144: Chapter 144 The Art of Disguise

"Allen Potter, if you dare to fall asleep in the exam again, I will throw your pillow into the Black Lake."

Draco Malfoy slammed the revision materials onto the table. Crabbe immediately stuffed his pumpkin pasty back into his pocket, and Goyle hid another piece in his sleeve.

Allen Potter lay slumped on the edge of the table, a quill pinched between his fingers, his eyelids heavy and closing.

"The Black Lake is damp, the pillow will get ruined."

"Am I talking about the pillow?"

Draco Malfoy pushed the materials in front of his face.

"Potion exam is tomorrow. Snape has been staring at you for a whole week. If you hand in a blank paper, he will keep you in detention until next year."

Nott opened his notes, his fingertips resting on the section about neutralizing snake venom.

"A blank paper is too conspicuous, and a perfect score is also conspicuous."

Zabini leaned against the fireplace, shaking the History of Magic outline.

"So what is the goal?"

Allen Potter closed his eyes and recited the answers.

"Potion: Good, Charms: Above Average, Transfiguration: Slightly Above Acceptable, History of Magic: Acceptable, Herbology: Acceptable."

Pansy looked up at him.

"Are you treating the exam like brewing a Potion?"

"Scores are also a form of disguise."

Draco Malfoy shoved the quill back into his hand.

"Then memorize question three, the steps to neutralize snake venom."

Allen Potter glanced at the paper.

"Cool down first, moonstone powder, three counter-clockwise turns, add snake skin at the end."

Nott nodded.

"Awake this time."

Draco Malfoy stared at Allen Potter's nearly closed eyes.

"He isn't awake at all."

The finals overshadowed the aftermath of the Chamber of Secrets. Dumbledore was reinstated, the petrified victims awoke, Gilderoy Lockhart was sent to St. Mungo's, and the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam was canceled.

Things were more troublesome on the Slytherin side.

Lucius Malfoy's defeat made the Malfoy name a short-term risk. Draco Malfoy openly kept his chin held high as usual, but spoke much less in private.

Flint dared not mention the Heir of Slytherin again, Adrian Pucey took a detour when he saw Draco Malfoy, and Pansy changed "don't go near the second floor" to "don't go near old things that can write."

Allen Potter began to execute his disguise plan.

On the day of the Potion exam, Snape stood at the front of the classroom, his black robes trailing to the floor. The steam from the cauldrons made the students hold their breath.

Draco Malfoy cut roots while watching Allen Potter out of the corner of his eye.

Allen Potter kept the color of his Potion in the acceptable range, the smell was normal, the concentration was slightly thin, and he was half a beat late on the final step.

Snape stopped as he passed by and looked down at the cauldron.

"Mr. Potter, you have finally learned how to brew a Potion like a second-year student."

Allen Potter put down the stirring rod.

"Thank you, Professor."

Snape looked at him.

"That was not a compliment."

"I will take it as encouragement."

Several Slytherins nearby almost sliced their ingredients wrong. Draco Malfoy immediately lowered his head, his knife blade grazing the roots.

The results came out: Good.

Zabini looked at the grading sheet at the door.

"Just barely made the cut. The Dean looks like he wants to change it to a fail."

Nott put away the parchment.

"He suspects you of manipulating your score."

Allen Potter put the test tube back in place.

"Suspicion doesn't deduct points."

The Charms exam went more smoothly.

Professor Flitwick required Expelliarmus, the Levitation Charm, and the Reparo charm.

Allen Potter's Expelliarmus was on the weak side, his Levitation Charm was stable, and his Reparo left a fine line on the rim of the cup.

Professor Flitwick stood on a pile of books and held the cup up to look at it for a long time.

"Mr. Potter, your control is good, but you need to practice the details."

"Yes, Professor."

After walking out of the classroom, Draco Malfoy cursed him in a low voice.

"That line was left too fake."

Allen Potter looked at the rim of the cup.

"It looks like a slip-up."

Zabini leaned in to take a look.

"It does look like one."

Nott added.

"But it's too neat of a slip-up."

Allen Potter put the cup back on the tray.

"Don't praise me, it's easy to slip up."

The Transfiguration exam was with Professor McGonagall.

On the table was a mouse, and the requirement was to turn it into a silver snuffbox.

Allen Potter turned the mouse into a snuffbox, leaving some fur texture on the edge, and the lid didn't close properly.

Professor McGonagall picked up the snuffbox, her gaze behind her spectacles lingering for a long time.

"Mr. Potter, your foundation is solid, why do you always have problems at the finishing touches?"

"I get sleepy easily."

A few snickers erupted in the classroom, only to be silenced by Professor McGonagall's glare.

"Sleep cannot solve all problems."

Allen Potter looked at the tabletop.

"It's quite common for me."

Professor McGonagall wrote "Slightly Above Acceptable" in the grade column.

"Next semester, I hope you at least hand in your assignments on time."

"I will try."

Draco Malfoy let out a breath after leaving the room.

"She almost saw right through you."

"She only saw that I am lazy."

Nott recorded the grade.

"Professor McGonagall doesn't like students who waste their talent."

"So give her a sense of waste."

Zabini looked at the exam schedule.

