"About a few months, I guess." Charlie answered "truthfully."
[tyrant points +3]
The quill started writing wildly again, and Charlie felt something was off.
After a few questions, Rita had filled several sheets of parchment. Was there really that much to record?
After the interview, Rita put away the parchment.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Charlie." She smiled sweetly.
"I believe this will be a wonderful report."
"Oh, right." Rita suddenly remembered something.
"I also need to interview other students and Professors at the school to understand everyone's opinion of Charlie."
Dumbledore nodded.
"Of course, but please do not disturb the normal teaching order."
"Naturally." Rita packed her things.
"But there's something strange. Where did the St Mungos Dean who entered the school with me go?"
"I had intended to interview him too."
...Chris Brown, the Dean of St Mungos Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, stood outside Snape's office door.
As Snape's old friend, he knew this gloomy Potions Master too well.
Outwardly cold and harsh, but inwardly very protective of his own.
When the Healer reported that a student had developed a healing potion, Chris immediately understood.
This must have been a Potion developed by Snape himself, then pushed onto a student to build their reputation.
After all, how could a first-year student independently develop a Potion of this level?
But what surprised Chris was that Snape would actually do such a thing.
When did he become so generous?
Unless... a bold guess flashed through Chris's mind.
Could that student named Charlie be Snape's illegitimate son?
He found the idea of Snape having an illegitimate son more believable than a first-year student leading the research.
Chris knocked on the office door.
"Enter."
Snape's low voice came from inside.
Chris pushed the door open and saw Snape standing in front of a cauldron, concentrating on brewing a Potion.
Orange flames danced beneath the cauldron, and the liquid inside emitted an eerie green glow.
"Severus, you rascal!"
Chris rushed directly in front of Snape.
"Developing such a powerful Potion and not revealing a single thing about it."
The Potion spoon in Snape's hand paused, and he slowly raised his head.
Confusion flickered in his deep black eyes.
"What Potion?"
He had indeed been developing a new Potion recently, but it wasn't ready yet.
Chris was stunned.
"You don't know?"
He widened his eyes in disbelief.
"Today, every Wizard in Britain is discussing this matter."
Saying this, Chris hurriedly pulled out The Daily Prophet, unfolded it, and handed it to Snape.
"It's your son's... your student Charlie's healing potion!"
"Didn't you develop it for him?"
Snape's gaze fell on the front-page headline of the newspaper.
"Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom Fully Awake, New Genius Potions Master Born!"
His pupils contracted slightly.
Recently, Snape had been secretly developing Potions to enhance soul energy, preparing to awaken Lord Voldemort.
As a double agent, he had to appear sufficiently loyal so that Lord Voldemort wouldn't detect anything unusual.
Because of this, he had dedicated all his energy to Potion research and hadn't paid much attention to outside matters.
Snape quickly scanned the contents of the newspaper.
healing potion... healing soul trauma... Charlie White... His eyes grew more and more surprised.
Charlie actually succeeded in developing it?
How much time had passed? Just over a month!
And it was a Potion that healed the soul; he had been researching this recently and knew how profound the intricacies were.
But he hadn't expected that while his own progress was minimal, Charlie had already succeeded in developing it.
At the time, he had been convinced that Charlie was overambitious and arrogant like Potter.
But he hadn't expected that he was the one who had been blind... Chris looked at Snape's expression, becoming even more confused.
No, did the student really develop that formula himself?
-------------------------------
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