William naturally noticed Snape's gaze. The playful smile at the corner of his lips widened as he casually turned and took the alchemical pistol from the puppet's hand. He spun it around his finger before finally pointing the muzzle steadily at the doorway.
"Don't move, Severus Snape. You're under arrest."
The air froze for two seconds.
Snape didn't even blink. He simply stared at William as if looking at a troll and spoke a single word in a cold voice.
"Childish."
"How boring."
William clicked his tongue and tossed the gun behind him. The alchemical puppet moved swiftly, catching it with a sharp snap before resuming its alert stance.
"You still have no sense of humor, Severus," William sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "Back then, that gloomy personality of yours was exactly why girls didn't like you."
He paused, reconsidered his words halfway through, and awkwardly redirected himself.
"If you'd at least learned to tell a joke or appreciate humor, perhaps those girls might have seen you differently."
Then he looked Snape up and down with a critical eye, lingering on his greasy hair and black robes.
"With your features, you could've gone for the cold, aloof look. But 'aloof' and 'creepy' are two different things. If you don't maintain basic hygiene, people will just think you crawled out of a grave."
"Take my advice, wash your hair more often. It might raise your charm score from negative to zero—"
"That's enough!"
Snape's expression darkened. He clearly had no intention of hearing more about this nonsense.
"I came here on business, not to listen to your pointless advice."
William had already noticed Snape's eyes wandering around the room since he entered, especially toward the darker corners.
"Very well—business." William stepped aside. "What do you want? If you don't say it clearly, this alchemical pistol might accidentally go off."
Ignoring the threat, Snape spoke bluntly while scanning the room.
"I heard you keep a Runespoor."
"So?" William replied casually.
"You know Runespoor eggs are extremely valuable in potion-making," Snape said, eyes gleaming. "They're used in potions that enhance brain activity. But Runespoors are extremely rare in Britain, and tightly controlled by the Ministry of Magic in Burkina Faso. Their eggs are nearly impossible to obtain even on the black market."
He paused and stared intensely at William.
"I want the eggs."
"Oh—" William drawled. "So you've come to ask me for snake eggs."
He crossed his arms, smiling faintly.
"Severus, you don't look like someone asking for a favor. Last time we met, you insulted me and slammed my door. And these past few days, you've twisted your neck in the corridors just to avoid looking at me."
"That's hardly friendly behavior. Even in a business deal, basic courtesy matters."
Snape's cheek twitched.
"I'm not asking for them for free," he said stiffly. "I can pay."
"I can also refuse to sell," William replied with a shrug.
Snape's expression darkened instantly. The room fell into tense silence.
At last, after weighing his options, Snape inhaled deeply and forced the words out like he was swallowing a fly.
"I was in a bad mood before."
He added dryly, "We've always been friends. It wasn't important."
"That's more like it."
Satisfied, William bent down and dragged a large snake out from under the sofa.
"Come greet the guest, Otto."
The orange three-headed Runespoor was pulled into the light. Snape's eyes lit up, locking onto the snake's midsection.
William sighed dramatically.
"What a pity, Severus."
Snape felt a chill. "What do you mean?"
"I'd love to help you. I'd even give you a few eggs for free out of friendship." William spread his hands. "But I can't give you any."
"Why not?!" Snape's voice sharpened. "It looks healthy and fully grown!"
"Because Otto is male," William said seriously. "And male snakes don't lay eggs."
"I believe even first-years know that. Don't you agree, Professor of Potions?"
Snape's face darkened to a shade blacker than the bottom of a burnt cauldron.
"You're playing with me."
"Calm down." William waved dismissively. "Male snakes aren't useless."
"What do you mean?"
"Teach a man how to fish." William stroked his chin thoughtfully. "If you need a stable supply of eggs, relying on one snake makes no sense. Even if Otto were female, you'd exhaust her."
He pointed at Otto, then toward the Forbidden Forest.
"If you can obtain... or borrow a female Runespoor, we could set aside an area in the forest and breed them. That wouldn't just be a few eggs—it'd be a steady supply of materials. Much better value, wouldn't you say?"
William was serious. Alchemy also required magical creature materials, just like potions. And Otto had been living a comfortable life for too long.
Breeding Runespoors in the forest would even improve biodiversity and serve as teaching material for Care of Magical Creatures.
Wouldn't that count as Hogwarts construction? Surely that deserved system points.
Snape's anger froze as his mind began racing.
"…That makes sense."
After a moment, he relaxed his grip on his wand.
"I'll visit Knockturn Alley and make inquiries."
"I look forward to hearing from you, Severus."
William glanced at the clock and snapped his fingers. The puppet picked up a stack of alchemy textbooks.
"Now, I have an Alchemy class to teach."
He straightened his robes and left the room with light footsteps, leaving Snape standing alone, staring thoughtfully at the sleeping male snake.
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