"Herbology in the afternoon, Professor Sprout is the safest."

Allen Potter paused.

Nott immediately looked up.

"What?"

"There are many variables in the greenhouse."

Draco Malfoy didn't realize it.

"The Mandrakes are all mature, what variables could there be?"

The variable arrived quickly.

Heat rose in the greenhouse, Mandrake seedlings were lined up in the wet soil, and Professor Sprout asked the students to tidy up the root systems.

Allen Potter originally planned to prune three plants, break one leaf, and get an average score.

But the sleepiness came too fast.

He sat on a low stool, his fingers gripping a small trowel, and his eyes closed.

Draco Malfoy was about to call him, but Nott pressed down on his wrist.

"Don't move, look at the roots."

Draco Malfoy looked down, his expression changing.

The row of Mandrake seedlings in front of Allen Potter was stretching their roots in the soil. Moisture was being evenly distributed, the root hairs were avoiding rocks and decaying leaves, the leaves were turning from wilted to a healthy green, and a seedling next to it that had been almost crushed by Goyle was also straightened up.

Goyle looked at the trowel in his hand.

"I didn't touch it."

Crabbe asked sincerely.

"Is this extra credit?"

Draco Malfoy gritted his teeth.

"This is trouble."

An exclamation came from the Hufflepuff side, and Professor Sprout immediately walked over, squatted down, and brushed away some soil, her eyes lighting up.

"Mr. Potter, what did you do?"

Allen Potter opened his eyes, saw the row of overly healthy seedlings, and was silent for a moment.

Draco Malfoy spoke first.

"Professor, he was just loosening the soil."

Nott followed up.

"It could also be the soil quality."

Professor Sprout shook her head.

"The root systems have no wounds, the moisture distribution is even, and the seedlings received minimal interference. Mr. Potter, you have a talent for plant root space."

Allen Potter held the small trowel.

"I just messed around a bit before I fell asleep."

Professor Sprout smiled and wrote on the recording sheet.

"Excellent, two extra points for this group."

Draco Malfoy's face looked worse than the mud in the Mandrake pot.

Pansy covered her forehead in the back.

"It's over."

Zabini looked at the recording sheet.

"Herbology: Excellent."

Nott added a line on a small piece of paper.

"Disguise failed, once."

Allen Potter looked at the row of seedlings.

"I won't sleep before entering the greenhouse next time."

Draco Malfoy snatched the small trowel from his hand.

"Next time you take the exam standing up."

When the grades were announced, Allen Potter's report card became a strange combination.

Potion: Good, Charms: Above Average, Transfiguration: Slightly Above Acceptable, History of Magic: Acceptable, Herbology: Excellent.

Crabbe looked at the report card and spoke seriously.

"Allen, so you like plants."

Goyle corrected him.

"It's Herbology."

Pansy closed her book.

"Shut up, you two."

In the Common Room, the lower years started discussing it. Some said Allen Potter just slept too much, others said the Potter Family might cultivate magical plants, and others said Professor Sprout liked quiet students.

Flint passed by and snorted coldly.

"Getting an Excellent by sleeping, what a skill."

Draco Malfoy looked up.

"You getting detention by stealing ingredients is also quite consistent."

Flint's expression changed, and he turned and left.

Pansy looked at his back.

"That was a good line."

Draco Malfoy ignored her and dragged Allen Potter back to the dormitory.

"Explain."

Allen Potter sat on the edge of the bed.

"Unconscious Spatial Displacement, root systems avoiding obstacles, moisture redistribution."

Nott recorded it at the table.

"Mandrake seedling growth enhanced, manifested as root optimization, low risk, but exposed spatial affinity."

Zabini leaned against the door frame.

"Professor Sprout will remember you."

"She will only think I am suited for Herbology."

Draco Malfoy sneered.

"You, a Slytherin, Potion: Good, Herbology: Excellent. Snape will thank you when he sees the report card."

"He already knows."

Nott looked toward the door.

"The report card will be sent to the Dean."

A knock on the door followed.

Draco Malfoy tensed up.

A lower-year student outside said: "Malfoy, the Dean wants Allen Potter to hand in an extra essay tomorrow. Also, Professor Sprout praised him for having a talent for Herbology."

Zabini couldn't help but laugh.

Draco Malfoy opened the door, took the note, and closed it again.

After reading it, he slammed the note onto Allen Potter's pillow.

"You're done for."

Allen Potter picked up the note. It was in Snape's handwriting, the pressure of the pen wrinkling the paper.

"Mr. Potter, since you can make Mandrakes grow healthier than your essays, bring me a fifteen-inch paper at nine tomorrow morning. Don't oversleep."

Pansy looked at him.

"You're still going to sleep?"

Allen Potter folded the note and lay down.

"I'll write it tomorrow morning."

Draco Malfoy held it in for a long time.

"You are truly terrifying."

Nott corrected him.

"And truly sleepy."

In the Portable Space, the void tail pressed against the copy of the report card and moved to the side of the diary fragment and the stone tube.

The cracked pocket watch was quiet, and the golden patterns on the north side were also quiet.

Allen Potter closed his eyes, leaving only one final judgment.

An Excellent in Herbology is not fatal.

Hermione knowing about the silver light is what's fatal.