The Great Hall on the first floor of the main building of Hogwarts Castle.
Thomas and Severus were still in the corridor when they heard the students' exclamations rising and falling.
The entire Hall was in chaos.
A short ghost, like a clown from the Muggle World, dressed in extremely comical colorful clothes and wearing an oddly shaped, brightly colored hat, was floating in mid-air.
This ghost clearly enjoyed causing chaos; it would occasionally snatch pieces of moldy bread from thin air and gleefully toss them at the heads of passing students.
Each time the bread hit its target, accompanied by the students' sharp screams and their frantic fleeing, it would let out bursts of 'hehe' laughter, appearing particularly smug.
The students in the Hall avoided it, dodging out of the way, fearing they would become its next target.
However, amidst this chaos, several boys wearing Gryffindor robes stood out; their eyes gleamed with excitement, and instead of fleeing, they walked towards the ghost.
"Peeves, you're finished this time!"
As they shouted, they pulled out 'Dungbombs'—the Wizarding World's most popular prank items among young people—from their pockets and threw them at Peeves.
"Are these Gryffindors idiots!" Severus exclaimed in disbelief; how could such a prank item affect a ghost!
These magical bombs, which emitted a rotten smell, could not cause substantial harm to people, but their effect was exceptionally annoying.
They released a disgusting stench that clung to the clothes and skin of the attacked, difficult to dispel.
Using them against Peeves was ineffective against the enemy and self-damaging!
"Oh, annoying Gryffindors~" Peeves, as expected, was completely unaffected; he laughed wildly, put up a barrier, and easily bounced the 'Dungbombs' back.
The older students were fine, able to defend themselves with defensive spells, but the younger students suffered.
The entire Hall began to reek of an unpleasant odor.
Thomas tilted his head to dodge a 'Dungbomb' that nearly grazed his scalp, already regretting stepping into this Hall with his right foot first.
He exchanged a glance with Severus, and they tacitly quickened their pace, running wildly out of the main building.
Even after they ran out of the Castle's main door, they seemed to faintly smell that nauseating odor.
Thomas stopped, still shaken: "Damn, I should have had Sherlock buy us two gas masks!" This 'biochemical weapon' was actually a prank toy that could be bought anywhere.
Severus pulled a transparent crystal glass spray bottle from his pocket; the liquid inside shimmered with a crystalline glow in the sunlight.
He shook the bottle, gently pressed the nozzle, and sprayed some of the liquid on both of them.
A pure, natural scent instantly diffused, like the freshness after the first snow melts, cleansing the surrounding air.
Any lingering odor on them quickly vanished without a trace.
Thomas took a deep breath, curiously looking at his brother: "That smells really good, but Severus, when did you get interested in making perfume?"
Severus looked a bit helpless: "These are my failed attempts at making a Soul Stabilizer; I didn't expect them to come in handy here."
Behind the main building of Hogwarts Castle, Thomas and Severus walked around a garden path to a large glass greenhouse, which was the location of their Herbology Class today.
The greenhouse's main structure was framed by dozens of thick, curved cypress timbers, jointly supporting a clear, transparent dome.
Huge transparent glass panels were embedded all around, allowing sunlight to better penetrate and illuminate every plant.
Various magical herbs competed for beauty, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and flowers, making one feel refreshed.
At this moment, a witch in a dark green robe, short and stout but exceptionally kind, stood on one side of the greenhouse; she held a slender wand, her gaze focused and gentle, skillfully using magic to treat several wilting Dittany plants.
As her spell rang out, the originally droopy Dittany gradually regained vitality, their leaves standing upright again, blooming with a healthy green luster.
She was the Professor for this course—Pomona Sprout, the Dean of Hufflepuff House.
Thomas and Severus's footsteps caught her attention.
Professor Sprout turned around, her gaze falling on the two of them, a hint of surprise flashing before being replaced by a warm smile: "Slytherin boys? How rare, you've come so early." Herbology was often considered a marginal subject, and most Slytherins largely disdained it.
Thomas walked over to her, turning the direction of several potted Sun Orchids whose flower buds were facing away from the glass; in an instant, those orchids bloomed.
Touching the small white flowers, he also smiled at Professor Sprout: "Professor Sprout, I'm Thomas Snape. I think these two pots of Sun Orchids are ready for harvesting."
"Mr. Snape, it seems you know a lot about herbs." Professor Sprout playfully winked at Thomas: "Five points to Slytherin."
