No matter what, the delightful summer holidays were beckoning Jane Yu with open arms.
Unfortunately, the news that Professor Snape would be her summer guardian had somehow leaked, triggering a series of dramatic reactions.
"Seriously—Professor Snape—yes, he's our Head of House—but this is just too much—"
Daphne Greengrass was left utterly stunned when Jane dropped this bombshell on her.
After enduring an entire term of detentions spent with Flobberworms, Daphne had developed what she referred to as "Snape PTSD."
"Jane, you have to tell me—if I write to you during the summer, will I get drowned in the Black Lake by Snape when term starts?"
Theodore Nott didn't look much better. He had already identified the pattern of his detentions.
If he exchanged more than five sentences with Jane during Potions class, Snape's death glare would zero in on him, accompanied by a biting remark like:
"Mr. Nott, I fail to see how using the thing beneath your nose could possibly improve the quality of your potion—"
After being subjected to such withering sarcasm, Theodore would inevitably earn himself five buckets of Flobberworms and a week of detention.
Jane looked at them with some confusion.
Sure, Snape might seem a bit stern, but he was the Head of Slytherin, and he never deducted points from their house…
His potions were both aesthetically pleasing and highly effective, and he always answered her questions…
He even had a certain cold, humorous charm to his speech…
He could help her deal with stray-dog-level personal issues…
And after an entire term of detentions, he even gave her Galleons… Truly kind and approachable…
Was there really a need for them to be so afraid?
"Jane, I think we might have very different definitions of the term 'cold humor.'"
Theodore pursed his lips, his eyes filled with disapproval.
Meanwhile, Daphne looked as though her soul had left her body, but she still managed to tremble out a thumbs-up to Jane:
"As expected of you—kind and approachable—you're amazing, Jane—"
Although she felt that Theodore's and her reactions were far more reasonable, this was Jane they were talking about!
In front of Jane, a proud lion could turn into a kitten, and a mighty basilisk could become a harmless snack…
So it seemed entirely plausible that the old bat could turn into a fledgling chick… right?
With this thought, she managed to convince herself.
The only person who remained unbothered by all this was Draco Malfoy.
Even though he had served longer detentions and dealt with more Flobberworms than anyone else, he didn't think it was his fault.
"You're going to stay with Professor Snape?"
He frowned and thought briefly. Snape was certainly better than Jane disappearing without a trace as she had the past two years.
"Alright… Even if it's Professor Snape…" He winced at the thought of Flobberworms but quickly brightened up. "At least I'll know where you are…"
He was completely unaware that his father had also stepped onto Snape's blacklist. Cheerfully, he added:
"I'll ask my parents to visit Professor Snape. Do you think he'll let you come to the Quidditch World Cup? Mmph—"
Before he could finish, the other Slytherins, looking none too pleased, covered his mouth and dragged him away.
...
The last house on Spinner's End.
Jane Yu stepped out of the fireplace, curiously taking in her surroundings.
The dimly lit, cramped sitting room was furnished with shabby furniture. The walls were lined with bookshelves, making her feel as though she had stepped into a prison built of books. The entire room exuded an air of intellectualism, clearly belonging to a highly educated individual.
Professor Snape truly lived up to his reputation as Hogwarts' resident intellectual recluse!
Jane marveled inwardly.
With so many books, her summer was bound to be anything but boring!
Snape pointed his wand at one of the book-lined walls. With a loud bang, a hidden door swung open, revealing a narrow staircase.
"Your bedroom is on the second floor."
He led her up the stairs to a room that was a scaled replica of the Slytherin dormitory.
Jane set down her two heavy trunks.
Snape then proceeded to announce a series of house rules, including no noise, adherence to Hogwarts' schedule, and a ban on bringing in stupid dogs or werewolves. Jane keenly noticed that he seemed to have slipped in some personal grievances.
"Since Dumbledore agreed to send you here, I doubt he would be pleased to see you waste these months."
Snape had clearly planned this summer meticulously. He had ordered a vast quantity of potion ingredients, intending to spend the summer making great strides with Jane.
"June and July will be spent mastering the remaining content of Advanced Potion-Making—"
"In August, with an entire month at our disposal, I believe you'll have enough time to innovate and improve upon potions—"
Snape rattled off a list of tasks and instructions, aiming to fill Jane's brain—and her summer—with potions.
Jane had no doubt that by the end of the summer, she could apply for exemption from Potions classes altogether, skipping straight to her N.E.W.T.s.
Her thoughts were confirmed by Snape's sarcastic endorsement:
"Of course, I assume your barely adequate brain would prefer not to continue associating with trolls—"
"Not to mention our esteemed Headmaster's brilliant idea—"
"Having students from all four houses brew potions together. I have no doubt the Potions classroom will be launched into the stratosphere by brawling students and exploding cauldrons."
Jane imagined a scene where she had to brew potions while constantly casting Protego to shield herself from nearby groups' explosions.
Or a scenario where Slytherins and Gryffindors hurled leeches at each other and doused each other with cauldrons of potions.
She shuddered for her own safety and suddenly realized how naive her earlier plan to cozy up to Hermione had been—
What if she ended up paired with three freeloading kelpies instead?
Wouldn't she have to carry the entire group on her back?
And what if all four of them were socially awkward, spending half the class exchanging awkward but polite smiles?
Would she be forced to break the ice and start a conversation?
This group project sounded more like a group punishment!
This Potions class was better avoided altogether!
"Sir, why don't we start studying right now? I have some questions about Golpalott's Third Law…"
She put on a perfect fake smile and an eager-to-learn attitude.
Seeing his "encourage learning" goal achieved, Snape's lips curved into a rare, satisfied smile.
"Not bad," he said, offering a rare compliment. "You can think of it as 1 + 1 > 2, where the overall effect of the potion exceeds the sum of its parts. If we analyze the potion's components, the primary goal is to identify the additive elements…"
Both parties efficiently reached an understanding, appreciating each other's tact and courtesy.
It seemed like the beginning of a pleasant and uneventful summer—
At least, at that moment, both of them thought so.
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