Spider's Tail Alley

Because a formal dinner will be held tonight, Professor McGonagall had written ahead of time to inform Victor to wear formal attire when he arrived.

The tuxedo Victor bought at Madam Malkin's Robes Shop was not much different from his other clothes; it was a pure black cloak paired with a black shirt and trousers underneath, except that the collar of the tuxedo had more intricate retro patterns.

He had a lot of things to bring on the first day of school. In addition to his essential antique little mirror, he also carried a briefcase containing all his luggage, which he had packed with a seamless stretching spell.

Before leaving, he took one last look at himself in the mirror.

"Hmm...shouldn't I have a brooch around the collar?"

He glanced at his monotonous attire, casually plucked a fluorescent blue nightshade from the window, and tucked it into his collar.

Then, he walked into the mirror with satisfaction.

……

Spider's End is located in a corner of a major English city, considered a slum. If Victor hadn't scouted the area beforehand, he wouldn't have believed a potions professor would live in such a place.

His previous friends all lived in at least a cave paved with gold.

He emerged from a broken mirror in the corner of Spider's End, his black leather boots stepping on pieces of discarded closet debris. He dusted himself off before leaving the dark corner.

Spider's End Alley is adjacent to a dirty river, with weeds growing on both sides. In the distance stands a tall chimney, said to be the remnant of an abandoned mill, which adds to the oppressive atmosphere of the already gloomy surroundings.

Victor walked off to the last building in the row of brick houses.

During this time, an old Muggle man walking out saw him, took a few steps back in fright, and stumbled and fell on the garbage-strewn roadside. After Victor had passed, he stammered, "..."

"God... this alley was already ominous enough."

Victor ignored him and walked straight to the last brick house, knocking on the door.

"Knock knock knock".

He knocked three times on the old wooden door.

A dozen seconds later, the door was pulled open from the inside, revealing a sallow face and long, greasy black hair draped over both sides like a curtain.

"Good afternoon," he said casually. "Come in. You're a bit late; Minerva should already be setting up the auditorium."

"Sorry. Packing took a little longer."

Victor said without batting an eye, as if he had forgotten that he was tying letters to the owl just ten minutes earlier.

But Snape didn't delve into it. He simply took two steps back to let him in and glanced at the blue flower on Victor's chest without leaving a trace.

Victor went into his house.

Snape's house was sparsely furnished, suggesting he wasn't a long-time resident. The living room contained only a fireplace and a worn-out sofa on the right side, while the remaining walls were lined with books.

"Albus said you could try connecting the fireplace in your office to the Filo network. You can go see him first when you get there. After that, go see Minerva; she'll talk to you about the elective courses."

Snape finished speaking in a calm manner, without using any unpleasant words, probably because Victor was a colleague and had a sinister appearance that matched the atmosphere of Slytherin, the house where Snape taught.

Victor nodded, indicating that he understood.

However, after he came in, Snape couldn't help but glance at the flower on his chest again.

"What kind of flower is that?" Snape asked. "I've never seen it before."

Victor followed his gaze and saw his "brooch": "It's a nightshade flower, but it's a special variety from my hometown. It shouldn't exist in England."

"I guess it has magical properties?"

"Yes. Some people have said that blue nightshade flowers can make people hear the voices of the dead, but unfortunately this is not true. Nightshade petals and pollen are poisonous and hallucinogenic; inhaling too much can cause people to die while experiencing beautiful hallucinations."

Seeing the slight change in Snape's expression, Victor added, "One flower will only make one feel slightly better; only a whole field of flowers would be enough to kill."

"I see. Yes, its effect is indeed quite noticeable; I can feel it..."

Snape's eyes lit up as he immediately realized its value.

"...It has a good hallucinogenic effect and is not very toxic...It might be an excellent alternative to mimosa flowers and peppermint...It could improve euphoric and aphrodisiac drugs, and might even have an effect on poisons..."

Snape paced back and forth for a while, muttering words that were relatively unfamiliar to Victor. But Victor didn't react in any particular way; he was already used to people like Snape.

Obsessed with magic potions? He'd even seen a woman obsessed with a pair of red dancing shoes, who ultimately had to have her feet cut off.

Finally, Snape stopped and asked slowly, "I suppose you wouldn't mind parting with this flower? Of course, the price is negotiable..."

"It's not about the price; I can give you this one directly," Victor said. "It's just that I need to use it. Usually, formal attire comes with a brooch, but I forgot to buy one, so I can only use this one instead. I think it will leave an impression on the students."

"I'll give it to you after the banquet."

"The banquet is over..." Snape pondered the word again, seemingly not entirely satisfied. Unfortunately, his house contained neither the brooch he could exchange with Victor, nor a formal suit.

For years, he's always made his entrance as a giant bat at the opening ceremony...

"Okay, thanks," he finally said, drawing out the last syllable.

Victor simply nodded and said, "Yes. But if you're going to do any experiments on it, it's best to finish before midnight. This night-blooming jasmine only has twelve hours to bloom after it's picked; after that time, its magical power will disappear, and the flower will wither."

"Even the Warmth and Moisture Charm didn't work?" Snape asked.

"No. The magical power of flowers cannot be preserved." Victor shook his head.

"What if we make two copies?" Snape persisted.

"No, its fluorescent blue color is a magical effect."

Snape seemed more interested in the flowers, his eyes fixed on Victor's, but in the end he only pursed his lips a few times and said nothing more.

He finally turned around, strode over to a small box, took out Floo Powder that shimmered with green light, and sprinkled a handful into the fireplace.

The fireplace flames instantly turned green.

"Let's go now," Snape said, turning to Victor. "Our destination is the 'Potential Office at Hogwarts'."

After saying that, he stepped into the fireplace and disappeared into the flames.

Victor did as he was told. He stepped into the flames, felt the cold flames licking his cheeks, and then whispered:

"Hogwarts Potions Office"

……

After a dizzying spin, when Victor regained his senses, he found himself standing in a dark office. On either side of him were glass jars filled with various herbs and preserved animal organs, and a damp smell permeated the air.

This place is obviously underground.

There were no windows around; the only source of light was a candle on a wide table next to it, which was covered in books.

There was a crucible in the corner, and something seemed to be burning inside, bubbling away.

"What is that?" Victor asked curiously.

"Felix Felicis"

Felix Felicis is an extremely difficult potion to brew, usually only brewed by Potions Masters, and is incredibly valuable. However, for Snape, it was a piece of cake.

Unfortunately, Victor didn't quite understand. He just glanced at it and didn't say anything more.

This made Snape grit his teeth slightly.

He had been hoping that Victor would be interested in Felix Felicis, so that he could offer him an insider price and then subtly suggest that the other party give him the flowers first.

Does this mean that fortune tellers don't need Felix Felicis?

No wonder, considering the other party could even predict who would meet with misfortune, they probably didn't need to be even luckier...

"Go out that way." Snape finally pointed Victor in the right direction, his expression blank. "The Great Hall is upstairs; you'll see Professor McGonagall there. I have other business to attend to, so I'll have to leave now."