"If it's alright, Professor Sprout, you can just call me Thomas." He pulled Severus, who was slowly strolling over, closer; their two similar faces were clearly visible: "This is my younger brother, Severus Snape. We are both very interested in Herbology."
Thomas wanted to build a good relationship with Professor Sprout; there were many exotic flowers and plants in this Greenhouse, and he was quite eager to get his hands on them.
"Oh, it's been a long time since I've seen twins in the Wizarding World," Professor Sprout exclaimed.
Severus offered a polite smile, but his gaze was firmly drawn to a small plant protected by a magical defensive spell.
"This is Sacred Unicorn Root, do you recognize it?" Professor Sprout followed his gaze.
"Yes, it's a Unicorn's favorite food, and one of the main ingredients for making a Soul Stabilizer!" Severus was a bit excited: "It's my first time seeing them in their growth phase."
Professor Sprout was very pleased with the two young wizards' knowledge of Herbology, but... her brow furrowed slightly, and she warned: "You are only first-years, do not easily attempt to brew advanced Potions; that is an extremely dangerous thing!"
"I just read about it in a book, Professor." Severus nodded obediently, as if it wasn't him who had repeatedly failed to brew Soul Stabilizer at home.
Under Thomas's influence, Severus was now very familiar with the art of feigning compliance; as long as he wasn't caught, he remained a good child in the eyes of adults.
"Three more points to Slytherin, for Mr. Snape's erudition." Professor Sprout was very pleased with the young wizard's obedience.
She then instinctively began teaching: "You are absolutely right, this is one of the most important main ingredients for a Soul Stabilizer."
She opened the plant's protective shield, allowing Thomas and Severus to get a better look at the plant, which had small green thorny stems covered in downy flowers like dandelions: "You see, when the downy flowers at the very top turn green, that's their mature stage."
"Harvesting them on the first day of their maturity will maximize the efficacy of the Soul Stabilizer. If you only buy dried finished products from a store, the success rate of brewing this potion will be greatly reduced." Herbology and potions are inherently complementary; one wrong step leads to many wrong steps.
So that's how it is. A flicker of light crossed Severus's eyes, and he gave Thomas a look.
His brother's needs must, of course, be met.
Thomas nodded imperceptibly: "Professor, may I touch it?" he inquired, like a very studious student.
"Of course." Professor Sprout readily agreed.
Thomas bent down, his movements revealing an indescribable gentleness and delicacy.
At such close proximity, Thomas's nose caught a faint scent, very similar to the fresh aroma he had smelled earlier from the transparent crystal glass spray bottle in Severus's hand.
He carefully reached out and gently touched the small downy flowers.
Professor Sprout was surprised to find that under the boy's gentle touch, these downy flowers seemed to sense something, blooming even more profusely, appearing as though they might mature early within the next two days.
And without Professor Sprout's awareness, Thomas collected a few seeds in his hand.
Malfoy Manor, study.
The curtains were tightly drawn, not letting in a single ray of light.
In the dim space, the flickering candlelight illuminated the figures of two men; one stood, one sat, silently highlighting the difference in their status.
Abraxas Malfoy, the current head of the House of Malfoy, dressed in a well-tailored dark robe, stood at the lower end of the study.
His posture was tall yet humble, his hands gently clasped in front of him, as if every inch of his muscle conveyed deep reverence for the person before him.
He kept his head slightly bowed, his shrewd blue eyes not directly meeting the direction of the main seat, but his respect and submission were accurately conveyed through every subtle movement to the person seated in the main position.
In the study, behind an ancient and heavy oak desk, sat a black-haired man, his face almost transparently pale, yet unable to conceal the inherent handsomeness and extraordinary quality emanating from him.
His deep black eyes occasionally flashed red, intertwining ruthlessness and ambition; he was the unrivaled Dark Lord of the current Wizarding World—Lord Voldemort, who had just returned from the Black Forest in Albania.
He perused the various intelligence and news gathered by his subordinates and presented to Abraxas Malfoy during this period, these parchments densely covered with records of every stir in the Wizarding World.
He read very carefully; every detail here could be key to his future decisions.
Finally, his gaze settled on one of the intelligence reports: "Abraxas, I hear an unknown young Potions Master has appeared in Diagon Alley. The potions he sells are all of excellent quality, and he has great potential to become a Potions Master within ten years."