Ravenclaw's Blue Gem

The two smiled tacitly, Zoe stood next to Hermione naturally, and Slughorn agreed with this scene and said: "When I was a student, I wanted to make many friends, make contacts, and live a rich life. A full life is the most beautiful enjoyment, and it can also benefit you endlessly in the future."

"I was just planning to invite Miss Granger to come to my place for a gathering tonight. I also called a few other people. Now the confirmed candidates are the McLagen and Shabini you met on the train before. I plan to have a small party. Next time I plan to invite a few former students. You can get to know each other.” Slughorn touched his beard proudly. The Slug Club has always been his proud work.

Zoe winked at Hermione, as if telling her, "Look, I'm right, Slughorn really looked at you." Hermione smiled bitterly.

Slughorn looked at Zoe again: "How about it, Zoe? A few popular items of Honey Duke were specially prepared for the party. Albus said you like their snacks very much?" He used The tempting tone continued to add weight to himself, "Next time I can introduce you to the shopkeeper there, so that you can know the latest product information!"

"Okay, professor, please count me." Zoe nodded and agreed decisively.Slughorn was overjoyed, but Hermione looked surprised in disbelief.

"Great, child!" Slughorn laughed. "Save your stomach tonight. I have carefully selected everything there. Enjoy a wonderful night!"

"Oh, it's not early, I should go back and prepare for the next class." Slughorn's excitement is not all utilitarian, but also a little pure joy.He really likes Zoe very much, no matter how many impression points her face resembles Max, Zoe's outstanding ability is enough to make him invite her without hesitation.

"Let me think...it's still a bit deserted now, I should invite a few more potential students..." Before leaving, he looked at Hermione slightly unwillingly, "If you can reconsider my invitation , Miss Granger, I will be very happy. I heard from Minerva that you hope to enter the Ministry of Magic after graduation? I also know many people there."

"You actually refused?" Zoe spoke after Slughorn shook his chubby body and disappeared around the corner. "I thought you would agree."

"Oh my god! You actually agreed!" Hermione also had a headache, "I thought you would definitely refuse!"

"Professor Slughorn is right. I just plan to go have fun and eat something delicious to relax." Zoe pretended to be relaxed. "Even Dumbledore praised Slug. Professor Horn will enjoy it. It's okay not to do homework all night."

"But I have to deal with more than just homework... Well, let's not mention it." Hermione looked at her, "What happened? I feel like you are in a bad mood."

"I'm planning to go to the library to find some potion-related materials. Two days ago, Professor Snape and I talked about the wolf poison potion, and he asked me to let it go."

When it came to this, Hermione seemed very happy, because among the people she knew, there was a werewolf.Professor Lu Ping was always dragged down by his identity as a werewolf (especially when Greyback began to attack people and his panic against the werewolves rapidly increased), he could not find a stable and good job, and he could not afford expensive medicine. very bad.If Zoe can improve the potion, she has no reason not to support it.

"If there is something I can help, just speak up." Hermione said, "Unfortunately, I can't help you do this together..." Although Hermione has done very well in all fields, In the field of pharmacy, it is not as good as Zoe, who has accumulated years of experience.

Zoe was also very happy. Now that the topic has changed, she doesn't have to think about how to reduce Hermione's worries, just follow the wolf poison potion.

"On your side, it's always busy these days, what are you doing?" Zoe was a little uneasy when it came to this.Since the beginning of school, I always feel that Hermione has become a little cold, and even after class, there is no one to see. The occasion where the two talk the most is actually the cooperative homework in class together.

Although Hermione's attitude was the same as before, there was nothing wrong with her, but now she almost went back to the lounge to do homework instead of the library, and she looked hurried every time she saw her.Based on Zoe’s understanding of her, Hermione can further improve the processing efficiency of things as long as she wants to. Even if the sixth grade courses become more difficult and deeper, Hermione’s efficiency will not be as busy as her third grade. At that time.

But every time she asked such a question, the topic would always be diverted, and Hermione was also evasive. After several times, Zoe's suspicion increased.

"Come to the party with me?" Zoe asked tentatively, "I think you really should take a break recently."

