AUTHOR'S NOTES: PLEASE READ.
Alright you bastards, I don't know who said they'd pay me for this chapter, but start paying up! I was working on this chapter during my vacation, so pay me!!
Ok no. Joking aside. Please read this first before continuing with the chapter.
Okay, let's begin. Yes, I worked on this during my vacation, but not entirely. Lily's chapters were uploaded on June 19th as paid content, which means the idea was already there back then—more than a month and a half ago.
And as a result of those ideas, there are things that my mind refuses to let go of, the plot Bunny thoughts are terrifying; I need to write them down or they just bounce around in my head for weeks or months.
So I started writing various parts, bits and pieces here and there, nothing really significant, and before I knew it, I had several thousand words written, so I just kept writing and filling in the important parts.
And that brings us to last week, when I should have been resting. As a writer with a daily writing routine, it's very difficult to abandon it for a week, so during my weeks off, I always write something, even if it's just something light. And I took advantage of that time to finish this. Which, luckily, I managed to finish, even though I wrote less than usual.
And yet, somehow, I ended up with this 24k word monster. Yes, 24k words. Practically a short fanfic on its own.
When I started, I thought it would be much shorter. I planned to write something around 10,000 words, which didn't work out. When I crossed that mark, I said, well, 15,000 will be the limit. Obviously, it wasn't. Once I passed the 15,000 word mark, I gave up and stopped counting, and I ended up with 24,000 words.
It turns out, as I've mentioned several times, that I can't write anything short at all. It's a curse.
And the worst part is, I cut a lot of things. I'll go into detail at the end of the chapter, but there are several parts that feel rushed, several time skips where I would have liked to add things, or a bit more interaction, but really, really, I didn't want this to drag on any longer.
So, here we are. This is being released on all my platforms for free, and that's because I still don't know if it's canon or not. And it didn't seem fair to make it prepaid content if it turns out to be just a non-canon omake.
Honestly, I'm seriously considering making this canon, simply because of all the work it took to write it, if not for any other reason.
You'll notice it at the end, but this can be inserted at any point in the story, so it's really not a concern if I decide to make it canon later.
Having said all that, I really hope you like it, now, enjoy it.
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Not edited.
Holly Potter POV. – July 13, 1997. Summer before Holly's sixth year.
"Nervous about your O.W.L.s' grades?" Pops asked. I stopped mid-eat and narrowed my eyes at him as if the question was the stupidest thing he'd said all year. And it was! He just chuckled. "You have nothing to worry about, honey, I'm sure you'll pass all your subjects," Pops said playfully.
"Listen to Remus, darling. You've prepared yourself enough," Mom said playfully. I glared at them both.
"It's not!" I blurted out with a groan of concern. "I need those grades! I need at least an Exceeds Expectations (EE) in Transfiguration, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes! If I had known it would be necessary, I would have prepared more for those subjects! " I complained ruefully before sadly eating my food. Pops had the audacity to laugh.
"You're smart, Holly. I'm sure you passed those classes with more than enough grades to take the special course," Pops said calmly.
"I hope so," I said with a pout as I stirred my food. "If I'd known that Serena Prince herself would be teaching her new branch of magic, alchemy, at Hogwarts, I would have been better prepared." I sighed once more.
Serena Prince. The name of the most important witch of this generation. A witch I greatly admired, as did many others. Serena Prince was a legend, a witch who would leave her name and legacy etched in history, and that was no exaggeration.
Serena Prince has been creating and improving potions ever since she graduated early from Hogwarts, from simple enhancements to creating a cure for diseases like Dragonpox—a cure that had saved my grandparents before I was born when they contracted the disease. It was the only reason they're still alive today, and one of the reasons I'd been interested in her since I was little, ever since I discovered it.
But that wasn't all; she had made so many contributions to the magical world that books could be filled with just her discoveries and creations.
But the most important thing attributed to Serena Prince was that she had created The Mist.
Wizards and witches around the world were always on guard against the growing Muggle population. The more Muggles there were, the harder it was to stay hidden, and in recent years, there was also genuine concern about Muggle technology. Not among pure-bloods, obviously; they didn't understand. But for people like Mom and Pops, half-bloods and Muggle-borns who lived in the Muggle world to some extent, it was a real concern.
