The entire hall fell silent as Headmaster Dumbledore stood up from his chair and looked down at the students with a warm smile. The wizard always gave the impression of being very energetic; he was considered a powerful wizard, with long silver hair and a beard that was almost two feet long or more. He wore half—moon glasses and had a curved nose.
— "Welcome!" — Said Dumbledore, the candlelight reflecting on his beard. — "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! This year, I am delighted to announce the return of two of our teachers to our school. First of all, Professor Quirinus Quirrell, who has just returned from his sabbatical, will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year." — There was steady applause which the turbaned professor sheepishly acknowledged with a nod. — "We are also pleased to welcome Professor Horace Slughorn." — He stood up, his bald spot gleaming in the candlelight, and his prominent waistcoat—covered belly casting a shadow over the table. — "My old colleague has agreed to resume his former position as Potions Professor and Head of Slytherin House," — The Headmaster announced, before appropriate applause was heard, which the professor acknowledged with a smile.
With his arms outstretched as if embracing the room, he finished his introduction and gave the signal for the banquet to begin. From one second to the next, all the tables were set with jugs of drinks and platters of various foods.
Harry heard the gasps of astonishment from some; hundreds of memories came flooding back to him, admiring the atmosphere of the people around him.
In the distance, he saw his cousins, whom he hoped were all right. Nervous, they could say anything that crossed their minds without a filter, like when Ron was recommended to go to therapy. It was strange not to feel that anguish and pain in his scar under Quirrell's gaze.
Luckily, his scar didn't exist in this life, which raised a question about how he would protect himself if Voldemort attacked him. Because in his "past life," thanks to his mother's protection, when she sacrificed her life, Quirrell couldn't touch him, because when he did, he burned and turned to ashes.
He should prepare himself in case Voldemort was as superstitious as the other one (the one he faced in his past life), perhaps using some kind of amulet or armor. He wondered if the basilisk existed and if a shedding skin would be useful for protection, as he knew that basilisk skin was resistant to spells. He might also consider dragon skin or even tebo skin.
Harry Potter wasn't the famed Boy Who Lived, but the son of a heroic couple who defeated Voldemort, as far as popular belief goes. His family, especially his aunt, strongly opposed having his name linked to Voldemort's disappearance.
There were no books or tabloid reports about the Potters. A story appeared in the official newspaper after Halloween, when the Potter couple were declared dead. The press was very careful not to "exploit" the story. Therefore, this time, there weren't so many eyes on him. Harry Potter was just one of the many students at Hogwarts, with no fanatics whispering behind his back.
At every table, diners enjoyed the banquet amidst conversations about their vacations, presentations, and so on. The conversations around Harry were similar to those of yesteryear, with a few differences, including the fact that Neville wasn't thrown into the water or onto the ground from a height to "make his magic react."
— "I'm so sorry for you, Harry. Your cousins seemed like good people. Too bad," — Ron said suddenly, his mouth still full of food.
Harry remembered that at that age, Ron was more like a "pig" when it came to eating. He hadn't cared before, but now he did. Harry wondered why the redhead had to show everyone the remains of his chewed food.
— "My cousins are good people," — Harry stated neutrally.
— "I don't know. They were sorted into Slytherin House," — Ron replied as if that were an excuse. — "There isn't a single wicked witch or wizard who wasn't in Slytherin. I wouldn't be in that House if they paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I would have taken the train straight home..."
Harry's good mood fell, feeling disappointed in Ron, but he had to remember that his former friend was an 11—year—old boy with no judgment of his own. If they were to be friends again, Harry wouldn't tolerate Weasley's prejudices, jealousy, or intolerance; he wouldn't pick a fight, but he wouldn't give in like a madman.
— "Be careful what you say, Weasley. It's my family you're talking about. My cousins are good people; you can't judge them as perverts simply because they were in Slytherin. Besides, a House doesn't define you. If you're referring to the You Know Who and his entourage, don't forget that some wizards and witches graduated from every House at Hogwarts; they weren't just Slytherin graduates or students."
