Harry wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but Potions was even more unbearable than usual. The other students couldn't help but marvel at Severus Snape's incredible power. All those previous classes hadn't even scratched the surface of Snape's full strength! The greasy-haired bat-man was truly terrifying.
Yet, despite the agonizing nature of the lesson, it wasn't without its benefits. Snape covered a wealth of material far beyond the standard curriculum; the only question was how much the students would absorb. But, without a doubt, Harry was the student who stood to gain the most. He was surprised to discover that the Half-Blood Prince actually possessed a significant talent! Those old textbooks, filled with dense notes, were packed with valuable information! Unfortunately, the original owner of this body had a touch of middle-school syndrome.
...
After class, feeling as though he'd aged another year out of sheer anger, Snape uttered a few terse words before departing the Potions classroom like a bat. Watching his black robes billow in the wind, Harry was somewhat bewildered. Aside from Snape, the other students were desperate to escape the dungeons. "Finally free!" they shouted, crowding towards the door in a chaotic exodus. Even Cassandra Volle had no desire to linger; she had no intention of staying any longer to study. However, she refused to be caught in the undignified crush. Only after the crowd had finally dissipated did she gracefully and nimbly leave the Potions classroom.
...
"The Half-Blood Prince?" In Tom Riddle's office, listening to Cassandra's summary of the day's events, Tom reminisced. "No wonder Severus was so angry."
Truly amusing. Tom thought. Perhaps I should have attended that class. "Harry dared say that to his face? He definitely stepped on a landmine."
"So, Tom, the Half-Blood Prince really is—" Cassandra's eyes widened with the delight of confirmed gossip, her right hand lightly covering her lips. "I never knew Professor Snape had this side to him."
"Severus is a bit of a character, that is all." With a chuckle, Tom waved his hand dismissively, then reminded Cassandra, "But don't breathe a word to anyone."
"Tom, are you trying to spare Professor Snape's feelings?"
"No, because if you say it, I'll have nothing left to say."
"..."
Hearing Tom's words, Cassandra's lips pursed. She had indeed overestimated him; she knew Tom, that rascal, wouldn't be so considerate. She didn't press the matter. While Cassandra found these amusing tidbits interesting, she wasn't particularly invested. Tom could play his games, but she wouldn't compete with him.
"Oh, by the way, Tom," Cassandra said casually, as though suddenly remembering something, "That unicorn you gave me is really smart. I taught it to do backflips. Would you like to see?"
"A unicorn can do backflips?" Tom was taken aback. He hadn't expected much from the unicorn, which he generally ignored. "Very well, I shall observe this marvel at some point."
"Alright, alright..." Cassandra smiled sweetly, her hands clasped behind her back, her head slightly bowed—a stark contrast to her usual aloofness, but strangely endearing.
...
The next day, early morning. The mist still clung to the castle as Snape, as usual, arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast. His meal was light and simple: toast and bacon. Snape had never been particularly picky about such things, and ate with a certain blandness.
Besides Snape, only a few other professors and early-rising students were scattered throughout the Great Hall, lending to an atmosphere of exceptional quiet. However, this quiet, which Snape had long taken for granted, was abruptly shattered.
"Yo, Half-Blood Prince, have you had breakfast yet?"
!!
The sudden, familiar voice startled Snape, who looked up sharply. The one who'd shouted was none other than his utterly heartless, cheap boss, and he'd shouted right at him! That wouldn't have been so bad on its own, but in this quiet Great Hall, Tom's shout had been heard by everyone in the room!
Infuriating!
The students' confusion, Minerva McGonagall's bewilderment, Albus Dumbledore's thoughtful expression, Gellert Grindelwald's enigmatic smile… Snape suddenly felt he should have gone with Lily [Potter] back then.
"What's wrong? Didn't you sleep well last night?" Tom strode over and sat down next to Snape, feigning a puzzled expression as he regarded the sullen figure before him.
"..." Snape didn't want to speak at all. His boss had just dredged up his most awkward adolescent self and was now flogging him with it. The embarrassment was akin to being caught off guard mid-flight. He suddenly felt a pang of regret.
Why did he have to sign his name as "Half-Blood Prince" back in school? Why didn't he hide that textbook more carefully? Why did he have Harry fetch that spare textbook? And… how did this guy even know?! The sky is falling!
Fortunately, Snape's heart was strong enough, at least on the surface. Within a few minutes, Snape raised his head again, calmly eating his breakfast, as though this small setback was nothing, completely insignificant.
"Half-Blood Prince, what are you eating?"
Not again! Are you chasing after me? What recourse do I have? I jumped!
Turning to Tom, Snape's bloodshot eyes pleaded, just as they had when he had begged Tom not to reveal his secret identity as a "friend of women." Having a boss who seemed to value his own enjoyment and reputation above all else, and with no regard for the reputation of others, he had no choice but to accept it.
Fortunately, Tom understood, and did not dwell on Snape's dark past. "Don't fret, Severus, it's not a big deal." Tom leaned against the table with one hand. "Many people have had this experience, whether wizards or Muggles… It's normal, especially in youth."
"...Sigh." Snape naturally knew all this, and, in truth, he wasn't overly bothered by it.
However… he was still somewhat annoyed, perhaps even a little resentful. Being relentlessly ragged by Tom, who seemed to have no regard for his past vulnerabilities, made it impossible to find any solace in his boss's attempts at consolation.
How can you possibly understand how it feels to be so thoroughly flogged?
"Who said I haven't experienced it?"
What?! Even my Occlumency didn't work?!
