The young witches and wizards below listened with exceptional attention.
After enduring Lockhart's theatrical "re-enactments" and Quirrell's lingering smell of garlic, their standards for this class had already become remarkably flexible.
Yet the students' response to Snape temporarily taking over Defence Against the Dark Arts had been surprisingly positive.
And it was not merely a matter of comparison.
His clear explanations, precise demonstrations, and emphasis on practical applications had restored the class to what it was supposed to be.
Snape's mastery of the Dark Arts was already exceptional, and teaching a group of students was effortless for him.
Watching Snape teach, Lucien felt that the man actually seemed more energetic than usual.
Was the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor somehow nourishing for Snape?
Well, as long as the curse remained, the position would still bite its occupants.
And with a bite force comparable to that of an African spotted hyena.
Taking advantage of the moment when Snape turned around to write on the blackboard, Ron nudged Harry with his elbow and lowered his voice.
"Harry, don't you think Snape sounds different when he teaches this class? At least he isn't spraying venom every other sentence like he does in Potions."
Harry felt the same way.
Up to this point, Snape had not used his trademark sarcastic tone to mock anyone in Defence Against the Dark Arts.
"Weasley."
A cold voice suddenly rang out.
Without even turning around, Snape continued,
"Talking during class, failing to pay attention, and disturbing others. Five points from Gryffindor."
Ron froze instantly and resentfully snapped his mouth shut.
When the bell rang, Snape efficiently gathered his teaching materials and cast his gaze over the students preparing to leave.
"Lucien, come to my office."
Following behind Snape, Lucien already had a fairly good idea of what this was about. Nine times out of ten, Snape wanted to discuss the Basilisk's corpse.
The Basilisk was a treasure trove, especially for someone skilled in Potions. Those organs and tissues imbued with special Magic were priceless materials.
Stepping into Snape's dimly lit office, lined with jars containing preserved specimens, Lucien was greeted by the familiar scent of herbs and Potions.
"Can you process the Basilisk's corpse?" Snape asked.
Magical creatures on the level of a Basilisk required specialised knowledge and techniques to dissect properly. Otherwise, precious materials could easily be damaged.
"I can handle it, Professor."
Salazar had already taught Lucien how to dissect and breed Basilisks, which essentially meant that if he ever needed more Basilisk materials, he should simply raise and slaughter them himself.
Listening to the Head of House Slytherin explain it so casually at the time, Lucien had felt as though Salazar were talking about raising chickens rather than Basilisks.
Lucien's immediate answer caused Snape to pause.
He had originally assumed that if Lucien lacked the knowledge, he could offer his assistance and use the opportunity to obtain a share of the materials.
Glancing at the bookshelves and cabinets around the room, Lucien continued,
"But the process is still extremely troublesome. A Basilisk has thick skin and flesh, and its scales possess exceptionally strong magical resistance. Specialised tools and techniques are required."
"Professor, are you interested in trading for some Basilisk materials?"
Faced with Lucien's straightforward question, Snape fell silent for several seconds before giving a slight nod and clearing his throat.
"What would you like in exchange? Finished Potions, ingredients, Potion recipes, or books?"
Lucien barely hesitated.
"Potion recipes and books, Professor."
Snape was not surprised by the answer.
He knew Lucien's love of knowledge. That was precisely why he had included books and recipes among the options.
"I need the Basilisk's eyes. One of them will be enough."
The Basilisk's eyes were among the most magically concentrated parts of its body, containing unique properties related to death itself.
For advanced Potions research, they were dream ingredients and catalysts.
However, Lucien shook his head.
"Sorry, Professor. I have important plans for both eyes. Perhaps we could discuss other materials?"
According to the knowledge passed down by Salazar, the Basilisk's eyes could serve as the medium for enhancing his Eye of Peering Magic.
The inheritance Salazar had left behind at Hogwarts focused primarily on the wizard's own magical circuits, analysing and studying Magic from the perspectives of the body and soul.
And Lucien's Eye of Peering Magic had originally been developed through a combination of Potions, Transfiguration, and other fields. Modifying eyeballs could be considered familiar territory.
In truth, not all of Salazar's inheritance had been left within Hogwarts. After leaving the school, he had travelled across the world, and a considerable portion of his legacy remained scattered throughout various places.
During the winter holidays, Lucien was planning to take Norbert to several major Norwegian Ridgeback habitats to "challenge the gyms." Perhaps he might stumble upon one of those hidden inheritances.
Snape frowned slightly, but did not press the issue, instead proposing another target.
"Then, part of the Basilisk's heart..."
Lucien still politely declined.
He could not help sighing inwardly that Snape certainly knew how to pick.
The Basilisk's heart was the source of its enormous vitality. More importantly, Lucien needed it for the Magic Weaving Technique as a core material for optimising Norbert's magical circuit.
It was indispensable.
"Well, I have other plans for the heart as well. Though there may be some leftovers. We can discuss that later."
"..."
Snape silently stared at Lucien before speaking slowly.
"You intend to use the Basilisk's eyes and heart to create Alchemical items?"
After this term, Snape had already become accustomed to Lucien occasionally producing strange Alchemical creations with peculiar functions.
If any other young wizard had claimed they wanted to use the Basilisk's eyes and heart, Snape would have assumed they were simply going to waste them.
But Lucien...
Well, other young wizards could hardly be expected to kill a Basilisk.
Lucien answered vaguely,
"Something along those lines. Magical experiments, magical experiments..."
After some bargaining, Snape eventually secured a portion of the Basilisk's gallbladder and brain, along with a large quantity of venom, scales, flesh, and bones.
With a wave of his wand, several rolls of parchment and a few thick books floated out from the cabinet and bookshelves, landing on the table before Lucien.
Lucien's eyes quickly swept across the collection before settling on one particularly worn volume, its title almost completely faded.
Advanced Potion-Making.
This book seemed to be...
Lucien reached out and picked up Advanced Potion-Making, flipping through it casually.
Seeing Lucien choose that book first, Snape raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing.
As the pages turned, densely packed annotations could be found in the margins of almost every page.
And at the bottom of the back cover, written in equally small handwriting, was a line:
This Book is the Property of the Half-Blood Prince.
"This book belongs to the Half-Blood Prince."
________
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