But Serena Prince had created The Mist and practically hidden the wizarding world forever. The Mist distorts the vision of any non-magical person, preventing them from seeing anything related to magic and other magical events, replacing them with things the non-magical mind recognizes and understands. Even magic couldn't be detected by Muggle technology; we were completely invisible to non-magical people.
It was incredibly powerful magic, and Serena had placed it all over the world. She had created three sanctuaries to carry out the ritual—in New York, London, and Hong Kong—and these three sanctuaries maintained The Mist worldwide.
It was impossible for a non-magical to break the Mist, except in specific situations. Having a magical child, having magical parents, or being told about the Mist by a magical being, and nothing else. There were a few very specific exceptions, but the Mist was impossible to break.
And it couldn't be abused either; The Mist protected all magical beings from Muggles, yes, but it had a certain sensitivity, marking and alerting about any magical being who took advantage of The Mist to cause harm in the non-magical world and tried to go unnoticed using The Mist.
Those few who attempted to abuse it found themselves lost within their own minds. If the crime was severe enough, The Mist punished them with equal force. The most severe punishment The Mist had ever meted out was against those who murdered Muggles. The Mist consumed them and kept them trapped within their own minds as punishment, leaving behind nothing but a shell.
In this way, the magical world could not harm Muggles, and Muggles could not harm us. The Mist separated both worlds to keep them safe.
The Mist had become indispensable to the entire magical world, and all communities owed it to Serena Prince.
And she didn't stop there; she continued creating things one after another: spells, enchantments, potions, rituals, and even entire branches of magic. And that was her latest creation.
Alchemy.
Not the alchemy that the entire magical world already knew, no, but she had reshaped the very foundations of alchemy and created real and permanent transmutation through it. It was inconceivable, simply incredible, and truly fascinating.
And it was an opportunity.
Serena Prince had just published her work on alchemy and it shook the entire magical world, completely, once again. She had given demonstrations and a couple of lectures around the world, but now, she was about to teach classes.
Royal classes. In alchemy. At Hogwarts. For the first time, Hogwarts would open its doors completely to the public for these alchemy classes. People from all over the world would be coming to sit in Serena Prince's alchemy classes. And anyone with the necessary OWLs could sit in her classes.
Including Hogwarts students.
That meant that, if my grades were more than sufficient, I would be able to sit down and attend Serena Prince's alchemy classes for a whole year.
Pops was going to attend, and it was rumored that Albus Dumbledore himself would be there as well. Many other important figures from the wizarding world would also be traveling to attend the classes.
They certainly wouldn't be staying at Hogwarts, but the Ministry was already preparing Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley for the arrival of dozens, hundreds, of distinguished people and professionals who would be attending the class.
This was simply unheard of! Students as young as 17, and professionals like Albus Dumbledore, sharing seats in the same alchemy class. Only someone like Serena Prince could have caused something like this.
And I would have the opportunity to do it.
"Don't worry, honey, I'm really sure you did wonderfully. The teachers talk, and I saw your grades in those classes. You were more than ready to get the grades you needed," Mom said calmly. I just sighed, trying to calm myself down. Worrying wouldn't change anything.
"Fine." I finally sighed as I continued eating.
"Good morning, family!" Hope greeted as she entered the dining room.
"Hope, good morning." Pops smiled warmly at his daughter.
"Honey, good morning," Mom said easily as she approached and kissed Hope on the head.
"Sis." I grunted dryly. Hope just smiled amusedly as she took the seat next to me.
"Then I heard my dear older sister growling from my room, what's going on now?" Hope asked playfully.
""Serena Prince."" Mom and Pops said at the same time, I glared at them, especially when Hope smiled broadly.
"Oh?" Hope said before smiling mockingly in my direction. "Did Holly already declare her love for Serena Prince like she always does? Or did I arrive just in time for the marriage proposal? " she asked teasingly, and I blushed slightly.
"It's not love, it's admiration." I blurted out, blushing, and she scoffed.
"It's an obsession. You have all her published books, a clipping and an album with all her news articles and appearances in magazines and newspapers, and you even have a poster of her in her underwear on your wall." Hope mocked, and I blushed even more.
"It's appreciation!" I tried to defend myself while glaring at my younger sister. "Serena Prince is one of the most important witches of our generation!" I growled tensely. Hope just raised an eyebrow.
