What made it difficult for Draco to sleep that night was the conversation she had with Daphne when she returned to her dormitory.

"Granger, what exactly is the reason for her unpopularity?"

"She takes herself too seriously and tries to do the best in every class."

"Is that so? I'd like to see how she does in Potions tomorrow."

"Draco ......"

"What's wrong?"

"She also seems to be of Muggle descent."

As soon as she heard this, Draco fell silent and Daphne looked a little nervous.

Daphne's gentle nature was unlike her own.

The Greengrass family, unlike the Malfoy family, had never had an overly strong opinion of Muggles.

The problem was that, as one of the oldest families in Britain's wizarding community.

The Malfoys shouldered the responsibility of being Malfoys.

As her father had said, and as she herself had once made clear to Harry Potter.

As the future head of the Malfoy family, it was her duty to remind the wizarding world to think -- why, after centuries of Muggle oppression, should wizards, who could only live in seclusion, be open to accepting people of magical talent from the Muggle world?

--

The class Draco had been looking forward to finally arrived in earnest, four days into the school year.

The Potions classroom, like the Slytherin common room, was located in the basement of Hogwarts Castle.

Entering the classroom, the steaming assortment of cauldrons was shrouded in the darkness and mystery of Severus' personal style.

This was the first subject to be taught jointly across the houses, and after the clash before the Sorting Ceremony, it was the first time she had had a

It was the first time she had shared a room with Harry Potter for any length of time.

Draco watched with satisfaction as she and Weasley looked around the cellar, nervously, like any other Gryffindor student.

But at the same time, she watched the Granger girl closely.

Hanging low with her shaggy brown curls, buried in her Potions textbook, she didn't seem to belong to any group of new Gryffindor students.

"You have come here to learn the subtle science and precise art of potion-making."

The door to the cellar slammed shut as the bell rang.

Severus' languid tones wove through the echoes of the cellar as he walked.

"Since there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic."

Draco was satisfied that most of the new students were silenced by the subtle, whispering tones of Severus' voice.

"I don't expect you to truly understand the beauty of the gently simmering cauldron with its shimmering vapors, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, enticing the senses..."

"This is the true, wonderful magic."

In a whisper that was like a poetic chant, Severus had come to the front of the classroom.

Stolen novel; please report.

"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stop death!"

"If you're not as big a bunch of fools as I usually have to teach."

Out of the corner of her eye, Severus glanced over at her seated, attentive self, and the corner of her mouth lifted in a smile.

And then, like Professor McGonagall, Severus transformed the ring on his hand into a roll of parchment.

There was a gasp from the Gryffindor students and a sound of appreciation from the Slytherin.

Apparently, the Slytherin Tutor had deliberately performed a handful of Gryffindor Tutor stunts in front of the new Gryffindor students.

Severus didn't care about the constant exclamations of surprise from the class and just buried her head in roll call.

When it came to Draco, he skipped over her as quickly as he did his normal classmates.

Instead, after Harry Potter was mentioned, he paused deliberately and spoke sullenly.

"Ah, yes. Harry Potter."

"Our new - celebrity here na."

Severus lifted his head and cast a cold glance at a trembling Harry Potter.

The afterglow also glanced quietly at Draco.

When the roll call was over, Severus spoke coldly.

"Potter, what would the effect be if asphodel were poured into the infusion of wormwood?"

The eyes of the class shifted to Harry at Severus' question.

Draco good-naturedly pulled out her folding fan and nodded it between her lips, eagerly awaiting Harry Potter's performance.

How would such a famous person perform?

To Draco's disappointment but satisfaction, Harry's confused reply was.

"I don't know, sir."

"Fame, it seems, doesn't mean everything."

Severus said coldly, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

Somehow Draco got the feeling.

Even more than Harry, Severus' attention was drawn to the pale palm held high in the air.

It was Hermione Granger.

"Let's try again, Potter."

"If I asked you to bring me a piece of Bezoar, where would you find it?"

Hermione struggled to stand on her tiptoes and held her hands up extremely high, but Draco couldn't help but frown.

Harry Potter obviously didn't know the answer.

But what bothered Draco was Hermione's overly aggressive behavior.

Why exactly was it necessary to be so competitive?

It went completely against the delicate social etiquette of the secular family.

"I don't know, sir."

As expected, Harry Potter's reply was as ignorant as expected.

Draco's attention had been completely diverted from the boy of legend.

But it was only mediocrity in name.

Not even preparation for a textbook, for that matter.

"I don't think you ever turned your textbook over before school started, did you, Potter?"

Sure enough, Severus was of the same opinion.

"So tell me, Potter, monkshood, and wolfsbane, what's the difference?"

Severus continued to ignore Granger and simply pressed Potter.

Granger had half stood up and Draco had narrowed her eyes.

"I don't know, but I think Hermione would know the answer, Professor."

"Why don't you ask her?"

Potter replied, causing Draco's eyes to widen.

It had always been assumed that he was nothing more than an ignoramus of the wizarding world.

But he had never realized that the roots of his rudeness ran so deep.

Several of the Gryffindor students burst out laughing.

The biggest laugh, not surprisingly, came from Weasley.

What did surprise Draco was Granger's reaction.

She lowered her hand slightly and her eyebrows knitted together.

Before she could understand Granger's thoughts, Severus' tone had become one of icy anger.

"Shut up, Potter."

"As famous as you are, it's not up to you to decide what is taught at Hogwarts."

"I can answer that for you, Potter."

"But I think asking your classmates to do it will make more sense to the stupid courage of Gryffindors."

Severus said as he turned to Hermione.

"Yes, I meant you, Granger. Drop your hands and sit down."

"As a truly wise person would gracefully reserve her own opinion."

He called out to her at the same time.

"Draco Malfoy."

The sudden summons caught Draco a little off guard, but she relented.

"Yes, Professor Snape."

"Asphodel and infusion of wormwood together make a powerful sleeping draught called Draught of the Living Dead."

"Bezoar, a stone taken from the stomach of a goat, will save you from most poisons."

Draco suppressed her voice and spoke calmly.

"As for the monkshood and wolfsbane at the end, they are actually the same plant with a different name, aconite."

These, all of them, were answers Severus had been given since she was a young girl when she had pestered him about the contents of his daily commute.

"Very good, Malfoy."

"Why don't you all, why don't you write them down yet?"

Severus said quietly as he added.

"Well, since you just contradicted the Head of Department, Gryffindor will lose a point for that, Potter."

"Risking a false reputation and being a bully but having no strength will cost you another four points for that."

"And finally, Malfoy."

"For saving Potter and giving Slytherin ten points for not caring about the rivalries of the house."

The Potions lesson ended with Gryffindor's suppressed anger.

The lesson had also been marred by the fact that the boy from Longbottom's house who had allowed the Cauldron to burn completely had been sent to Sick Bay, giving Severus an excuse to deduct ten points from Harry Potter.

What made things a little more difficult for Draco was the reaction of the Gryffindor students.

Somehow the students seemed to think that Severus' favoritism was all about her.

But of course, the Malfoy's youngest daughter wouldn't care about the murmuring prejudices of mere mortals.