Hogwarts' Potions classes don't involve much pure theory.

Following the procedures in the books and those outlined by the professors on the blackboard, students methodically brew potions and gradually grasp the methods of potion-making that predecessors have summarized through practice. This is the entirety of Potions class.

For nearly a thousand years, countless potion masters have grown up under this ancient tradition.

Practice is the only way to learn Potions—at least in Horace Slughorn's memory, from the moment he began to understand the magical world, entered Hogwarts Castle to study and graduate, and eventually became a professor and retired... the Potions classroom was like an ancient reef on a distant coastline, forever submerged in the mist of cauldrons.

Slughorn patrolled back and forth through the swirling fumes, preparing to offer suggestions on the students' work.

To his surprise, compared to his memories of teaching at Hogwarts, the professionalism and rigor shown by the students in this class were not inferior to those of the sixth and seventh-year students.

In his many years of teaching, perhaps occasionally one or two exceptionally talented young wizards would appear.

They would demonstrate extraordinary qualities in Potions class early on, and Horace Slughorn was most proud of the fact that he could use his rich teaching experience to befriend these gifted young wizards as soon as they showed promise, constantly consolidating and expanding his "club".

But...

"Are all the students Hogwarts recruited last year monsters?"

Horace Slughorn paced back and forth in the classroom, his eyes slightly dazed.

Since he announced the start of potion brewing, Slughorn had walked around the classroom desks almost two or three times.

If the first time he was somewhat casual and careless, and was even grateful that there were no unexpected situations,

Then, when Horace Slughorn began to patrol the underground classroom for the second time, carefully observing each student's actions, trying to find something to comment on but still returning to the starting point in silence, the Potions professor, who had taught at Hogwarts for decades, instantly realized the sense of incongruity that had been lingering in the classroom.

Apart from quiet, brief exchanges, no one was chatting or asking questions.

The young wizards showed such a high level of concentration that it was almost tangible—cutting, separating, weighing dried nettles, handling pufferfish eyes, grinding, mixing, heating... perhaps the speed varied slightly, but everyone had virtually no need for correction in terms of basic organization and technique.

Such a situation was extremely rare even among wizards after graduation.

Keep in mind, this wasn't a special case of one or two individuals. When this quality, once referred to by Slughorn as "genius potential," appeared in everyone in the class, it meant...

"I see, Albus... is this what you meant by that unprecedented new era?"

Slughorn's gaze swept over the students' youthful faces one by one, and he nodded thoughtfully.

Undoubtedly, in terms of Potions proficiency alone, Slughorn wasn't the most outstanding wizard in the magical world today.

But Horace Slughorn's proudest achievement in life wasn't limited to the small classroom—in Hogwarts, and even the entire British magical world—no one understood what a magical genius was better than him.

When the definition of genius was redefined, and those past outstanding standards became the norm.

This might be difficult for those who were surpassed to accept, but from the perspective of an educator, this was the moment they most hoped to see become a reality, a moment that most professors might never see in their lifetime.

Slughorn's mind subconsciously recalled Albus Dumbledore's somewhat nonsensical words.

"Horace, I hope you can help me see... are these children possibly ushering in a new era?"

"More than possible, they—"

The plump old Potions professor's gaze passed through the mist, as if seeing the stars flickering behind the cauldrons.

Even with only a few minutes of Potions class practice, facing the habits that students might have needed a full seven years to understand and cultivate in the past, he wasn't sure about other subjects, but from the perspective of Potions tradition...

Without further observation, Slughorn could now draw an incredibly certain conclusion.

"They are the new era of Potions—"

In any world, in basic fields, the efficiency and speed of mastering knowledge are the most core and fundamental manifestations. So-called geniuses are often just outstanding students with slightly faster comprehension and learning speeds.

When all students begin to touch the realm of genius, it also means that education becomes sluggish.

"This is a real headache, it looks like I'll have to prepare my lessons properly from now on..."

Horace Slughorn scratched his thinning hair, glanced at the students below who had completed the basic brewing operations and were gradually looking up at him, or starting to chat quietly, and shook his head with a wry smile.

In the past second-year curriculum, there wasn't much teaching content for the Swelling Solution.

Apart from a brewing process that had been used for hundreds of years, most of the time, Slughorn, as the Potions professor, spent more time correcting the young wizards' handling techniques or resolving emergencies caused by illegal operations.

For example, the notes on the blackboard behind Slughorn were just the operating procedures.

