Ravenclaw's Sapphire

"That's not the case, Professor!" Zoe shouted, "I'm sorry for being late. It's just that Professor Barbara has something to do with me, and I'll be right over when I'm done."

"Barbara Black?" Zooey was thinking that he might continue to be questioned by Snape. After all, it sounded like an excuse. Unexpectedly, Snape just repeated Barbara's name. Although it was still ugly, he didn't press her any further.

"You said you were occasionally called over by Barbara, didn't you?" Snape asked her.

Zooey nodded, not understanding why Snape asked her this question.

"That's right, before today's class starts, I'll give you this first." Snape handed Zoe a palm-sized piece of parchment, on which were written a series of potion materials and refining steps, very detailed The list, even the measurement of materials have been carefully measured.

"You practice brewing it during this time, but you are not allowed to change even a single step above." Snape said seriously, once he used this tone, it showed that his attitude was very serious. "It just so happens that you also have to deal with Barbara. You should be more suitable for this job than me--in half a month at most, you will provide her medicine."

"Professor Barbara's potion?" Zooey asked in surprise, "But Professor Barbara doesn't seem to be sick, although she looks like she lacks sleep..."

"Lack of sleep." Snape sneered, "Yeah, that's what it looks like. She surprises me sometimes, I mean she never shows any pain in front of you, this woman is more fragile than she looks Looks a lot tougher."

"Painful!" Zooey hurriedly lowered her head to look at the list, and found that the ingredients on it were combined with the cooking steps. "This is a powerful analgesic potion!"

"Yeah, analgesia, anesthesia, and a little sleeping effect... Can you imagine the feeling that the body is in a kind of intense pain all the time? It's as if there is a villain living in her body, taking it from time to time. The file gouged out her flesh and slit her nerves. Sometimes I think that someone like her is still alive, can walk and talk, has the ability to think... instead of lying in the deepest part of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Wounds. place, silently waiting for death."

said Snape grimly, but the smooth, contemptuous part of his tone did disappear briefly when it came to Barbara.

"Why didn't she seek Madam Pomfrey's help?" Zoe asked.As long as you have studied at Hogwarts, everyone will definitely be in awe of Madam Pomfrey, who is dedicated and professional. This is not only because of her deep qualifications in this school, but also because she can treat almost all of them. all the pain suffered.

Even the mischievous Weasley twins wouldn't really want to offend this easy-going but stern lady if they didn't want to be outright rejected by the infirmary while they were at Hogwarts.

"Of course it would be best if it could be done. But her injury came from a profound spell with irreversible effects, and the caster hit her out of control. Even if she died on the spot from that kind of injury, it would not be surprising ...but she survived, it's just that St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Wounds and Wounds couldn't do anything for her, it just dragged on," Snape explained.

He couldn't hold back, because he showed a less indifferent attitude towards others in front of Zoe, and even made his meanness disappear a little: "These are the cares that a colleague takes for granted." Really the same, if it wasn't for the fact that Zoe knew enough about what a difficult person Snape was.

"I've been mixing potions for her for several years, and this is the final version that works best for her," said Snape, "but you know I sometimes have to make some potions for our 'dear' Lupin. The professor concocts some potions that only I can concoct, which happen to hold the lifeline of that gentleman with many secrets—" He began to sneer again, and whenever Remus Lupine's name was mentioned, he always It will become like this.

"So can't you spare a hand to boil this potion?" Zooey asked. It's the best choice not to ask anything and not to care about Snape's personal affairs at this time.

"That's right, since you're studying under me, you must be useful." Snape nodded, "There's one more thing I need you to help me with." He suddenly used such polite words, Zooey almost wanted to Flattered.

She waited quietly for Snape to continue: "You are a Parseltongue, aren't you?" Who knew that he would suddenly kick one of her most concerned privacy, even though it was in the eyes of the whole school after last year It's no secret.

"Yes, Professor," Zoe repeated reluctantly, but Snape was waiting for her to answer.

"Very good. We will go to the Forbidden Forest later (Zoe's heart suddenly thumped violently), and then find a kind of krait that has a deadly poison. I need to collect its venom. You can negotiate for me .”

"But Professor, I don't want to..." Snape interrupted her mercilessly, as if ignoring her psychological barrier, he said bluntly: "Do you have any questions, Siegel?" Zoe's intuition told She is an undeniable request.

"I... I'm fine, Professor."

"Very well, pack up and we can go."

