Chapter 31: Light and Darkness
Douglas's words caused the Slytherin student's expression to stiffen.
After repelling two waves of Inferi, Oliver Wood's challenge ultimately ended in failure.
Douglas didn't hesitate to mark his performance with a P.
Once the scene was reset and the false Inferi restored to their positions, Douglas instructed the observing students to prepare the next participant.
In truth, the corpses at the bottom of the lake were not real Inferi.
They were constructs Douglas had created using Transfiguration and layered spellwork.
He had once considered bringing an actual corpse to demonstrate the lesson properly.
But Professor McGonagall had firmly rejected the idea.
Allowing such dangerous and inhumane material into Hogwarts was out of the question.
Ironically, dealing with the fake Inferi was actually very simple.
All it required was an extremely bright Lumos spell.
If the lake were flooded with light, the creatures would remain submerged and refuse to rise.
Unfortunately, the magical world had developed certain habits over generations.
When facing Inferi, most wizards instinctively chose fire spells, believing them to be the safest and most aggressive option.
They often forgot a simpler truth:
Inferi fear light.
After Wood exited the classroom, he chose not to reveal what he had seen.
Douglas had clearly said that whoever performed best would become the sixth-year class representative.
Wood already had more than enough responsibilities as Gryffindor's Quidditch captain.
Still, if someone had to win the position, he hoped it would at least be a Gryffindor.
By the time the class ended, not a single student had thought of using light.
Every participant had stubbornly relied on fire spells.
One of them—Dolohov—had even attempted to use an uncontrolled Fiendfyre curse.
Fortunately, Douglas reacted instantly and countered it with Finite Incantatem, extinguishing the cursed flames before they could spread.
Dolohov's hair ended up badly singed.
Douglas deducted fifty points from Slytherin without hesitation.
Then he issued the punishment:
Dolohov would write a five-foot-long self-criticism and submit it to Professor Snape.
In addition, he would copy the Hogwarts school rules two hundred times.
"Dolohov," Douglas said sternly, "I hope you understand the severity of your mistake."
"This punishment is for your own good."
"If that Fiendfyre had continued unchecked, it wouldn't just have destroyed this classroom."
He paused coldly.
"How many students at Hogwarts might have died in those flames?"
"Don't look so arrogant."
"You should remember that there were several seventh-year Slytherin students in that room besides me."
Dolohov finally lowered his head.
For the first time, genuine fear appeared in his eyes.
The Fiendfyre had frightened the seventh-year students as well.
Bullying had always existed at Hogwarts.
Within Slytherin, it could be particularly severe—based on bloodline, strength, and year level.
Douglas had never considered himself responsible for solving such problems.
He also knew that as a relatively young professor, his authority meant little within Slytherin unless backed by force.
Still, Dolohov had clearly learned something from the experience.
Soon the class period ended.
The Gryffindor students left the basement corridor in groups.
Just as Douglas prepared to leave, he noticed a familiar figure standing against the wall.
Professor Snape.
The Potions master watched silently from the shadows.
Douglas scratched his nose awkwardly.
It seemed polite to greet a colleague.
"Hello, Professor Snape. Haven't seen you much this week. How have you been?"
Snape gave him a brief glance but said nothing.
Instead, he spoke sharply to Dolohov.
"Mr. Dolohov, must I personally invite you to come here?"
Douglas watched with interest.
Now that's proper teacher authority, he thought.
Dolohov hurried over and stood rigidly in front of Snape.
Snape gave a short, disdainful snort before addressing Douglas.
"Professor Holmes. I heard everything you arranged just now."
"Fifty points."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Very appropriate."
Douglas blinked in surprise.
Was Snape actually… agreeing with him?
Snape remained half-hidden in the shadowed corner of the corridor.
The sight made Douglas instinctively cautious.
After all, Snape had disliked him since his student days.
Back then, Douglas had simply been a student.
Now they were both professors.
And Douglas currently occupied the Defense Against the Dark Arts position Snape had wanted for years.
A troubling thought suddenly occurred to Douglas.
What if I actually break the curse on this position by the end of the year?
Wouldn't that mean Snape would never get the job?
The idea almost made him laugh.
Snape noticed Douglas's strange expression.
His already thin face grew even darker.
Douglas felt a chill run down his spine and quickly regained his composure.
"Well… Professor," he said lightly, "you're too kind."
"You know, using magic of that level—even during class—is technically against school rules."
"Strictly speaking, the student should have been expelled."
Snape glanced at Dolohov.
"I would prefer that outcome."
Dolohov visibly trembled.
Since the previous term, Slytherin had lost the House Cup for seven consecutive years.
Every point mattered now.
Seeing fifty points disappear in a single incident made Snape increasingly irritated.
He turned sharply toward Dolohov.
"What are you standing there for?"
"Do you want me to copy the school rules for you as well?"
Dolohov fled immediately.
Snape curled his thin lips into a faintly mocking smile.
"Come with me," he told Douglas.
Douglas had no idea why but followed anyway.
Snape led him into a nearby classroom.
The door shut with a sharp click.
Inside, Douglas froze.
He stared first at Snape—with his greasy black hair, hooked nose, and pale skin—
Then at the room itself.
The Potions classroom was immaculate.
Spotless.
Every surface gleamed.
Snape snorted impatiently.
"Don't misunderstand."
"I arranged this simply to reflect the precision and rigor required in potion-making."
He folded his arms.
"I heard you studied at a Muggle university."
"I brought you here so you could see something clearly."
"The wizarding world is not inferior to the Muggle world."
Douglas almost laughed.
So that was the point.
Snape wanted to show that his potion classroom matched the level of a Muggle research laboratory.
Douglas pretended to examine the room seriously.
After all, he was currently the only Hogwarts professor who had studied in a Muggle university.
He noticed something interesting.
Several graduated beakers stood neatly on the tables.
Potion recipes were notoriously vague, often filled with subjective instructions.
A dash of this.
A pinch of that.
But Snape clearly preferred precise measurement.
That didn't surprise Douglas.
Even during his student days, Snape had challenged textbook methods and corrected them based on his own experiments.
Potion-making was not just a subject for him—it was an obsession.
Adopting some Muggle laboratory methods likely required courage in the wizarding world.
Especially for someone from Slytherin.
Douglas walked around the room thoughtfully.
Then he asked,
"Professor Snape… do you have something like a Potions Classroom Safety Management System?"
Snape blinked.
"A safety management system?"
"Yes… of course I have one."
Douglas instantly knew that meant he absolutely did not.
Following his usual educational instincts, Douglas offered a suggestion.
"The book I gave you earlier contains several relevant guidelines."
"Most of them could be used directly."
"You could adjust them based on your teaching experience and create a system specifically for the Potions classroom."
Snape gave a cold snort.
"What's the point?"
"I warn students constantly about where they might make mistakes."
"And they make those mistakes anyway."
He shot Douglas an irritated look.
The most troublesome student he had ever taught in Potions class was now recommending new safety systems.
The irony was almost unbearable.
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