[Swelling Solution: Preparation Method]

[Add 2 spoons of dried nettles to the mortar]

[Add 3 parts pufferfish eyes to the mortar]

[Grind them evenly into a medium-fine powder]

[Add 2 parts of the mixed powder to the cauldron]

[Heat at medium temperature for 20 seconds]

[After one minute, wave the wand and imbue the potion with magic]

[Brew for 45 minutes]

[Add 1 part of bat spleen to the cauldron]

[Stir 4 times counterclockwise]

[Heat at low temperature for 30 seconds]

[Wave the wand again to complete the potion]

Of course, this was more of a rough guide, mainly used to check and remind the young wizards.

In the actual brewing process of the Swelling Solution, Aileen and others still had to operate according to the detailed instructions in *Magical Drafts and Potions*, such as what temperature was "medium temperature" and what temperature was "low temperature"...

In fact, many things weren't written very clearly in the books.

Due to the subtle differences in potion ingredients, as well as the complex subjective limiting factors such as the temperature range, heating method, and particle size of each potion brewing, wizards previously relied more on the actual situation to make some flexible adjustments when preparing potions, or to judge what direction their operations should change.

The most common method was to distinguish from the color and shape of the smoke and liquid surface to see if it was necessary to continue stirring or adjusting the temperature.

However, these situations occurred more often in the subsequent, more complex potion preparations. At least in the brewing process of the introductory potion, if the control of variables was sufficient, the probability of difference and accident was close to zero.

After a year of knife skills practice and standardized weighing practice, potion preparation in pairs was really too simple.

In less than half an hour, most of the students had completed all the operations before adding the bat spleen, and the classroom gradually began to be filled with whispers or students quietly "playing with potion ingredients" idly.

"Ahem, so it seems that most of the students have reached the brewing process?"

As more and more students began to stare at the hourglass in a daze, or began to torture potion ingredients on the desk with small knives, Slughorn finally couldn't pretend that he didn't see anything and continue brewing his own Felix Felicis.

Slughorn puffed out his chest, cleared his throat, and quickly glanced at the blank lesson plan in his hand.

"Then let me think, what should we do during this time... um..."

Well, he couldn't be entirely blamed for this.

After all, he was just a temporary second-year Potions professor. Severus Snape didn't make it clear about these freaks before the handover. Otherwise, as the former Head of Slytherin House and the former leader of the Potions department, how could he have made a teaching mistake in such a small matter.

In fact, Slughorn didn't lack content to teach. He just wanted to find the most appropriate way.

Ideally, it would be something that wouldn't show his lack of preparation, but would subtly demonstrate his profound teaching strength in the field of Potions. It would also be best to take this opportunity to understand the latest trends in Potions education.

Oh!

That's right, that's it! He had an idea!

"Mr. Michael Corner, what did Professor Snape usually teach you?"

Slughorn glanced at the roll call on the podium, casually picked an inconspicuous student, stroked his walrus-like white beard, and smiled, "After all, Severus is also my student, and I'll try to teach in a way you're familiar with."

Obviously, what could be easier than imitating and surpassing?

Perhaps Severus Snape did have some talent in the field of Potions, but Horace Slughorn didn't think that this young wizard in his thirties would surpass him—as Snape's Potions professor, he had that much confidence.

Especially since most of the things Snape knew were taught by him.

At least in this class for lower-year students, his experience would obviously be more advantageous.

"Professor Snape..."

Michael Corner swallowed, and a look of longing suddenly flashed in his eyes.

"If it's a long potion brewing stage like this, the professor usually takes the time to make a few dishes and have everyone practice along the way. Finally, based on the quality of the potion brewing at the end of the class, he distributes the dishes..."

"Make... a few dishes?"

The smile on Slughorn's face froze slightly, and he politely asked in a low voice.

Was this a new grammatical vocabulary?

Why didn't he quite understand what this child was saying?

"Yes, yes, several dishes! All of them are things you can never learn from books, but there's usually only a little bit."

Michael Corner nodded seriously, and the surrounding young wizards also nodded in agreement.

A little bit? Several dishes?

And... content that wasn't written in the books?

Slughorn's expression relaxed, and he nodded with a sudden realization, saying with a smile.

"Oh, I see, you were trying to describe some simple, easy basic operations? Severus showed you some improved techniques that could make the potion brewing process 'a piece of cake', which is very much his style..."

When he was in school, Severus was a strange student who was a bit difficult to evaluate.

