Three days after the conclusion of the second task, it was Friday, February 27th.

On this particular day, Professor Snape commenced the next potion in the semester’s curriculum during the Potions class—the intelligence enhancer.

Having completed the instruction on basic antidote science, the more intricate antidote science would be the focus of advanced classes beyond the sixth grade.

As a side note, in the last class before Christmas, Professor Snape indeed followed through on his promise and selected a student for a poisoning demonstration.

To Skyler’s astonishment, Professor Snape chose Harry as the target for his poisonous experiment. However, what took Skyler by even greater surprise was the type of poison Professor Snape opted for—a “gender polyjuice potion.”

This potion induced effects that transformed one’s gender from male to female and vice versa, with the duration of the effects lasting for two hours.

Oh, this!

If Harry’s antidote failed, wouldn’t he transform into “Harriet”? Skyler contemplated the potential outcomes.

Fortunately, with the covert assistance of Hermione, Harry successfully brewed a fully effective antidote and consumed it.

When Harry drank Professor Snape’s poison in full view of the public, he displayed no abnormality other than emitting a loud belch.

Skyler was nearly certain that at that moment, a fleeting glimmer of disappointment crossed Professor Snape’s eyes.

Let’s return to the ongoing lesson.

The intelligence enhancer is a moderately challenging potion. Its primary effect is not to elevate an individual’s IQ but to enhance the clarity of their thought processes. Therefore, it is also employed as an antidote for those affected by a confusion spell or who have consumed a confusion potion.

The standard procedure for brewing the potion involves initially placing ginger slices into a solvent to turn the mixture green. Anteater bile is then added until it turns blue, followed by the inclusion of scarab beetle powder until the potion transforms into a red hue.

This sequence of steps must be repeated numerous times, with a 20% increase in the quantity of raw materials in each cycle until the potion reaches its final form.

The true challenge lies in the potential for young wizards to lose concentration, leading to the forgetting of how many cycles they have completed. Consequently, they may struggle to determine the proportional increase in raw material weights in each cycle compared to the initial iteration.

For Skyler, who had previously brewed Baruffio’s Brain Elixir, the difficulty of the intelligence enhancer potion was, in essence, precisely this.

He skillfully employed both hands, with one constantly stirring the potion and the other utilizing the summoning spell to control three distinct raw materials, causing them to sequentially enter the crucible.

After completing three cycles, a number dependent on both the total cycles required and the proficiency of the potion-maker, Skyler’s potion was nearly finished. He added a small piece of moonstone, about the size of his knuckle.

The potion instantaneously emitted a faint milky white halo accompanied by a peculiar fragrance, capturing the attention of the entire class.

Professor Snape’s bat-like silhouette swiftly strode over to Skyler’s desk. He scrutinized the potion created by Skyler, tightly pursing his lips without uttering a word.

After at least five minutes, Professor Snape appeared to be containing his voice and spoke in a low tone, “The addition of the moonstone is commendable. Did you devise this yourself?”

Skyler nodded, “Yes, Professor. It stemmed from my interest in potions. While perusing the standard potions textbook, I discovered that moonstone was utilized in the draft of peace taught in the fifth-grade class. This indicates its potential to aid in achieving a state of meditation and tranquility—a godly effect. We all understand that fluctuating emotions are detrimental to clear thinking. Hence, I proposed integrating the moonstone’s calming effect into the intelligence enhancer.”

Subsequently, Professor Snape lowered his body, approaching Skyler with an intense gaze, and said, “Stay after class; I have something to discuss with you.”

Professor Snape straightened up and bellowed, “Slytherin, plus five points! Malfoy executed a flawless addition of the intelligence enhancer, and the inclusion of the last moonstone is nothing short of genius.” With a mocking glance at Harry, he continued, “And now, let’s assess Potter’s attempt, shall we? Another blunder, Potter?” His laughter persisted as he taunted Harry.

Indeed, Harry had lost track of the cycle he was in. At this juncture, he had resigned himself to haphazardly estimating the quantity of raw materials for this cycle.

Predictably, the potion soon emitted a putrid odor, transfigurating into a black and viscous liquid. Regardless of its toxicity, even individuals as unsophisticated as Goyle and Crabbe wouldn’t dare taste it solely based on its repulsive appearance.

