Chapter 25: CH: 25 2nd Encounter with Snape
"You've been following me all this way, watching my every move," Snape's cold, piercing gaze locked onto Anton, his wand held lightly. "If you can't provide me with an explanation, I wouldn't mind casting a nasty curse on you."
It's was over, he's caught by Snape!
Although this teacher is terrible at school, he is still a good person.
But in this chaotic world, well...
Anton knew Snape too well. This man is as solid as a rock and capable of true killing. Even Snape himself didn't know the fearsome reputation he had in the dark wizard community. Over the years, he had left a trail of dismembered corpses, cut in half by his sharp magical spells.
He really might kill me!
Anton quickly assessed the strengths of both himself and Snape in his mind, reluctantly tucking Fiennes's wand back into its hidden clasp.
Discarding the tree trunk, he raised his empty hands in a gesture of surrender, "Snape, I mean you no harm."
Snape quickly glanced around, ensuring no one was nearby before approaching swiftly. "How did you recognize me?"
Oh~ It's definitely your unkempt hair that seems to have been soaked in cream for three days and nights.
Anton doubted that if he told the truth, he would end up buried in some corner of this desolate mountain by Snape.
Anton, who had faced the constant pressure of life and death for a long time, had developed a resilient spirit and a sharp intellect.
If it weren't for the intimidating and unpredictable old man, he would have perished long ago.
Anton gestured towards his face, "We're familiar with each other, shall I remove the disguise?"
Snape nodded slightly.
He lowered his hood, removed his mask, took a sip of the prepared voice antidote, and set aside the iron pot and backpack he had been carrying.
"I have a dream."
With the disguise lifted, Anton's mind cleared.
When he spoke of his dreams, Anton's eyes seemed to shine, "I aspire to become a potions master."
"When I was young, I wandered among the gatherings of itinerant wizards, feeling aimless and disinterested in life."
"Just when I thought I would end up like those wretched individuals, rotting away in a forgotten corner of the world, with no one to care..."
"As if it were a twist of fate, a copy of the Daily Prophet smacked me in the face against the wind."
"It has your picture on it," Anton said, his voice filled with emotion as he looked at Snape.
"It stated that you have perfected the Wolf's Bane Potion, and the newspapers were full of praise."
"Little did you know, at that time, all the gathering places of wandering wizards were singing your praises, with countless werewolves kneeling on the ground, weeping bitterly."
With excitement in his voice,
Anton tightly clenched his fist and raised it, "I swore then, I would become someone like you!"
"I not only study potions diligently, but I also search everywhere for information about you."
Anton did his best to imitate a close friend of his ex-girlfriend from his past life, a girl who was a devoted fan of a certain celebrity.
"You are a guiding light that illuminates the path of my life!"
"You are the motivation that keeps me going, even when I'm tired and weary!"
"You are the only unwavering belief in my life."
"Oh, idol~"
Anton's idol shouted with extreme fervor, as if a devout believer had finally laid eyes on God.
Snape, despite his hardened demeanor, couldn't help but feel a shiver down his spine.
As he saw Anton approaching with excitement, he quietly took a half step back in panic.
Anton was completely lost in his own world.
Snape raised his wand coldly, "Don't come any closer!"
However, this foolish fan placed his head on the tip of the wand, his eyes misty and filled with tears. "I know, I am inherently foolish. Perhaps I will never achieve such greatness in my life. Sometimes I feel so weary and exhausted..."
"You're like a star in the sky, so unattainable."
"Kill me, let me die by your wand..." Anton took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I would be truly content."
The wind whistled by.
A leaf gently landed on Anton's face.
He raised his eyebrows, opened his eyes, and surveyed his surroundings. "Idol?"
"Idol?"
The idol had vanished, which was truly disappointing, haha.
Anton picked up his backpack once more, found his old wand on the ground again, hummed a tune, and continued on.
Though the previous display was a bit embarrassing.
But he had managed to make it through unscathed.
Life can be so challenging at times, forcing a young child to endure humiliation just to survive. Sigh.
Anton felt a twinge of sadness.
I'm so resilient~
"Expelliarmus!"
His wand emerged once again from his hand.
Bring it on!
Anton's expression turned cold, and he discreetly retrieved the spare wand from a hidden compartment. If Snape wasn't a wizard of his caliber, Anton was determined to eliminate him. After all, what good is the Cruciatus Curse if it can't kill?
He looked up.
Hold on a second!
"Idol?!!!"
The damn Snape had reappeared.
Back to the old tricks, huh?
"I almost fell for your deception!" Snape sneered. "I remember your face. You sold me the Moonlight Turtle's brain at the Leaky Cauldron, and you didn't show any excitement when you saw me."
Not only did Anton lack excitement, but Snape's sensitive heart was deeply wounded at that moment.
When Hagrid pulled out the galleons, the child only had eyes for Hagrid, as if Snape didn't exist.
It was like saying, "Hey, Snape, you're nothing more than a big freak."
No one knew how devastated he felt at that time.
