Friday afternoon's class was Potions, and after it came a welcome two-day weekend. For most students, that meant relief from lessons. For Ryze, however, the upcoming class stirred a trace of anticipation.
Unlike many of his classmates, Ryze was actually curious about what he might gain from the lesson.
Before heading to class, he deliberately reserved 0.2 units of Curse Energy.
Potion-making was a discipline that demanded precision and patience. A single mistake—an ingredient added at the wrong moment, a stir in the wrong direction, a slightly incorrect temperature—could cause the final product to differ drastically from the intended result.
Those failed concoctions, the burnt residues and corrupted mixtures left at the bottom of cauldrons, might very well contain significant traces of Curse Energy.
For Ryze, that alone made the class worth anticipating.
However, just before the lesson began, Anthony leaned toward him and spoke in a low voice.
"Ryze, you should be careful in this class," he whispered. "Try not to get on Professor Snape's bad side."
Ryze turned slightly, raising an eyebrow.
Anthony continued, lowering his voice even further.
"This morning was the Potions class for Gryffindor and Slytherin. I heard Harry Potter was targeted pretty badly. Throughout the entire class, Snape kept finding excuses to dock points from him."
Michael, who had also heard the rumors, added his own information.
"I heard something similar. Apparently Snape likes to nitpick students who are famous—especially if they're from other houses."
He shrugged slightly.
"That's also why Slytherin keeps winning the House Cup every year. Snape is the Slytherin Head of House, and he clearly favors them."
Michael paused before glancing at Ryze.
"And it seems Snape has a good relationship with the Malfoy family. Since you made Malfoy suffer such a huge loss on Monday… Snape might try to get revenge in class."
Hearing this, Ryze simply nodded calmly.
"I've heard about these things before," he said quietly. "Professor Babbling mentioned some of it."
He paused for a moment.
"I'll try to keep a low profile. But honestly, if he really wants to target me, hiding in the farthest corner probably won't help."
Anthony and Michael exchanged a glance.
They both knew Ryze was right.
When a professor deliberately singled someone out, avoiding attention became nearly impossible.
And as it turned out, their concerns were entirely justified.
When the class officially began, Professor Snape swept into the underground Potions classroom.
His black robes billowed behind him like the wings of a bat, and his face wore the same gloomy expression that seemed permanently etched upon it.
The room fell silent almost instantly.
Without wasting time, Snape began the roll call, his voice cold and flat.
One name followed another.
Students responded quietly, trying not to attract any unnecessary attention.
Then the moment arrived.
When Snape reached the final name on the list, his voice slowed slightly.
"Ryze White… Black."
The addition of the surname came abruptly.
And noticeably.
In fact, Snape was the first professor to openly attach the surname Black to Ryze's name during roll call.
Although the truth was no longer much of a secret.
Over the past week—from Monday to Friday—anyone curious enough about Ailey had already dug up information about Ryze's background.
Many students had discovered that he was an orphan connected to the ancient House of Black.
Still, hearing the name spoken aloud during class created a ripple of curiosity.
Several young wizards glanced toward Ryze.
Others whispered quietly.
Ryze himself remained perfectly calm.
He understood immediately what Snape was trying to do.
The professor was likely observing whether Ryze would react with anger or resistance.
If Ryze showed even the slightest sign of defiance, Snape could easily accuse him of disrespecting a professor and deduct points.
So Ryze did the simplest thing possible.
Without changing his expression, he raised his hand slightly.
"Present."
His voice was steady.
No irritation.
No hesitation.
Snape's dark eyes lingered on him for a moment.
"Black…"
His tone was strangely neutral.
"I haven't heard that surname in many years."
He slowly looked over Ryze's appearance.
The black hair, the refined facial structure—features commonly seen among the male members of the House of Black.
"It seems the lost prince of the House of Black has finally found his way back to the wizarding world."
Despite the words, Snape's voice carried no warmth.
Only indifference.
Or perhaps something colder.
For a brief moment, Snape seemed lost in thought.
Seeing Ryze reminded him of another Black from his own school days.
That detestable Black… and his troublesome friends.
Compared to Harry Potter, who resembled his father almost seventy or eighty percent, Ryze only shared a faint similarity—perhaps forty percent at most.
But even that was enough.
Seeing those familiar features again and again stirred memories Snape would rather forget.
Memories that made his mood even worse.
Finally, Snape spoke again.
"I know you possess a magic fairy."
His voice hardened slightly.