A brief silence formed around Harry, and curious ears and eyes paid attention to Harry's answer.
— "I didn't mean to upset you," — Said Ron, red in embarrassment; he could feel the disapproving gaze of his older brother Percy.
— "I accept your apology, but if you want to be my friend, I ask you not to question without knowing."
Ron gasped, not knowing how to refute, but in seconds, he nodded with the expression of a scolded dog. Harry knew that Ron was very proud, he never apologized easily because he refused to admit his mistakes, and on this occasion Harry made it easy for him, initially because he didn't want to spoil the mood during the welcome feast, secondly, he wanted his friend back, beyond the many defects, Ron was his first friend when he entered Hogwarts in his previous life.
Neville looked at Harry and made a gesture of annoyance in Ron's direction, who went back to eating to get over the moment. Harry responded in the same way, implying that it was okay that it was better not to give importance to what Ron said. Neville didn't like Ronald Weasley's attitude anyway.
At the Slytherin table, the twins answered a few questions about their father. Some of them had gotten their ingredients from Severus Snape's apothecary because their parents had said they were undeniably good. The out—of—place question about their blood status wasn't long in coming.
A girl whose face reminded the twins of a cartoon gangster addressed them in an arrogant voice.
— "That's none of your business," — Chris replied.
— "We don't know you, and you're already rude. You didn't even introduce yourself first," — Liam pointed out.
The girl got annoyed and said they were probably Muggle—born, adding that they shouldn't be in Slytherin.
— "You'd better shut up, you're only embarrassing yourself, Millicent," — A classmate sitting next to her whispered, because Millicent Bulstrode hadn't been paying attention when the parents of Draco Malfoy's godbrothers were mentioned. — "They are the children of Potions Master Snape and a mind healer."
— "Their father was in Slytherin; he was a classmate of my parents. My father is a healer at St. Mungo's, and he knows their mother, Healer Snape, is a witch highly regarded for her treatments." — Replied one of the second—year students, who couldn't help but intervene to nip the speculation in the bud.
Bulstrode turned red, a mixture of rage and embarrassment. She remained silent and ignored them in favor of finishing her dinner.
Dessert finished, the house—elves cleared the tables.
— "Um... just a few more words, now that everyone has eaten and drunk. I have a few announcements to make for the beginning of the year. First—years students should be aware that the forests surrounding the castle grounds are off—limits to all students. And a few of our older students should remember this as well.— " — Dumbledore's glittering eyes shifted toward the Weasley twins. — — "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to remind you not to perform magic during recess or in the corridors. Quidditch tryouts will take place in the second week of term. Those interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I want to tell you that this year, the third—floor corridor, on the right—hand side, is off—limits to anyone who does not wish for a very painful death."
Harry heard a few people laugh, as he had the first time he heard this part of the speech, thinking it was some kind of dark humor.
— "It's strange, he usually tells us the reason why we can't go somewhere," — Percy commented to Hermione, who sat next to him, showing off her prefect badge. — "For example, the forest is full of dangerous animals, everyone knows that. I think he should have at least warned us prefects."
— "And now, before we go to bed, let's sing the school song!" — Exclaimed the headmaster, conjuring a series of words that were the lyrics to said song.
After the musical, each pair of prefects led the first-year students to their respective school houses.
Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Houses were in separate towers on the seventh floor, while Slytherin and Hufflepuff Houses were in underground spaces beneath the castle and under part of the lake near Hogwarts.
Each House had its access method, using a password or answering a riddle. All had a common room and gender-segregated dormitories, which were generally shared with the same classmates throughout the seven years of school.
The beds had canopy beds and curtains, in the representative colors of each House, colors that were part of the overall decor. The common rooms had spaces for studying and relaxing: armchairs, chairs, tables, a bookcase, a fireplace, and a bulletin board.
