After returning to the dorm, Lucas gently moved the sleeping frog cub from his bed and started thinking about his next steps.
Right now, he needed to level up across the board—especially in spellwork and potions. Potions were particularly profitable, and lucky for him, the ingredients could be found in the Forbidden Forest.
With his current skills, sneaking past Hagrid and slipping into the forest would be a walk in the park.
But the real issue? He didn't have enough knowledge yet. He could only make a few basic potions. Even if he knew the process, he didn't have the exact formulas or measurements.
"Guess it's time to pay Snape a visit and hit the books properly."
Snape was a beast when it came to teaching potions—undeniably one of the best.
Plus, Lucas was a Slytherin, so he had a bit of an advantage.
With a clear goal in mind, Lucas played a quick round of games with the other two in his dorm and hit the sack early—well, early by Hogwarts standards: 2 a.m.
No classes for Slytherin in the morning, after all.
The next day, Lucas knocked on the door of Professor Snape's office.
Since Gryffindor had Herbology class that morning, Hermione wasn't with him.
But when they split up after breakfast and she found out he was going to study with Snape, Hermione got fired up herself.
If Lucas was working this hard, what excuse did she have to slack off?
Lucas had been praised by basically every professor so far. Even those who didn't teach Charms heard Professor Flitwick drop his name.
The Gryffindors who knew him had been caught completely off guard when they heard it.
After a couple of knocks, the door opened on its own.
"Come in, Lucas."
Snape's voice, usually cold and sharp, sounded oddly calm. Lucas even thought he might've misheard… or knocked on the wrong door.
But one glance at the sign confirmed it—definitely Snape's office.
"Good morning, Professor Snape," Lucas said with a polite nod. He got straight to the point—he wasn't one for small talk.
Besides, he already had a feeling Snape wouldn't turn him down.
And just like he expected, after hearing his request, Snape rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment.
It wasn't every day a student asked to learn more—especially not a Slytherin.
And Lucas had shown some real promise in Potions class. He clearly had talent.
In every field, talent was key. People always talked about needing talent for subjects like Divination or Transfiguration, but even Potions needed a sharp mind and a steady hand.
It took skill to master the right ingredients, the exact measurements, the timing...
And Lucas? His first brew was spot-on in every way.
What no one knew was that Lucas achieved that result through strong magical control—feeling the changes in the cauldron—and Hermione's detailed notes.
So, yeah… no "natural talent." Just hard work and observation.
"Wait here," Snape said.
He disappeared into another room, and after a few minutes, came back holding an old, worn-out book. He handed it to Lucas.
"This is a notebook from when I was a student. It might come in handy."
"Thank you, Professor."
Lucas accepted the book with genuine gratitude.
"If you run into any trouble, feel free to come back," Snape added. "Potions, spells… even feelings."
Before Lucas could respond, the door closed on its own with a gentle flick of Snape's wand.
"…Wait, did he just say feelings?"
Lucas blinked, a little thrown off. He looked at the thick, note-filled book in his hands and decided not to overthink it.
No point wasting brainpower—better to dive into the material.
On the way to the library, he flipped through the pages casually. The handwriting was neat, each page full of detailed annotations, tweaks, and even original ideas for new spells or potion variations.
Things Lucas hadn't even thought of.
The name on the book?
The Half-Blood Prince.
Lucas remembered that, in the original timeline, this book ended up in Harry's hands.
So yeah, Snape really did care about Harry… in his own weird way.
Meanwhile, over in Herbology class, Harry suddenly sneezed. One of the plants slipped out of his hand and hit the floor—unleashing a scream that could break glass.
"HARRY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
"MY EARS!"
"S-Sorry, Professor!"
"Two points from Gryffindor!"
"C'mon, not again! We're already in the negatives!"
The whole greenhouse descended into chaos.
That afternoon, Hermione sat next to Lucas in the Great Hall, completely spaced out. She even laid her head on the table, which was thankfully kept clean by the house-elves.
"You good?"
Lucas set aside his notes and glanced over.
Hermione looked… exhausted. That was new.
"Mandrakes. Those things scream like murder victims."
Even with earmuffs on, the trauma was real.
"Mandrakes? I thought repotting them was easy?"
Lucas raised a brow. Slytherins and Ravenclaws had done just fine.
What was up with Gryffindor?
"No, it was Harry…"
Before she could finish, Harry and Ron walked over, both looking like they'd been hit by a Bludger.
"Good afternoon, Lucas."
"Yeah, good afternoon, Harry," Ron added tiredly.
"…My name is Lucas, not Harry," Lucas said, confused.
"Ah, sorry—my ears are still ringing."
Ron rubbed the side of his head and nodded to him.
"Afternoon, you two."
Lucas gave a small smile.
"Wait… is this notebook yours?" Hermione suddenly noticed the worn book on the table.
"Can I take a look?"
Apparently, Snape's school notes still carried weight—even Hermione couldn't resist.
After all, he was one of the top wizards of his generation