The detention room was actually Professor Snape's office.

The walls were dim, with a yellow candlelit chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Along the walls were shelves lined with large glass jars containing various slimy organs - presumably parts from different creatures.

When Jane pushed open the door and entered, Snape was bent over grading recently submitted student essays.

Seeing her enter, he viciously marked a 'P' on a piece of parchment.

Some poor soul caught in the crossfire, Jane thought without remorse.

"I hear... you've had some conflicts with your classmates," Snape's face betrayed no emotion. "I'm not interested in your childish squabbles. However..."

"Only fools conduct such business in public, crowded places. I don't wish to see Slytherin's hourglass continue to empty... do you understand?"

What?

Did she hear that correctly?

Was he implying it was fine as long as they weren't caught?

Jane hadn't expected Professor Snape to be such a man of passion!

One who understood the principle of an eye for an eye!

She looked up in surprise at those bottomless black eyes, feeling an rare surge of emotion.

But that feeling quickly vanished.

"Your detention task: process mantis shrimp, remove shells and skin," Snape mercilessly dropped a bucket of mantis shrimp in front of her. "No magic allowed - it will damage their potency."

Jane resignedly put on her dragon-hide gloves and picked up a still-living, writhing mantis shrimp - wait, these were just prawns!

Her eyes lit up, mouth nearly watering as her mind filled with images of salt and pepper prawns, steamed prawns, spicy prawns...

She took out her wand and pierced the prawn's tail, running it along the shell through its entire body. With her free hand pressing firmly on the tail, she gently lifted her wand, causing the meat to naturally separate from the shell.

She'd learned this technique in her past life while eating prawns during a trip to Zhoushan, though chopsticks were more convenient than a wand.

The perfectly intact shell and meat gleamed like artwork under the dim light.

Heavy rain was falling outside Hogwarts castle, but it had no effect on the potions office beneath the Black Lake. The only sounds were Snape's page-turning and quill scratching as he graded papers.

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Just as Jane thought Snape had forgotten her existence, he suddenly spoke:

"Mantis shrimp - the shell has calming properties. Ground to powder and added to the Draught of Living Death, it enhances the potion's effectiveness."

"The meat, when brewed into the Elixir to Induce Euphoria, can alleviate the side effects of emotional depression."

"These two potions you'll learn in higher years... wait, what are you doing?"

Snape stood up in disbelief, looking as though he'd seen a troll dancing before him: "How did you do that?"

He grabbed some of the peeled shells, examining them carefully - they were crystal clear, perfectly intact except for a clean slit along the edge, as though the meat had simply slipped out on its own.

A full bucket of mantis shrimp that should have taken two hours to process was completed in just thirty minutes.

Jane glanced at him, internally tutting at his inexperience.

It was just peeling prawns - why act like it was some impossible task?

She picked up the last prawn and with a quick chopsti- wand movement, separated meat from shell into the bucket.

Little did she know what waves she'd caused in Professor Snape's mind.

All commercially available mantis shrimp shells came broken. This was because their appendages and tails had powerful spring force - processing them while alive usually resulted in shattered shells due to their violent struggles. Wizards typically peeled them by starting from the abdomen, removing the shell segment by segment.

He had observed Jane's technique in class - though smooth and clever enough to produce high-quality boil-cure potion, he'd dismissed it as mere cunning.

A single brewing session couldn't fully reveal someone's potion-making talent.

But this method of processing potion ingredients was truly revolutionary in the wizarding world...

Perhaps she did have some genuine talent.

He pondered this.

"Who taught you to peel them this way?"

Jane removed her gloves and gave him an odd look, asking in return: "Isn't this just how you eat prawns?"

Snape sat back down, studying her intently before changing the subject:

"You and Borgin - what happened?"

It took Jane several seconds to understand what he was asking. By then, Snape had impatiently shifted position several times.

"She called me mudblood, told me to get out of Slytherin."

Snape froze, silent for a long while, his fingertips trembling imperceptibly:

"Anyone whose name appears in the Book of Admittance has been acknowledged by Hogwarts."

"The Sorting Hat doesn't make mistakes."

He waved his hand, indicating her detention was over.

After Jane left, his black eyes grew vacant as he stared expressionlessly at the wall, seemingly lost in distant memories.

Jane, oblivious to Snape's pain and remorse, hummed cheerfully as she returned to the common room, only to be stopped at the entrance by a boy.

She recognized him as Theodore Nott, who had helped defend her earlier.

He didn't speak at first, lips pressed together, his blue eyes seemingly emotionless as he stared at her, extending his right hand.

Jane looked confusedly at the outstretched hand as it opened to reveal a silver and green brooch.

"A gift," Theodore finally spoke, his voice crisp like melting snow.

Jane stepped back, repeatedly refusing.

She'd heard these magical accessories could be cursed.

Given her terrible relationships in Slytherin, who knew what might be on it!

Even if this boy wanted to repay her kindness, she didn't need such things... she wasn't in the habit of wearing brooches.

Besides, she'd only accidentally helped him - she couldn't accept rewards without merit!

Seeing her refusal, Theodore looked uncertain, his pressed lips finally parting: "It has defensive magic that can block one attack. After today's events... you might need it."

Jane didn't understand and didn't want to linger - it was pouring outside, and the wind by the common room was fierce. She felt nearly frozen.

You might not feel cold, but I do!

So she brushed past him and pushed straight through to her dormitory.

Leaving Theodore alone in the wind, clutching the brooch.

Seems I've made myself disliked... I should never take Draco's advice again.

He thought to himself.