Chapter 15

Although John currently has no intersection with Harry Potter, Neville's encounter today made him realize one thing.

Since he is in the story of Harry Potter, has some plot started now? Will he be affected by Harry Potter's crisis in the future?

This is not impossible.

After all, there is always danger where the protagonist is.

The protagonist can always turn danger into safety, but a bit player like him might not be so sure.

Hiss, with the greatest white wizard of the century sitting in town, surely nothing will really happen, right?

Maybe it's just some sunny and positive adventure stories.

Never mind.

After learning that Neville was fine, he said he was going to the dormitory to change clothes, and they didn't chat anymore, continuing to walk to the Great Hall to eat lunch.

There, John noticed that Harry Potter was also as worried as Neville before, with a boy and a girl accompanying him to chat.

However, John didn't pay attention and walked toward their Eagle House table to start eating.

With Titus there, their side is always so lively.

After lunch, they decided to go back for a nap because there was only one class in the afternoon, which wouldn't start until 3 o'clock.

"Hmm? Why are you still here?"

John and the others returned to the dormitory after lunch; when they reached the Ravenclaw Tower, John suddenly realized Titus was beside him and asked strangely.

"What do you mean why am I still here?"

Titus asked back with a confused face, as if he shouldn't be here.

"Don't you need to go back to the Hufflepuff side?"

"...... Oh, I forgot, I'll go back now."

Titus froze for a moment, slapped his forehead, and hurried back.

He had almost started thinking of himself as someone from Eagle House.

Although visiting is no big deal, he hadn't even taken his textbook for the afternoon Potions class, so he had to go back to the dormitory to get it.

However, just a few steps after John and the others climbed the tower, Titus's screaming and running sounds suddenly came.

"Ahhhhh!! Help me, don't chase me!!"

Hearing Titus's screams, John thought Dementors were attacking Hogwarts and hurried down to check.

As it turned out, it was Titus being chased by a fat mouse, and behind that mouse was a big-faced orange cat.

John looked up, speechless; he was a grown man, never mind being afraid of a mouse, but he was being chased by one.

He then walked over slowly, bypassed the running Titus, and delivered a powerful kick, slamming it into the fat mouse.

The mouse let out a harsh squeak and was kicked directly out of the window, flying out from the fifth-floor castle window, disappearing without a trace.

The big-faced orange cat chasing behind also stopped and tilted its head to look at John.

The expression seemed to say: You kicked it away, what am I supposed to do?

"Sorry, Big Orange, I kicked away your lunch; here, this is to compensate you."

John squatted in front of Big Orange, patted its head, and then took a bag out of his arms containing two sandwiches he intended to save for after his nap; he took the bacon out of the middle of one sandwich and threw it to the orange cat.

However, to John's surprise, this orange cat jumped directly onto John's lap, bit the bag, and snatched away the two sandwiches in his bag together.

Huh? Is this cat so shameless?

Watching the food in his hand being snatched away by a cat, John was amused.

Only a piece of bacon was left on the ground, as if mocking John that he was the one being given charity.

After John cleaned up the residue on the ground and looked back at Titus and the others, Ryan and Ethan were laughing at Titus being chased by a mouse.

However, Titus was still saying with lingering fear that he met that mouse at a corner, and it suddenly jumped onto his clothes, almost scaring him out of his wits.

He shook it off after throwing it hard a few times, and then it kept chasing him from behind, as if it didn't want to live.

This really opened John's eyes; in broad daylight, a mouse even dared to chase people.

John couldn't help but wonder, is it possible that Hogwarts lets students keep cats, and owls, just to control the rat infestation?

It doesn't seem impossible.

John couldn't figure it out.

Practical classes like Potions produce a large amount of smoke and odors.

Why choose a basement classroom that never sees the sun, where ventilation relies entirely on a basement window at the very top of the wall, and lighting relies on a few candlesticks?

Aren't they afraid that students will suffocate down there?

When it was time for the afternoon Potions class, John sat in the classroom, looking at the environment in the classroom, speechless.

The dim and enclosed basement was crowded with students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, and the cabinets on the walls were filled with bottles and jars of yellow liquid, looking as if they were soaking the internal organs of some animals.

There was also a cauldron on the podium smoking away, filling the entire basement with thick smoke.

Smelling that familiar scent in the air, John seemed to know what the smell he had smelled on Professor Snape when he came to his house was.

With a bang, the wooden door of the classroom was suddenly pushed open rudely.

Professor Snape, in a large black robe, walked onto the podium with wind in his steps.

"Open your textbooks to page three, Now!"

Like the History of Magic professor, he skipped the self-introduction and familiarization process and got straight to the point.

But unlike the wooden feeling of Professor Bins, Professor Snape had a sense of vigorous and resolute efficiency.

John obediently lowered his head to flip through the book, his mind constantly thinking, "Can't see me, can't see me."

He had thought about returning that history book to Professor Snape when he arrived at Hogwarts, but he hadn't returned it yet; he didn't want to be recognized, which would lead him to remember this matter.

It was mainly because he was in an adaptation period yesterday and today, so he didn't think about it, and another point was that he was lazy.

"Can anyone tell me how to distinguish between pufferfish eyes and dried nettles?"

Snape stood on the podium and spoke slowly as if no one was there.

As soon as this question came out, John looked up with a puzzled face.

One is a fish eye, one is an herb; what is there to distinguish?

However, Professor Snape was clearly holding a book, but it was as if there were eyes under the book; as soon as John's questioning look appeared, he spoke slowly.

"Mr. Merrick."

"If you question my course, you can get out of my classroom now."

Professor Snape's tone was full of depth and indifference, immediately making John the focus of attention.

He put down the book, walked slowly to John's desk, and looked down at John.

Just like looking down at John at home back then.

Professor Snape just waved his hand, not even taking out his wand.

Two jars containing potion ingredients flew in front of John.

Then two piles of brown granular material flew out from them respectively; their appearance was almost the same, and at first glance, they looked like two piles of cumin powder.

Let alone herbal materials like dried nettles, John couldn't even tell which one was the fish eye for a moment.

John understood instantly; this should be the product of something like traditional Chinese medicine after being dried and ground.

Because they are almost the same and easy to distinguish incorrectly, that's why there is such a question.

"Now, tell me, which one is the pufferfish eye, and which one is the dried nettle."

Professor Snape closed John's textbook with a snap, then gradually leaned toward John's face, saying word by word; coupled with his demeanor, it was full of pressure for a moment.

Ryan and the others next to John had already started sweating on their foreheads.