Harry Potter and the Obscurus

Chapter 7 Snape's Special Tutoring

For younger students at Hogwarts, the first week of school is usually quite relaxed, with only two or three classes a day and the rest of the time free to do as they please.

Ron originally wanted to enjoy himself like most of his classmates, indulging in eating, drinking, and having fun. However, with a studious student constantly working hard by his side, his indulgent lifestyle began to feel intensely guilty. In just one day, he joined Harry's journey to Hogwarts, caught between reluctance and obligation.

Hogwarts Castle, including the basement, has nine floors and four towers, with a total of 142 staircases. Unlike what Mo Ran saw in the movies, these staircases are not just simple swaying left and right; some steps suddenly disappear halfway up. If you don't remember these places, you'll likely be startled.

Besides, different doors have their own quirks. Some doors require the wizard to politely ask them to open, some require poking the right spot with a wand, and some doors have no room behind them at all, only thick walls. It's difficult to remember the terrain that changes every day, let alone first-year students. Even some second and third-year students have to ask ghosts and figures in paintings to find their way.

Ron was terrified of Warden Angus Filch, whose menacing appearance and constant threats to lock students in the dungeons were enough to give Harry and Morgen a real headache. But for Harry and Morgen, it was the mischievous Peeves who truly gave them a headache. Unlike ordinary ghosts, Peeves, who possessed a physical form, often did things that sent blood pressure soaring, like dumping a wastebasket on your head or jumping out of armor to scare passing students.

Mo Ran had never seen Mischief in a movie and didn't know how to deal with him, so she could only avoid him. Fortunately, Mischief was willing to obey the teacher's rules and agreed not to cause trouble in the classroom during class, otherwise, who knows what kind of chaos he would have made...

Speaking of courses, Harry, after being mentored by Moran, had completely lost interest in studying the history of magic, astronomy, and herbalism. After experiencing Professor Sprout's "Horticulture" class for the first time, he made a pact with Moran: for any class unrelated to the fight against Voldemort, he would relinquish control of his body. Moran was initially quite pleased, but after taking over a lesson on the history of magic taught by Professor Binns for Harry, he deeply understood what it meant to be too clever for one's own good.

Hermione couldn't quite understand why Harry treated these courses so differently. On Wednesday evening, when they went to the tower for astronomy class, the little witch took the opportunity of returning a book to ask Harry (Mo Ran):

"Harry, why do you look so listless?"

Harry (Mo Ran) explained somewhat helplessly:

"Because some classes are just boring and useless."

Hermione immediately became agitated; she seemed unable to accept that such an outstanding person as Harry would have such extreme thoughts.

"How could that be! Hogwarts is the best magic school. All the professors who teach here are the elite in their respective fields. No matter how smart you are, you can't be so arrogant!"

Harry (Mo Ran) couldn't help but chuckle. He looked at Hermione's puffed-up face and teased her:

"Fine, let's see if you can still say the same thing after you take divination class in third grade."

Hermione was momentarily confused; she naturally didn't understand what the other person meant. After thinking for a long time, she finally managed to come up with this question:

"Then tell me, what did Professor Dumbledore mean by saying 'idiot,' 'crybaby,' 'scum,' and 'twist' at the inaugural banquet?"

Mo Ran was quite surprised when he first heard Old Deng say those words, but as a viewer who had experienced the entire Harry Potter storyline from a god-like perspective, he quickly understood what it meant.

"It's very simple."

Harry (Mo Ran) said casually:

"The four houses are characterized by wisdom, courage, pureblood, and integrity. The four words spoken by the headmaster can be seen as the founders of each house's views on the other three houses, or as a satire of overemphasizing one trait."

Hermione was momentarily stunned, then realized that Harry (Mo Ran) was looking at her with a slightly amused expression, and her mind immediately became a mess again.

"You'd better go look through your binoculars. Even if you don't like this subject, you'll still have to take the exams later."

After hastily leaving behind this message, Hermione ran off, leaving a bewildered Harry (Mo Ran) standing there wondering: Why is she blushing again?

……

Thursday morning and afternoon were dedicated to Transfiguration and Charms classes, respectively. At this time, Moran would definitely return to his VIP viewing seat. Since Harry and Ron had previously explored Hogwarts Castle, Neville, who overslept and got lost, became the poor wretch who got thoroughly humiliated by Professor McGonagall's Animagus attack.

"Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous of all the magic you learn at Hogwarts. If anyone misbehaves in my class, don't blame me for not warning you: get out and never come back!"

Professor McGonagall's harsh words almost brought Neville to tears, and the other students sat upright, not daring to utter a sound. Only Harry, seemingly unfazed, raised his hand and asked:

"Professor McGonagall, when we advance to the next grade, can we learn how to become Animagus?"

Professor McGonagall, who had just been looking serious, turned around and gave Harry a rare smile. She adjusted her glasses and said:

“It takes a month to train to become an Animagus, and several years to master the transformation. If a student shows enough talent and potential, the professors will naturally help him train to become an Animagus, but that is clearly not something you can do right now. Now…”

Professor McGonagall waved her wand, and her lectern instantly transformed into a pig.

