hearing Snape's words, the classroom became even quieter.
It was the first time Gryffindor had class with Slytherin. Hermione, sitting next to Su Yu, sat up straight, her bottom only touching the edge of the chair, as if this could prove to Snape that she was definitely not a fool.
"Potter!"
Snape suddenly called Harry up.
"If I were to add powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood, what would I get?"
Powder of what added to the juice of what? Harry stole a glance at Ron; it seemed Ron was just as confused as he was. But Hermione was desperately raising her hand high; her hand reached straight toward the ceiling, and she was almost standing up from her chair.
"I don't know, sir." Harry answered in a low voice.
Snape pursed his lips and scoffed.
"Tsk tsk, it seems fame isn't everything."
He completely ignored Hermione's raised hand.
"Very well, let me ask you another question. If I asked you to find a bezoar, where would you look?"
Hermione raised her hand as high as she could, so high that her hand seemed about to leave her body and fly into the air. But Harry didn't have the slightest concept of a bezoar. He tried his best not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, the three of whom were laughing so hard their whole bodies were shaking.
"I don't know, sir."
"Don't you ever read the textbook before coming to class? Eh? Potter?"
Harry tried his best to face those icy eyes.
Snape still ignored Hermione's trembling hand.
"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
This time, Hermione stood up; her right hand was almost reaching the ceiling of the dungeon.
"I don't know," Harry said in a low voice, "but I think Hermione knows. Why don't you ask her?"
Some students burst into laughter. Harry glanced at Ron, and Ron winked at him. However, Snape was not pleased at all.
"Sit down." Snape glared at Harry.
"The questions I just asked—asphodel bulb and wormwood mixed together make a very powerful sleeping Potion, which people call the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat, and it is the antidote to many poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they refer to the same plant; they are both common names for a plant called aconite. Well? Why aren't you writing this down?"
The dungeon immediately became abuzz, everyone scrambling to take out their quills and parchment.
Snape added, "Potter, for your rude backtalk to a teacher just now, I have decided to deduct one point from you."
The first class passed by so boringly; Su Yu felt like he had watched a movie—a boring melodrama.
However, there was more bad news: the second period was also Potion Class.
There were two classes this morning, and both were Potion Class.
Snape had the students pair up, teaching them how to mix a few simple herbs to treat burns.
After all, Hermione was a Gryffindor; she couldn't be in a group with Su Yu and had to return to the Gryffindor side helplessly. As she left, she glanced at Su Yu, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.
Su Yu naturally paired with Daphne.
Snape walked around the dungeon in his large black cloak, watching how they weighed the dried nettles and crushed snake fangs. His pace was slow, every step silent, like a snake gliding in the shadows. Whoever he walked up to, their body would unconsciously tense up.
Almost everyone got scolded.
"These are dried nettles, not hay—where are your eyes?"
"Snake fangs are to be crushed, not smashed—are you a barbarian?"
"The fire is too high—are you cooking a meal or brewing a Potion?"
Only Malfoy and Daphne were spared. It seemed Snapeliked Malfoy a bit; he told everyone to take a good look at how Malfoy did it. When acidic green mist rose from the stewing slug horns, making a hissing sound, how well Malfoy handled it!
Su Yu followed Daphne's steps one by one. He didn't know much about Potion-making, but his eyes weren't blind, and his hands weren't crippled—whatever Daphne did, he followed; however much Daphne added, he added; however many times Daphne stirred, he stirred. The two's progress was neither fast nor slow, and the Potion in the cauldron slowly turned light blue. When Snape passed by, he took a look but didn't say anything.
But there was a problem on Neville's side.
He was in a group with Seamus. Somehow, Neville had actually burned through Seamus's large cauldron. First, black smoke came out of the bottom of the cauldron, and then—bang—the bottom cracked, and the boiling hot Potion gushed out from the crack, flowing down the tabletop and burning hole after hole in the students' shoes. In no time, many students had climbed onto their tables.
