This was Potions class.
Tom naturally got grouped with Sue Li and Terry Boot.
Before the lesson started, both of them were nervous wrecks.
In their heads, Professor Snape was the strictest teacher alive, treating every student like they'd personally killed his dad.
That was the rumour, anyway…
But once class actually began, Sue and Terry realised it wasn't that bad.
Nowhere near as terrifying as the stories made it sound…
"Excellent, Jones. Since you know temperature control is absolutely critical when brewing potions, why exactly did you wait until the high heat had been on for thirty-two seconds before you started stirring? Five points from Hufflepuff!"
"Williams, tell me—when did this recipe ever call for a bezoar? Tell me!
Why on earth would you add a bezoar? Thanks to your brilliant idea, this entire cauldron is ruined!"
"Five points from Hufflepuff!"
"Brown! You belong in a pigsty, not Hogwarts. Put that down right now!!!"
"Ten points from Hufflepuff!"
"Riddle!" Snape finally said Tom's name. "After class, come to my office."
Sue and Terry breathed a huge sigh of relief.
They'd been scared they'd messed up some step—but that was impossible.
Tom could brew every potion from first to fourth year exactly as described in the notes.
And why notes instead of the textbook?
Because the textbook was by Arsenius Jigger, while the notes were by Severus Snape.
Naturally, Tom trusted Snape's notes a hell of a lot more.
"Scared me half to death," Sue patted her chest. "Tom, how are you this good?"
"Yeah, if I didn't know your background, I'd swear you were the kid of a Potions Master."
Tom grinned, flashing perfect white teeth.
Half an hour later, Professor Snape assigned homework: a twelve-inch essay due before the next class.
Tom didn't head back to the dorm with Sue and Terry. He followed right behind Professor Snape.
The plump bat-like man led the way, and almost no one was stupid enough to block his path.
Inside the office, it was just the two of them. Snape rummaged through a drawer and tossed a book at him.
"The thing you left in the dorm."
It was Advanced Potion-Making, with the familiar signature at the bottom: The Half-Blood Prince.
"Always losing things. If you hadn't brewed it perfectly, I would've taken twenty points from Ravenclaw."
"Thank you for going easy on me, Professor." Tom gave a slight bow and picked up the book from the desk.
He flipped through a couple of pages and noticed something different—new annotations that hadn't been there before.
"Why are you still standing here? Planning to stink up my office with that disgusting griffin smell?"
"Professor Snape, I'll head out now. See you tonight."
"I don't have time this week. Use the Potions lab yourself. I won't be back at school until next week. And if I return and find you've wasted any ingredients, Tom, I'll skin you alive and show you exactly what kind of wonderful creature the Whomping Willow is!"
This was the second time Snape had mentioned magical creatures.
"I won't let you down," Tom said gently. "Professor Snape, there's actually one more thing I wanted to ask for your help with."
Tom looked a little embarrassed, even avoiding direct eye contact. He put on that soft, fragile look he knew Snape couldn't resist.
Small. Pitiful. Helpless. Yet still working so hard to be likable.
"Tom, you're really pushing your luck now."
"Professor, forgive me for being rude, but… I just think you'd be the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I know you actually really like the subject and you're extremely good at it. The things Professor Quirrell is teaching…
Well, maybe I'm just too slow and can't understand his lessons properly."
For once, Professor Snape actually paused.
He stared straight at Tom, lips pressed into a thin line. "Tom, I never expected you to be this kind of student. Now. Immediately. Get out of my office!"
Tom left the office.
After the boy was gone, Professor Snape suddenly let out a cold little chuckle from his seat.
Quirrell?
That man didn't know the first thing about Defense Against the Dark Arts!
But if Tom said that, didn't it mean this year's DADA lessons were going terribly?
Or… did Tom already know something?
Snape didn't dwell on it. He had another class to get to.
His favourite of all: Potter's.
"Ten points from Gryffindor!"
"Ten points from Gryffindor!"
"Ten points from Gryffindor!"
"Gryffindor…"
By the end of the lesson, the Gryffindor students were completely numb.
The most dazed of all was Hermione.
She finally understood why Tom kept saying "Professor Snape is a good person."
Yeah. In front of him, Snape really was.
Snape would at most scold Tom a couple of times before patiently guiding him—at least that's how Tom saw it.
But in actual class, Hermione felt like even breathing was a crime.
They'd simply cut the ingredients a little too roughly. Totally forgivable mistakes. But from Snape's mouth there were only two words.
Points deducted!
"Harry, I think Professor Snape might have something against you…" Ron whispered.
All three of them could see Snape was clearly picking on Harry.
"Did you offend him before?"
Harry shook his head without hesitation. "I've never even met him… well, actually I did see him once at school. He even complimented my eyes, said they were nice."