"But if I catch you using that familiar to assist you in brewing potions during my class…"
He paused.
"I will personally throw you out of this classroom and petition the school to allow that familiar to take your place."
The threat was delivered without emotion.
Then, just as suddenly, Snape withdrew his gaze.
He turned toward the class and began the traditional opening speech he delivered every year.
"You are here to learn the precise science and exact art of potion-making."
His voice echoed softly through the dungeon classroom.
"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic."
He slowly walked between the rows of desks.
"I do not expect many of you to truly understand the beauty of a simmering cauldron, with its shimmering fumes and delicate aromas."
His dark eyes swept across the students.
"You will not comprehend the subtle power of liquids that creep through human veins… enchanting the senses and clouding the mind."
A faint pause followed.
"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even…"
He stopped briefly.
"…put a stopper on death."
Then his voice became colder.
"That is, if you are not as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
To be honest, when Snape delivered this speech, he genuinely gave off an aura of mysterious authority.
Even Ryze had to admit that.
Still, one particular phrase caught his attention.
"Put a stopper on death."
What kind of potion could possibly achieve that?
Could Snape create something like the Elixir of Life?
Or perhaps he knew how to brew it using the Philosopher's Stone as an ingredient?
Maybe the stone itself wasn't the potion, but merely a catalyst.
If that were the case, someone might still need to figure out how to obtain the Philosopher's Stone before brewing the elixir.
Unfortunately, Snape clearly had no intention of explaining further.
Ryze quietly dismissed the speculation.
Instead, another part of the speech resonated more strongly with him.
A simmering cauldron.
Delicate scents.
Liquids affecting the senses.
He did not yet fully understand the latter two ideas.
But the first two were very familiar.
Cooking.
In his previous life, Ryze had been quite good at stewing chicken soup.
Although his health in this life was weak—so fragile that he often remained bedridden during the winter—he could still guide the caregivers at the orphanage.
Under his direction, the chicken soup they prepared had always tasted remarkably good.
Of course, brewing potions was undoubtedly far more difficult than cooking.
But perhaps the fundamental principles were not entirely different.
Careful control of ingredients.
Precise timing.
Attention to temperature.
Subtle changes in aroma and color.
If one could appreciate the complexity of a well-prepared dish, then perhaps—with enough effort—it was possible to appreciate the beauty of potion-making as well.
Just as Ryze was quietly contemplating this idea—
Snape's voice suddenly cut through his thoughts.
"Black."
The sharp tone snapped him back to reality.
Snape was staring directly at him.
"If I needed a bezoar, where would I look?"
Ryze answered immediately.
"Professor, a bezoar can be found in the stomach of a goat. It has strong anti-poison properties and is a primary ingredient in many antidotes."
Snape's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Then tell me—can a bezoar directly counteract the venom of a Runespoor?"
Ryze responded calmly.
"No, it cannot. Runespoor venom prevents wounds from healing. A specialized antidote containing Essence of Dittany is required to promote recovery."
Several students looked surprised.
That question had clearly gone beyond first-year material.
Snape's gaze remained fixed on him.
"What potion can be brewed using leech saliva?"
This time Ryze shook his head slightly.
"Sorry, Professor. I only know that leech juice is an ingredient used in the Shrinking Potion. I do not know what potion leech saliva is used to brew."
His answer was straightforward and honest.
In reality, aside from the first question—which was basic knowledge—the second question had already exceeded the standard syllabus.
The Runespoor was normally covered in third-year Care of Magical Creatures.
Its antidote was likely discussed even later.
Ryze only knew the answer because he had once skimmed the famous book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them during the summer.
The information had simply stayed in his memory.
As for the third question—
That knowledge genuinely lay beyond him.
Still, Ryze did not attempt to argue or justify himself.
He answered what he knew.
And what he didn't know, he admitted honestly.
If Snape wanted to deduct points, then so be it.
The Ravenclaw students were watching.
None of them would believe that their house lost points because Ryze had failed to prepare.
Even if Snape deducted a thousand points, it would not affect Ryze's mood in the slightest.
Besides—
Ravenclaw had never been particularly obsessed with winning the House Cup.
After witnessing Snape's clear favoritism toward Slytherin over the years, most Ravenclaws had long accepted a simple truth.
Wisdom alone was not enough to win the House Cup.
Even Professor Flitwick, the Ravenclaw Head of House, had once told them:
Just do your best.
Learn as much as you can.
But don't place unnecessary pressure on yourselves.