Neville didn't have time to jump onto the table. He was scared silly, standing still in place, watching as the pot of boiling hot Potion was about to pour onto him—
A sheet of sand blocked the way in front of Neville.
Sand poured out from Su Yu's sleeve, silently spreading into a thin barrier in front of Neville. The boiling hot Potionhit the sand wall, making a hissing sound, then flowed along the arc of the sand wall to both sides, dripping onto the floor. Neville stood in place, his face pale, lips trembling, but not a single drop of Potion had touched him.
"Idiot!" Snape roared, waving his wand to clean up the spilled Potion on the floor.
He walked up to Neville, looking down at the frightened child.
"Did you add the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"
Neville was scared out of his wits and started to cry. Big tears fell down, snot ran out, and his whole body shook like a leaf in the wind.
Snape turned around, staring at Harry and Ron, who were sitting next to Neville. His eyes narrowed, and his lips pressed into a line.
"You—Potter—why didn't you tell Neville that porcupine quills shouldn't be added when brewing this kind of Potion? You thought that if he messed up, you'd have a good show to watch, right?"
Harry opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Snape didn't give him a chance.
"I am going to deduct another point from you!"
Then, he changed the subject and looked at Su Yu.
"Because of Su Yu's quick thinking, which saved a classmate, Slytherin gains five points!"
At eleven o'clock, they walked out of the dungeon.
Su Yu was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. Last night's insomnia, combined with the damp cold of the dungeon, left him feeling completely drained, his footsteps unsteady, his eyes half-closed.
He came to the Great Hall with Daphne and asked Daphneto help him order some hamburgers, fried chicken, and cola.
"I'm going back to continue sleeping," Su Yu said.
Daphne looked at him, not saying things like "You haven't eaten yet." She just nodded, wrapped the hamburgers and fried chicken in paper, and put them into a small bag.
"You go back and sleep first," she said. "I'll bring the food, and you can eat when you wake up. But remember, there are still two classes this afternoon—Charms Class and Herbology Class."
"Mm."
"I will wake you up in advance."
Su Yu nodded, hugged Kurama, and turned to leave.
Daphne stood in the Great Hall, watching his back disappear in the direction of the Slytherin Common Room, then looked down at the small bag in her hand, the corners of her mouth slightly curling up.
At one-thirty, Daphne knocked on the door of Su Yu's dormitory.
The door was opened by Kurama. She hooked the doorknob with her tail and pulled, and the door opened. Then she squatted at the doorway, her amber eyes looking at Daphne.
Su Yu had already gotten up and was washing up.
Kurama turned and walked inside, and Daphne followed behind. She placed the small bag on the table; inside were the hamburgers and fried chicken she had brought at noon, along with a cup of cola—it wasn't cold anymore, but still drinkable.
When Su Yu came out of the washroom, his hair was combed, and his robes were on. He looked much better than in the morning—his eyes were open, and there was a bit of color on his face.
"Let's go," he said, taking a bite of a hamburger from the bag as he walked.
On the way, Su Yu was much better. He ate the hamburger while hurrying to the Charms Class classroom, Kuramalying in his arms, occasionally looking up at the hamburger in his hand, then lying back down.
The one teaching them Charms Class was Professor Flitwick.
He was a very, very small Wizard, so short that only the top of his head could be seen when he stood behind the podium. He placed a stack of books next to the podium; during class, he had to stand on that stack of books to be able to see his desk. His voice was high-pitched but very enthusiastic, and he would constantly gesture with both hands when speaking, like an excited little bird.
Su Yu really liked listening to his lectures.
Professor Flitwick wouldn't scold people coldly like Snape, nor would he be as serious as Professor McGonagall, making people unable to breathe. He would laugh, clap, and hop around behind the podium on his tiptoes. When a Ravenclaw girl successfully cast Alohomora, he clapped his hands and said, "Good, good, good," and added ten points to Ravenclaw.
Su Yu leaned against the back of his chair, twirling his wand in his hand, watching Professor Flitwick dancing behind the podium.
This was what a class should be like.