He decided it was time to have a good talk with Dumbledore about Harry's unusual... yet perfectly logical happenings.
"Outstanding potion-making skills..."
Professor Snape turned his head and, for the first time, used the word "Outstanding" to describe a student outside of Slytherin.
"...Gryffindor gets ten points."
The Gryffindor students looked as if they'd seen a ghost.
But Professor Snape ignored them, the potions class was surprisingly quiet until Crabbe and Goyle mixed up the order of adding potion ingredients.
After they added Hoklap Juice drop by drop, the potion suddenly boiled over, with bubbling foam leaping high and hissing - even starting to spill out.
"Idiots!" Professor Snape roared, waving his wand to make their cauldron disappear, "Slytherin, five points deducted!"
Crabbe and Goyle hunched their shoulders, not daring to say a word.
The Gryffindor students gleefully watched Crabbe and Goyle, continuing with their own potions.
Fortunately, Neville and Seamus's potion had already been completed by Harry, covering Gryffindor's shortest shortcoming - not a single mistake appeared among Gryffindor students until the end of the class.
Miss Omniscient left the class with an incredulous look, surrounding Harry with questions, trying to figure out how he managed to finish his potion so quickly.
"Maybe it's hereditary," Harry shrugged.
Professor Snape, after class, went directly to Dumbledore's office.
He planned to have a good talk with Dumbledore.
Upon arriving at Dumbledore's office, he happened to see a goblin coming out, looking quite satisfied.
Professor Snape didn't care; goblins had nothing to do with him.
"Severus?" Professor Dumbledore casually enjoyed a cockroach cluster, "How did you know I've just acquired forty percent of Duke Honey's shares?"
"Duke Honey's shares?!" Professor Snape frowned at Dumbledore: "I really don't want to remind you again, Principal, you'll eventually build up resistance to the Tooth Health Potion —"
"With Duke Honey's shares, I can get a new set of teeth," Dumbledore chuckled.
Snape suddenly felt exhausted.
"Forget it; that's your own concern." Professor Snape waved nonchalantly, sitting opposite Dumbledore's desk.
Dumbledore indicated for a house-elf to pour Snape a glass of lemonade, setting it before him.
"I'm not interested in lemon syrup, Principal," Professor Snape said leisurely.
"Oh, it's sugar-free," Professor Dumbledore chuckled: "I know my tastes might not suit everyone, so I don't insist others share them—"
Only then did Professor Snape pick up the lemonade and take a sip.
Sour, without a trace of sweetness, matching his mood at times.
"So, Duke Honey's forty percent shares," Professor Dumbledore chuckled, "The Gringotts were quite generous—they traded forty percent of Duke Honey's shares for some alchemy materials I don't even use."
"So you traded them?" Professor Snape raised an eyebrow.
"It was really hard to refuse," Dumbledore shrugged, "Besides, the original owner of the alchemy materials wasn't opposed."
Professor Snape nodded, looking at Dumbledore skeptically.
"Even the rarest alchemy materials can't match Duke Honey's shares, right?"
He had successfully been led off track by Dumbledore, forgetting to discuss Harry.
"Who cares?" Professor Dumbledore chuckled: "It's not like they'll make something dangerous with that, right?"
Putting down his lemonade, Dumbledore asked, "So, Severus, aside from inquiring about Duke Honey, is there anything else?"
"I need to state I'm not interested in your shares," Snape said sullenly, "Also, I found something peculiar in the magic potion class today."
"Was it that group of 'good-for-nothing little giants' causing trouble again?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow: "I must remind you, Severus, I am also a Gryffindor—disparaging Gryffindor in front of a Gryffindor Principal isn't the wisest choice."
"Oh, really?" Snape smirked, "No wonder your brain is filled with syrup..."
Clearing his throat quickly, Snape continued, "I need to talk about... Potter."
"Harry? What about Harry?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, fully attentive when it involved Harry.
After all, Harry was destined to be Voldemort's nemesis, bearing the responsibility of eradicating Voldemort and restoring peace to the Magic World.
Everyone knows Professor Trelawney's prophecies are not much different from nonsense—but in her trance state, the prophecy is the destined mandate.
"I suppose you still remember, Principal..."
Here, Snape's throat tightened, as he struggled to speak the name.
"Lily?" Dumbledore helpfully supplied.
"Yes." Snape nodded: "You remember that brilliant witch, her extraordinary talent in potions."