Robert had always had a peculiar question: was a bodiless, wandering soul considered a wizard or a special kind of magical creature?
More specifically… could it be used as a wand core?
"Perhaps I can try it out first," Robert mused. But he wasn't sure whether any ghost would be willing to cooperate.
With this question floating in his mind, Robert quickly finished lunch in the Great Hall and followed the crowd toward the underground classroom.
Snape's Potions class.
This time, Robert wasn't late and, as expected, witnessed a famous moment from his memories.
"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death—if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
Snape glided across the classroom like a large black bat. No one dared look him in the eye, let alone breathe loudly as he passed.
"Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
As expected, Snape's first strike was aimed at Harry.
Naturally, Harry didn't know the answer.
It was understandable; Robert had read One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, and the content of Snape's question was found around page 150—third-year material.
How could a first-year possibly know third-year content?
It was absurd!
Among everyone present—including the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students who weren't even there—no one could answer except for Hermione, the ever-prepared bookworm.
"Ollivander!"
Robert had been quietly criticizing Snape's unfairness in his head when someone suddenly bumped his arm hard.
Turning around, he saw Neville trembling like a quail and Snape standing over him with narrowed eyes and an icy expression.
"It seems someone believes they've already mastered enough and need not waste time listening to my class. Is that right, Mr. Ollivander?"
"Of course not, Professor," Robert replied with a forced smile.
Oops. He had gotten too absorbed in watching the drama unfold and forgot that Snape also had a grudge against students who daydreamed in class.
"Is that so?" Snape said coldly.
"Then perhaps you could explain to Potter the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"Ah… Monkshood is a fumigant herb.
It can be baked with pine needles, bugbane, trefoil, and beetle shells, and the smoke produced makes some wand woods more flexible—most commonly used with willow."
"And wolfsbane is the same; they are the same thing."
Robert answered fluidly. Several students, almost instinctively, pulled out parchment and quills, ready to jot down what seemed like key points.
Clearly, they hadn't studied enough—they had no recollection of this information.
"Stop! Don't write that down!" Snape roared.
The students froze.
Snape looked at Robert again, his eye twitching.
Truth be told, Robert's answer was correct.
This information came from the third volume of Zygmunt Budge's Book of Potions—specifically the chapter Magical Pairings of Potions and Wands.
Technically, it wasn't a formal Potions text. It was originally a collection of notes Budge had written in his youth as a sort of love letter for a girl obsessed with wandlore.
It wasn't considered authoritative within the Potions curriculum.
But Zygmunt Budge was too famous. The greatest Potions Master of the Middle Ages and the founder of the Extraordinary Potioneers Society—his works, even casual ones, were compiled and published as Book of Potions, the most respected title in the field.
Still, as noted, that content had little academic value…
Unless you were an Ollivander.
And Robert was.
Merlin's beard.
Snape felt utterly defeated—more so than if he had to personally award Gryffindor fifty points.
He sincerely wished he had never read Book of Potions so he could deduct points without remorse.
But a Potions Master who hadn't read Book of Potions? That would be like a house-elf who couldn't sweep, or Dumbledore not liking sweets. A joke—an extremely cold one.
"Sit down!" Snape snapped, pinching his nose and giving in. He cast a final glance at Robert before turning away.
Monkshood—one of the rarest ingredients, more expensive than dragon blood by weight.
And someone actually used it to smoke wand wood?
Bah!
Wandmakers must be insane.
Robert blinked, puzzled by Snape's sudden fury.
Monkshood and wolfsbane were the same thing. He hadn't said anything wrong. In fact, he had even explained their usage.
He remembered reading that very fact when he was nine years old in Book of Potions. He couldn't be mistaken.
Unable to figure out the source of Snape's anger, Robert decided to just blame Harry.
He must have gotten caught in the crossfire.
Still, there was some good news: for the rest of the Potions lesson, Snape didn't bother him again. When inspecting assignments, he merely glanced at Robert's work and moved on.
"What, not even one point?" Robert muttered, looking at the bright pink potion in his cauldron.
A standard boil cure potion, executed perfectly.
Robert had confidence in his Potions skills. As a wandmaker, he often prepared soaking solutions tailored to different wand woods.
That was no simple task. Even the generic version he used for his dorm had to simmer for six hours.
Compared to that, brewing a simple boil cure potion was child's play.
But Snape didn't even glance at it.
That petty, bitter old bat.
Robert grumbled as he left the underground classroom.
He didn't care much about house points, but Snape's blatant bias was too much.
Even an adult might be tempted to punch him.
Robert was no exception.
"Snape's always like that—totally unfair," Ron whispered as he walked up beside Robert.
"Fred told me he never gives Gryffindor points."
"That's not right!" Hermione hurried over. "Robert was the only one who completed the boil cure potion properly. He can't just pretend not to see that! We should talk to Professor McGonagall."
"Actually, he can," Ron shrugged.
"By the way, can I go see Hagrid with you?" he asked Harry.
Harry had received a note during lunch inviting him to tea at three o'clock.
And it was just about three now.
"Of course, no problem," Harry replied. He looked over at Robert.
"Do you want to come too? I remember you said you were going to help him fix something."
"Ah, yes," Robert nodded. "But I have something else to take care of later, so I won't join this time."
"Oh, I see. Alright then."
Harry didn't mind. After leaving the classroom, he and Ron set off together toward Hagrid's hut.