"Alright, alright, I roughly understand now..."

Horace Slughorn gently pinched his brow, striving to suppress the urge to immediately seek out Dumbledore to complain. His gaze swept over the eager, childlike faces in the classroom, and he carefully weighed his words before speaking slowly.

"I am terribly sorry, it seems there's been a miscommunication between Professor Snape and myself. Rather than cooking in the cauldron, I believe we should focus our energies on more important learning. Potion-making is not the same as cooking. At least in my potions class, we should explore the potions themselves, not tasks that can be delegated to house-elves."

Within the magical world, culinary magic is indeed a significant branch.

For example, Hufflepuff House excels in this area, but that doesn't mean Slughorn would acknowledge its connection to potion-making. Furthermore, he didn't believe culinary magic and cooking were the same thing.

"Regrettably, potion-making is potion-making. I have no intention of having you confuse brewing potions with simmering fish soup."

Slughorn cleared his throat, raised his voice slightly, and said with solemn seriousness.

"Perhaps you perceive both as being accomplished with the help of cauldrons and flames, but that's merely the most superficial understanding. If a Muggle were to find a potions textbook and follow the steps, the end result would only be a strange, inedible sludge – only potions possess magic."

Hearing Slughorn's words, many young wizards displayed expressions of disappointment.

"Oh well, potions it is then..."

"You're right, Professor Slughorn, we understand."

"No wonder he retired so early, he probably can't cook - I knew it. Professor McGonagall has been teaching for so many years."

"Just endure it, Professor Snape will be back next class."

"I should have eaten more this morning... Alas, this will be difficult..."

A chorus of murmurs filled the classroom as the young wizards whispered amongst themselves.

Even though Snape was strict and fond of fault-finding, the cold Potions professor's cooking skills were superb. Even the dishes provided by the Hogwarts kitchen were slightly inferior to Professor Snape's creations.

On the other hand, as the head chef and Potions assistant, Aeliana would not participate in post-class evaluations, but her culinary achievements would be included in the final reward distribution. As long as they were reasonably diligent and worked hard, most students would have the opportunity to taste a "top chef" level "Potions class special delicacy" once or twice a semester.

For the young wizards, the Potions class reward session twice a week carried most of their anticipation.

However, they didn't protest. After all, Slughorn was only temporarily substituting.

Besides Severus Snape, it would be difficult to find another professor in Hogwarts who would take them to the edge of the Forbidden Forest to catch snails during class. As an old-fashioned Potions professor from the previous generation, Horace Slughorn's rigid style aligned with many young wizards' prior guesses.

Perhaps in many students' eyes, they had already lowered their voices as much as possible.

But these hushed whispers were almost like talking in his ear to a seasoned Potions professor - the enhancements magic provides to wizards aren't limited to quantity. The sensory requirements for brewing potions are not low.

This—

This is too ridiculous!

"..."

Slughorn's eyes twitched slightly, and he chuckled with anger as he scanned the whispering students.

Having taught at Hogwarts for decades, this was the first time in his life that he had been scorned by students for his inability to cook. If he didn't realize it wasn't the children's fault, he would have deducted points from the entire class.

Never mind, don't get angry, they are just children...

He's decades old, why would he bicker with a bunch of eleven- or twelve-year-olds?

Slughorn took a deep breath, bowed his head to organize the lesson plan for a few seconds, and was about to ignore the increasingly unrestrained discussions of the little ones and begin to explain some advanced potion knowledge according to the emergency plan he had just prepared.

Just then, a series of drifting words inadvertently reached his ears.

"No way, no way, the former Potions professor was really like this?"

"Hehe, I knew it would be like this, I could tell long ago, anyone with real skills would retire so early? He's just incompetent himself and can justify it with a reason? That's really amazing."

"Anyway, everything Professor Slughorn says is right. If he says cooking has nothing to do with potions, then it doesn't matter how well Professor Snape teaches, potion-making is all supported by Professor Slughorn's mouth..."

Hmm?!

Who is being sarcastic?!

The smile on Slughorn's face collapsed, and he suddenly raised his head, looking hatefully forward.

However, what came into his sight were still those childish faces that made him feel that he had nowhere to vent his anger.