This wasn't just because his personality became increasingly withdrawn and cold later on, but also because of the works he submitted in Potions class. As the Potions professor, Slughorn was very clear about Severus Snape's bad habits.

In his many years of teaching, few students were as fond of randomly changing recipes as Snape.

Keep in mind that the potions that are now passed down and taught to students in schools have all undergone a great deal of verification.

Of course, compared to those few successes, Snape had far too many examples of failure in Potions class due to his "willful actions," and he would repeat even those mistakes that could be called foolish.

"Anything that can be repeated isn't completely meaningless..."

"Even if it's a poison? A failed work that has no effect other than killing people."

"Poison, isn't that a very valuable result?"

"Mr. Snape, zero points. Clean everything up—"

Slughorn still remembered the conversation he had with the black-haired student when he rebuked Snape for disrupting the brewing method of the "Shrinking Solution," which originally didn't have any difficulty in brewing, and turning it into a poisonous potion.

As a result, he wasn't too surprised when he later heard that Snape had joined the Death Eaters.

What terrified Slughorn the most was that Snape appeared unharmed in Hogwarts Castle after Voldemort's downfall and even became the next Slytherin professor and Potions professor.

Perhaps Dumbledore was inclined to believe in the goodness of human nature, but Slughorn wouldn't be so naive.

Through the stories of his "friends," Slughorn was very clear that Snape had never severed ties with his Death Eater companions and had repeatedly protected those cunning friends in the long span of the past ten years.

For example, the Malfoy family, for example, the Crouch family...

After returning to Hogwarts Castle, Slughorn had repeatedly hinted to Dumbledore that if Voldemort were to return one day, Severus Snape would definitely be a huge hidden danger. Unfortunately...

"I don't like to evaluate others behind their backs, but I must emphasize this point once!"

Slughorn raised a finger and said with a serious expression.

"Everything that appears in your textbooks has been verified over decades or even centuries. At least before graduation, I think you should focus on learning them, rather than looking for shortcuts..."

"But, Professor—there aren't any good recipes in the wizarding world..."

Terry Boot scratched his nose in confusion and looked at the old man standing on the podium in bewilderment.

"Compared to the dishes on *A Bite of Hogwarts*, the dishes that Professor Snape taught us are obviously simpler and easier to achieve, both in terms of the production process and the taste, and they can also help us learn potions."

"Uh? So... Severus, you're really teaching them how to cook in Potions class?!"

Slughorn was stunned for a moment, and the corners of his eyes twitched uncontrollably.

What kind of changes have taken place in Hogwarts in the past ten years?! Learning to cook in Potions class, what could be more absurd and ridiculous than this?! It's simply unreasonable!

However, before Horace Slughorn could continue to speak,

"That's right, that's right! Professor Slughorn, what kind of dishes can you make? Since you taught Professor Snape and were a Potions professor at Hogwarts for so many years, you must be able to make a lot of dishes..."

"That must be the case! Look how fragrant Professor's cauldron of Felix Felicis smells!"

"Hey, the professor looks much fatter than Professor Snape, so the food he makes must be delicious, that's what my mom said."

"It doesn't necessarily depend on height. Have you forgotten Hagrid's rock cakes?"

"That's different. Mr. Hagrid isn't the Potions professor at Hogwarts, and besides..."

As the topic unfolded, the underground classroom suddenly became lively.

The young wizards, who had been somewhat restrained, all looked up and looked at Slughorn, who was obviously easier to talk to and more approachable than Severus Snape, with eager eyes, cheerfully vying to discuss.

For these students who had only been learning magic for a year, last year's Potions class was the real Potions class.

Potions = cooking = cooking, this was the principle that Professor Snape and Aileen taught them—although Professor Snape didn't say it that way, he used his actions to reward and tell everyone about the connection between the two.

And by analogy, as Professor Snape's teacher, Professor Horace Slughorn obviously...

Seeing that the topic in the underground classroom was gradually getting out of control, the smile on Slughorn's face finally became a bit forced.

"Ah, this—"

Damn it, this year's students are probably beyond saving.

The future of the wizarding world is gone, all gone... all the good seedlings are ruined...

As soon as this Potions class is over, he'll immediately go to the headmaster's office to report to Dumbledore and demand that the bad influence brought by a certain black sheep in Hogwarts be eliminated as soon as possible, so that everything can return to normal and not delay the children.

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Goo-yah! A big chapter!!! Yay!!

Cute Aileen asks for a heart~