The next day, John headed to the Potions classroom.
As soon as he sat down, the area around him cleared out. When the Gryffindors arrived and saw John standing out among the crowd, Hermione and Neville glanced over worriedly. John shrugged and gave them a reassuring look.
Class began.
Snape, looking like a greasy bat, walked briskly, his robes billowing as if he had a fan blowing behind him.
"This class does not require you to foolishly wave your wands or utter nonsensical incantations."
Standing firmly next to the podium, Snape crossed his arms and scanned the students with sharp eyes before starting his opening remarks.
"I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses."
"I can instruct you on how to bottle fame, brew glory."
"Even put a stopper in death..."
John couldn't help but smirk at these words. If Snape could really teach that, Voldemort wouldn't have needed Horcruxes.
His mind wandered as he summoned his panel. Thanks to his training, his magical power had increased a bit.
...
[Magic: Level 1 (20/100)]
[Spells: Alohomora (Level 3)]
[Skills: Short Weapons Proficiency (Level 7), Long Weapons Proficiency (Level 6), Heavy Weapons Proficiency (Level 3), Firearms Proficiency (Level 1)]
[Blessings: Physical Conditioning, Quick Strike, Precision]
...
By his calculations, he could gain five points of magic power each day through training. He wondered if he should get some dumbbells to keep in his room.
Lost in thought, John was snapped back to reality as Snape turned his gaze toward him, openly showing his disdain.
With a mocking tone, Snape sneered, "Perhaps some of you think you're too famous or too powerful to pay attention in my class!"
John snapped back to attention and saw Draco Malfoy smirking at him. John calmly picked up the feather quill on his desk, causing Malfoy's smirk to freeze.
Although Snape despised John, there was someone he disliked even more.
He turned his ire towards the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter.
"Mr. Potter."
"Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Harry, who had recently come from a Muggle background, naturally had no idea and shook his head helplessly.
Snape, determined to continue his interrogation, ignored Hermione's eagerly raised hand and continued to press Harry.
"Mr. Potter, where would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"
"I don't know, sir."
"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"I don't know."
It was clear to everyone that Snape had a particular dislike for Harry.
John watched this unfold and couldn't help but laugh. It was, after all, an iconic moment.
This laugh caught Snape's attention, shifting his anger back to John.
"Mr. Wick, perhaps you could enlighten Mr. Potter with the answers."
John was stunned. Did he have a part in this scene?
[Ding, triggered storyline task: Answer Professor Snape's questions to receive the Scholar blessing.]
[Scholar: Enhances learning efficiency for 2 hours each day.]
Could answering these questions really trigger a task?
John's eyes glazed over for a moment, but he quickly snapped back to reality, recalling this scene in detail. Coincidentally, while many details had faded from his memory, the famous Snape's Three Questions had stuck with him.
He stood up, answering confidently, "Adding powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood creates a Draught of Living Death."
"A bezoar can be found in the stomach of a goat."
"Monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant, also known as aconite."
With a confident smile, John sat back down. The entire classroom fell silent.
Draco Malfoy, who had hoped to see John embarrassed, was left speechless. Snape, though surprised, was mostly filled with frustration at not achieving his intended outcome.
"Sit down. Slytherin, five points. Gryffindor, minus five points."
Despite his annoyance, Snape awarded points to Slytherin and deducted from Gryffindor as necessary.
John shrugged and sat down, the notification in his mind indicating he had received the Scholar blessing.
Snape, still seething, took out his anger on the other students. Even Malfoy, who had been gloating moments earlier, became as docile as a lamb.
Meanwhile, Harry and Ron looked at John as if he were a hero.
After Potions class ended, the Slytherins left in groups, but John remained alone, standing out in the crowd.
Dining Hall
John looked at the so-called British cuisine with a sigh. Although he had been eating it for years, he couldn't help but occasionally miss the delicious food from his homeland.
Hermione came over to John, noticing him struggling with the skin-on potatoes with a fork. Worried, she asked, "John, are you okay?"
Hermione was very concerned about John's situation in Slytherin, but she clearly underestimated John.
John, puzzled as to why anyone would eat potatoes with the skin on, responded casually, "Of course I'm fine. Haven't you noticed they're all afraid of me?"
To ease Hermione's worries, John decided to bury the hatchet with Malfoy.
Seeing Malfoy passing by, John reached out and called to him.
"Malfoy."
Malfoy stopped in his tracks, eyeing John warily as he approached, instinctively taking a step back. Feeling embarrassed by his reaction, Malfoy angrily retorted, "Wick, what do you want, you...?"
"If you finish that sentence, I'll send you back to the infirmary," John said with a friendly smile that made Malfoy's hair stand on end.
John patted his shoulder and reassured him, "Relax, I'm not a monster. We're classmates, after all. We'll see each other every day, so I won't be too harsh."
He even smiled at Malfoy's cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, who shivered and nodded quickly.
"See? Even Crabbe and Goyle think so. So let's make peace."
Malfoy glared at his two cronies and called them "stupid oafs." Looking at John's outstretched hand, he stubbornly said, "I refuse to be friends with you. And don't think you can act all high and mighty just because you beat me by sneaking up on me. Wizards should settle things with magic, not fists!"
John nonchalantly withdrew his hand and said, "Alright then, let's find a place and have a proper duel. Isn't that how nobles settle things? I'll oblige."
This suggestion made Malfoy panic; his neck still hurt from their last encounter. Without another word, he kept his head down and hurried away.
John sat back down and said to Hermione, who was staring in amazement, "See? No problem at all."
Hermione nodded in confusion. This was considered no problem?
However, having a scholarly mindset, she quickly shifted the conversation to Potions.
John, feeling overwhelmed, quickly finished his food, leaving the skin-on potato behind, and slipped away.
After all, he only knew the answers to those three questions; he was clueless about the rest.
A flock of owls flew into the Great Hall, and Neville received a Remembrall.
...
One great thing about Hogwarts was the short class hours and long breaks, with weekends off.
Using the Weekend for Training
John spent his weekends working out, running around the Black Lake with a rock the size of a human head strapped to his back.
"This feeling of seeing my magic power increase is amazing."
Watching the numbers grow, John felt like he was playing a game.
He hadn't forgotten about the dangers in the Harry Potter world, knowing that the peace of school life wouldn't last long.
This week, he had already seen Professor Quirrell in class and remembered the suffocating stench—a truly unforgettable experience.
In his previous life, John had watched the movies and had a cursory knowledge of the books.
Most of the plot details had faded from his memory, but he did recall that Quirrell had Voldemort on the back of his head.
He hadn't recognized him at the Leaky Cauldron last time, but he did this time.
John wondered how the feared Dark Lord could stand that smell.
He didn't remember the specifics, only that Quirrell was ultimately possessed by Voldemort and defeated by Harry.
John thought to himself, "This danger cannot be ignored. I need to increase my strength quickly."
In reality, even a small danger could be fatal, unlike in a novel.
Throwing the rock away and looking at his dirty clothes, he pondered where he could get some proper weights.
...
The Second Week of School
Another memorable course in the magical world arrived.
Flying lessons.