Chapter 48
London. Diagon Alley.
Tucked between the cauldron shop and the herb store stood a narrow wooden house. At a glance, the entire building seemed barely wider than its heavy oak door.
A long-haired man, clad in a black robe, strode purposefully toward the unassuming structure, ignoring the bustling street around him. He pushed open the heavy oak door, stepping into the wafting scent of herbs that greeted him. The door closed heavily behind him.
On a weathered copper plaque, marred by the passage of time, was etched a line of elegant script: The Extraordinary Potioneers' Association.
---
"Oh! Severus Snape! A rare visitor! Has it really been seven years since you last came here?"
As soon as he entered, a wizard greeted him warmly. The man was middle-aged, tall and lean, with neatly trimmed, slightly graying hair. His demeanor was composed, exuding a sense of professionalism and calm. With a wave of his wand, he conjured a glass of pine nut liquor and offered it to the newcomer.
"Thank you, Blackwood, but you know I don't drink that stuff," Snape said, brushing the glass aside to rest on a nearby table.
He glanced around. The interior was far grander than the exterior suggested. This was the reception hall of the Extraordinary Potioneers' Association, nearly as spacious as Hogwarts' Great Hall. A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, its blue flames casting a soft glow across the room. The walls were adorned with specimens of magical herbs, and near the entrance stood an unmanned bar stocked with various drinks, free for guests to take.
It was nearing noon, and the hall was already buzzing with people forming small groups to socialize. At the far end of the reception hall, a spiral staircase led to the second floor—Snape's destination today.
"So, Professor Snape, what brings you here today?"
Snape's gaze shifted to the wizard before him: Arthur Blackwood, senior receptionist of the Extraordinary Potioneers' Association. A former Hogwarts student who specialized in Potions and Defensive Magic, Blackwood had been a Slytherin senior during Snape's time. Now, he was looking at Snape with keen interest.
"Hogwarts' youngest Potions professor, ignoring our invitations three times in a row, yet gracing us with your presence at this international conference?"
Indeed, while Snape's age—only thirty-one—paled in comparison to the titans of the field, his title as Hogwarts' Potions professor made him a prime target for recruitment by various factions. After all, most young British wizards attended Hogwarts, meaning they'd inevitably become Snape's students. The reasons to curry favor with him were obvious.
But Snape was notoriously difficult to deal with. Only fellow Slytherins could manage to hold a conversation with him. Those from Gryffindor? He wouldn't give them the time of day.
And Snape wasn't fond of events like international conferences, where, in his view, too many dimwits managed to sneak in.
Unfazed by Blackwood's words, Snape replied coolly, "Today's session is on transformative potions. I have some progress to share."
Blackwood's brow arched with interest. "Oh? That's intriguing. Durmstrang's Karkaroff is here too, boasting about some innovative transformative potion. He's insufferably smug about it."
He tilted his head toward a crowd. "Over there."
Following Blackwood's gesture, Snape saw a tall, thin wizard with short white hair and a goatee curled at the ends, laughing heartily amidst a throng of admirers.
Snape's brow furrowed slightly before he looked away. Truth be told, he had no desire to entangle himself with his former colleague.
"Whatever they've come up with has nothing to do with me," Snape said dismissively.
Blackwood smiled faintly, stepping aside with a gesture. "Well, take a seat. The conference's opening ceremony is still a bit away."
Soon, Snape settled into a plush leather sofa in a quieter corner of the hall, a cup of steaming tea placed on the small table beside him.
"So, how long are you staying today? Rumor has it that important figure will be attending the opening ceremony," Blackwood said, standing nearby with a grin.
"No matter who it is, I'm only here to submit a potion improvement proposal. I won't stay long," Snape replied, taking a sip of his tea. Chamomile—well done.
"Oh, you'll miss meeting the founder of our Extraordinary Potioneers' Association…" Blackwood began, but he suddenly froze.
Snape set down his teacup and turned to see Blackwood's face pale, staring dumbfounded.
"Sir Granger," Blackwood whispered, bowing his head.
