Chapter 17

After returning to school, we made our way to the Great Hall for dinner. It struck me suddenly how long it had been since I last dined at the house tables.

I wasn't alone in this realization. Sitting diagonally across from me, Lupin was casually chatting while grabbing the jug of pumpkin juice. "I haven't seen you at mealtime for ages," he remarked. "You missed a few weeks in the Great Hall before Christmas break. I bet you know the way to the kitchen by heart now."

Swallowing a bite of lamb chop, I laughed. "I know it like the back of my hand! Really, thanks for showing me the way, Remus."

"I'm always happy to share such conveniences with friends. Hogwarts is full of secrets waiting for us to discover." Lupin smiled warmly, though he always looked a bit frail.

"Absolutely!" I agreed wholeheartedly. Spending seven years at Hogwarts, we could probably only scratch the surface of its mysteries. I bet even Headmaster Dumbledore didn't know all of Hogwarts' secrets.

Eating in the Great Hall felt wonderful. The atmosphere at the Gryffindor table was lively, with everyone chatting and laughing. Here, there was no need to constantly mind one's manners; it was relaxed and informal. Though some people were a bit too careless with their manners, making their eating habits quite unpleasant to watch, it didn't bother me much.

I glanced over at the Slytherin table, just two rows away—one word: elegance. No one spoke loudly or laughed boisterously, and their table manners were impeccable. Each person looked like nobility. Of course, many Slytherins came from true pure-blood aristocratic families, exuding a noble air. Other houses had some students from old pure-blood families too, like Potter and Black. Though they were a bit arrogant and conceited, they were never vulgar.

My gaze found Severus at the Slytherin table. He fit naturally into his surroundings. Lady Eileen must have taught him aristocratic etiquette. Even though the Prince family had fallen from grace, it was still an old family, and Eileen must have received a noble education as a child. Watching Severus calmly cut his lamb chop, he engaged in conversation with a high-year Slytherin with striking platinum-blonde hair. Severus showed appropriate respect without being servile. It seemed he adapted well to life in Slytherin.

While observing them, that platinum-blonde head—Lucius Malfoy, a sixth-year—noticed my gaze and said something to Severus. Severus looked up and met my eyes, and I flashed him a big smile. He returned a small smile. I turned my attention to Malfoy, giving him a more reserved smile and a nod. Malfoy raised his chin haughtily, indifferent to my greeting.

I wasn't surprised by his reaction. The Malfoy family was one of the wealthiest, oldest pure-blood families and likely looked down on a Muggle-born like me.

We soon returned to our routine of nesting in the base, deciding to have our meals in the Great Hall again and only staying in the base all day on weekends.

After self-studying medical spells for a while, I decided to practice on small animals. There should be plenty of mice in the castle, right? Though disgusting, they were perfect for experiments.

I communicated my new needs to the Room of Requirement, and the practice room was soon outfitted with some mouse traps, but no captured mice. As expected, even the most versatile room couldn't provide living creatures.

Catching mice was a bit tricky. I hadn't seen any scurrying around the castle. Perhaps the house-elves took care of them during their cleaning.

Of course, house-elves! I was proud of my clever shortcut and a bit ashamed of my growing laziness.

I tried calling for Bobo again. This time, he appeared almost instantly.

"Miss Sawyer called for Bobo again! Bobo was waiting for your summons!" he squeaked.

"Thank you for coming, Bobo. I need your help… Oh, you said you were waiting for my call? Why?" I was curious.

"Last time, Miss Sawyer wanted Chinese food. Bobo found a recipe, and Tito helped me! Tito is better at cooking than Bobo!" he explained, his bat-like ears quivering with excitement.

"Wow… You really learned to cook Chinese food? That's wonderful! I didn't expect you to go through such trouble. Thank you, and thank Tito for me. Could you make Chinese food for dinner tonight?"

"Of course! Tito will be thrilled!" His ears wiggled with joy. "You said you needed Bobo's help?"

"Yes…" Excited, I nearly forgot my purpose. "I need some mice for experiments. Do you know where to catch them in the castle?"

"Yes, Miss. Those nasty creatures like to hide in the castle's secluded spots. We drive them to these places during our cleaning. Bobo can catch many for you!"

"That's great, thank you! You've been a huge help!" I was relieved not to have to catch those disgusting things myself; house-elves were truly angels.

Bobo bowed excitedly and disappeared. I gleefully headed to the potions lab to bother Severus.

"Did someone visit? I heard voices," Severus asked, still focused on the potion in his hand.

"It was a house-elf. They've been a huge help again! I really like them." I peered into the potion bottle emitting a blue glow. "A Calming Draught? Used to ease and soothe anxiety. But if the proportions of moonstone powder and syrup of hellebore are incorrect, it can induce a lethargic, sometimes irreversible sleep state. Right?" Recognizing the potion, I recited its properties. It was difficult and tedious to make.

Severus gave me an approving look. "Correct, this one is perfect." He picked up another bottle, holding it up to me. "And this one?"

I carefully examined the potion, lightly shaking the bottle. "This is also a Calming Draught, but the color is slightly off. Maybe it's a less successful batch?"

"This one is my modified version, with a better effect than the standard recipe." Severus shook the bottle, jokingly asking, "Want to try it?"

I grabbed the bottle and drank half of it, smacking my lips. "Not bad, doesn't taste too awful." Then I finished the rest.

Severus, not expecting me to actually drink it, was stunned for a few seconds. When he recovered, I had already finished it. He scowled, "I didn't mean for you to drink it! What if there was a problem with the potion? It's an experimental recipe…"

"I trust you," I interrupted. "You wouldn't give me anything unsafe."

Severus hesitated for a few seconds, then sighed, accepting my reasoning.

"Plus, your modified recipe needs testing. Let's record the results."

"…"