Except for the two relatively well-behaved little girls sitting directly in front of him, most of the other students in the classroom had some dodging and questioning in their eyes - with so many people in the classroom, Slughorn couldn't tell who was speaking.

Hmm... it should be a boy.

Horace Slughorn narrowed his eyes and recalled the voice he had just heard.

Because the student who was speaking deliberately lowered their voice, it sounded slightly sharp, but after being a professor at Hogwarts for so many years, Slughorn could easily distinguish between the voices of girls and boys.

In addition, judging from the volume and source of the sound transmitted to his ears, it was at least coming from the middle and rear of the classroom.

The smile on Slughorn's face gradually disappeared, and his gaze skipped over the two well-behaved little witches in the front row who were immediately excluded from suspicion, and coldly swept a few times in the smoky underground classroom.

It seems that he has been away from Hogwarts for too long, so that no one remembers that he was the Head of Slytherin for so many years.

Let's put the matter just now aside for now, anyway, if there are no accidents, he should stay at Hogwarts for a very, very long time this time, at least five or six years to slowly get to know these little guys.

As for now...

"Okay, it seems that if I don't answer these questions, you little brains will be thinking wildly."

Slughorn puffed out his chest and tapped the blackboard with his wand.

"Then, taking the swelling solution you are brewing as an example, let me tell you the huge difference between potion-making and the non-magical world, and even cooking food in a pot, first... Miss Caslana—"

"Hmm? Here!"

Aeliana's little tuft of hair on top of her head twitched, looking at the Potions professor with a hint of vigilance.

"Excuse me... um, is there a problem? Professor Slughorn."

Although Grindelwald, Scamander, and Dumbledore did not show precise locking abilities when encountering her "telepathic magic," she couldn't guarantee that this relatively unfamiliar old wizard wouldn't have some black technology.

Even though she had deliberately adjusted to Zacharias Smith's voice and moved the sound source back a bit in the classroom.

"Oh, don't be nervous, just answer a few simple questions."

Slughorn said with a smile, his eyes particularly gentle and kind.

From the beginning of the commotion just now, Slughorn had been paying attention to the fact that, compared to the other students with unstable minds, this Miss Caslana could be said to be impeccable in terms of classroom discipline, without any complaining expression at all.

Or rather, she is indeed an excellent student who can serve as a "Potions Assistant," right?

Looking at Aeliana, Slughorn seemed to see a similar figure, and continued gently.

"Miss Caslana, can you tell everyone what the ingredients used in the swelling solution are?"

"Eh? The ingredients for the swelling solution, um..."

Aeliana breathed a sigh of relief, so he's not here to cause trouble and seek revenge, that's okay then.

Although she didn't know why Slughorn would ask such a low-level question, she wouldn't refuse this gift that was handed to her mouth, as the "new points season" between her and Hermione had restarted with the beginning of the new semester.

You know, the bet of one hundred times last semester allowed her to have a great time.

"In *Magical Drafts and Potions*, there are a total of three."

Aeliana smiled slightly, looked at Slughorn, and quickly replied in a calm voice.

"Nettles, pufferfish eyes, and bat livers."

"Very correct, so how much do you know about the dangers of these three potion ingredients?"

"Huh? The... dangers of these potion ingredients?"

Aeliana blinked her eyes and looked at Slughorn in confusion.

The old Potions professor looked at the little witch in front of him thoughtfully, and said with a smile of anticipation.

"That's right, as a Potions Assistant, I believe Miss Caslana, you have more experience in identifying potion ingredients than most of the students present, after all, you will also help Professor Snape distribute potion ingredients in the higher grade classes, right?"

Potions Assistant? Professor Snape? Distributing potions?

Aeliana raised her eyebrows slightly and couldn't help but laugh inwardly.

So that's how it is, this Professor Slughorn is secretly gathering information, the information revealed in this probing question is too much, no wonder he was easily coaxed out of words decades ago.

It seems that Old Spicy Radish hasn't leaked her secret, which means - the stage can be lit up!

"B-but I... You may not know, it's not because of knowledge..."

Under Slughorn's gaze, Aeliana lowered her eyes shyly and rubbed her fingertips nervously.

"The reason why Professor Snape made me an assistant against the rules is mainly because the magical healing abilities I have mastered can help everyone in time when emergencies occur in the classroom... I just obtained the qualification of a junior healer some time ago, and my attainments and depth of knowledge in potions may not be as good as Professor Slughorn imagined."

