"Audrey, your relationship with the ghosts is really good."
Isaline put down her knife and fork, wiped her mouth elegantly with a napkin, and teased.
Audrey's mouth twitched. "It's great. It feels extremely cool. Isaline, do you want to come and try?"
"I'd rather not, Audrey," Isaline covered her mouth and giggled. "Next is our Head of House Professor Snape's class. You've never encountered Potions before, right? Why don't you sit with me? That way, I might be able to look out for you a bit."
Audrey nodded: "That would be great!" ('With you doing the work, I can slack off!')
Dorca Yaxley walked over to Audrey's side: "Miss Astley, I wonder if I might have the honor of escorting you to the Potions classroom?"
Audrey looked up at the nearly 1.9-meter-tall Yaxley and gave a professional smile: "No need, Senior Yaxley. Your seventh-year classes are different from our fifth-year ones. Escorting me to the Potions classroom would delay your own class, so I'd rather not trouble you. Thank you!"
Yaxley wanted to say more, but Audrey had already pointed to Isaline. "Besides, I have a friend with me. I won't get lost."
Yaxley nodded, gave a gentlemanly bow, and left.
Isaline leaned close to Audrey's ear, forcing the Fat Friar to float twenty centimeters further away. She whispered, "You're not interested in Dorca Yaxley, are you?"
Audrey quickly shook her head: "Of course not!"
Isaline said: "That's for the best. Don't be fooled by his polite appearance. His reputation isn't very good."
Seeing Audrey's uncomprehending look, Isaline blushed, conflicted about whether she should gossip about others.
Finally, she whispered: "From first year to seventh year, he's had a new girlfriend every term. He's probably looking for his thirteenth one now."
Audrey smiled. "Don't worry, Isaline. I have to focus on my studies for two and a half years. I don't have time for that kind of boring stuff."
'Mainly because I was scammed out of money and love by a scumbag in my past life. I just don't believe in love anymore.'
After the meal, the two headed for the Potions classroom.
Isaline walked far ahead to lead the way, while Audrey was stared at by young wizards all along the path.
She was a superstar, yes, and never had stage fright.
But that was because she was willing to sing for others and enjoyed the feeling of being worshiped.
But now she was being watched because she had a large group of creepy "pendants"... Even the Headless Hunt had come to join the fun. A dozen ghosts followed behind Audrey, a spectacular sight.
The eyes of the onlooking young wizards held no worship. It was... a look mixed with curiosity, surprise, and schadenfreude.
Audrey couldn't shake these clinging guys at all. Even when they reached the Potions classroom, the ghosts still scrambled to fly in.
"This is a classroom. All of you, get out!"
Severus Snape, already waiting at the professor's desk, frowned and yelled at the ghosts.
However, their usual respect for professors was currently overridden by the "high" of absorbing magic, tossed by the ghosts into Merlin's vault.
According to legend, Merlin's vault was hidden at the ends of the earth, not an easy place to find.
"Get out!"
Snape waved his wand. Every professor at Hogwarts is granted the authority to expel ghosts, so the ghosts were forcibly pushed out of the classroom.
The only ghost at Hogwarts probably unaffected by this spell was Cuthbert Binns, because he himself was a professor and had the authority.
"Miss Astley," Snape's expression was clearly not good. "You are very famous in the Muggle world, and perhaps have some small fame in the wizarding world."
His eyes were sharp as a hawk's. "But that is no reason to bring riff-raff into my classroom!"
"I'm sorry, Professor!"
Audrey, knowing Snape's venomous tongue, didn't talk back. To deal with people like him, you just had to go along with them, regardless of whether he was right or wrong.
Otherwise, what would follow was definitely an overwhelming barrage of sarcasm.
"Get to your seat."
Audrey obediently followed Isaline and sat down.
'Man, Snape's aura is really scary.'
'It's scary, not powerful.'
'When it comes to a powerful aura, Audrey only respected Dumbledore and Grindelwald.'
'Bode Gray also counted, but she didn't know if that impression was just because of her childhood trauma.'
