Hogwarts Emerald

Snape's words didn't faze the students sitting below.

In fact, this was Snape being lenient—he had said far worse before.

When it came to the mastery and usage of the English language, no one at Hogwarts, even combined, could match Snape's sharp, cutting wit.

The number of students who'd fantasized about strangling him could stretch from the school's castle all the way to Hogsmeade.

Since Snape had shown some restraint today and hadn't torn anyone apart with his words, the students wisely kept quiet. After all, who would willingly invite more insults?

Snape tapped the blackboard with his wand, and words began to appear line by line on the previously empty surface.

Today's lesson was on a pest-control potion, which could also be deadly if consumed by mistake.

The students lined up to collect their ingredients from the cabinet, forming three orderly rows without a single person cutting in line or joking around.

Eda placed her cauldron on the stand and added the first ingredient. She used her wand to light the fire, beginning the heating process, then turned to prepare the remaining materials, arranging them in the correct order for later addition.

After some time of heating, the liquid in the cauldron began to turn red, resembling a hotpot broth. Eda then started adding the subsequent ingredients.

As the students worked on their potions, the once-quiet classroom grew noisier. The sounds of cauldrons being moved, fires being lit, and knives slicing ingredients echoed throughout the room.

At first, everything was fine, but as more ingredients were added, things started to go wrong. Kenneth Towler from Gryffindor had overheated his cauldron, causing it to spring a leak. The potion began to spill onto the table, and then down to the floor.

Next, a Hufflepuff student made a mistake. A girl's potion began to erupt from her cauldron like a volcanic explosion.

Cedric Diggory, who was standing near her, quickly stepped in to help manage the messy situation.

The classroom descended into chaos, with the two unfinished potions releasing an unbearable stench, as if a jar of rotten eggs had been opened. The entire room was enveloped in the foul odor, making it hard for anyone to breathe.

Eda had to cover her nose and mouth with one hand while continuing her potion-making with the other. Luckily, her focus kept her from adding to the disaster.

Fred and George, however, showed no intention of helping.

They were too busy enjoying the chaos. They didn't like Towler, and had almost fought him on several occasions. Plus, it wasn't every day they got to see Snape looking so grim.

Snape cleaned up the spilled potion on the floor and vanished the remaining potion from the cauldron of the Gryffindor girl. Although the stinky potions were gone, the foul smell lingered in the dungeon.

The Hufflepuff girl avoided being scolded, likely because she'd been burned by the splashing potion and was rushed to the hospital wing by her friends. Kenneth Towler wasn't as lucky—he was tasked with cleaning the classroom after class.

Due to the accidents, very few students managed to complete and submit their potions. Snape's expression grew even darker as he looked at the pitifully small number of glass vials on his desk.

After class, students fled the dungeon in a rush, desperate to escape the stench. Even outside, the smell clung to them, making everyone stink as though they'd been dipped in manure.

There were only three people left in the classroom: Kenneth, who was stuck cleaning up, and Eda, who had also been asked to stay behind.

Eda stood in place, covering her nose and mouth, her brows furrowed in frustration.

She would rather face one of Hagrid's 'cute' pets than spend another minute in the dungeon classroom.

"Put your hand down, Twist. That is very rude," Snape said, standing in front of her, his expression much improved.

Eda quickly lowered her hand. She realized it was indeed impolite, but the overwhelming stench in the classroom had made her forget her manners for a moment.

"Your foolish classmate Kenneth Towler's cauldron had a mishap," Snape said with disdain, glancing at Towler. "But you didn't lend a hand, so Gryffindor loses one point..."

The stench in the room couldn't stop Eda from widening her eyes in shock.

Even a bull terrier wouldn't believe such a thing could happen—how could her eyes grow so large?

Snape squinted at her as he stepped back. "I hope you'll remember this lesson."

Eda's mind raced with a single thought: This is ridiculous! It's only the third day of school and I've already lost points. McGonagall will have my head if she finds out!

The only relief was that Snape had shown mercy, deducting just one point. If he'd started with ten or twenty points, Eda knew she'd have to spend the rest of the month frantically raising her hand in class to make up for it.

"And, tonight at seven, in this classroom, you'll serve detention to reflect on your actions," Snape added. "Not at eight, not at eight-thirty. Seven o'clock sharp. Is your brain—empty as Towler's cauldron—able to remember that?"

"Tonight at seven, in this dungeon classroom, I'll be here for detention to reflect," Eda repeated, her eyes locked on Snape, silently protesting with their exaggerated size.

Snape waved his hand dismissively and said, "Now, you may leave Mr. Towler."

Hearing this, Kenneth Towler wasted no time bolting out of the classroom, eager to rid himself of the lingering stench. But the moment he stepped outside, he was immediately intercepted by the twins waiting at the door.

"Where's Eda?" Fred grabbed Towler and asked.

"Still inside. Snape docked her points for not helping me clean up," Towler replied, "and now she has detention too."

"Points and detention?" George asked, wondering if he had misheard.

What did any of this have to do with Eda?

Plenty of people hadn't helped Towler, but it was clear Snape was picking on her.

Towler, now blocked by the twins, looked annoyed. He'd messed up in Potions class and now had to deal with being held up by them after. He was furious.

"Yeah, you heard right. Twist lost us more points! She's always getting Gryffindor into trouble, that orphan troublemaker! And you two—you're no better! The three of you are nothing but trouble!"

That set the twins off. Furious, they grabbed Towler, ready to fight. Last year, he had badmouthed Eda, and they hadn't forgotten or forgiven him for it.

Towler glared at the twins defiantly.

He was daring them to hit him. If they laid a hand on him, he'd go straight to Professor McGonagall.

"Gentlemen, what do you think you're doing?" Snape appeared at the classroom doorway, with Eda right behind him. Both had heard every word Towler had just said.

"You can go on, I won't stop you. I'll just deduct points when you're done," Snape said.

Eda walked over and separated the three of them, with Snape standing nearby. It was clear that the twins shouldn't escalate things now, no matter how angry they were; there would be time to handle this later!

The twins, having calmed down, no longer seemed inclined to fight. But they still pulled Eda behind them, shielding her protectively.

Eda said, "Let's go. I hope Angelina and Alicia have saved me a spot in the bathroom."

With that, she pushed past the twins blocking her way and started walking toward the stairs. As she passed Towler, she deliberately bumped him hard with her shoulder.

The twins followed Eda's lead, mimicking her action. As they passed Towler, Fred and George each gave him a hard shoulder check, sending him stumbling.

Kenneth Towler turned, glaring angrily at their retreating figures. When they disappeared around the corner, he spat on the ground and muttered under his breath, "That stinking Mudblood orphan, and those two cursed..."

"Mr. Towler! For insulting your fellow student, and for dirtying the castle, Gryffindor loses twenty points!"

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