"That doesn't explain the poster," she said mockingly before starting to eat in a playful manner.
"It was a special edition of Witch Weekly!" I blurted out, blushing. Hope just smiled.
"You hate Witch Weekly," Hope said playfully. "Although, apparently not so much if a certain half-naked witch appears." Hope teased. I blushed even more, and in a display of maturity befitting my almost 17 years (which I was turning in two weeks), I elbowed my younger sister. " Hey!" Hope groaned in pain before trying to hit me again. I dodged her before huffing and shoving her once more.
"Girls," Mom said warningly. We both stopped before giving each other one last glare. Then we huffed at the same time and went back to our food. I heard Pops giggle slightly and I rolled my eyes.
"Is James still coming?" Pops asked, changing the subject, and I could only tense up slightly.
"He should be here with Sirius any minute," Mom said calmly. Pops nodded as I forced myself to calm down, though I tensed slightly when I heard a noise in the living room, a burst of flame, and a curse.
"You speak of the devil, and they appear." Pops scoffed with a smile.
"We're here!" Dad announced, walking into our dining room. "Holly!" Dad exclaimed with a huge smile as he came over, then he gave me a side hug. I smiled back slightly.
"Hi, Dad." I greeted him easily; Dad laughed and ruffled my hair before leaving.
"Hope, it's good to see you again," Dad said happily before hugging her. Hope giggled as she hugged her godfather back.
"Prongs! You're messing up my hair! " Hope said playfully. Dad laughed one last time before they parted ways.
"Moony, Lily!" Sirius greeted us as he came in behind Dad. "Hey, girls!" Sirius said with a grin as he approached us, and he ruffled our hair a little. I rolled my eyes at that while Hope growled and tried to hit Sirius. I didn't know what they had with our hair, but I was used to it by now, so I let it go.
Especially since trying to comb my hair was simply impossible. It tended to rebel on its own, much to my suffering and misfortune. I had inherited most of my genes from my dad: his bone structure, his annoying black hair, and my poor eyesight, which required me to wear glasses.
The only things I inherited from my mother were her eyes, which were the same green as hers, her small nose for which I was grateful, and unfortunately her height, which made me rather short.
But getting back to the point, I'd already resigned myself to my hair, so I ignored it. What I didn't let slide was when Sirius tried to grab food from my plate; I quickly slapped his hand away.
"Get your flea-ridden paws off my food." I snorted dryly, Sirius taking a step back as if he'd been punched.
"So much rejection from my goddaughter, how painful." Sirius groaned dramatically, I rolled my eyes while smiling.
"You'll survive," I said playfully. Sirius chuckled before taking a seat at the table.
"James, Sirius," Mum said, waving her wand and serving two more plates of already prepared breakfast. "Sit down and eat. I'm sure neither of you ate breakfast, especially if you steal my daughter's food, Sirius," Mum said curtly.
"Guilty." Dad said with a cheeky grin as he sat down and began to eat.
"And Marlene and Lyra?" Pops asked in the direction of Sirius, who was already quickly eating the food in front of him.
"They went shopping in Diagon Alley. Lyra had another growth spurt during her year at Hogwarts; she needs new clothes," Sirius said matter-of-factly. "Apparently they don't need my opinion," Sirius snorted dryly. I smiled softly at the thought of my cousin Lyra Black, Sirius and Aunt Marlene's daughter, barely two years younger than me. And I wasn't the only one; Hope seemed excited at the mention of Lyra.
Hope and Lyra were the same age, while I was two years older than them, so they were practically best friends. I just kept eating while listening to the adults chatting comfortably.
Our family was… certainly not traditional.
Mom and Dad had been on a drunken night when they had me. Knowing I was practically a drunken accident was upsetting, but nothing I couldn't get over.
Especially since I only found out a couple of years ago, they had hoped I was mature enough to understand. Although I already suspected it myself. I mean, Dad was always Dad and Pops was always Pops. But the fact that my family was different from other kids' families made me wonder.
Mom and Dad were never together; Mom was always with Pops for as long as I can remember. Even so, the three of them seemed to get along well, like friends. Yes, I could notice Dad giving Mom the occasional long look, but I guess that was just how it was. He never did anything weird, though, so I wasn't really worried about it.