The layout and design of the decor were different for each House.
As Percy Weasley led the first years to the Gryffindor common room, Harry was nostalgic for countless memories he had had in that castle, and now perhaps he would enjoy it from a different perspective.
He anticipated the appearance of Peeves, who was going to throw canes at them to block their path. Percy would be annoyed by his lack of respect for a prefect and would threaten to bring the Bloody Baron, who, for reasons unknown, was the only one who scared Peeves.
In the past, on one of those boring winter afternoons, he and Ron and Hermione chatted about a possible reason, and they thought that perhaps the indestructible spirit of chaos was not as invulnerable as it was said to be. Perhaps a ghost could harm him, and not just any ghost, but one who in life was a wizard.
And so it happened that Peeves did the same thing as before, but this time Harry stayed with Ron and Neville out of the range of the canes.
Peeves angrily left reluctantly, but threw the rest of the canes at Lavender Brown instead of Neville Longbottom, as had happened before in his past.
Peeves couldn't contain his natural urge to play pranks on others. Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost, said that it had been decided not to allow him to participate in the Hogwarts Welcome Feast because "he can't look at a plate of food without resisting the urge to throw it at someone."
Even so, Peeves feels respect for Albus Dumbledore and also for the Bloody Baron out of fear.
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At 7 in the morning, the movements in the Houses began. In each dormitory, they took turns using the bathroom; some took advantage of the free time before breakfast to prepare their backpacks or complete summer homework. However, some got up late and ran to get what breakfast they could, since classes started at 9 a.m.
In the Slytherin dormitory, the twins made their way to the dining room, accompanied by Draco and his entourage. One of the upper-year students guided them, explaining along the way where the classrooms were and which paintings to consult for orientation.
Students from both Houses watched with intrigue as the first—years interacted. It always happened in the first few weeks, then each remained in their section.
— "You can hear the ocean, — " Chris said.
— "The lake," — Liam corrected.
— "I saw a mermaid looking at us through the window."—
— "There's a stained—glass window with a moving mermaid image, as well as snake figures and reliefs." —
— "Are you telling him or me?"
— "Go ahead," — Liam replied.
— "Well, I thought it would be a cold place, but no. There must be some kind of charm to keep the dorms comfortable. Wally stayed with us."
— "He brought some feathers in his claws. I think he got into a fight before we got to the dorm. We don't know how he got in, but he woke us up with a scream during the night. I had to get up to put his coat rack away, can you believe it? Chris pretended to be asleep and didn't help."
— "Anything else?"
— "Yes, I'm hungry," — Liam answered his twin.
— "How are you and your House?" — Chris asked before noticing one of his friends standing nearby.
— "Excuse me, but classes start at 9," — Draco interrupted, getting up from the Slytherin table to go find them.
— "Have breakfast here," — Harry suggested purposely. He was going to make it clear from the start that he would not participate in the "rivalry" between Houses.
— "The rules don't allow it. Go back to your seats, the professors are about to hand out the timetables for this year," — Percy said from his prefect position.
The twins grumbled, Harry was surprised, and in the end, they agreed to meet later to talk.
Each Head of House went around their House table, handing out the timetables, exchanging words with some, and answering questions from others.
Professor Minerva McGonagall (also Deputy Headmistress) handed out each sheet and recommended that everyone not be late to their class.
At the Slytherin table, Professor Slughorn commented on the Potions skills of the children of one of his favorite students, as he handed the timetables to Chris and Liam Snape.
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Peeves was a small, black—eyed man with a wide, evil face, sharp teeth, and a macabre grin from ear to ear. He wore a green coat, a bow tie, and blue trousers. Peeves is a mischievous poltergeist who lives at Hogwarts. He plays excessive pranks, so much so that they all involve harming students. He was in charge of putting locked doors and trapped staircases in the path of those who arrived late to class. He also threw wastebaskets at people's heads, pulled carpets under the feet of passersby, threw chalk at them, or, invisible, slipped up behind them, grabbed someone's nose, and shouted, "I've got your nose!"
