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"What? Harry, you said you knew that was Professor McGonagall. Then why didn't you tell me?"
After class, Ron complained to Harry.
He had never felt so embarrassed in his life. And to make a fool of himself like that in front of all four Houses… he felt that, in all likelihood, he would never be able to find a wife now.
"I was going to tell you, but it was already too late," Harry replied while packing his bag, looking rather helpless. "You moved too fast."
"By the way, Harry, what's our next class?"
Fortunately, Ron was the type who recovered quickly. His bad moods came fast and went just as fast. Before long, he had already put it behind him.
Instead of dwelling on the embarrassment, it was better to eat more meat at lunch. After all, he was still growing.
Harry checked the schedule. "Potions. With Slytherin."
"Oh, no!"
Ron let out another groan.
For practically all of Gryffindor, Potions was a terrible subject. Without exaggeration, it could be described as a form of torture.
Aside from Hermione, there was hardly anyone in Gryffindor who hadn't been scolded by Snape. And among them, the ones who suffered the most were Seamus and Neville.
The two were often paired together. Although Seamus was usually the one who messed things up, it was always Neville who got hurt and took the blame.
It was almost as if Gryffindor, by nature, simply wasn't suited for Potions.
And, in a way, that was true.
Most Gryffindors were naturally restless, impulsive, and hot-blooded. Potions, on the other hand, required the exact opposite: calm, precision, and patience. Very few Gryffindors could stay focused long enough to brew properly.
That was why Gryffindor's overall level in Potions was practically the worst among the four Houses.
Why "practically"?
Because Hermione, on her own, raised their overall level to something comparable to Hufflepuff.
Of course, that also had something to do with Snape being the Potions professor.
Although his criticisms were often correct, the way he spoke was unbearably bitter and sarcastic. Put simply, he had a vicious tongue.
Because of that, many Gryffindors secretly hated him and even gave him a nickname behind his back: "The Greasy Old Bat."
It was a jab at his perpetually oily hair.
"Relax, this time I've got something good for you," Harry said mysteriously. "It'll improve your Potions grades, I guarantee it."
Ron was immediately interested, but no matter how much he pressed, Harry refused to say anything more.
...
It was the same dungeon as always, the same cold and damp air, and the same Snape who felt like a looming threat.
After receiving nothing more than a glance from him, Ron shivered involuntarily. Every lingering thought vanished instantly.
Now, all he wanted was to survive the next four hours.
"Hey, Harry… what's all this?"
Ron watched as Harry took out item after item and placed them on the table. It was a set of instruments he had never seen before.
"New Potions equipment," Harry replied casually while assembling them.
"Professor Snape told us to buy this? How come I never heard about it?"
Ron was stunned.
Everyone said children from poor families grew up faster. Ron had always known his family wasn't well off, and he understood what that meant.
That was why he rarely asked for money and never wanted to be a burden.
He had never had toys of his own growing up. His childhood had mostly consisted of garden gnomes and the ghoul in the attic.
His clothes, shoes, books, and even his wand were all second-hand, passed down from his older brothers.
Although he complained occasionally, he never made a fuss or fought over anything, even when his siblings got something new.
Most of the time, he simply watched with quiet envy.
But every now and then, he still wished something like that could be his.
That was why, in front of someone like Malfoy, Ron would feel an unexplainable sense of inferiority.
If Harry and Dudley hadn't stood up for him on the train, he would have endured the insults in silence. He didn't want to cause trouble for his family.
If Snape had really required new equipment, that would mean another expense.
And just from looking at the tools on the table, it was obvious they weren't cheap.
"This must be expensive, right?" Ron muttered. "Why would Professor Snape suddenly ask for this? Percy never mentioned anything."
With so many people in his family, if each of them needed a set… he couldn't even imagine it.
Harry froze for a moment, then quickly explained, "No, it wasn't Snape. D prepared these for us."
As he spoke, he pushed a fully assembled set toward Ron. "This one's yours."
Before coming to Hogwarts, Dudley had already prepared several sets like these. The reason Harry was only bringing them out now was because Dudley had only gotten Snape's permission to use them a few days ago.
The condition was simple.
Everyone else could use them.
Except him.
So Dudley distributed them.
One for Harry, one for Hermione, one for Ron, one for Malfoy, and one for Neville.
Yes.
Neville.
Dudley had never forgotten that rather talented chubby boy.
Snape's expectations for Dudley had already reached a near-harsh level.
But that only showed how highly he valued him.
He was truly teaching Dudley as a successor.
Fortunately, Dudley lived up to it. His talent for Potions was genuine. Even though Snape always found something to criticize, he was already very satisfied deep down.
Even the best student at Hogwarts would struggle to do better.
He was practically the perfect heir to Lily… and to Snape himself.
"Dursley?"
Even though Dudley was in Slytherin, Ron trusted Harry's cousin a lot.
Especially after their nighttime exploration, his respect had only grown.
Ron glanced at Dudley… and realized he wasn't using any of the equipment.
Did he give me his own?
At that moment, Ron felt a little touched.
"Ron, I'll need your help with something later."
"With what?"
"Like this… then this… and then this…"
Harry explained in a low voice.
"No problem. Leave it to me."
Ron thumped his chest.
"I'll show you how to use it."
Harry began explaining the tools. They weren't complicated, and Ron quickly understood. Almost immediately, he realized how convenient they were.
Only then did Snape begin explaining the main content of the lesson.
Brewing a burn-healing ointment.
A standard first-year potion.
Slightly more difficult than the cure for boils.
After successfully brewing a potion using the new equipment, Ron's expression completely changed.
His eyes practically lit up.
These tools… were insanely good.
Mom never has to worry about me not knowing how to brew Potions anymore.
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