---
Chapter 326: "The Half-Blood Prince": An Embarrassment Best Buried
Harry wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but Potions was even more unbearable than usual. The other students couldn't help but marvel at Severus Snape's incredible power. All those previous classes hadn't even scratched the surface of Snape's full strength! The greasy-haired bat-man was truly terrifying.
Yet, despite the agonizing nature of the lesson, it wasn't without its benefits. Snape covered a wealth of material far beyond the standard curriculum; the only question was how much the students would absorb. But, without a doubt, Harry was the student who stood to gain the most. He was surprised to discover that the Half-Blood Prince actually possessed a significant talent! Those old textbooks, filled with dense notes, were packed with valuable information! Unfortunately, the original owner of this body had a touch of middle-school syndrome.
...
After class, feeling as though he'd aged another year out of sheer anger, Snape uttered a few terse words before departing the Potions classroom like a bat. Watching his black robes billow in the wind, Harry was somewhat bewildered. Aside from Snape, the other students were desperate to escape the dungeons. "Finally free!" they shouted, crowding towards the door in a chaotic exodus. Even Cassandra Volle had no desire to linger; she had no intention of staying any longer to study. However, she refused to be caught in the undignified crush. Only after the crowd had finally dissipated did she gracefully and nimbly leave the Potions classroom.
...
"The Half-Blood Prince?" In Tom Riddle's office, listening to Cassandra's summary of the day's events, Tom reminisced. "No wonder Severus was so angry."
Truly amusing. Tom thought. Perhaps I should have attended that class. "Harry dared say that to his face? He definitely stepped on a landmine."
"So, Tom, the Half-Blood Prince really is—" Cassandra's eyes widened with the delight of confirmed gossip, her right hand lightly covering her lips. "I never knew Professor Snape had this side to him."
"Severus is a bit of a character, that is all." With a chuckle, Tom waved his hand dismissively, then reminded Cassandra, "But don't breathe a word to anyone."
"Tom, are you trying to spare Professor Snape's feelings?"
"No, because if you say it, I'll have nothing left to say."
"..."
Hearing Tom's words, Cassandra's lips pursed. She had indeed overestimated him; she knew Tom, that rascal, wouldn't be so considerate. She didn't press the matter. While Cassandra found these amusing tidbits interesting, she wasn't particularly invested. Tom could play his games, but she wouldn't compete with him.
"Oh, by the way, Tom," Cassandra said casually, as though suddenly remembering something, "That unicorn you gave me is really smart. I taught it to do backflips. Would you like to see?"
"A unicorn can do backflips?" Tom was taken aback. He hadn't expected much from the unicorn, which he generally ignored. "Very well, I shall observe this marvel at some point."
"Alright, alright..." Cassandra smiled sweetly, her hands clasped behind her back, her head slightly bowed—a stark contrast to her usual aloofness, but strangely endearing.
...
The next day, early morning. The mist still clung to the castle as Snape, as usual, arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast. His meal was light and simple: toast and bacon. Snape had never been particularly picky about such things, and ate with a certain blandness.
Besides Snape, only a few other professors and early-rising students were scattered throughout the Great Hall, lending to an atmosphere of exceptional quiet. However, this quiet, which Snape had long taken for granted, was abruptly shattered.
"Yo, Half-Blood Prince, have you had breakfast yet?"
!!
The sudden, familiar voice startled Snape, who looked up sharply. The one who'd shouted was none other than his utterly heartless, cheap boss, and he'd shouted right at him! That wouldn't have been so bad on its own, but in this quiet Great Hall, Tom's shout had been heard by everyone in the room!
Infuriating!
The students' confusion, Minerva McGonagall's bewilderment, Albus Dumbledore's thoughtful expression, Gellert Grindelwald's enigmatic smile… Snape suddenly felt he should have gone with Lily [Potter] back then.
"What's wrong? Didn't you sleep well last night?" Tom strode over and sat down next to Snape, feigning a puzzled expression as he regarded the sullen figure before him.
"..." Snape didn't want to speak at all. His boss had just dredged up his most awkward adolescent self and was now flogging him with it. The embarrassment was akin to being caught off guard mid-flight. He suddenly felt a pang of regret.
Why did he have to sign his name as "Half-Blood Prince" back in school? Why didn't he hide that textbook more carefully? Why did he have Harry fetch that spare textbook? And… how did this guy even know?! The sky is falling!
Fortunately, Snape's heart was strong enough, at least on the surface. Within a few minutes, Snape raised his head again, calmly eating his breakfast, as though this small setback was nothing, completely insignificant.
"Half-Blood Prince, what are you eating?"
Not again! Are you chasing after me? What recourse do I have? I jumped!
Turning to Tom, Snape's bloodshot eyes pleaded, just as they had when he had begged Tom not to reveal his secret identity as a "friend of women." Having a boss who seemed to value his own enjoyment and reputation above all else, and with no regard for the reputation of others, he had no choice but to accept it.
Fortunately, Tom understood, and did not dwell on Snape's dark past. "Don't fret, Severus, it's not a big deal." Tom leaned against the table with one hand. "Many people have had this experience, whether wizards or Muggles… It's normal, especially in youth."
"...Sigh." Snape naturally knew all this, and, in truth, he wasn't overly bothered by it.
However… he was still somewhat annoyed, perhaps even a little resentful. Being relentlessly ragged by Tom, who seemed to have no regard for his past vulnerabilities, made it impossible to find any solace in his boss's attempts at consolation.
How can you possibly understand how it feels to be so thoroughly flogged?
"Who said I haven't experienced it?"
What?! Even my Occlumency didn't work?!
---
Fifty chapters? NO, a hundred. That's how far ahead p@treon readers are sitting right now. On everything that gap is real and it widens every week. You already know what to do. At [email protected]