NOVEL WEB Chapter 223: Chapter 223: Acne
The troubles didn't end there.
By Sunday afternoon, Orli nervously made her way to Snape's office. Summoning her courage, she knocked on the door, but there was no response. To her surprise, the office door opened by itself.
The room was empty—completely devoid of life. Snape had left only a note on the desk, detailing the tasks she needed to complete. Beside it sat a bottle of potion, the very one he had taken from her during a prior system assignment.
When he had first requested the potion, their interactions had been harmonious. But now, when it came time to deliver it, it felt as though they were strangers. Unease gnawed at Orli's heart; she couldn't shake the feeling that Snape was drifting further and further away.
She had planned to linger in the office until he returned, but as soon as the clock struck six, she was forcibly ejected, as if hit by a banishing spell. The wooden door slammed shut behind her with a resounding bang. Picking herself up and rubbing her sore elbow, Orli angrily kicked the door before reluctantly heading upstairs. On her way, she encountered a group of Hufflepuffs.
They were gathered around a girl, who was clutching her face with both hands, wailing miserably.
# Ernie Macmillan: "Hey, uh, hello—you just came out of the Potions office, didn't you?"
The boy leading the group spotted Orli. She recognized him—it was Ernie Macmillan.
## Orli: "What happened to her?"
Orli asked, her gaze fixed on the girl.
# Ernie Macmillan: "There was a small mishap. She just wanted to use a spell to get rid of her acne... but now her face is covered in tiny black spots, like sesame seeds..."
Ernie Macmillan explained.
## Orli: "Did you go to Madam Pomfrey?"
Orli felt a pang of sympathy for the girl; the sight made her skin crawl.
# Ernie Macmillan: "We did... Actually, the hospital wing was our first stop. But Madam Pomfrey just told her to rest in her dormitory for three months... So we thought we'd try our luck with Professor Snape."
Though Ernie Macmillan spoke lightly, his expression betrayed his inner turmoil.
## Orli: "The professor isn't here."
Orli sighed, and Ernie Macmillan visibly relaxed.
## Orli: "If you trust me, I'll brew a potion for her by breakfast tomorrow to help."
# Ernie Macmillan: "You?... Are you sure?"
Ernie Macmillan hesitated, but the girl had already broken down completely, crying and shouting hysterically. Left with no alternative, Ernie Macmillan agreed to Orli's offer and led the group of Hufflepuffs back to their common room.
The next morning, Orli fulfilled her promise, bringing a bottle of potion specifically designed to remove facial blemishes to the Hufflepuff table. She thought Snape might appear at the professors' table, witness the scene, and perhaps intervene or inspect her potion. But he didn't—Snape was nowhere to be seen.
The girl drank the potion, and the spots on her face faded significantly. She thanked Orli profusely, but Orli wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.
Over the next month, Orli tried her best not to dwell on Snape's coldness and distance. Yet the more she forced herself, the more aggrieved she felt. Every Sunday afternoon, the office remained empty, with only a note left on the desk containing a few brief instructions.
During this time, a full moon came and went. Professor Lupin tried the improved version of the Wolfsbane Potion for the first time and wrote to Orli, reporting surprisingly positive results. He was even able to stay behind the bar counter at the pub on the night of the full moon, mixing drinks as usual. The only minor issue was a "side effect" of the potion—swelling in his lower limbs. He had to rely on the bar and a long apron to hide his legs, which had swollen to resemble elephant legs.
Finally finding an excuse, Orli mustered the courage to use the two-way mirror. When Snape's face appeared in the mirror, she felt a surge of joy so intense she could have jumped for joy.
But within thirty seconds, her happiness evaporated entirely. Snape merely said coldly, "Understood. I'll adjust the potion again." And with that, the mirror returned to darkness.
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