The caretaker, Argus Filch, was another complication when it came to navigating the castle at ease.
On their first visit to Hogwarts (at least as far as they could remember), Harry and Ron managed to run into him on their first morning. Filch found them trying to get through a door that turned out to be the entrance to the forbidden corridor on the third floor. He didn't believe them when they said they were lost; he was convinced they were trying to get in on purpose, and he threatened to lock them in the dungeons until Professor Quirrell, who "just happened to be passing by," rescued them.
Filch had a cat named Mrs. Norris, a thin, dusty—colored feline with bulging, lantern—like eyes just like Filch's. How many times had that cat almost caught them while patrolling the corridors alone? Harry often wondered about the radar she seemed to have that knew they were there when he left the tower with Ron under the Invisibility Cloak.
If you broke a rule in front of Mrs. Norris or stepped out of bounds, you would slip away to find Filch, who would appear two seconds later, because he knew practically every passage in the castle and could therefore appear as suddenly as any of the ghosts.
Professor McGonagall was always strict and intelligent, speaking to them the moment they sat down.
On the day of their first class, his classmates followed Harry, surprised by his good direction, to follow the instructions the prefects had given at the end of breakfast.
— "Transfiguration is one of the most complex and dangerous magics you'll learn at Hogwarts. Anyone who wastes their time in my class will be dismissed and will not be allowed to return." — They're already forewarned.
The professor then transformed a desk into a pig and then returned it to its original form, impressing the class, generating expectations and desire to begin, although the professor explained that it would be a long time before they could fluently transform furniture into animals.
After making notes on the board, which the class copied while she explained, she gave them each a match to try to turn into a needle.
Harry waited a few minutes to do this, watching his friends and helping to correct their wand movement, pretending to corroborate it in his notes, information he had previously written down just because, but it served his purpose of justifying his guidance.
At the end of the class, only Harry got a perfect needle on the third try, as he had to restrain himself and pretend to try; he would have preferred not to excel, but it was very difficult to pretend to be a "novice" at magic.
Hermione Granger had made some changes to the matchstick, as had Neville, because Ron, Dean, and Seamus, her dorm mates and friends, along with the rest of the class, had had a hard time. Professor McGonagall showed everyone how the needles had become silver and pointy, and gave the children a rare smile.
Defense Against the Dark Arts was the class everyone was looking forward to.
Harry was intrigued by the time change; it hadn't been one of his first classes before. Quirrell's lessons proved to be disappointing again.
Harry avoided looking at the wizard as much as possible, thus hiding the fact that he knew who he was.
His classroom had a strong smell of garlic, which many justified with the rumors they had heard; they thought the garlic was to protect him from a vampire he had met in Romania and was afraid would come back for him. His turban, he claimed, was a gift from an African prince as thanks for freeing him from a pesky zombie, but his story lacked credibility, as he refused to comment on how he had defeated the zombie. Professor Quirrell blushed and began talking about the weather instead of answering Seamus Finnigan's question on the subject. In addition, everyone had noticed the curious smell coming from his turban.
During the day, Harry met up with his cousins and Draco, and was "introduced" to Chris and Liam's new Slytherin friends, against Ron's advice, who once alone advised against hanging around snakes, advice that Harry let slip and didn't respond to.
Charms was his first class on Tuesday and would be the first on Thursday.
Professor Flitwick, a short wizard with goblin genes, stood on a few books to see over his desk, took out the list, and began to name them, looking at each one and recognizing their faces. When he got to Harry's name, he gave a squeal of excitement that he simulated with a cough.
Harry didn't expect him to do the same thing again; this time, his name wasn't that of a hero, but considering that he knew his parents and history, he thought that was why.
Wednesday was the first of the 3 classes he would have per week, which would be in the greenhouses behind the castle.
