Chapter 50
Devero sat dazed in an armchair in the common room, clutching a piece of parchment.
He watched his classmates around him, furiously scribbling away at their assignments for Transfiguration and Potions.
But Devero didn't have to write anything.
Why?
It all started earlier.
After Snape handed him the parchment and mentioned some taboos about borrowing books from the Restricted Section, he was about to shoo Devero out.
As Devero was being ushered toward the door, he quickly raised his hand and asked Snape a question.
"But, Professor, if I have to come here every night… uh… what about my homework?"
To his surprise, Snape snorted at the question.
"Homework? What homework?"
Snape pushed Devero out the door, looming over him as he said, "For a wizard like you, writing homework is a waste of life and talent! From now on, you're exempt from my assignments."
He stroked his chin, as if pondering something.
"As for other subjects, I'll discuss it with the professors. You won't need to complete any school-assigned homework. Now, off you go."
With that, he shut the door, leaving Devero standing bewildered in the dungeon corridor.
---
"Is this kid a true genius?"
Snape slumped into his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.
His original plan for today was to discuss improvements to the Polyjuice Potion recipe with Devero.
As Hogwarts' youngest professor, Snape had been utterly shocked by Devero's new formula, though he could still spot minor flaws based on his experience.
He had intended to go over those points with Devero today.
But he hadn't expected Devero to suddenly present a new proposal!
And this time, the academic language and diagrams were so polished they could've come from a seasoned professor who'd been at the school for decades!
More importantly, Devero's new proposal had fixed most of the previous issues!
Merlin's beard!
Snape buried his face in his hands.
This kid was downright terrifying!
His progress was inhuman!
Compared to Devero, Snape's thirty-plus years of experience felt utterly insignificant.
He sank into a deep sense of worthlessness.
"Where did this kid learn all this?"
Initially, Snape had planned to officially take Devero under his wing starting today.
He had laid out all his magical ingredients and opened his office to Devero, hoping to guide him properly on the path of potion-making, helping him avoid the pitfalls Snape himself had stumbled into.
But now…
This Devero was an absolute monster!
When Devero explained his thought process earlier, it wasn't just about potion knowledge—it required a keen intuition to fully grasp.
Snape, lacking that sharp potion-making instinct, had struggled to keep up at first.
Devero had patiently explained, and the scene…
It was like a teacher lecturing a student!
Snape began to suspect that if they became master and apprentice, it wouldn't be long before it was unclear who was calling whom "Professor."
"Man, your son is far more terrifying than you ever were…" Snape muttered, glancing at the large black book on the corner of his desk.
---
Back in the common room, Devero was still mulling over the long conversation he'd had with Snape.
"Is this the treatment a genius gets?"
In less than a week since starting at Hogwarts, he had already earned several privileges:
- Freedom to choose which year to follow in classes!
- Permission to stay out late!
- Free access to the Slytherin Head of House's office!
- A weekly visit to the Restricted Section!
And now, he didn't even have to do homework?!
This was the life Devero had dreamed of in both of his lifetimes!!
He had surpassed Harry and become the true Privilege King of Hogwarts!
Of course, that was assuming he could ignore the fact that he had to see Snape every night.
"What's happening next Friday? Something to do with Polyjuice Potion?" Devero frowned, deep in thought.
"And today, he even showed me his precious collection and said I could use it freely. What's Snape really up to?"
A sharp glint flashed in Devero's eyes.
"Could he be trying to steal the credit for my Polyjuice Potion improvements?"
Hiss!
It wasn't impossible.
In the original story, Snape didn't seem like someone who chased fame or fortune.
Otherwise, he wouldn't so blatantly favor Slytherin over Gryffindor.
At the very least, he could've been more like Slughorn, building a reputation to gain influence.
Instead, Snape had spent half his life as a double agent, seemingly devoted to atonement.
But that didn't rule out the possibility.
At this thought, Devero actually felt a bit relieved.
He leaned back in his chair.
If Snape really wanted to claim the credit, Devero was oddly fine with it.
As a once-in-a-millennium [Potion Spirit], inventing or improving potions came effortlessly to Devero.
If letting Snape take the title of Polyjuice Potion improver meant gaining access to a storeroom full of potion ingredients and an experimental environment at Hogwarts, Devero would be more than happy to make that trade.
"But… what if Snape's not after my achievements? What if he sees my talent and genuinely wants to teach me as his apprentice?"
The thought sent a shiver down Devero's spine.
The damp, cold air of the Slytherin common room suddenly felt even more biting, as if the air itself had condensed into an icy mist, wrapping tightly around him.
Devero curled up in his chair, pulling his cloak closer.
Truth be told, he was very tempted by Snape's potion expertise.
Professor Snape was widely recognized as one of the top potion-masters in the wizarding world.
His knowledge and skills were unparalleled.
If Devero could receive his personal guidance, his potion-making abilities would undoubtedly reach new heights.
But the thought of facing Snape's cold, piercing gaze and sharp tongue every day sent a chill through him.
"Sigh, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Hopefully, Snape's just greedy—that'd be easier to deal with."
Devero stood up from the chair, suddenly smacking his forehead in frustration.
"Ugh! I forgot to ask about my family!"
He had planned to get some information about his family from Snape, hoping to trigger the [Blessing of Love] ability he'd copied from Harry.
But earlier, he'd been distracted by the storeroom, then got caught up explaining his potion ideas to Snape, and finally was hit with the thrilling news of being exempt from homework.
It had completely slipped his mind.
"Guess I'll have to ask next time. No big deal—there'll be plenty of chances to see Snape."
Sighing, Devero grabbed the parchment on the table in front of him.
Looking at Snape's signature on it, a sly grin crept across his face.
"Perfect. I've never been to the Restricted Section before. Time to rack up some exploration points and see what books I can check out."
A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.
"Maybe something like Case Studies on Severe Magical Injuries. Bet I could learn a trick or two."
****
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