White smoke gradually filled Snape's office.
Inside the cauldron, the strange semi-liquid substance finally began showing subtle changes.
Snape's eyes narrowed sharply.
This time…
He had a strong feeling they were finally going to succeed.
After all, they had already wasted an enormous amount of materials during the brewing process.
Even the precious Witchmoon Wolf Hair he'd painstakingly acquired was nearly exhausted.
Still, potion-making had always followed one absolute truth:
Without spending money, you would never improve.
Carefully, Snape uncorked a small bottle containing Fire Ash before slowly sprinkling it into the unstable mixture.
Hissssss—
A sharp sound immediately echoed throughout the room.
At that exact moment, however, the office remained thick with drifting smoke.
And due to an unfortunate shift in airflow—
A tiny fragment of Fire Ash floated elsewhere unnoticed.
Directly into the cauldron sitting behind them.
The very same cauldron containing Snape's "Love's Illusion" potion.
Neither Snape nor Logan noticed.
Both remained entirely focused on Witchwolf Smoke.
The instant the unstable mixture fully absorbed the Fire Ash, the substance gradually transformed into a semi-transparent black crystal-like material.
Meanwhile, the surrounding white smoke slowly darkened into black mist.
Snape's previously tense expression finally relaxed slightly.
"It succeeded," he muttered quietly.
"During previous attempts, the mixture collapsed instantly upon contact with Fire Ash."
"But this time it stabilised."
"It even altered the smoke itself."
"That means we've likely completed the core transformation stage."
Snape immediately retrieved two empty glass vials.
With precise movements, he split the strange black material into two equal portions before sealing them tightly inside separate containers.
Then he handed one toward Logan.
"You've earned this."
"Since I provided the ingredients, I'll keep the remaining half for further research."
"Any objections?"
"Of course not, Professor," Logan answered immediately.
"Honestly, without your help, I probably never could've completed this potion myself."
He carefully accepted the vial.
Inside, black smoke drifted endlessly around the strange crystal-like substance.
Logan silently examined it.
Even with Snape personally assisting him, they had still failed countless times before finally succeeding once.
That alone proved how absurdly difficult Witchwolf Smoke truly was.
If he had attempted this alone with his current beginner-level potion skills…
Success would have been practically impossible.
So what exactly was hidden inside that girls' bathroom?
And why did it require Witchwolf Smoke specifically to reveal it?
Meanwhile, Snape quietly observed Logan standing there thoughtfully holding the potion.
The more he looked at the boy, the more familiar he seemed.
A passion for potion-making.
Exceptional talent.
Sharp instincts.
Meticulous precision.
In many ways, Logan reminded Snape eerily of himself when he was younger.
Well…
Perhaps aside from appearance.
Still, Snape firmly believed talent mattered infinitely more than looks.
Appearance?
Ha.
Such a shallow thing.
Yet suddenly—
A dangerous thought entered his mind.
If he had possessed Logan's appearance back then…
Would Lily Evans still have chosen James Potter?
Snape's expression darkened instantly.
Then—
"Hm?"
Logan suddenly sniffed the air curiously.
"Why does it smell like strawberries?"
A strong strawberry fragrance had begun spreading throughout the office.
Logan looked around in confusion.
Meanwhile, Snape froze.
Then his face changed dramatically.
In a cold voice, he immediately said:
"Since your questions have been resolved, you may leave now."
Logan blinked.
Before he could respond properly, Snape suddenly grabbed him one-handed like luggage.
"Professor—wait—"
BANG!
The office door flew open.
And one second later—
Logan himself was physically thrown outside.
The door slammed shut violently behind him.
"...?"
Logan stood alone in the corridor utterly bewildered.
What just happened?
Weren't they discussing potions perfectly normally a moment ago?
And what exactly was that strawberry smell?
Surely Snape wasn't secretly hiding strawberry cake inside his office?
The mental image alone nearly gave Logan emotional damage.
Professor Snape liking strawberry cake felt horrifyingly cursed.
Still, now that Witchwolf Smoke had been completed, he needed to begin planning how to infiltrate the girls' bathroom successfully.
That mission definitely wouldn't complete itself.
....
Inside the office, Snape waited several moments to ensure Logan had truly left before rushing toward the second cauldron.
The potion inside had transformed completely.
A pink liquid shimmered softly beneath the candlelight while rich strawberry fragrance filled the air.
Snape immediately realised what had happened.
The accidental contamination with Fire Ash had somehow accelerated completion.
The Love's Illusion potion was finished.
Which also explained why he'd thrown Logan out so aggressively moments earlier.
Although Logan likely lacked enough experience to recognise the potion itself…
What if something went wrong?
What if the child discovered Professor Severus Snape secretly brewing romantic fantasy potions in his private office?
Snape would never recover socially.
More importantly—
The potion had a strict requirement.
It needed to be consumed within fifteen minutes of completion to activate properly.
Which meant Snape absolutely would not allow anyone else to remain nearby ruining his precious moment with Lily.
Slowly, he picked up a silver spoon before carefully scooping some of the pink liquid into it.
His eyes trembled slightly with anticipation.
Finally…
After all these years…
He could finally experience the life he'd always wanted.
Slurp.
The instant the potion touched his tongue—
Snape's face turned green.
An indescribably horrifying taste exploded inside his mouth.
It felt sticky.
Rotten.
Nauseating.
Like sewage mixed with expired garbage.
"What in Merlin's name—"
It smelled like strawberries.
But tasted like concentrated death.
Snape nearly vomited on the spot.
Still—
The thought of Lily waiting inside that perfect dream strengthened his resolve.
With trembling determination, he forced himself to swallow the disgusting potion completely.
.....
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