Herbology was Neville's favorite subject, and it seemed to be again in front of the small and plump witch that was Professor Sprout, this class was not one of the strongest for Harry, but this time he would work to learn how to take good care of all the strange plants and fungi, and remember what they should use them for.
At midnight on Wednesday, they distributed themselves in the classroom of the highest tower of the castle to study the night skies with their telescopes; at least for Harry, it would not be difficult this time to learn the names of the different stars and the movements of the planets.
And so Thursday arrived with History of Magic, which was still the most boring subject taught by the ghost of Professor Binns, Harry to avoid falling asleep commented to Neville that the professor was already very old when he died without realizing it, the professor had fallen asleep in front of the fireplace in the staff room and got up the next morning to teach class, leaving his body behind.
Professor Binns spoke in a monotone while writing names and dates, causing more than one of the students to confuse Elmeric the Wicked and Ulrich the Nutty during his narration.
Flying was the class Harry was looking forward to. He enjoyed flying, and although they weren't allowed to bring their broomsticks, he planned to curry favor with the teacher so she would let them use the school broomsticks for the weekend.
On Thursday at 3:30 p.m., Harry discussed his plan with his cousins, who would be sharing that class with his group. While they waited for the teacher to appear, Draco boasted about his skill, while Neville was unsure about the safety of the broomsticks lying on the floor.
Liam shared his doubts, saying that perhaps they should have been allowed to bring their broomsticks. A comment that Ron resented, and Harry sighed, praying not to have to start "educating" his friend, he sincerely did not want to hurt little Ronald's feelings.
Regarding participating in the Quidditch team, Harry decided not to do it, on the other hand there would be no way to show off since Neville and Draco were friends, although Neville received his remembrall as a gift, this time Draco would not use it to annoy anyone, besides, Neville's flying skills were better than in "that first class", where he lost control of the broom and hurt himself.
That time, Neville's remembrall fell, leaving Draco on the ground. He picked it up and threw it far away, all to annoy him, then Harry argued with the blond and took flight in search of recovering the Remembrall. Professor McGonagall saw him, after reprimanding his recklessness and scaring him, and he ended up becoming the youngest seeker on the Gryffindor school Quidditch team.
Friday would be a day with few classes. Harry served himself cereal at the Slytherin table, a red dot among so much green if you looked at the lapels of his uniform. He ate breakfast with his cousins because they had done so earlier in the week, and they even spent time with him in the Gryffindor Tower, which not many people liked, but the same thing happened when he went to spend time with Chris, Liam, Draco, and the others in Slytherin.
— "Today we have Double Potions with the Gryffindors," — Blaise commented.
— "Yes. I was reviewing for the class, although I don't know which topic he's going to start with," — Harry replied.
— "Slughorn is the Head of our Slytherin House; however, he didn't tell us anything," — Draco expressed, unhappy at not having any advantage.
At that moment, the mail arrived, and the owls suddenly entered the Great Hall, flying over the tables until they found their owners, to drop letters and packages on them.
Hedwig was carrying a newspaper and letters.
Wally arrived with a package, looking fiercely at the table. Liam moved his hand to his seat, making a backrest sprout, where the owl sat proudly.
— "Incredible! I can't get used to her skill," — Theodore commented, astonished. — "And your owl is scary, can you tell her to stop staring like that?"
Harry smiled at the group's reaction; he was at first amazed by the twins' fantastic talent, and their strange taste in finding that owl adorable.
Hedwig began to nibble on his ear to get some toast before returning to the owlery with the other school owls. The snowy owl made a sound that seemed to be directed at the dark-eyed owl, who spread her wings and waited for the twins to finish pampering her with food, praising her plumage, and her tender expression.
The birds took flight and left.
Everyone checked their correspondence, mainly letters from their families. The first-year students had Friday afternoons free, so they agreed to explore Hogwarts.
