Snape's Glare

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This sensation was fleeting. Suddenly, it stopped. Harry sat on the cold bathroom floor and touched his body, sensing a distinct difference. Taking off his shoes and standing up, Harry could feel that something had changed.

His large hands trembled as he removed his old robe, hanging a foot above his ankle. He put on Goyle's oversized clothes and boat-like shoes. Harry brushed aside the hair obstructing his vision, feeling the short, thick strands like steel wire. The low hairline extended to his forehead.

Harry then realized that it was his glasses distorting his vision. Goyle didn't need glasses, and this was what it was like to be Goyle.

Harry removed his glasses, saying, "Are you two all right?" Goyle's low, gruff voice emerged from his mouth.

"I am fine," muttered Crabbe in a deep voice from his right.

Harry unlocked the door and stood before the cracked mirror. Goyle stared back at him with dull, deep-set eyes. Harry scratched his ears, and Goyle mimicked the action perfectly.

Ron's door opened, and they exchanged glances. Ron was an exact copy of Crabbe, from the short pot-bottom hairstyle to the long gorilla-like arms, but his face bore a pale and frightened expression.

"It's unbelievable," Ron remarked, walking over to the mirror and poking Crabbe's flat nose, "unbelievable."

"Let's get going," said Harry, releasing the watch that adorned Goyle's thick wrist.

"We need to find out where the Slytherin common room is. I wish we could find someone to follow..."[ T/N : Seriously can't they plan ahead.]

Ron was packing his original clothes, attempting to find a place to hang them, when suddenly Ron's wand slipped out of his robe. Fortunately, Ron caught it deftly before it hit the ground.

Gazing at his brand-new wand, Ron seemed to think of something suddenly, and his mood slightly changed.

"Are we betraying Professor Ethan?" Ron uttered suddenly in a calm voice.

Harry was momentarily stunned upon hearing those words. The excitement about the impending adventure seemed to vanish, replaced by guilt. Professor Ethan had just given them gifts and provided them with significant assistance at regular times. Professor Ethan had also repeatedly emphasized that they should not get involved with the basilisk. What they were doing now contradicted Professor Ethan's trust.

"As long as we find evidence that Malfoy is the heir and put an end to the conspiracy in the Chamber of Secrets, Professor Ethan will surely forgive us," Harry tried to comfort Ron with feeble words.

Harry shook his head vigorously as if trying to shake off his guilt. Ron wasn't feeling well at this moment. He knocked on the door of Hermione's room, urging, "Hurry up, Hermione, we need to go."

A high-pitched voice responded, "I-I don't want to come out. Go by yourselves."

"Hermione, we know Milicent is unattractive, and no one will recognize you."

"No—really, no—I can't come. You two go ahead; you're wasting time."

Harry looked at Ron, perplexed.

Ron suddenly smiled, his confused expression matching the usual Goyle perfectly.

Harry wasn't in the mood to ask Ron why he was laughing.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Harry inquired through the door.

"I'm alright—I'm fine... let's go—"

Harry glanced at his watch. Five of their precious sixty minutes they had already passed.

"We'll come back here to meet you, alright?" he said.

Harry and Ron cautiously opened the bathroom door, saw no one was around, and set off.

Ethan finally cleared his plate, patting his stomach with satisfaction. This meal was the best he'd had since arriving in this world. Ethan planned to cap it off with a cup of butterbeer for tonight's dinner.

During the meal, Dumbledore approached Ethan and set a time to visit Hagrid's cabin. Dumbledore wanted to mediate the conflict between Hagrid and Ethan, and Ethan readily agreed. He had no intention of being at odds with Hagrid, and resolving the dispute would be ideal.

After dinner, Ethan planned to visit Snape. Throughout the meal, Snape glared at Ethan with intense eyes, giving him an eerie feeling. When Ethan tried to approach Snape, Snape pretended not to hear. Yet, whenever Ethan wasn't looking, Snape continued to gaze at him with those unsettling eyes. The monster head as a Christmas present hadn't fooled Snape, and Snape wasn't willing to let Ethan off without experiencing the bitterness of this monster hunt.

Ethan had no qualms about giving Snape a piece of the action. Although Snape hadn't directly participated in the monster hunt, his improved witcher potion played a significant role. The witcher potion had kept Snape sleepless recently, evidenced by the dark circles still visible beneath his eyes. This transaction share could be seen as Ethan's repayment to Snape.

After dinner, content with his meal, Ethan walked to the basement where Snape's office was. He knocked twice on the potions professor's office door, and Snape's voice came from inside, "Please come in."

Snape's office retained its chilly atmosphere. Ethan noticed that the Buxa's head, which he had initially given to Snape, had been dissected into eight pieces and placed in different specimen bottles on the shelf. His Christmas present, the petrified chicken snake head, lay on an anatomy table. Snape, wearing gloves and an apron, held a bone saw, showcasing his expertise.

Ethan admired Snape's ability to dissect monsters right after dinner. Such psychological resilience was not common among wizards.

With his usual lack of emotion, Snape looked at Ethan and said, "Professor Ethan, what brings you here?"

Cutting to the chase, Ethan informed Snape that he had a batch of biological materials to sell. As a newcomer from a different world, he was unfamiliar with potential sellers, and Ethan proposed that he and Snape could share the final income.

An eerie silence filled Snape's office after Ethan finished speaking. Snape's face remained obscured in the darkness, and after a prolonged pause, he finally said, "Very well, Professor Ethan. I will assist you in finding a suitable buyer."

Whether it was an illusion or not, Ethan detected a hint of satisfaction in Snape's tone.

Despite Snape's unpleasant character, he shows no kindness to Ethan even after benefiting significantly from their arrangement. After discussing the specifics with Ethan, Snape asked him to leave without disturbing his research.

"No wonder Lily didn't choose you," Ethan mused as he exited Snape's office. Of course, he dared not voice this thought, as Ethan had no intention of succumbing to sudden poisoning during meals.

As Ethan left Snape's office, he was surprised to observe two young wizards clad in obviously ill-fitting Slytherin uniforms rushing out of the Slytherin lounge and running wildly in the corridor, prompting Ethan's alertness.