"No, Zoe." Hermione looked a little irritable. She was originally a person who tends to focus on doing things and ignores the things around her. She accumulates pressure quickly. "I don't have so much time to waste on having fun. If it wasn't for personal reasons, I would have wanted to go to Professor McGonagall."

"But how can the course be so busy? Are we in love or we are separated!" Zoe frowned. She was also very annoyed by Max's affairs during this period, and her tone was a bit aggressive. It’s not an academy. If you keep shrinking in the Gryffindor lounge like this, I can only grab the password and rush in."

Hermione was taken aback and scratched her hair: "Don't do this, you will eat confinement... I apologize, but I really need this time to do things. I also... er, researching a topic... about, um ...The welfare of the house elf is related...Yes, yes, it is the topic of the house elf (she is greatly relieved). It takes a lot of work."

If Zoe is very deceptive, then Hermione is really too good at lying.Leaving aside the explanation that was full of flaws, it was even more strange that the wandering eyes and the sudden increase in unnecessary body movements could deceive other people.

"This is the job of the president!" She actually added, "The vice president can't join either."

Zoe rolled his eyes in response.

Chapter 38 Denial

Even though Snape officially became a professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts this year, he still hadn't moved out of his old office. If someone who didn't know broke in, he would never recognize the real position of the office owner.This is very convenient for Zoe. Even if Snape is no longer a potions professor, she can still stay and use the materials as needed.The two had never exchanged any information about the replacement of the current potions professor.

In the sixth grade, Snape canceled the usual evening classes, usually only when Zoe had something to discuss with him, and had to greet him in advance, because Snape might not be in the office. Zoe guessed that he was mostly in Dumbledore's office.

It is also today. When Zoe came here, the office was empty. She kept staring at the snake sloughing in the jar on the shelf, her eyes were empty, and all kinds of thoughts were in her mind, about Max and He Mind, it's also about Draco.She wanted to find someone to talk to, but she couldn't find a person who was related to these three people at the same time and could give her tolerance and advice.This person can't be a friend of her age, because she doesn't know how to reveal her twisted fate; the person who provides advice should feel like it, and can't make her feel ashamed and uncomfortable in the conversation.As a result, Zoe had to remove Dumbledore from the list.

The snake sloughed slowly in the liquid medicine, and a faint light suddenly appeared on the surface of the glass bottle, reflecting the heavy wooden door opened from the outside, and Snape walked in with a stern face, as if he had encountered it. What a difficult situation to overcome."Have you encountered an obstacle?" After seeing Zoe, his face eased slightly, which is already a special treatment for others.

Zoe handed him the parchment scroll, which listed some of the problems she had summed up during the calculation.Improvement is no different from re-creation. Even if it is based on the original results, it must start with denial and doubt.Snape quickly scanned the writing on the parchment, walked to the desk and sat down.

Zoe didn't bother him. Snape always had a gloomy feeling when he was focused on doing things. He didn't like to smile and was not likable, and he seemed even more cold when he frowned.Zoe looked at his mentor, and there was a burst of curiosity for no reason. It originated from Hermione's complaint to Harry, who was complaining against a shabby potions course textbook.

Just when Zoe was almost caught up in cranky thoughts again, Snape finished reading, and he shouted several times to get Zoe back.Zoe saw his raised eyebrows and lined lips, he knew he was very angry, and he quickly apologized.

"Don't forget the purpose of your sitting here now, Siegel." After a brief warning, Snape went straight to the topic. He wrote down his experience in dealing with these problems on paper, and then taught Zoe a little bit. Compared with the confusion when listening to these words in previous years (and therefore Snape hardly talked about relevant experiences with her), at least now Zoe can figure out what he wants to say.

"My experience is not the truth. The important thing is what you observe, and those are the truth." After Snape finished speaking, he thought the girl would say goodbye, but did not expect that she would stand there, staring at herself in a daze. .

"If you have something to discuss, don't talk about it in circles." Snape sighed.

"But those are personal issues..." Zoe said nervously.

"If it's a question I don't want to answer, I will tell you directly."

"...Okay, Professor. Are you pure blood?" Zoe hesitated or asked the question.