Snape spun around. Standing beside his sofa was a small, frail-looking old man with a warm smile and an approachable demeanor. He wore a vibrant green robe, and his nearly bald head gave him the appearance of a kindly grandfather.
"Severus, it's been a while," the old man said.
Snape's mind raced as if a thousand Firebolts were zooming through it. This was none other than: The founder of the Extraordinary Potioneers' Association!
The pioneer of 20th-century potion research!
Creator of over eighty new potions!
Funder of scholarships for thousands of potioneers!
Co-author of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi!
Hector Dagworth-Granger!!!
Snape started to rise, but Granger placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, shaking his head with a smile. With a wave of his left hand, an identical leather sofa appeared across from Snape. Granger sat down, nodding to Blackwood, who quickly scurried off as if fleeing.
This left Snape and Granger alone, staring at each other.
Snape noticed that no one else in the reception hall seemed to have registered the sudden appearance of this legendary figure. Feeling a touch uneasy, he spoke first.
"Er… Sir Granger, it's not that I have any issue with you. It's just that I have classes to teach this afternoon, so…"
Granger grinned, waving a hand dismissively. "Severus, no need to worry about that. But…" A teasing glint appeared in his aged eyes. "Since when does Hogwarts schedule classes on a Friday afternoon?"
Snape quickly clarified, "No, it's not an official class. There's a student who's struggling academically, and since he's trying to keep up with fifth-year material, I'm giving him private tutoring."
(Devero: What? My grades are bad?)
In Granger's presence, Snape was uncharacteristically deferential. After all, this man had done him no small favors—he deserved respect.
"Haha, alright, let's drop it," Granger said, chuckling as if he had no intention of letting it go. "Tell me about your new proposal."
Snape's expression turned serious. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a folder, handing it to Granger.
"Sir, this is a proposal for optimizing the Polyjuice Potion recipe. It significantly reduces the rarity of required materials while also developing a universal method for improving transformative potion formulas. Please take a look."
Granger's eyes narrowed as he took the folder and began reading.
Snape waited quietly.
In less than fifteen minutes, Granger finished reviewing the documents at a speed that left Snape stunned. Was this really a man nearing a hundred years old?
"Brilliant!" Granger exclaimed, taking a deep breath, his face flushed with a rare vitality for his age. "This could revolutionize transformative magic! Severus, your name will go down in history!"
Coming from arguably the most authoritative figure in the potion world, such praise sent Snape's head spinning with pride.
But he quickly sobered. This wasn't his achievement.
"Sir," Snape said calmly, "this isn't my invention. It was proposed by one of my students. I refined and optimized it, but the core concept belongs to them."
Granger froze, blinking several times to ensure he'd heard correctly. "Severus, you're saying this came from a Hogwarts student?"
"Yes, sir," Snape replied firmly.
Granger leaned back in the sofa, staring at the ceiling. After a long pause, he murmured, "These young people… terrifying."
Sitting up, he looked into Snape's eyes. "So, this student has an extraordinary instinct for potions, maybe even more discoveries?"
Snape nodded slightly. "Yes, sir. I'm certain of it. However, he lacks experience, so the initial draft had several errors. But the overall direction was invaluable, and I built this proposal from his work."
Granger nodded, understanding. A student, after all, wouldn't have much experience. Mistakes were expected.
But with some training at the Association after graduation, this student could become a master potioneer!
Granger's eyes gleamed with the intent to recruit. "Severus, when you present this formally next week, you must bring him along. I want to see this new potion genius for myself."
Snape hesitated briefly but ultimately nodded.
"Excellent! It's settled then!" Granger said, clutching the folder with evident excitement. "I have some details to discuss. Care to join me upstairs?"
Snape's lips curved slightly. "I'd be delighted."
---
After their discussion, Snape returned to Hogwarts.
This was why he'd been slightly late to his office.
Now, he sat at his desk, holding a revised diagram of the improved Polyjuice Potion brewing process, staring incredulously at its creator—the inexperienced Hogwarts student he'd mentioned.
Devero Alexander!
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