"You will be taking your O.W.L.s this year. If your exam results do not reach 'Outstanding,' I will not permit such fools to attend my advanced classes in the sixth year."
He glanced at Audrey. "To ensure you have a clear understanding of what you have learned in the past four years, starting this lesson, we will review the potions you have learned previously."
He ignored the students' disappointed looks and continued, "Until I am satisfied that you have fully mastered your past knowledge, I will not teach you any new potions!"
As he spoke, he prowled among the students, like a beast-king surveying his territory.
When he finished his opening speech, he quickly turned back to his desk and said loudly, "Today we will be brewing the potion from the very first lesson of your first year. Who can tell me what that was?"
Percy Weasley raised his hand—this was a combined Potions class for Slytherin and Gryffindor, and as a top student, Percy's desire to answer was no weaker than Hermione Granger's.
However, Snape ignored Percy and called on someone else:
"Miss Farley, tell me the answer."
Gemma Farley stood up: "It's the Cure for Boils, Professor!"
"Very good. That is a trait a student should have—never forgetting what has been learned!"
"Correct. Today's lesson is to brew the Cure for Boils. I hope you are not so foolish that you cannot even prepare a first-year potion!"
"Furthermore, Miss Farley's answer was good. Two points to Slytherin."
Audrey was a bit surprised. She had guessed Snape would give Slytherin at least five or ten points for this. 'Only two points, isn't that a bit conservative?'
Because it was review material, Snape did not provide the instructions.
Isaline's grades weren't outstanding, but she wasn't a bad student. She was quite familiar with a low-level potion like the Cure for Boils.
They got the ingredients, and the two began to prepare them.
Snape glided silently to their side and drawled, "Miss Windsor, do not help. This potion will be completed by Miss Astley alone."
Audrey: ... 'He's not giving me any chance to slack off.'
"Yes, Professor."
Audrey, agreeing outwardly but cursing him inwardly, began to efficiently prepare the ingredients.
She placed six snake fangs into the mortar and began to grind.
Her technique was so skilled it made Snape look twice.
After grinding for a moment, Audrey, without needing a reminder from Isaline, began to preheat the cauldron.
After one minute of preheating, the snake fangs in Audrey's hand were perfectly ground.
Snape was extremely surprised. Audrey's process and technique were flawless. She didn't seem like a novice at all!
After the potion came to a full boil, Audrey immediately stopped heating, moved the cauldron away from the flame, and began stirring with her wand to help it cool.
Once the outside of the cauldron was warm, she decisively added the appropriate amount of slug mucus.
This action made Snape let out a "Hmm." The amount Audrey added was identical to the dosage he himself used when brewing. This wasn't something one could master without several years of practice.
Only after the cauldron was completely cool did Audrey add the final ingredient, porcupine quills.
Then came the stirring.
Just then, a loud BANG echoed in the classroom. Snape immediately rushed over.
"Oliver Wood! Has practicing Quidditch filled your head with muscles as well?"
"Even a first-year knows to wait until the cauldron is completely cool before adding porcupine quills!"
Oliver Wood was the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Although Potions wasn't his strong suit, he was decent at Charms.
Before Snape could act, he had already controlled the explosion, making all the liquid vanish.
However, this could not save Gryffindor's points.
"Foolish maneuver. Five points from Gryffindor!"
He shot Oliver Wood a glare and walked back toward Audrey.
From a distance, he saw pink smoke rising from Audrey's cauldron, a sign of correct brewing.
When he got closer, he found the potion in Audrey's cauldron was a beautiful blue. Because of the magical elements constantly emanating from her body, one could even see specks of magical essence in the potion, embellishing it like a starry sky.
'A Cure for Boils of the absolute highest quality!'
Snape was very pleasantly surprised.
"Miss Astley, on her first attempt at brewing a Cure for Boils, has done it perfectly!"
"You should all come and look. I wonder if you'll feel any shame!"
He looked pointedly toward the Gryffindors, the corner of his mouth lifting almost imperceptibly.
"Outstanding talent, a perfect brew. Ten points to Slytherin!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]