Before setting off, Esther took a deep breath as if she were marching toward her own execution, then—under the sympathetic gazes of her classmates—clutched her textbooks and notes and headed toward Professor Snape's office.
Professor Snape's office was located in the dungeon. Compared to the Hufflepuff common room, it was noticeably closer to Slytherin's territory.
After passing through a dim, gloomy corridor, Esther stopped at the office door. She gave herself a brief but earnest round of mental preparation before finally daring to knock.
"Come in."
Snape's cold, low voice seeped through the wooden door and straight into her ears.
It was impossible to tell what mood he was in—mainly because he never seemed to be in a good one.
She pushed the door open. Just like the day before, the air was filled with a faintly bitter scent of potions. The only difference was that Draco Malfoy and three other students had arrived earlier and were currently dealing with a bucket of slimy creatures.
According to Esther's limited magical common sense, these were one of the wizarding world's more common organisms...slugs.
Soon enough, Ron would be vomiting these things into a bucket.
Honestly, it was disgusting. If she were Ron, she'd seriously consider never using her mouth again.
That thought must have shown on her face, because a trace of undisguised disgust slipped out.
Unfortunately, both Draco and Pansy, who had been watching her, caught it immediately. Draco shot her an irritated glare, clearly offended, while Pansy looked like she desperately wanted to fling the slug she was holding straight at Esther's face.
In short, none of them looked pleased.
"Miss Mayne," Professor Snape's chilly voice cut in, "are you so fascinated that you wish to help them prepare tomorrow's potion ingredients, or have you developed an affection for these sticky little creatures?"
Snape was seated at his desk, frowning as he graded assignments.
Esther snapped back to her senses at once and hurriedly plastered on a polite smile. "Sorry, Professor. Are we starting the remedial lesson now?"
His office was quite spacious and immaculately organized. Standing in front of his long worktable, Esther felt awkward, her hands and feet not quite knowing where to go.
Snape slowly set the graded parchment aside. With a flick of his wand, a stool appeared beside her out of nowhere.
"Sit. Open your textbook. Although I agreed to tutor you, I expect you to have previewed the material beforehand."
The fact that she was allowed to sit down felt like an unexpected blessing. Esther was genuinely surprised. Perhaps she had scared herself too much—she even experienced the absurd illusion that Professor Snape was actually kind of nice.
"I did a brief review at noon, Professor," she replied.
She straightened her back and braced herself, fully alert.
"Good."
He said it flatly and began the lesson.
One-on-one instruction from Severus Snape was not an easy experience. He fired questions at her relentlessly. Fortunately, Esther had indeed prepared, and she was not particularly bad at Potions. Following the steps carefully, she managed to avoid any catastrophes such as melting cauldrons or unexpected explosions.
Time ticked by.
Draco's group finished their detention first. Snape gave their work a brief inspection and dismissed them.
To be honest, Esther let out a silent sigh of relief. Leaving at different times meant she wouldn't have to walk out with them.
Of course, it would have been even better if she could leave first.
Typically, the first class of the term didn't cover much content. Esther performed flawlessly, giving Snape no excuse to deduct points. After completing the assignment seriously and having it checked—without a single fault—Snape finally waved his hand and allowed her to go.
Esther relaxed completely. She hurriedly gathered her books and bowed politely. "Thank you, Professor."
Then she turned and left, her retreating figure noticeably eager.
Once the office door closed behind her, she visibly loosened up.
She even did a small hop, convinced that the incident caused by yesterday's mishap had finally come to an end and that she could return to her peaceful Hogwarts life.
A relieved smile crept onto her face as she bounced down the corridor.
Maybe she should stop by the kitchens later and get something to eat.
With the Hufflepuff common room being so close, not exploring would be nothing short of self-betrayal.
Still wrapped in that gentle happiness, she rounded a corner...
And was promptly stopped.
Draco Malfoy stood there with his arms crossed and his chin slightly raised, blocking the corridor as though he had been waiting for her all along.
The light in the dungeon was dim, yet it seemed to favor him. He was half a head taller than her, and his carefully groomed pale blond hair caught the glow of the torches, shimmering faintly like brushed moonlight.
His appearance was striking in a way that felt unfair.
His skin was pale—almost unnaturally so—but smooth and immaculate, without a trace of the freckles or blemishes boys his age usually bore. His features were sharp and refined: a straight nose, pale lips, and a delicately sculpted face that leaned toward elegance rather than boyishness. It was a face that should have looked gentle.
It didn't—because his expression was far too arrogant.
Those large, beautiful gray-blue eyes looked down at her as a cold smile curled his lips.
"Looks like you're in a pretty good mood."
Esther immediately backed away, alert. "Malfoy, what do you want?"
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he advanced one slow step forward.
Then another.
"I kindly let you off yesterday,"he said coolly.
"Out of generosity. And look what it earned me—ridicule, and points taken by my own Head of House. All because of you."
As she retreated, Esther glanced around desperately. Unfortunately, it was close to curfew, and not a single student was in sight.
Worse still, under Draco's steady advance, she panicked and unknowingly backed herself into a dead end.
Idiot, she scolded herself. You should have run the moment you saw him.
"I'm sorry. I never meant to report you. I fainted because I was scared, and that's why things escalated."
Her back pressed against the cold stone wall. Facing the boy now only two steps away, Esther blinked her watery eyes pitifully while frantically thinking of a plan.
She barely knew any spells, and even if she tried, she was no match for a second-year like Malfoy. That meant only one option—catch him off guard, knock him senseless, and run.
She hadn't studied martial arts, only a few basic self-defense moves. Still, Malfoy looked fairly slender. If she struck first, she might actually win.
Besides, with his pride, he'd never admit to being beaten by her.
As she calculated silently, Draco lifted his chin again and said leisurely, "I can tell—you really are quite timid."
He added with clear disdain, "I didn't even threaten you. I didn't say a single harsh word. I even stopped Pansy from laying a hand on you. And yet you were scared into that pathetic state. Are you braver than a rabbit? Congratulations—you've just added another fine example to Hufflepuff's reputation for cowardice."
Esther: …
Didn't threaten her?
Didn't say anything harsh?
Was he suffering from memory loss—or was something wrong with his brain?
"…Sorry," she forced out.
"You don't know how to say anything else besides 'sorry'?" he asked, displeased.
Esther: …
She might not know what else to say, but she was actively planning how to knock him flat.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."
She continued to stare at him with wide eyes, looking weak, pitiful, and helpless.
Draco clicked his tongue, stepping closer. "Fine. Do one thing for me, and I'll let you go."
Esther asked, "What is it?"
Let's hear it first, she thought, then I'll decide whether to punch you.
"I want you to keep an eye on Harry Potter and his group. Whatever they do, you report it to me immediately."
Esther: …
For a moment, she truly didn't know what to say.
***
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