Jane's position in Slytherin was quite delicate.

On one hand, her blood status was questionable, she came from a poor background, and lost major house points for night wandering at the start of term. On the other hand, her demonstrated abilities had earned the respect of her peers.

Poisoning Millicent's group into the hospital wing, taking down two senior students, creating new spells in class, improving potions, showing excellent transfiguration skills, and saving the Nott heir...

These feats made students wary of underestimating her abilities.

However, Jane kept to herself, lived alone in a single room, and showed little house loyalty. None of her yearmates could really connect with her.

This resulted in the peculiar scene of conversations stopping and all eyes turning to her whenever she entered the common room.

One day, Draco was lounging on a long bench in the common room, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, with Blaise and Theodore sitting opposite.

Draco was going on about flying.

He complained loudly about first-years being banned from house Quidditch teams, then launched into a story about how, as a child, he'd flown over London and narrowly avoided a Muggle helicopter.

Blaise rolled his eyes - he'd grown up hearing Draco's boasts and had heard this story hundreds of times.

Not wanting to torture his ears further, he cleverly changed the subject:

"I heard next week's flying lessons will be with Gryffindor."

This immediately caught Draco's attention.

Clearly his arch-nemesis Harry Potter was more interesting than flying stories - he'd already built up quite a hatred.

He began bragging smugly:

"Ha, I heard he's never touched a broom in his life. He'll probably wet himself in fear as soon as he gets off the ground!"

"That cursed Scarhead - can't wait to see him make a fool of himself!"

Crabbe and Goyle, stuffing their faces with snacks and getting crumbs all over their robes, nodded and grunted in agreement.

Just then they saw Jane coming down the girls' dormitory stairs, crossing through the common room.

Everyone froze, watching in unison as she exited through the door.

Draco apparently remembered something, brushing off his robes and frowning at the silent Theodore:

"Did you give her the gift?"

At this, Theodore's mood darkened slightly.

"No, she wouldn't accept it."

Draco immediately jumped up in surprise, making a fuss: "How dare she? A witch from Muggle filth, how dare she refuse you?"

In his eyes, refusing the Nott heir was as serious as Harry Potter refusing him - a noble Malfoy.

And Potter at least had his "Boy Who Lived" title - this Jane Yu had nothing!

Then he remembered his singed hair and Pansy being poisoned into the hospital wing.

"We were going to leave her alone since she saved you, but she's so ungrateful!"

He fumed indignantly, mentally adding to Jane's hatred points.

She successfully jumped to #2 on his enemy list.

...

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Jane was completely unaware she'd somehow offended the young master again.

She was too busy worrying about her expulsion progress.

To Professors Flitwick and McGonagall, she was their prized student. They'd smile kindly whenever they saw her, even stopping to ask about her school life.

Faced with such kindness, she felt uncomfortable, considering it almost sinful to disrupt their classes.

This won't do, she warned herself.

She couldn't form too many emotional connections here.

So in the next Charms class, under everyone's watchful eyes and amid gasps from her classmates, she aimed at Professor Flitwick - or rather, the blackboard behind him - gritted her teeth and cast "Diffindo".

Disrupting class, damaging school property - surely this would get her sent to the headmaster's office!

"Ah-!"

The spell moved incredibly fast, barely grazing Professor Flitwick's hair. Clearly unprepared, holding only his pointer and not even having time to draw his wand, he fell backwards off his stack of books in his attempt to dodge, lying still for several moments.

The students looked at her with horror, as though seeing a demon.

But then Professor Flitwick struggled up from behind the books, glasses askew and nose bleeding, quite disheveled. Yet he held something in his hand and spoke excitedly:

"Five points to Slytherin! For Miss Yu's quick thinking!"

What?

Jane froze.

Professor Flitwick opened his palm to show the students - it was a Bludger, now cut in half and lying motionless.

At the window, what was once intact glass now had a large hole, clearly made by the Bludger.

