(25) Thank Merlin!

"I'm pairing up with Draco!"

Ian quickly pointed to Draco beside him, eager to escape this battlefield. "We already agreed earlier that we'd brew the potion together."

Draco was caught off guard by Ian's sudden mention of him.

He froze for a moment, but after meeting Ian's gaze, he quickly caught on.

"Ah, right, right! Ian and I already planned to work together on this."

Cassandra and Hermione both frowned upon hearing Ian's words.

"Potter, I'm not familiar with anyone else," Cassandra said, wrinkling her nose. The implication was clear: She couldn't possibly team up with anyone else.

"You're not familiar with Miss Parkinson or Miss Greengrass either?" Ian calmly countered, bringing up two other Slytherin pure-blood girls.

Cassandra was momentarily stumped and glared at Ian. "The professor said it's two people per group! They're already paired up!"

"Well... you could always pair up with Hermione," Ian suggested, blinking innocently as he gestured toward Hermione. "You're both smart, and as girls, it might be easier for you to communicate."

Both Cassandra and Hermione were taken aback, clearly not expecting Ian to propose such an idea.

"Who wants to team up with her?!"

Cassandra and Hermione rejected the suggestion in unison.

"..."

Hearing their synchronized refusal, Ian sighed and spread his hands helplessly. "Then what do you suggest?"

Cassandra and Hermione exchanged a look, each seeing disdain reflected in the other's eyes. However, the Potions lesson was still ongoing, and they couldn't afford to remain at an impasse indefinitely.

"Fine, I'll team up with you," Cassandra said, taking a deep breath and moving to stand beside Hermione. "Miss Granger, I suppose we can work well together?"

Hermione glanced at Ian, then at Cassandra standing beside her. Finally, she nodded. "Of course, Miss Vole. We can brew the potion together."

Seeing Cassandra and Hermione finally reach an agreement, Ian let out a sigh of relief and turned to Draco. "Draco, let's get started too."

Draco nodded, and the two of them began preparing their potion.

Ian patted Draco on the shoulder and whispered, "Thanks, buddy. You really saved me back there."

Draco grinned mischievously and waggled his eyebrows. "Hey, Ian, between Cassandra and Hermione, who do you actually like?"

Ian was so startled by the question that he almost dropped the ingredients in his hands.

"Don't say such nonsense!" Ian glared at Draco. "Cassandra and I are just friends."

Draco shrugged, his face full of skepticism. "Just friends? Cassandra was ready to start a fight with Hermione over partnering with you."

Ian was left speechless by Draco's retort. He opened his mouth to reply but couldn't find the right words.

"Alright, let's just focus on brewing the potion. The professor is watching," Ian said quickly, trying to change the subject. He grabbed the ingredients beside him and began working on them.

Seeing that Ian wasn't willing to discuss it further, Draco decided to drop the topic. He picked up his own ingredients and joined Ian in brewing the potion.

The two worked together seamlessly, and before long, their potion was ready.

As Snape walked past their workstation, he glanced down at the potion they had brewed.

"Very good," Snape remarked, his eyes lighting up. "Which of you came up with the idea to grind the flobberworm mucus and powdered serpent fangs together?"

"It was Ian," Draco said, pointing to Ian beside him. "He suggested that the properties of the two ingredients complement each other, and grinding them together would enhance their effectiveness."

Snape's gaze toward Ian shifted to one of awe, as if he were observing a rare treasure.

"A brilliant idea!" Snape praised without reservation. "You've demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of potion brewing. Twenty points to Slytherin!"

Such exceptional talent for potion-making!

Truly Lily's child, Snape thought.

Ian, feeling a bit embarrassed by the praise, rubbed his nose and said, "Thank you, Professor."

"You should be proud of yourself," Snape said, looking directly into Ian's eyes with genuine admiration. "You're more skilled than many seventh-year students, Ian."

Just as Ian was about to respond, a loud "boom" echoed from across the room. It seemed someone's cauldron had exploded.

Instinctively, Ian looked toward the source of the noise—Neville had knocked over his cauldron.

Neville was drenched in potion, and now his arms and legs were covered in large, red boils. He was howling in pain.

The potion that was supposed to cure boils had somehow been turned into a potion that caused them instead.

Snape's expression darkened immediately. He turned sharply toward the source of the commotion and stormed over, his anger palpable.

Ian and Draco exchanged a glance and silently followed.

"Idiots!" Snape roared, sweeping away the spilled potion on the floor with a wave of his wand. "Seamus Finnigan! Neville Longbottom! Was that supposed to be potion brewing?!"

He glared at the chaotic workstation, his face as dark as a thundercloud. "You nearly blew up the classroom!"

"S-sorry, Professor," Neville stammered, tears streaming down his face. "I... I didn't mean to..."

"Longbottom! Let me guess—you didn't take the cauldron off the fire before adding the porcupine quills, did you?" Snape said, his tone dripping with disdain.

"Professor," Ian interjected as he approached with the freshly brewed potion in hand. "Neville's left arm appears to be injured. Draco and I have finished the Cure for Boils potion; we can apply it to his arm immediately."

Snape gave Neville a piercing look, and upon noticing the red, swollen boils on his exposed left arm, he nodded curtly.

"For Mr. Potter's helpfulness, ten points to Slytherin! And for the exceptional potion brewed by Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy, twenty points to Slytherin!"

Ian handed the potion to Neville. "This is the Cure for Boils potion. It's specifically designed to treat pustules, rashes, boils, and other lymphatic infections. Apply it to your wounds, and you should be fine by tomorrow. But it would be a good idea to see Madam Pomfrey after class."

"Thank you," Neville said gratefully, looking at Ian with admiration. "Really thank you, Ian. You're such a kind Slytherin."

"Hey~ No problem. Just be more careful when brewing potions in the future," Ian said, patting Neville gently on the shoulder. He added in a low voice, "Professor Snape is only concerned about your safety. Don't feel too upset."

Neville nodded and carefully applied the potion to his wounds.

"Ow, ow, ow...!" Neville grimaced in pain, but miraculously, as soon as he finished applying the potion, the swelling on his left arm began to subside visibly before everyone's eyes.

Snape watched this unfold, and his expression finally eased slightly.

But almost immediately, the Serpent King turned his attention to Harry. "Harry Potter! You were sitting right next to Longbottom! Why didn't you tell him not to add the porcupine quills at that time? Did you think his mistake would make you look better? Another five points from Gryffindor!"

Ian looked up at Snape, recognizing that this was just another opportunity for him to vent his grievances toward James onto Harry.

Thank Merlin I look like Lily!

_________

P.S. ( ✧≖ ͜ʖ≖)I just hope Snape doesn't gender-bent the MC or ...himself!