Wounded Privileges, Snape’s Personal Grudge

"Is Draco all right?" Pansy Parkinson stopped Aaron in the entrance hall and asked. Everyone else waited tensely for an answer as well.

"He should be fine after some rest. Madam Pomfrey is bandaging him now. You can visit him later."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Gryffindor was even more relieved than Slytherin, because the extent of Draco’s injuries would determine how severely Hagrid was punished.

"That’s good." Pansy complained, "He really ought to be expelled."

"This is Malfoy’s own fault." Dean Thomas said bluntly.

"That was indeed a major part of the reason." Aaron did not deny it. "If Draco hadn’t insulted Buckbeak, he wouldn’t have been hurt.

But Hagrid did go a little too far. His first lesson was certainly novel, but Hippogriffs were still rather dangerous for third-year students."

"He won’t be expelled, will he?" Harry asked worriedly. If Hagrid was thrown out of the school after his very first lesson, he might not be able to bear such a blow.

"No." Aaron shook his head. "Draco said he wouldn’t make trouble for Hagrid, but Buckbeak might not get off so easily. Whatever the reason, it did injure Draco Malfoy, and everyone saw it."

Harry and his two companions looked at one another, deeply indignant at the outcome.

Buckbeak was even more innocent than Hagrid. Malfoy had brought it all on himself, yet Buckbeak was the one taking the blame.

But there was nothing they could do except hope the punishment would not be too severe.

A few days later, Draco finally showed up in Potions Class.

His right arm was wrapped in bandages and hung in a sling. It looked serious, though he had actually recovered for the most part.

Professor Snape had them make Shrinking Solution, a potion that could make whoever drank it smaller or turn them into a younger form.

Draco made full use of his status as an injured student, asking Professor Snape for help throughout the lesson. Snape was especially accommodating, directly assigning his two least favorite students, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, to assist him.

Ron cut daisy roots for him, while Harry peeled figs. Seeing the miserable yet helpless expressions on his two enemies’ faces made Draco feel indescribably delighted.

Aaron finished brewing a bottle of green potion. Watching this, he shook his head speechlessly. "Do you really have to be this childish?"

Draco theatrically raised his arm and grinned smugly. "I’m injured. You can’t expect me to cut all these ingredients with one hand, can you?"

"Crabbe and Goyle would be happy to help you."

"They’re nowhere near as useful as Potter and Weasley." Draco wore a teasing smile. "Besides, this was Professor Snape’s arrangement.

Only because of you, though. Otherwise, I’d definitely have made Granger slice the caterpillars for me."

"Orange!" Professor Snape suddenly roared. Neville Longbottom stood trembling before him. There was no need to guess that his Shrinking Solution had failed.

"Gaius, tell this blockhead where he went wrong."

"Er… he probably added too much rat spleen and leech juice."

"And what would the result be?"

"If you want to kill yourself, you can try drinking it."

"Did you hear that?" Professor Snape said harshly. "I told you to brew a Shrinking Solution, not poison.

Before this lesson ends, we will give your toad a few drops of this potion. Perhaps that will motivate you to brew it properly."

Neville shuddered, tears welling in his eyes.

Only after Snape walked away did he recover from his panic, turning tearfully to Hermione beside him for help.

Aaron sighed, turned around, and switched his potion with Neville’s. "Pay more attention next time."

"Ah, thank you, but…"

"No buts. If you don’t switch them, your Leef will probably be poisoned to death."

At those words, Neville was overcome with gratitude and accepted the Shrinking Solution with tears in his eyes.

"I could have fixed it for him." Hermione said somewhat unconvinced.

"Yes, yes, I don’t doubt that you can. But… aren’t you tired?" Aaron asked meaningfully. "Do you even know how many classes you have today?"

Hermione opened her mouth, then helplessly lowered her head.

The Time-Turner was certainly useful, but it could not relieve fatigue. Her workload was far greater than everyone else’s, and it would be a lie to say she was not tired.

"If I were you, I’d find time to sleep. It would be a miracle if you could keep this up for half a term."

"I’d better not. This is Potions Class!"

"I recommend trying it in Transfiguration Class. Professor McGonagall might understand."

"That’s even less possible." Hermione smiled bitterly. "I can’t disappoint her."

"She wouldn’t be disappointed. She’d only think it understandable."

Hearing that, Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

She could still endure it now, but as time went on, she would inevitably start to feel overwhelmed.

"Wait, why don’t you get tired?" Hermione asked curiously. Whenever she attended two classes at once, she could see Aaron as well, but he always looked full of energy, without the slightest sign of exhaustion.

"Er… you’ll find out later."

"Fine, don’t tell me."

At that moment, Simon Finnigan took out a copy of the Daily Prophet and quietly placed it in front of Harry Potter. "Someone spotted Sirius Black."

"Where?" Harry and Ron immediately asked. They both felt that Professor Trelawney’s "Grim" had a great deal to do with Sirius Black, so they paid particular attention to news of him.

"Dufftown, not far from here.