"Wait, the qualification of a junior healer?!"

Slughorn was stunned for a moment, and repeated in disbelief.

"Yes, this was a special assessment applied for by my grandfather—"

Aeliana nodded proudly, but stopped abruptly halfway through, and waved her hand in panic.

"Ah! Oh no, I promised Professor Dumbledore that I can't tell anyone for the time being. This involves the agreement between my grandfather and Professor Dumbledore. In short, if you directly ask Professor Dumbledore later, he should..."

"Grandfather? Healer?"

Horace Slughorn pondered for a few seconds, and suddenly a few strange hints from Albus Dumbledore that he had previously hesitated to say flashed in his mind, as well as some inside information from his "club members".

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Wait! Could the grandfather that the girl is talking about be that one—

Slughorn suddenly remembered the two old men sitting next to Dumbledore at the Hogwarts welcome banquet yesterday.

The identity of one of them is now known to everyone, the legendary great alchemist, Nicolas Flamel; then by analogy, the identity of the other old wizard who is temporarily using the alias Otto Apocalypse must not be ordinary.

Slughorn, who likes to observe humans, keenly noticed that Flamel and Professor Apocalypse would occasionally talk.

This means that there must be some areas in which the two can communicate...

Horace Slughorn is not like those mediocre and ignorant officials in the Ministry of Magic. As a potions master who has been immersed in the field of potions for most of his life, with so much information intertwined, the answer almost appeared in an instant.

If he guessed correctly, the unfamiliar Professor Otto Apocalypse is mostly the legendary healer who was active in the same era as Flamel, the other owner of the Philosopher's Stone recorded in the current magical literature, Paracelsus—there was indeed a rumor before that this wizard had reappeared, and that a descendant had entered Hogwarts.

There is no doubt that Aeliana Caslana is likely to be that "little princess."

This explains everything, and Aeliana Caslana's outstanding achievements in the field of healing magic, the girl's slight privileges, and Dumbledore's previous extra reminders, are also natural.

"Oh, Miss Caslana, I understand... I understand!"

Slughorn's attitude became more enthusiastic, looking kindly at the super potential stock.

Of course, he wouldn't be foolish enough to expose Paracelsus' disguise, at least not in this potions class at the moment, but that doesn't mean Slughorn has no way to express his friendliness.

"Miss Caslana, it doesn't matter, just say as much as you know..."

Slughorn said with a smile, "A friend of mine once said that your elder in your family has quite remarkable attainments in diseases and toxins. If you would like to take this opportunity to share it with everyone? As a reward..."

He paused, as if thinking about what kind of gift he should give to make it not so abrupt.

"If possible, can you let me join that club?"

Just then, Aeliana suddenly raised her head, looked at Slughorn nervously, and asked cautiously.

"I have always wanted to get to know some outstanding seniors who graduated from Hogwarts. I heard that you have a small group of excellent students. I wonder if you can help me write letters to invite them..."

"Of course! Of course - very good!"

Horace Slughorn's eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded in agreement.

After hesitating for a few seconds, the chubby Potions professor glanced at the other students in the classroom, cleared his throat a little unnaturally, frowned and thought for a while, and added seriously.

"However, the premise is that your analysis of those potion ingredients must be valuable, on the one hand, it can make me recognize it, and more importantly, it can allow other students to learn something. Otherwise, you still have to write the letter yourself."

"Then, I'll try to briefly introduce these potion ingredients—"

Aeliana smiled sweetly, stood up naturally, and walked to the blackboard at the front of the classroom.

"If possible, can Professor Slughorn help me later and provide a little assistance? It's mainly to handle and display some processes of potion ingredients, it's not a troublesome thing—"

"That's for sure." Slughorn stroked his beard confidently and said with a smile.

"Thank you, Professor Slughorn."

Aeliana's lake blue eyes flickered, the corners of her mouth were slightly raised, and her little tuft of hair swayed from side to side triumphantly.

Compared to the time when she tricked Severus Snape a year ago, Aeliana has gained a lot of experience and practical information in how to transform a potions master into a Michelin-starred chef in the potions class practice in the past year or so.

And now, it's finally time to test whether the methodology is feasible...

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Yay, another big chapter~