*****

Zooey nervously followed behind Snape. The man was wrapped in a black robe, completely integrated into the deep night, only a slight fluorescent light emerged from his staff, reflecting the outline of his body.Snape was still a man lacking in gentlemanly demeanor, he never paid attention to whether the girl behind him was stumbling, but kept moving forward with his own pace.Although Zoe had a bit of difficulty following, she didn't want to be underestimated by her mentor, so she followed behind without saying a word, holding up her wand and carefully following the way forward.

The weather became colder and colder with time, and the muddy ground in the Forbidden Forest became a bit hard. Zoe needed to pay attention to her feet to avoid tripping over those thick tree roots.They went deeper and deeper into the Forbidden Forest, a place where Zoe would feel guilty whenever she entered. Fortunately, they didn't take the road to the centaur tribe.

The Forbidden Forest has a long history of belonging to Hogwarts. It used to be just a small monotonous forest, but as Hogwarts and its four founders became famous in the UK, as Hogg The expansion of Woz's area, whether it is the centaur who seeks tranquility and settles here, or the strange biological chain gradually formed over time, has made the Forbidden Forest a taboo treasure land, and you can certainly find it here All kinds of magical creatures have collected some dazzling and precious materials, but opportunities are always accompanied by crises. You may be crushed to pieces or whole in less than a few steps deep in the forbidden forest. A head strangely leaves your body (it is eaten, of course).

Probably only the ranger Rubeus Hagrid is familiar with the entire Forbidden Forest, and he must have stepped on every inch of the Forbidden Forest.Snape could only rely on frequent visits to get familiar with a certain area, and he didn't dare to step into other places casually. After all, not every race in the Forbidden Forest has the gratifying wisdom and the concept of peace first like the centaur. And Snape wasn't strong enough to face the power of an entire group alone.

Things are going very smoothly, you might even say smooth sailing.Snape knew exactly where the krait he needed lived, and Zoe just followed him quietly, and successfully found the kind with faintly shining scales in a shady place in the Forbidden Forest. The highly venomous krait of silver light, this kind of snake is very small and difficult to be found, but it is very aggressive.They were standing in the safe zone that Snape estimated, and they didn't approach right away.

According to what was said before, Zooey was only a little closer to the viper's warning zone, and the snake lowered its body, as if it was about to eject from there.

"Calm down." Although she resisted very much, Zoe started Parseltongue.

The snake quickly became quiet under Zoe's comfort. Originally, the ability of Parseltongue was born not only for communicating with snakes, but also for dominating snakes. The special ability of Parseltongue In his tone of voice, there is always a magical power that can make snakes obey. Even the basilisk cannot break free from this power.

The negotiation went very smoothly, and when the krait heard that Zoe wanted to collect a little venom, he agreed without hesitation.Zoe used the bottle Snape gave her to collect the venom, and refused the request of the krait to follow her. Watching it swim and disappear, Zoe stood there holding the bottle for a while, feeling complicated Turn around and leave.

"Professor, this is the venom you want."

Snape took the bottle, and for the first time showed his physical satisfaction with Zoe, "Very well, Siegel. I think you should know that people who are bitten and poisoned by this kind of corona snake every year are not It's a small number, but its venom is an indispensable material for some precious medicines. In the material store in Diagon Alley, a pint costs thirty Galleons, and the supply is often in short supply." Snape turned around. Looking at Zoe, "You should realize that being a Parseltongue is a divine gift."

"The talent of the gods? But that will keep me away from people, I hate it." Zooey gritted her teeth.

"Why do you care about the ridicule of those incompetent? Those people are just scum, jealous of those who have the ability, and dismiss them as evil." Snape snorted coldly, "You once told me : A potion can be both a medicine and a poison. The power is the same. If I create a spell that can tear apart a human body, then of course it can be used for killing and destruction. But it can also be used for In the cause of justice. People who hold magic wands are not only saints, but of course there are also demons, because power itself has no good or evil, and it is because of ourselves that power has the distinction between right and wrong."

"So I hope that as my student, you should first correct your attitude: face up to and improve your abilities. You have a Parseltongue, which is a rare and precious talent. It doesn't matter to me if you want to hide or feel inferior But as long as I need to use this power, you have to contribute it. You are no longer a childish brat, you should understand the truth that you must pay for what you gain.”

Snape's words were not gentle at all, and there was obvious disgust in the toughness, but being able to be recognized by others for this power, Zoe was somewhat comforted.

"It's time for us to go back, Siegel. In a while, that stupid big man will rush in to find us."