In the Daily Prophet, the news of the burglary was front page again: "Investigations are continuing into the break—in at Gringotts on July 31st. It is believed to be the work of unknown Dark witches and wizards. Gringotts Globins insist that nothing was taken. The vault that was searched had been emptied earlier that day. 'But we're not going to tell you what was in there, so keep your noses out of it if you know what's good for you,' a Gringotts Globin spokesman said this afternoon."
Harry knew that Hagrid had removed the alchemist Flamel's Philosopher's Stone from Albus Dumbledore's vault before Quirrell's raid. He hoped the security of the Philosopher's Stone would be better than it had been at Hogwarts before. He didn't want to get involved, even though it would most likely turn out that way. Harry wasn't going to let Voldemort get away with it.
He would wait a while and then go get the stone, either put it away or send the Flamels back. He hadn't decided on that part yet.
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During Potions class, Professor Slughorn paired them up to mix a simple potion for curing boils.
He walked around each pair, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs. Unlike Snape, who was constantly criticizing everyone except Draco, Professor Slughorn corrected the students equally, avoiding accidents and explaining their mistakes, something Harry didn't remember Slughorn doing when he was his teacher, but then again, Harry hadn't had him as a teacher until his sixth year.
Slughorn enjoyed teaching, unlike Snape in the past, because his current Uncle Severus was very approachable when he gave them introductory Potions classes.
Just as Professor Slughorn was explaining to everyone why the pieces of horn had to be simmered.
Seamus's cauldron seemed about to explode, and a boiling goo began to spill onto the floor, burning and making holes in the students' shoes. Within seconds, the entire class was on their stools, while the professor sprang into action, and in no time, he made the potion disappear with a wave of his wand.
Harry was surprised because there was no reason for that to happen, Neville was working with him, this time he didn't ruin the potion or end up drenched in it when the cauldron tipped over, he remembered how Neville complained of pain that time, because red pustules appeared on his arms and legs, and Snape was very angry.
The professor gave a monologue about why safety rules had to be respected and why the correct amount of ingredients in a potion was important.
In the afternoon, Draco went with his "bodyguards", Blaise, Theodore, Chris, and Liam, to meet with Harry, Neville, Ron, Dean, and Seamus.
The group decided to start their excursion outside the castle, arriving near the forest, at Hagrid's hut, being struck by its size and its garden.
Harry was undecided whether to interact with Hagrid that day or wait, then he saw him with his large dog, greeting them and warning them that they should not enter the Forbidden Forest.
— "Children, go play somewhere else. If you come earlier another day, maybe you can see Fawkes fly, the headmaster's phoenix usually feeds around here."
The idea excited them; they hoped to get lucky.
They said goodbye and returned to the castle, where they ended up separating.
Harry would go to the library to look for some books he needed for his homework, and his cousins would go with him. Already in the library, they saw Hermione, who recognized them and pretended not to see them, hiding poorly.
Harry thought they could get closer, become friends again, although he knew she was jealous that she wasn't number one in her classes; Hermione could be competitive when it came to grades.
Harry went to greet Hermione, who answered, surprised. They sat down, asking what she was reading.
— "You should start with something basic. I don't want to belittle your intellect, but it would be easier, I think."
— "The Potions Almanac is very practical," — Liam added to what his twin had said. "Our father used it to teach us; he says it's one of the recommended books for children raised by Muggles as well."
— "What books?" — Hermione asked, interested.
— "There are many things that Muggleborns need to know to be on par with their peers. The books aren't difficult; they have good information that makes the transition from the Muggle environment to Hogwarts easier. For example: "Charms of Life", "My Guide to the Stars", "Reference Guide to the Wizarding World", etc.," — Harry said, knowing how interested Hermione would be in that information. — "Every child raised by Muggles is supposed to receive these books, in addition to their textbooks."
— "Even the bookstore staff knows the pile of books that can be useful to children raised by Muggles," — Chris commented. — "Those books are a study reference on wand movements, pronunciation, wand cleaning, history, customs, and gestures in magical society. In short, it's basic but useful information when you read the school books that contain more information. It doesn't mean that if you don't read them, you won't be able to understand the current study material, but in a way, it makes it easier because it can clarify doubts, right?" — He asked his twin, Chris, and Harry, who agreed.