Mom and Pops had Hope when I was two, and they had chosen Dad as her godfather. Meanwhile, Sirius was my godfather, and he and Marlene had Lyra around the same time Hope was born.
Marlene was Hope's godmother, while James and Lily were Lyra's godfather and godmother. So yes, we were practically one big family.
"So, how have you been, Holly? What's new? " Dad finally asked, turning to me. "Enjoying the holidays?" I quickly added with a lazy smile.
"She's been nervous about her OWL grades." Pops said jokingly.
"They're important!" I blurted out in Pops' direction, he just laughed.
"Ha, don't worry, Holly, if you're as smart as your father, then you have nothing to worry about," said Dad, almost petulantly. Sirius snorted with amusement.
"What kind of world do we live in where James Potter is synonymous with 'smart'?" Sirius said, a glint of amusement in his eyes. Pops, Mum, and Hope giggled slightly; even I smiled a little. Dad just snorted and gave Sirius a mocking shove.
"I'll let you know that my grades were much better than yours, I'm smarter than you, that's enough," said Dad mockingly. Sirius snorted, but raised both hands in surrender.
"Well, well, well, you're the epitome of intelligence compared to this poor, mangy dog," Sirius said amusedly. Dad rolled his eyes amusingly before turning back to me.
"So, if you're worried about your grades, I suppose you already know which NEWTs you're planning to take, right? " Dad asked excitedly. I stopped, controlling my expression to avoid making a face.
I knew the answer he wanted. Dad hadn't been subtle at all; he never was. He wanted me to be a professional Quidditch player. As if that would have impressed him in any way. Or for me to say I'd join the Aurors, like him. Nothing could be further from what I wanted to do.
"I'm signing up for the Modern Alchemy class that will be taught by Serena Prince this year." I controlled my voice to prevent it from trembling and maintained a neutral expression, as relaxed as I could while saying that.
Just as I expected, my father's ever-present lazy smile disappeared, as did Sirius's; both seemed to tense up upon hearing that name.
Oh, I knew the hatred that dad and Sirius had for Serena Prince. I've known it from the beginning. They both absolutely hated Serena and everything connected with her. Neither of them really wanted to explain it, and Mom and Pops were really vague about it, but I'd picked up a few things over the years—from some slips of the tongue, or from some teachers, or rumors at Hogwarts.
Serena Prince and my parents had been in the same year. Relations in Gryffindor and Slytherin were at rock bottom with the rise of a Dark Lord during that time. There was a lot of bad blood between Dad and his group and Serena Prince, to the point of hatred, at least on Dad's and Sirius's side.
Pops didn't hate Serena Prince, or at least not anymore, not after she cured his lycanthropy and he started working for her indirectly. Neither did Mum, from what little I could gather. They were close, even friends during their first years at Hogwarts, but then they drifted apart, but nothing more. Neither of them minded Serena; they even spoke freely about her.
But Dad and Sirius hadn't moved on. They still hated her. Dad hated Serena Prince so much that, as I discovered years later, he was actually upset that it was one of Serena's potions that had saved the lives of my grandparents, his own parents. That was just... petty.
Just mentioning his name would easily make Dad angry.
"No," Dad said easily. "I forbid it," he said quickly.
"James," Pops said in a warning tone. I bit my lip and stared at Dad.
"I wasn't asking you," I said simply. Dad's eyes widened slightly. "I'm not going to lose this opportunity because of your hatred for a woman who hasn't been in your life for over twenty years." I clenched my fists tightly under the table to stop them from trembling.
"It doesn't matter how much time has passed!" Dad snapped, standing up furiously. "She's a Slytherin! They're all evil! Sooner or later, she'll end up showing her true colors! " Dad grumbled.
I shuddered slightly. That hurt. A lot. And I hated how much it hurt. 'All Slytherins.' That was always Dad's word, as if I wasn't part of Slytherin. Ever since I'd been sorted into Slytherin, our relationship had become strained.
He tried, enough to make me believe that, in time, he would be comfortable with me being in Slytherin, but he always came back to the same thing with his comments. 'All Slytherins this,' 'All Slytherins that.'
"James!!" Pops and Mom exclaimed loudly, jumping to their feet. Dad stopped dead in his tracks, finally realizing what he had said.