The remainder of the lesson held little of significance unless one had a curiosity about Neville’s eighth cauldron mishap (Skyler remarked, “Well, that’s an average of two per year”), Seamus Finnigan’s unintentional contribution to the 24th explosion since his enrollment, Hermione’s successful potion, albeit dismissed by Professor Snape, and Ron’s concoction, causing laughter due to its potential to poison individuals to the school hospital.

Post-class, the students vacated the Potions classroom in the usual manner. Only Skyler and Professor Snape remained in the room.

While Professor Snape typically wore a cold countenance, his face appeared even more somber at this moment, resembling the oppressive clouds before a rainstorm. His sinister eyes, akin to an eagle scanning a forest, darted back and forth, fixated on Skyler.

After a brief pause, his cold voice echoed faintly, “Did you do it?”

When two intelligent individuals converse, words are often unnecessary. Skyler grasped the unspoken meaning immediately.

“Yes, Professor,” Skyler replied, shedding his usual sardonic smile for an uncommon seriousness. His gaze locked onto Professor Snape’s deep, pool-like eyes.

As their eyes met, the subterranean classroom’s temperature plummeted, and the air seemed to congeal. If others were present, even the act of breathing might have felt laborious.

After a prolonged silence, the corners of Skyler’s mouth curved slightly. He regarded Professor Snape with eyes crackling like thunder and lightning, whispering, “Professor, will you expose me to Dumbledore?”

Professor Snape evaded a direct response, choosing to avert his gaze and coolly remark, “You are proficient in Occlumency.”

Skyler, understanding Professor Snape’s implied message, smiled and said, “Such a minor accomplishment is incomparable to your tutelage. Professor, did you detain me merely to pose this question?”

“Dumbledore is doubting you,” Professor Snape said coldly. “Although it cannot be ruled out that these students had an accident in the Forbidden Forest or Hogsmeade, you are still the biggest suspect. Among the many students, you are the only one with this strength and this motive.”

Skyler responded playfully, “So what, Professor? I think you don’t know that person has come back, right? Didn’t the Dark Mark tell you?”

Professor Snape frowned but maintained a stoic demeanor, showing no signs of surprise. To him, it seemed normal for Skyler, with a formidable family background and connections, to be aware of his past as a Death Eater.

As for knowing that the Death Eater was changing, he speculated that Lucius might have disclosed it. The issue was that he couldn’t fathom the connection between the Death Eater’s alterations and the missing students.

Observing Professor Snape’s silence and sensing that he anticipated further explanation, Skyler continued, “Professor, you were studying in Slytherin back then, and now you are the dean of Slytherin. Don’t you know about the Ghost Society?”

“You mean…”

“These missing students are all members of the Ghost Society. You should know that the Ghost Society is, in a sense, a quasi-Death Eater. They attempted to recruit me but failed, and then attacked me at the bottom of the Black Lake. However, I managed to subdue them all. Otherwise—” Sherlin sneered, “How do you think Potter got back to the shore before me?”

“I see…” Professor Snape’s brows furrowed deeper. “What are you going to do?”

“Dumbledore can’t do anything to me. Voldemort is his biggest concern. The importance of these students in his eyes is probably not as crucial as even one of Potter’s fingers. As for his Legilimency, professor, you have just witnessed it yourself. Do you think it can break through my mental defense?” Skyler said calmly, displaying unwavering confidence in his tone.

“Even if there is no problem on Dumbledore’s side,” Professor Snape whispered, “Those pure-blood families and the Ministry of Magic will not give up easily… Those who are missing are their precious elites. Among them, Foley is even the designated heir of the family. The Ministry of Magic also needs to give an explanation to the public…”

“Don’t worry, Professor.” Skyler smiled. “As long as you don’t tell them, and I don’t tell them, what will happen? Will they suspect me? With Dumbledore’s character, it is even more impossible to expose me just for mere suspicion. Professor -“

Skyler’s eyes suddenly became very sharp. “I just need you to do me this favor, to pretend that you don’t know anything. I will figure out a solution for the Ministry of Magic’s investigation myself.”

Professor Snape looked at Skyler meaningfully, and he suddenly understood where Skyler’s confidence came from – he had connections at the Ministry of Magic! And he suspected that one of the two Aurors sent here also included Skyler’s associates!

After a long while, Professor Snape softly uttered a sentence from his tightly closed lips, “Okay.”