And so began the first conversation with Hermione, taking the first step towards being friends again. Harry would try to help the girl who recognized had problems making friends.
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Eleanor finished writing her letter and gave it to Dona to take. The owl had no other errands to run, so she was happy to fly off to Hogwarts.
Severus showed pride at the news of the twins' sorting, and wasn't surprised that Harry would be in Gryffindor, unlike Eleanor, who thought maybe Harry would be in Slytherin. But considering that Harry wasn't raised with the Dursleys' contempt, the boy must have been different from the one in the book.
It had been a week since her children and Harry were at Hogwarts, it was a little strange not seeing them and she knew it would get even more so as time went on, she would miss them as much as Severus who was trying not to be demonstrative, and Marcus who said he was 'upset' with them for leaving.
While doing yoga with her youngest son, a mother and son moment, they were interrupted by the phone ringing incessantly.
— "Hello... Lorna, what's wrong... I told you that the patient was referred, don't accept any submissions... Please don't get upset, he's not dangerous... I'll speak to his new therapist... Thank you, see you tomorrow," — Eleanor said goodbye and hung up thoughtfully.
That patient seemed to have developed an obsession with her. Taking distance would be difficult if he insisted on looking for her, not to mention that Severus was not happy with that situation, because that man seemed to have resistance to her persuasion skills, which she rarely used.
For her health, Eleanor reduced her office hours because psychologists are constantly in contact with human suffering, and some worry so much about their patients that they sometimes forget to take care of themselves.
First thing in the morning, a patient might arrive with relationship problems, then one struggling with their job, then another with a difficult family situation, then another with financial problems, and perhaps another with an addiction problem, etc.
Severus was furious with her. He didn't ask her to quit her job, but he did ask her to reduce the amount of time she devoted to it. She told him to follow his own advice.
It had been two years since she began seeing Robert as a psychologist in her office. Their sessions had been held weekly for eight months, and on five occasions, they had two sessions per week.
Robert began giving her gifts, some expensive, but he said he gave them from the heart. It wasn't unusual for patients to give gifts, but Eleanor sensed the intentions were other than gratitude.
For weeks, she began to tell him: "Don't get your hopes up about me," "You can't fall in love with me," etc. In the last session, she asked him to confess his feelings.
Robert couldn't speak; he seemed scared and wanted to cry. Eleanor explained why they couldn't have any kind of relationship, first and foremost because he was her patient, and on top of that, she was happily married with children.
Robert's face was deep red with embarrassment, and he seemed to gather his courage. — "I'm so embarrassed to tell you this, but I have romantic feelings for you. I think I'm in love. From the first second, I felt attracted to you; it was like love at first sight. I felt something I'd never felt before. And every week and every session, the feeling grew stronger and stronger. It's not transference; it's more than attraction and desire. I also feel affection, respect, affinity, concern, and tenderness. Love. It's the most genuine and pure thing I've ever felt."
Eleanor thanked him for his honesty and said it was valuable that he had told her that. Given the patient's reaction, she assured him that his confession didn't bother her, but she avoided promising that she would continue seeing him, as she must have considered how serious this situation was.
Robert seemed happy and relieved, but a week after his confession, she felt a little uncomfortable learning that Robert felt attraction and sexual desire for her. What was disturbing was his refusal to see his romantic feelings as platonic and his attempt to cross the line between patient and psychologist.
She decided that she could not see him anymore because it was not helping the therapy. She explained once again to Robert why they could not have any type of relationship, and that the most advisable thing was to refer him to another professional to complete his recovery process.
— "At first it will be difficult for you, but in the long run it will be beneficial for your evolution. Dr. Adler is a colleague I know, a great therapist, I believe that with him you will be able to resolve your feelings."