"What you need to do is study hard and lay a solid foundation."

The students were stunned by her masterful Transfiguration; they all pulled out their wands, eager to learn immediately. Harry liked Professor McGonagall, who could transform into a cat, not only because she had appeared in his dreams, but also because her strict and intelligent demeanor gave him a sense of security. Harry was certain that once he had the ability to become an Animagus, Professor McGonagall would spare no effort to help him.

When the Transfiguration class ended, Harry and Hermione each received 5 extra points in Gryffindor for successfully turning matches into needles. This greatly worried Ron, who begged Harry to teach him the spell, but after only lunch, he completely forgot about it.

Unlike the stern Professor McGonagall, Charms teacher Flitwick was much more approachable. In his first lesson, the new students simply learned how to properly hold a wand and practiced casting postures. Harry was somewhat disappointed, but he didn't look down on Professor Flitwick because of it. In the memory of Moran reading for him, this small professor was not only the Headmaster of Ravenclaw House, but also a former champion in dueling tournaments. Having a good relationship with such a teacher would certainly have benefits beyond just getting higher grades.

Friday, a crucial day for Harry. His talent and interest in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions surpassed even his interest in Transfiguration and Charms. Unfortunately, Professor Quirrell delivered no surprises; his lessons seemed more of a joke than his exaggerated hood. In a classroom reeking of garlic, Harry experienced a "stuttering version of Professor Binns" in his "Defense Against the Dark Arts: History of Magic" class. Drowsy Harry even wished his forehead would ache again, but by the end of get out of class, his scar remained perfectly intact.

“I hope Professor Snape will say something useful, as Percy suggested.”

Watching Harry keep piling meatballs onto his plate, Ron said incredulously:

"Do you really want to take his class? Snape is notoriously biased towards his students. If we take a class with Slytherins, we'll definitely lose five or ten points... Ugh, I really hope Professor McGonagall will be biased towards us too."

Harry knew that Ron didn't quite understand the phrase 'grades don't matter' yet, so he simply changed the subject.

"Any interesting news in the newspaper?"

Ron glanced at the newspaper, pointed to the headline featuring a group of busy fairies, and said:

"A while ago, some crazy guy broke into Gringotts. The goblins at Gringotts confirmed that a dark wizard did break in, and repeatedly emphasized that nothing was stolen. Vault 713, where the incident occurred, was actually emptied several days earlier. To be honest, even if there were things inside, they wouldn't have been stolen. Gringotts' vault doors would suck thieves in."

"But the newspaper didn't say the thief was caught, did it? Wait... you mean vault 713?"

"Yes what's the matter?"

Harry took the newspaper from Ron and said with some surprise:

"When Hagrid took me to Gringotts to get the money, he took something from there."

"what?"

"I don't know, it must be something very important to Hogwarts..."

……

Just then, Hedwig arrived with a letter.

Since the start of the semester, over a hundred owls have delivered letters and packages to their respective owners, but Harry has received nothing.

Dear Harry:

I know you don't have classes after 3 p.m. on Fridays. Could you come over and have a cup of tea with me after that? I'd like to know how your first week of school went. Please have Hedwig write to me.

Hagrid

Hagrid's handwriting was very messy, but Harry didn't care. He happily wrote on the back of the letter, "Okay, I'd love to. See you this afternoon."

At this moment, Harry was unaware that from this day forward, he would have no free time from Friday afternoons to evenings.

Like the Slytherin common room, the Potions classroom was located in the basement. It was far more sinister than the main castle, and the specimens preserved in glass jars were even more unsettling. But for most Gryffindor students, anything was better than Professor Snape's face.

"This course doesn't require you to wave your wands around like an idiot, nor does it require you to chant spells randomly."

With a loud bang, Snape strode into the classroom like a giant bat, and everyone fell silent instantly.

"I don't expect all of you to understand the profound knowledge and intricate craftsmanship of potion making. Some people are destined not to be able to make the cauldron emit that mesmerizing, captivating white smoke."

"However, for the very few who are truly talented and capable of achieving greatness..."

“I can teach you how to confuse your mind and deceive your senses; I will help you gain fame and create glory; I can even… teach you how to stop death from coming.”

As Snape finished his opening remarks, Harry noticed that many Gryffindor students, like Neville, had already hunched over, actively avoiding the professor's sweeping gaze. Only Hermione Granger confidently leaned forward, seemingly trying to prove she wasn't a stupid idiot who couldn't understand the lesson.

"Speaking of which..."

"Perhaps some of you already possessed extraordinary abilities before coming to Hogwarts. Let's see if you're just all talk and no action."

"Mr. Potter!"

Snape suddenly called out Harry's name:

What will I get if I add narcissus root powder to mugwort infusion?

"It can be formulated into a very potent sleeping pill, sir. It is a potion of life and death, scientifically known as the Living Hell Soup. This potion is extremely dangerous and must be used in conjunction with an antidote to awaken the patient."