"Why are you asking me this question?" Snape raised an eyebrow. "Will this question help you solve any puzzles?"

"No, simply because of curiosity." Zoe lied. "Although I know that you were a Death Eater before (she carefully confirmed that Snape was not offended by this), it is impossible for them to be all Pure-blood wizards. There are very few wizard families that did not intermarry with Muggles in history, and there are also families who have disappeared in this world because of the lack of blood heirs..."

"Good history of magic, huh?" Snape looked at her, with little emotion on his face, and only after Zoe flinched a little by him, Snape said softly, "But yes, I am not Pure blood wizard."

"Why look at me so surprised? Didn't you take the initiative to ask? This is not a secret that needs to be hidden, or do you think I will not tell you?" Zoe nodded to this statement.

"I don't like to disclose my privacy to others. People who don't know how to keep secrets are usually brainless and don't know when they will be killed by the secrets they reveal." Snape looked a little helpless. "Or do you think I am Just a cold, unfeeling stone man?" He said while looking into the distance, Zoe sensed that he was not feeling well at this time for no reason.

"My mother is a wizard, and my father is a Muggle." Before Zoe could speak, he suddenly stopped talking when he heard Snape say so, "Speaking of things when I was a child, except for'terrible', I I can’t find any feelings anymore. My father is a mess, he only knows to mess around all day, using hard labor to buy wine, or gambling, but whether he is drunk or not, he always likes to treat his family. Yelling, especially to my mother. They are always quarreling. Sometimes my mother will talk to him, and more often he is cautious. He doesn’t like me and hates my mother. He thinks we are disgusting. I don't know why they got married. I guess he didn't know that she was a wizard before."

"I have a much better impression of her than my father. She has a flexible mind and is still a witch. She has told me a lot about the past, told me about the traditions of the wizarding society, about Azkaban, and the soul Strange and the Ministry of Magic, said her alma mater Hogwarts, she used to be the captain of the Gobstone team at Hogwarts. It was a small club, but it was also an honor she won back. I inherited my mother’s talent, very early I have shown my talent as a wizard before, and I know that I am different from the children around me, and different from the incompetent Muggles. I have the best talent in the world and I know I can do my best."

Snape continued with the indifferent tone as if he was talking about the past of irrelevant people: "Of course, I got the admission letter from Hogwarts when I was eleven. In the past seven years, except for those people People and things that I don’t want to think about are more or less interesting."

"Interesting? For example, inventing spells or deleting the steps of potions?" Zoe pointed out.

"Of course, this is part of it." Snape admitted, "I have to say that it is one of my few pleasures."

"Hmm... Then you will also give yourself a title? It's like a badge or imprint, as long as others mention the name, they can think of you."

Snape guessed something from her directional words: "So that's why you ask me these questions? I call myself the Half-Blood Prince." He didn't ask Zoe the reason, but confessed directly." My mother’s old surname is Prince, and I’m a half-blood wizard. It’s been a long time ago. No one but myself should know this title. I won’t ask you why you know it. ."

Zoe nodded, and while Snape was in a good mood, she thought for a while and finally asked, "There is one more thing, Professor."

"Did Draco tell you something?"

"I'm his dean, of course he will come to me for consultation." Snape replied flatly, without speaking at all.

"It's not something that happened in school. It's useless if you want to hide it. I already know about that task." Zoe said vaguely. Of course she didn't know the specific information, but hoped that Snape would treat her accordingly. Let your guard down.

"You know?" Snape stared at her with a weird face, then said in a confident tone after a moment. "Don't lie to me, Siegel. You don't even know what happened."

Zoe didn't understand the reason for the exposure. She was running Occlumency. It was impossible for Snape to break through her stronger and stronger defenses without compulsively. Or was it just Snape's temptation to herself?

She didn’t want to just give up like this: “Draco told me everything. He’s a Death Eater now, isn’t he? Forced by a mysterious man. He was scared because he didn’t volunteer to do that task at all. I wanted Help."

"Siegel, do you know?" Snape said slowly. "It takes skill to deceive information from others. Since you cannot provide further details, it is not I desperately need your help, how can I tell you the truth? It's better to say that for your own sake, it's best to leave it alone."