"Are you sure he was complimenting you?" Hermione suddenly asked. "Professor Snape never compliments anyone. He only deducts points viciously, just like today."
Harry had no comeback. "Maybe… Hermione, you free tonight? We were thinking of going to see Hagrid."
"Tonight? Sorry, I'm busy." She had private lessons with Professor McGonagall tonight.
"But if you find out anything interesting, tell me. I'll try to make time… if possible."
Harry forced a smile. "Of course."
Only after Hermione left did Harry's expression turn slightly gloomy.
"Hey, Harry, don't be like that," Ron said helplessly. "You're the legendary Boy Who Lived, mate.
Your parents left you a huge pile of money. You could do anything with that—even if you weren't a great wizard, which is impossible anyway.
Plus, we found out about that three-headed dog, didn't we?"
Hogwarts had two forbidden areas: the room on the third-floor corridor and the Forbidden Forest.
Both were strictly off-limits.
But by accident, Harry, Ron and Hermione had stumbled inside and discovered a massive three-headed dog.
The beast seemed to be standing on a trapdoor, guarding something…
That was the biggest secret they'd uncovered so far.
It was also why they wanted to ask Hagrid about it.
"Thanks, Ron. I feel better already," Harry said after taking a deep breath.
"No problem. Let's go."
---
A few days later.
"Harry, don't you think Hermione's been acting a bit strange lately?"
"Yeah, a little," Harry nodded. "She seems a lot more cheerful than before."
Ron added, "And she talks nicer too. You don't think… Hey Harry, have you heard that once a girl gets a crush she completely changes?"
"No way. By the way, where did Hermione go? Afternoon classes are already over."
"She said she was going to the Potions lab. I still don't get what she sees in Snape."
---
Potions laboratory.
"No, no, no! That's completely wrong! All the steps are off. Can't you just follow the notes exactly?" Tom stood with his hands on his hips.
"And stop making those poses with my body! People are going to think I'm still in primary school!"
That's right — Tom and Hermione had swapped bodies again.
"So what? If the school allowed it, I'd take this robe off too. If you keep going like this… hmph. When Professor Snape gets back, he's going to call you a troll.
He'll say, 'Tom! How can you be so stupid? Even a troll is smarter than you!'"
"I know!" Hermione was helpless, practically hopping with anxiety. "I know, but… but this is really hard! And I've already been running around all day. Morning classes, lunch with Hagrid, then Professor Sprout… and now I have to brew potions here. Tom, I haven't had a proper rest in days!
My God, what year level is this Potions knowledge? It doesn't feel like first-year at all."
Tom smiled. "Congratulations, you're correct. Your reward is to finish all of these today. This is fifth-year material."
"Fifth-year?" Hermione's mouth fell open.
Potions at Hogwarts only went up to fifth year.
That meant after just over a week of school, Tom had nearly mastered the entire subject?
"How are you so fast?"
"Fast? Everything I've achieved is thanks to my own hard work and sweat. And don't think the stuff they teach at school is a lot. It's just the very beginning of Potions. Watch, I'll demonstrate it for you one more time!"
Tom was about to start when a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
A beautiful girl walked in.
She had delicate Asian features. She was stunning—the prettiest girl Hermione had ever seen. At least, she thought the other girl was prettier than herself.
"Hermione, you're here!"
Looking for me? I don't… Tom?
"Senior, you came. Give me a moment, I'm just teaching him how to brew this potion." Tom greeted her with a smile.
Cho Chang. She was a second-year Ravenclaw and someone Tom had gotten to know by chance.
Cho Chang was one of the greatest beauties at Hogwarts. Even now, before she had fully grown into herself, she already had an incredibly lovely face. Once she matured… Tom was sure those eyes would haunt the dreams of countless boys.
"You're… Tom Riddle! I know you. Professor Snape and Professor Sprout always mention you in class. They say you're a genius among the first-years. You pick everything up so quickly. Hello, I'm Cho Chang. I'm also in Ravenclaw, second year."
"Hello…" Hermione replied awkwardly, stuttering.
This felt terrible. Cho Chang was praising Tom right to her face, while the actual person was standing on the side grinning like an idiot.
Grinning, grinning, what the hell are you grinning about!
"Senior, how do you know Hermione?"
"Oh, we met in an elective class. You two are both really smart. It's a shame Hermione isn't in Ravenclaw. It would've been fun."
Hermione shot Tom a vicious glare.
"So why are you looking for Hermione?"
"Hey, why is a big guy like you worrying about girl stuff? Move aside." Tom patted Hermione on the head. "First, you need to…"
Ten minutes later, Tom left Hermione alone in the Potions lab and walked out with Cho Chang.
"Damn it!!"
Hermione gritted her teeth.
The thought of being stuck here wrestling with these hateful potions while Tom got to go out and have fun made her heart ache.
And when she got back, she still had to do his homework…
Hermione felt even worse.
---