**Chapter 57: Snape: The Gifts You Gave the Other Professors Were Quite Impressive**

The Great Hall during Christmas was not as lively as usual. The few students who remained at Hogwarts were scattered around, gathered in small groups.

Ron pulled Harry along, while the Weasley twins dragged Percy over to join them. Dylan also sat with the group. They enjoyed a lively lunch together, though Dylan couldn't help but notice a cold, piercing gaze occasionally drifting his way from the teachers' table. However, whenever he looked over, he couldn't pinpoint who was staring at him.

On the other hand, Professor McGonagall was in high spirits, her face glowing with a cheerful smile. She sipped on a little wine, her cheeks flushed, and her hat slightly askew. When she noticed Dylan looking her way, she nodded at him, and Dylan smiled back.

After the meal, as they were leaving the Great Hall, Harry and Ron tried to convince Dylan to join them for a snowball fight. However, upon hearing this, the usually enthusiastic Weasley twins suddenly lost their energy. Percy glanced at his younger brothers and immediately understood—they must have played some prank on Dylan, only to be thoroughly outsmarted in return.

Just as Percy was about to say something, Dylan waved them off. "I need to return some books to the library. You guys go ahead and have fun."

"But it's Christmas, Dylan!" Ron protested, completely oblivious to his brothers' discomfort. He tried to persuade Dylan to join them, but Dylan managed to slip away.

"The three books I borrowed are almost due. I'll return them and then check out a couple of herbology guides," Dylan thought to himself as he walked through the corridors. Turning a corner, he suddenly bumped into Professor Snape, who was clad in his usual black robes.

"Oh, Professor Snape! What a coincidence. Merry Christmas!" Dylan greeted him cheerfully, looking up at the tall, stern professor.

Snape's expression was anything but cheerful. "I'm not feeling particularly merry," he replied coldly.

Dylan was taken aback. Snape's icy gaze bore into him as he continued, "During lunch in the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall couldn't stop praising the gift you gave her. You certainly put a lot of thought into it. Even Professor Flitwick was showing off the musical score you composed for him. Hmph. The gifts you gave the other professors were quite impressive."

Dylan froze. From Snape's tone, it sounded like the professor felt the gift Dylan had given him was… underwhelming? But then again, Dylan had given Snape a set of homemade potions—relaxing tea bags, skin glow potion, mood-soothing elixir, and hair-refreshing tonic. At the time, it had seemed like a thoughtful gesture, but now Dylan felt a wave of embarrassment.

"Relaxing tea bags, skin glow potion, mood-soothing elixir, hair-refreshing tonic," Snape listed through clenched teeth, each word making Dylan cringe harder. "What exactly were you trying to imply with these gifts?"

Dylan swallowed nervously. "I—I just thought you could use a little… enhancement! You know, to look even more dashing! There's a saying in the Muggle world: 'A smile takes years off your face.' I just wanted you to be the most handsome professor at Hogwarts!"

Snape's eyes narrowed, his sharp nose casting a shadow over his face. His greasy black hair swayed slightly as he tilted his head. "So, you're saying I look old?"

"No, no, not at all!" Dylan stammered. "If you're old, then the Headmaster must be ancient!"

Snape's expression froze. His lips twitched, but he couldn't seem to find a retort. "Ahem!" Dylan coughed awkwardly. "Anyway, the tea bags and potions were all handmade by me. They're just a small token of my appreciation. And your birthday is coming up soon—I'll make sure to give you something really special. You'll love it!"

Snape's expression softened slightly, though he still let out a disdainful snort. "Let's hope it's not another… disappointment."

"Don't worry, it won't be!" Dylan said with a nervous laugh. After some more back-and-forth, he finally managed to extricate himself from the conversation.

Once Snape was gone, Dylan let out a sigh of relief. But now he was faced with a new problem: what on earth could he give Snape for his birthday? "I can't exactly give him a pink bunny-themed wand enhancement or a slimy snake effect," Dylan muttered to himself as he browsed the library shelves. "That would only work on my own wand."

As he flipped through books, absorbing knowledge, his mind kept circling back to the gift dilemma. By the time he returned to his dorm that evening, he was still racking his brain for ideas.

Even when Harry sneaked over, excitedly whispering about the Invisibility Cloak, Dylan barely paid attention. He watched Harry's animated expression and suddenly had a wild thought: "If I can't do wand effects, maybe I could just send Harry to Snape and let the professor whack him with a wand a few times."

Harry, mid-sentence, suddenly froze and shivered. "What's wrong?" Dylan asked absentmindedly.

Seeing that Dylan wasn't in the mood, Harry went back to chatting with Ron. Dylan, meanwhile, cast a quick *Scourgify* on himself and went to bed early, cuddling with his cat, Coal. "Better to sleep on it and figure things out tomorrow," he thought.

The next morning, Dylan woke up early as usual. After tidying up, he headed to the dining hall. He grabbed a glass of milk and a plate of sizzling English breakfast sausages. Cutting into the golden, crispy sausages, he savored the rich, savory flavor. He also helped himself to a couple of thick slices of toast, freshly baked in the magical oven. The crust was perfectly crisp, while the inside remained soft and fluffy. Spreading a layer of butter on the warm toast, he watched it melt into a creamy, fragrant delight.

After finishing his meal with some scrambled eggs and roasted tomatoes, Dylan felt thoroughly satisfied. Just as he was about to grab some fruit for dessert, Harry rushed over and plopped down beside him.

"Dylan! You won't believe what I saw last night!" Harry whispered excitedly.

Dylan blinked. "Your parents?"

Harry's excited expression faltered. "How did you know?"

"Uh, just a guess."

Harry pouted, his enthusiasm slightly dampened. But he quickly recovered and began recounting his adventure. "I just wanted to try out the Invisibility Cloak, so I went to the Restricted Section. Filch almost caught me, but the real surprise was…"

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(End of Chapter)