[25] The Light From His Palm

The next day at lunch, Hall overheard students talking.

"What's wrong with Professor Snape today?"

"He's in a good mood. He didn't deduct any points."

"He almost added twenty points to Slytherin."

"The Weasley twins did something in class, and he praised them."

"Professor Snape has finally been driven mad by the Weasley twins!"

Hall scratched his head. Has the Head of House been possessed?

After Quidditch training, the twins blocked his path.

"Get to the point." Hall was starving.

"We went out last night," Fred said.

"And we witnessed something," George added.

"You gave Professor Snape a bottle."

"Is his current state related to that?"

Hall's eyes narrowed.

"We smelled peppermint on the Dean," George said. "That's a Happiness Potion. We read about it."

"You deliberately caused trouble in class to test him?"

The twins grinned.

The next day at lunch, something was different.

Hall was confused. He'd given Snape a healing potion. How could it smell like peppermint?

The only thing that smelled like peppermint was the Happiness Potion. The one he'd created based on the Half-Blood Prince's notes. The one he'd destroyed because of poor sales.

But how did the Head of House end up taking it?

The twins watched his realisation with wicked grins. "You actually gave Professor Snape a Happiness Potion!"

"Well done!"

They high-fived.

"What do you want from me?" Hall asked.

"We see you have talent for pranks."

"And guts."

"Join us. Make our business shine."

"No." Hall was hungry. And going along with their pranks would mean scrubbing cauldrons for the rest of the term.

George leaned close. "Don't refuse so quickly."

Fred held up a small notebook. "Last month's profits."

Hall's eyes widened. From their second year onward, the twins had been earning between one thousand and two thousand Galleons a month. Their profit margin was seventy percent.

"You're showing me this?"

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"There's a jinx on it. Watch."

Hall scanned the ledger. He noticed the patched hem of Fred's robes. They're hiding wealth but still wearing rags.

"I'll join you. But only behind the scenes. I provide materials and recipes. You produce."

The twins' eyes lit up.

"I want seventy percent of the profits."

The twins hesitated. Hall calculated. They'd never saved a single Galleon. Their material costs were eating everything. His offer was generous.

"Deal."

"Tomorrow, leave the contract in the Room of Requirement. I'll leave the materials there."

Hall handed them a potion recipe he'd developed — one that made a random body part extremely soft. The twins grabbed it eagerly.

He walked away, then paused. He pulled out another identical bottle from his own robes. The last one. He uncorked it and sniffed.

Peppermint.

What's going on?

The twins found him after practice.

Hall couldn't focus on dinner. The potion was bothering him. He'd given Snape a healing potion, but it smelled like peppermint. The Happiness Potion.

Had I accidentally mixed them up?

Snape wasn't at the Great Hall. Hall's heart sank. He's too embarrassed to show his face. Or he's plotting my murder.

Eight o'clock. Hall stood outside the cellar door, hesitant. He usually went in eagerly. Tonight, he lingered.

He pushed open the door.

Snape sat in the darkness, his face like stone. Before Snape could speak, Hall placed the other bottle on the desk.

"Professor, I really did make a healing potion. This is another from the same batch. Please examine it."

He spread his research notes on the desk. "The potion contains biting kale and hemlock extract. Together they produce an effect similar to peppermint — relaxing the user's nerves. I didn't expect the side effect to vary with injury severity."

Snape was silent.

"I accept my mistake."

"Is your brain filled with slugs? Utterly stupid!" Snape stood, pointing at Hall. "You wasted fifteen minutes at the door over something so trivial!"

Hall looked up. "You're not angry?"

"Angry?" Snape's expression shifted — confusion, then realisation. "Your healing potion is exceptional. It works faster than standard dittany. The injured recover quickly with no discomfort during healing."

"But the side effects —"

"Henry William." Snape's voice was sharp. "I am a Potions Master. Before taking someone else's potion, I accept all possible side effects. An excellent healing potion — a minor side effect is nothing."

He leaned forward. "Potions aren't always perfect. To achieve high effectiveness, a few imperfections are normal. You can't expect perfection forever. Do you understand?"

Hall finally understood. He'd been too much of a perfectionist. The Squib potion had stalled because he wanted it perfect.

What if I changed the approach? Instead of a one-dose cure, I make it a maintenance potion. Continuous consumption. Lower cost. Higher volume.

"Yes, Professor. Thank you."

Snape nodded. "I have urgent business. You may go."

Hall walked out, his mind racing with new ideas. The Squib potion could be reformulated. Different materials. A different approach.

He was so lost in thought that he almost walked past two figures in the corridor.

"Harry? Draco?"

The pair spun around. "Henry? Why are you back so early?"

"The Head of House had something come up." Hall looked between them. "How did you two end up together?"

The mystery pricked at his thoughts through dinner.

Hearing Hall's question, Draco and Harry exchanged a look, then made gagging faces.

"Who wants to go with him!" Draco scoffed.

"Malfoy challenged me to a duel, but Filch caught me. My punishment is helping Hagrid," Harry explained.

Draco was furious. "I'm going to write to my father! Dumbledore made me work for that half-giant!"

"You're not allowed to talk about Hagrid like that."

They glared at each other.

Hall's eyes lit up. The Forbidden Forest was full of rare herbs. And at night, it might hold even more interesting encounters.

"I'll come with you."

"Are you crazy?" Draco nearly screamed. "Why would you go there?"

Hall shrugged. He was going regardless.

Time moved on.

Hagrid opened his hut door to find two Slytherins and Harry. He looked confused, holding Fang by the leash.

"We'll split into two groups," Hall said, taking the lantern from Hagrid. "Draco and I will go that way. Harry, you go with Hagrid."

"Fang is for you," Hagrid offered.

Hall refused silently. Fang was Hagrid's dog — if Hall did anything against school rules, Fang would bark.

He had other plans.

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