Madam Hooch arrived breathlessly, apologizing profusely to Professor Flitwick.

"Oh Rolanda, perhaps my head resembles a goal hoop - if not for Miss Yu's spell, the back of my skull would surely have been split open!" Professor Flitwick said humorously.

In Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall watched her like a hawk the whole time, giving her no chance to cause trouble and awarding points at every opportunity - nothing could be worse.

Only in Defense Against the Dark Arts did she escape attention. But this wasn't necessarily comfortable. Between Professor Quirrell's garlic stench and his stuttering, she could barely understand a word all lesson.

In the second week of Potions, she was singled out by Professor Snape.

The protagonist Harry, clearly kind-hearted and having learned of her situation in Slytherin, bravely approached her back-row seat before class, setting down his textbook amid surprised looks from both houses.

Behind him was Ron's admiring gaze for his heroic friend, while before him was Jane's puzzled expression.

His breathing quickened as he stammered:

"Sorry... may I... sit here?"

Jane startled - according to novel conventions, when a background character starts receiving the protagonist's attention, they often become stepping stones for the hero's ascension, lab rats on their path to success, or targets eliminated by villains to fuel the hero's revenge.

She shuddered, looking at Harry differently.

These peasants are trying to harm the emperor!

Just as she was about to refuse, a deep voice tinged with anger rang out from the podium:

"Mr. Potter, I believe this is Potions class, not a place for your foolish hormone-driven advances."

"Return to where you belong."

"Miss Yu, come to the front - you'll work alone."

Snape glared intensely at Harry, then shot Jane a look that left her bewildered.

Heaven knows how nauseating it was for him to see a black-haired, bespectacled Gryffindor Potter standing beside his newly discovered potions prodigy, a Slytherin student - like trying to stick a flower in a pile of dung.

Without Potter, Jane completed her potion even faster, much to his satisfaction.

Already wanting to make up for the points he'd taken from Slytherin, he was generous:

"One point to Slytherin for Miss Yu's flobberworm stewing technique!"

"Beautiful color - another point to Slytherin!"

It's over!

The little figure in Jane's mind began to writhe and crawl darkly.

Even the seemingly most fierce and unapproachable Professor Snape was now frantically awarding points!

Could her expulsion plan still succeed?

After class, Jane packed up her books and turned toward her dormitory, only to be roughly bumped at a corner.

When she steadied herself, she found a platinum-blond boy with grey eyes before her, flanked by two followers - one fat, one thin.

"Ha, Potter's got himself a girlfriend!"

The boy made a face at her, looking down his nose:

"Let's see... second-hand robes, second-hand cauldron, second-hand books, poor as dirt - perfect match for Scarhead Potter, isn't it?"

His two followers obligingly burst into laughter.

Then he dropped the mocking expression for a menacing one:

"You'd better ask Dumbledore for a house transfer soon, go cuddle with your Chosen One boyfriend-"

His voice cut off like a strangled duck as a black-robed figure appeared behind him - Professor Snape looming darkly.

"I believe I should discuss your upbringing with Malfoy Senior, Draco."

Draco's face changed, panic showing: "Professor, I was just asking Yu some questions..."

He was quickly cut off.

"I wasn't aware you'd become such a diligent student."

Snape's smile didn't reach his eyes: "Since young Mr. Malfoy is so passionate about Potions, tomorrow at 8 PM, join Miss Yu in my office - I'm sure you'll enjoy the extra tutoring."

Learning he had detention, Draco went pale and left in a daze.

Meanwhile, Jane quietly withdrew the small potion vial from her right hand.

Yes, she had knowingly provoked this.

Professor Snape gave her a long look, holding out his palm.

Caught!

Jane's face fell as she handed over the vial.

Her gloom lasted until she returned to her room and saw the schedule - Flying lessons!

Madam Hooch had no initial goodwill toward her - surely causing trouble in her class would get her sent straight to the headmaster's office!

What a perfect opportunity for mischief!