Yes, he was indeed a stingy person!
"How could you doubt me like this!" Anton appeared deeply humiliated, his face flushed red.
This was the moment to test his resilience. All he needed was the skill of perseverance. Now was undoubtedly the critical moment to prove his toughness.
In comparison to resilience, determination, and patience, who could intimidate him?
Anton's mind seemed to drift back to his past life. During that time, his ex-girlfriend's best friend had gone into a complete frenzy upon hearing the unspoken news about idols. He looked somewhat frightened while his girlfriend tried to console him.
How terrifying it was to be shattered.
"How could you doubt me!" Anton's eyes turned red.
"Do you know what I went through back then? No, you have no idea at all!" Anton became hysterical and bellowed.
"My teacher is dead! Their body was engulfed by a horrifying potion, and the force of the explosion even created a two-meter crater in the ground. I was all alone at that time, helpless, wandering aimlessly, unsure of where to go next."
Anton vigorously raised his index and middle fingers, making a gesture. "Two months, I went hungry for two whole months without a single meal."
"You have no idea how grateful I was when you purchased my moonlight turtle brain!"
"But..."
"And now you dare to doubt me!"
Anton glared at Snape with cold eyes, "Snape, return my wand to me. I challenge you to a duel!"
"Today, it's either you kill me, or I kill you!"
"Even if I were to kill you, you would still remain the perfect idol in my mind."
"..." Snape had a peculiar expression on his face, questioning if he had truly remembered incorrectly.
Although this child was speaking of killing and violence, his eyes were filled with tears of disappointment, which made Snape feel incredibly uneasy.
It seemed as though he had genuinely hurt someone who admired him.
The old wand flew through the air and returned to Anton's hand once more.
"???"
Anton stared at the wand in his hand, feeling dazed. What on earth should he do next? Was he really going to engage in a duel?
Did Snape expect him to instantly cast the Cruciatus Curse without even exchanging greetings?
Could he defeat Snape by relying on sneak attacks?
Snape's expression softened. "How far have you progressed in your potion studies
Anton blinked, quickly opened his backpack, rummaged through it, and carefully retrieved a piece of parchment.
Snape observed Anton's backpack, filled with pages of written notes, and finally believed his words.
Little did Snape know that these were all Fiennes's notes, and only one of them was written by Anton himself.
This was because Anton had coughed up blood and accidentally contaminated the notes, so the old man had assigned him the task of transcribing them.
His hand remained steady as he retrieved that particular note.
He calmly handed it over to Snape.
He secretly prayed in his heart that Snape would only glance at this picture, or else he would be exposed~
Anton was so nervous that he felt as if he were on the brink of death, yet he still did his best to maintain the expression of being unjustly suspected by his idol.
Snape's lips twitched into a kind smile as he took the parchment, treating it as if he were collecting homework from one class after another.
But as he looked at it, his brows furrowed.
"What kind of potion is this?"
"It's a research on a potion that enhances perception, idol," Anton quickly replied. This potion formula is an important part of the "Oculus" potion.
"It's very thoughtful, and the approach is quite unique," Snape remarked, glancing at Anton in surprise. "You're quite talented."
Anton blinked, knowing that this research wasn't his own.
However, it still demonstrated his understanding of Fiennes's level of potion-making, and even Snape found it commendable.
"It's just that it's overly complicated, with many unnecessary steps."
Snape set down the suitcase containing Nagini, took a seat on it, and placed the parchment in front of Anton. "From here to here, a total of seven steps can be simplified. All you need to do is add powdered rhizome of the scarlet moonflower instead."
"And here..."
In the night breeze, Snape explained the one-hour lesson and analyzed the entire recipe in simple terms.
The parchment was covered in red writing, marking his annotations.
Even after Snape departed, Anton continued to stare blankly at the parchment.
He actually understood this complex potion.
In just one hour, he had grasped it all!
You see, aside from following the old man's advice on handling the ingredients, he had no theoretical foundation whatsoever.
"Bravo!." Fiennes clapped and floated over from a distance. "I witnessed a marvelous display of deception, Anton. You have the talent to become a dark wizard."
Anton pursed his lips and unfolded the parchment in front of Fiennes. "Perhaps you should take a look at this."
"You dare to tamper with my formula?" Fiennes seethed with anger. But after a while, he fell silent, his gaze fixed on the parchment, and eventually admitted defeat. "Since becoming a ghost, it seems that I can't think as I used to."
He glanced at the parchment once more, astounded. "The Master of Potions truly lives up to his reputation."
"Yes," Anton replied, looking in the direction Snape had left. "Now, he's truly my idol."
Snape had opened the door to the world of potions for him, a world so dazzling and intoxicating.
Anton found himself genuinely starting to enjoy Potions.
He eagerly anticipated the day he would study at Hogwarts, where he could approach the Potions Master with his research findings in an honest and upright manner, without any deceit.
Of course, for now, he would not feel ashamed. All he wanted was to survive, nothing more.
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