A Muggle spotted him. They thought he was just an ordinary criminal, so they called the hotline."

"He’s come for you, Potter." Draco said playfully. "You could try catching him by yourself. This is a perfect chance for revenge.

It’s a little risky, but if I were you, I wouldn’t let the Dementors deal with him."

If you can’t find it by searching the book title, try searching the author instead. It may have simply been renamed!

"What did you say, Malfoy?" Harry frowned.

"You don’t know, Potter?" Malfoy sneered. "You really don’t know?

I nearly forgot. You grew up in the Muggle world, so it’s understandable that you don’t know.

But the Ministry of Magic actually didn’t tell you about this. Your parents…"

"Cough, cough!"

Aaron coughed, interrupting Draco.

"Do you know something too?" Harry looked at Aaron. "What exactly does Sirius have to do with my parents?"

"Don’t misunderstand." Aaron spread his hands. "I don’t know anything.

There are plenty of things in the Magic World. Sirius just happens to be outside the scope of what I know."

"Malfoy." Harry had just been about to question him when Snape’s voice carried over.

"Time is up. Now let us test Longbottom’s potion."

Snape strode over to Neville. Both Gryffindor and Slytherin students gathered around of their own accord.

"Let’s see what Longbottom’s toad turns into. If his Shrinking Solution was successful, it will become a tadpole. But if it failed, his toad will be poisoned to death."

As Snape spoke, he scooped up a spoonful of potion. Looking at the brilliant, vivid green in the spoon, he could not help frowning slightly.

He glanced at Aaron without betraying anything, then poured the spoonful down Leef the toad’s throat.

The toad turned into a tadpole and wriggled about in Snape’s hand.

The Gryffindor students immediately erupted in cheers, because it meant Neville’s Shrinking Solution had been successful.

Snape took out a small bottle with a dark expression and dripped several drops of liquid onto the tadpole. It turned back into a toad.

"Class dismissed," Snape said. "Gaius, stay behind."

After everyone else had left the classroom, Snape looked at Aaron helplessly. "You never used to like meddling in other people’s business."

"Professor, what do you mean?"

"Hmph! Are you saying you weren’t the one who helped Longbottom?"

"Maybe it wasn’t me?"

"Gaius, I am the Potions professor. I know every one of your skill levels very well." Snape placed Neville’s Shrinking Solution in front of Aaron. "Look carefully. You’ll find the problem."

Aaron raised an eyebrow. He did not think he would make a mistake with a potion of this difficulty.

"Nothing wrong with it. There isn’t a single problem." Aaron assessed, but as soon as he finished speaking, an awkward look appeared on his face. "I was careless."

"Other than you and me, it seems no one else in the classroom can brew a perfect Shrinking Solution!" Snape said meaningfully.

Cheating was one thing, but doing it so openly was another.

When copying someone’s homework, did he have to copy their name along with it? Did he think the teacher was an idiot?

"Um… Professor, I just didn’t want to see Longbottom crying. It’s too ugly."

"Is that so?" Snape snorted. "Don’t let it happen again."

"Thank you."

"I’m not finished." Snape added, "I can overlook it this time, but you have to do me a favor."

Aaron rolled his eyes speechlessly, somewhat regretting helping Neville out of the predicament.

"Please tell me what it is, Professor."

"There is a Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson this afternoon. You know that, yes?"

"Isn’t that Gryffindor’s class?" Aaron asked in confusion.

"Yes, and it is also R. J. Lupin’s first lesson.

I will take you there. Your task is simple: outshine every Gryffindor in his class, especially Harry Potter."

"That wouldn’t be appropriate, would it?" Aaron gave an awkward laugh and tried to refuse.

Snape was asking him to wreck Lupin’s class. It was not that he could not do it; on the contrary, he was very confident in his own abilities.

But it was the man’s first lesson, after all. Doing that would be rather unfair.

"There is nothing inappropriate about it. Lupin and I are old acquaintances."

Aaron: …

"Professor, if I may ask, do you and Professor Lupin have some personal grudge?"

After a moment of silence, Snape nodded. "I disliked him even when we were students at Hogwarts."

"That doesn’t mean you have to drag me into it!" Aaron laughed in exasperation. He suddenly felt that this lesson was a conspiracy. Whether he helped Neville Longbottom or not, Professor Snape would have made this request.

"Don’t worry. I’ll back you up."

"This isn’t about whether you’ll back me up. I have principles."

"Dumbledore," Snape suddenly said. "Headmaster Dumbledore seems to know about Professor Trelawney’s prophecy concerning you. He has wanted to speak with you privately for some time, but I, the Head of Slytherin, have been holding him off."

"Say no more, Professor." Aaron raised a hand solemnly to interrupt him. "You are my most respected teacher. Your business is my business, and I will definitely help you."

"Don’t force yourself."

"Not in the slightest." Aaron’s expression did not change, but inwardly he was already cursing furiously.

Motherfucker!

This was blatant blackmail.

But he had to admit that it worked. He would rather offend a new professor than deal with Dumbledore. That old bastard was far more troublesome than Gandalf.