Hogwarts: Transmigrated as the Top Student

"I'm sorry, Professor," Jon said quietly, lowering his head.

He knew he was in trouble now… Severus Snape was arguably the most difficult teacher at Hogwarts. Offending him never ended well. And Potions was the subject Jon cared about the most—there was no way he wanted to jeopardize it.

"Then what's your excuse, Mr. Hart?" Snape sneered. "Something like, you were fending off a Dark Lord invasion before class and lost track of time?"

The Slytherin students burst into laughter.

Jon hesitated. Should he explain why he was late? He was worried that saying anything would sound like a flimsy excuse and only make Snape angrier, leading to harsher punishment.

"Professor Snape!" a Hufflepuff student in the back row stood up and called out, "Jon was with Professor Sprout after Herbology, that's why he was late..."

It was Zacharias Smith who spoke.

Jon gave him a grateful glance... An excuse coming from someone else could make a world of difference.

"Quiet, Smith!" Snape said coldly. "I believe I made it clear—you must raise your hand before speaking in my class. Five points from Hufflepuff."

Zacharias's face flushed deep red, like he was about to pick a fight, but Steven Lucas quickly pulled him back down.

Snape's icy stare returned to Jon. "I'll be confirming that with Pomona."

With a snort, he gestured for Jon to enter.

Jon quickly walked in, carrying his cauldron.

Potions class required students to work in pairs. Hufflepuff and Slytherin students had already teamed up within their own houses, sitting on opposite sides of the classroom in clear separation.

The little snakes didn't just feud with Gryffindor—they looked down on Hufflepuff too, and would only occasionally talk to Ravenclaws. Naturally, Hufflepuff students weren't fond of Slytherins either.

These inter-house tensions had already been passed down among the first-years after the Start-of-Term Feast.

Unfortunately, both houses had an odd number of students this year.

All the Hufflepuffs had already paired off, leaving no free seats. In the last row of Slytherin sat a tall, slightly awkward-looking girl sitting alone.

Jon vaguely remembered her—wasn't she the last one sorted during the ceremony? Madeline Yaxley?

Probably another "Death Eater spawn."

With no other option, Jon was about to head over when Snape's voice called him back.

"Stop, Mr. Hart," he said calmly. "Miss Selwyn, you'll partner with Miss Yaxley. Mr. Hart, take Miss Selwyn's seat."

The Slytherin girl named Selwyn looked displeased as she packed up her cauldron and headed to the back. Jon had no choice but to carry his things to her seat—right at the front of the Slytherin section.

His new partner turned out to be someone familiar:

Astoria Greengrass.

...

The Potions classroom returned to silence.

Astoria didn't speak to him. In fact, during Snape's lessons, no one dared whisper.

Jon opened Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger and turned to the first page. His expression stayed tense—he knew this wasn't over.

And sure enough...

"Hart!" Snape barked. "What do you get when you mix scurvy grass, lovage, and sneezewort?"

"Confusing Concoction, Professor," Jon replied smoothly, standing up. "The potion causes the drinker to become irritable and reckless."

A solid answer.

With any other teacher, Hufflepuff might've earned five points for that. But Snape's expression didn't budge.

"What is salamander blood primarily used for in potion-making? Or rather, what do we typically use it for?"

"Enhancement potions, Professor," Jon answered. "Salamander blood is a key ingredient for boosting the effects of other potions."

"Next question... If I asked you to gather Dittany, where would you look?"

"Dittany is mostly found in China, the U.S., and Mexico… So I'd start by buying a ticket to East Asia or North America."

A few Hufflepuffs chuckled, but fell silent instantly under Snape's glare.

"Dittany usually grows on hillsides, open shrubland, or under sparse woodland..."

Snape pursed his lips tightly, staring at Jon.

Around him, Hufflepuff students—and even many Slytherins—were staring at him with wide-eyed surprise, even a bit of admiration. Clearly, these questions and answers were far beyond anything they had learned.

"And if I add powdered asphodel root to an infusion of wormwood?" Snape continued.

This time, Jon frowned, thinking hard for half a minute before answering.

"I'm sorry... I don't know, Professor."

Snape sneered, then waved a hand to signal Jon to sit.

"Asphodel and wormwood create a powerful sleeping draught—Draught of Living Death!" Snape said coldly.

"An excellent Auror, Gideon Prewett, died because of this potion. A so-called 'friend' sent him a bottle of licorice wine, and slipped asphodel powder into the glass… When the effects kicked in, six Death Eaters showed up and killed him and his brother. If poor Gideon had paid more attention in Potions, he might've been able to Apparate away—even if he was facing a dozen of them."

As he spoke, a contemptuous smirk tugged at the corner of Snape's lips.

But he didn't continue interrogating Jon. He didn't deduct any points from Hufflepuff—nor did he award any.

Jon let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Why aren't you all writing this down?" Snape suddenly barked, spinning around.

Every student jumped, then scrambled to grab quills and parchment as the room filled with the scratch of hurried note-taking.