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Chapter 768: Ivan: Who Wants to Harm Me?
Chapter 768: Ivan: Who Wants to Harm Me?
By the time everyone settled into their seats, the bell signaling the start of class had already rung.
Shortly after, Snape, dressed in his usual black robes, pushed open the door and entered the classroom. With a wave of his wand, he closed the door behind him.
The classroom fell silent immediately, and everyone sat up straight, putting away their playful attitudes.
"Before we begin the lesson, I believe it's necessary to remind you all of something", Snape said, casually placing his book on the lectern.
His hollow eyes scanned the room, pausing on Ivan for a few seconds before he subtly shifted his gaze and continued.
"Next June, you will be taking an important exam to prove how much you have learned about potion-making and their applications."
"Although a few of you are indeed intellectually challenged, I expect you to at least 'pass' your O.W.L. exams, or else I will... be very displeased!"
As he said this, Snape's gaze fell on Neville, who trembled and gasped in fear.
"Of course, after this year, many of you will no longer be able to attend my classes. I only select the top-performing students for my N.E.W.T. potion class, which means some of us will have to say goodbye..."
Snape spoke about the important exam that would take place the following year in a matter-of-fact tone.
O.W.L., short for Ordinary Wizarding Level, consists of twelve subjects and is a subject-specific exam that fifth-year students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry must take to qualify for further studies in that subject. Its importance cannot be overstated.
The N.E.W.T. exam, taken by seventh-year students, is equivalent to a professional certification and directly affects their job prospects after graduation.
For instance, to apply for a position as an Auror at the Ministry of Magic, one must achieve at least an 'Outstanding' or 'Exceeds Expectations' in five N.E.W.T. exams.
However, for Ivan, such exams were not a concern.
With his current magical proficiency, aside from Divination, which relies somewhat on luck, Ivan was confident he could achieve the highest marks in the remaining eleven subjects.
Nevertheless, to earn House Points, Ivan maintained a patient demeanor and listened attentively.
After issuing his warning, Snape quickly took out his book and began the first Potions lesson of the year—brewing a Calming Draught.
During the class, Harry, as usual, endured Snape's relentless sarcasm. Any minor mistake would result in Snape appearing behind him like a ghost, mocking him mercilessly.
"Potter! I asked you to brew a potion, not boil water..."
"Is this the time to add Moonstone Powder, Potter? Read the instructions again carefully!"
"Potter, two drops of Sneezewort Syrup are enough. Remember that, I don't want to repeat myself!"
...
Under Snape's constant "motivation", the already flustered Harry managed to turn his potion into a mess of waste water, earning a public scolding from Snape.
Harry, now disheveled and embarrassed, looked around the room for help, hoping someone would save him.
Seeing this, Ivan shook his head in exasperation, sealed his completed Calming Draught, and walked over to Snape, saying,
"Professor, my Calming Draught is ready. Could you please take a look?"
Snape reluctantly let Harry off the hook, turning to take the Calming Draught Ivan had handed him. He examined it closely, opened the lid to smell it, and finally uttered a single word. "Not bad!"
Ivan was delighted. As a Gryffindor student and Harry Potter's friend, Snape's "not bad" could easily be interpreted as "very good."
This acknowledgment from the Potions Master was a testament to Ivan's potion-making skills.
Harry shot Ivan a grateful look, but Ivan ignored it. He had come to see Snape for more than just helping Harry out.
"By the way, Professor Snape, do you know where Headmaster Dumbledore is?" Ivan asked curiously.
This morning, when he opened the Marauder's Map to check, he was surprised to find that Dumbledore was still not at the school. This was quite unusual.
The person most likely to know Dumbledore's whereabouts was Snape. As a double agent trusted by both sides, Snape undoubtedly had access to a lot of secret information and certainly had a way to contact Dumbledore in emergencies.
"I need to remind you, Hals, that it's class time right now..." Snape said coldly, placing the Calming Draught on the desk. Then, as if he had just remembered something, he looked at Ivan, his tone softening slightly. "And I don't know where Headmaster Dumbledore is. I haven't seen him much in the past two months... the last time was at yesterday's banquet, when you were also there."
He doesn't know?
Ivan looked at Snape suspiciously, unable to determine if he was lying. With his current level of Legilimency, he couldn't break through Snape's Occlumency.
"What about the Dark Lord? How has he been recently?" Ivan glanced around to see that everyone else was still focused on brewing their potions, then lowered his voice to ask.
After driving Voldemort away last time, Ivan had been eager to know how effective his disguise had been and how much Voldemort had believed it.
"Thanks to you, he's still alive", Snape said, his gaze on Ivan becoming quite peculiar. After a long pause, he finally continued. "But he's been rather... unstable."
Voldemort was certainly still alive, but his mental state had been severely affected...
Snape was very curious about what had happened that night, which had left Voldemort hiding in a safe house, paranoid and afraid to leave for two whole months...
However, Snape knew it wasn't convenient to interact with Ivan this year. Even as they spoke, a pair of eyes had already turned their way—Malfoy was watching him nervously.
Snape suppressed his curiosity, his lips moving slightly as he whispered a warning. "Be careful in the coming days, especially with what you eat..."
With that, Snape walked past Ivan without waiting for a response, his face stern as he reprimanded Neville for accidentally spilling his cauldron.
Ivan's expression remained unchanged as he returned to his seat, casually adding a few potion ingredients to his cauldron. His mind, however, was still dwelling on Snape's last words.
Be careful with what you eat?
Could it mean that someone was planning to poison him through his food?
(End of Chapter)
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