"Oh come on, I wasn't talking about Holly!" Dad defended himself.
"You can't force me out of my house when it suits you." I glared at him. "When you insult them, you insult me," I snapped.
"Apologize this instant, James!" Mom glared at Dad, which made Dad shudder slightly; he bit his lip hard.
"Okay, sorry," Dad murmured. I just raised an eyebrow and cracked my arms in front of me. Dad just sighed. "I'm sorry for insulting Slytherin," Dad recited aloud, as if it were rehearsed, and it was. It wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last, that he had to apologize for it. He always did the same thing.
"Fine," I said curtly, not accepting her apology. Mom noticed, but just sighed. Fine, because I wasn't going to accept those half-hearted apologies, not when this had been going on for years. It had taken me years to understand that it wasn't really my fault, yet it still hurt.
It hurt too much that Dad hated Serena Prince so much, seeing her traits in his daughter—something as simple as being sorted into Slytherin, my love for potions, my admiration for her, or any of her research—that had slowly poisoned him. He preferred to judge and mock me subtly, and sometimes not so subtly, rather than accept me for who I was. I didn't even know if he was doing it on purpose; it was just... that's how he was.
I had cried enough about it, I had tried to change who I was just for his approval, but nothing had worked, and I was frankly tired of having to make the attempt, of being the one who had to change.
Dad… he's not a bad father. Or he was… years ago. I mentally corrected myself.
Before Hogwarts started, Dad practically adored me, and I him. Our family dynamic was always a bit odd, but it was pleasant. For the first few years, Dad practically lived with us, spending so much time at home that I'd grown up with two parents besides Mom, and it hadn't bothered me in the slightest.
But those twelve years seemed to matter nothing when I was sorted into Slytherin upon entering Hogwarts. At that age, it hurt a lot that Dad was ignoring me, or not answering some letters, or simply ignoring everything about Slytherin, or even making those comments about Slytherin.
And it was even worse when Hope was sorted into Gryffindor along with Lyra. I didn't blame either of them for being sorted into their house, but it was… disappointing and very painful to see Dad happier about the things my sister, his goddaughter, was doing, just because she was in Gryffindor, than about his own daughter who was in Slytherin.
And like any kid, I had tried to win back Dad's approval. I had even tried joining the Quidditch team in the hopes of getting some approval.
It hadn't worked.
For a few months I thought it had worked; he was excited, almost euphoric, but that ended abruptly.
It was more than enough to see that, during the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match, he had decided to sit in the Gryffindor stands supporting them, and that when the Slytherin team lost, his exact shout was, 'Take that, you filthy snakes! Go Gryffindor!', regardless of the fact that I was on the opposing team and listening to everything he was saying.
Even so, like a silly kid, it wasn't enough to make me give up. There were plenty of things I couldn't, or didn't want to, do; being a prankster like Dad, Pops, and Sirius wasn't in my plans. So that was immediately ruled out. So my big, brilliant idea, when I was old enough to think about it, was to start dating Gryffindor boys.
It was torture. Dad loved them, he got along with them right away, so it worked out in a way. But… the Gryffindor boys are so boring. Most of them only see things in black and white, some only think about food and Quidditch, and that last part wouldn't really be annoying if it weren't for the fact that they ONLY talk about Quidditch.
None of them had anything interesting to say. No thoughts on the government, the laws, or current events. If the Ministry passed some absurd regulation, they responded with a shrug. If there was a political scandal, they barely knew the names involved. But they were capable of talking for two hours straight about the next starting lineup for their favorite Quidditch teams.
Dad found them charming, I found them unbearable.
I smiled, nodded, and endured being with them for weeks, months. When we had an evening with Dad, all I heard was them talking about brooms, training, and practical jokes. Dad was happy, and for a while, that was enough for me.
Until I realized I was feigning interest in conversations I would have forgotten even before dinner was over.
So sooner or later I'd break up with them, especially when they started asking for things I definitely wasn't going to give them. And obviously, Dad blamed me for every breakup. He didn't say it outright, obviously. But his comments left a lot to the imagination.
A bitter taste crossed my mouth as I remembered all that.
"Thank you for the food, I'll be in my room." I said bitterly as I stood up.
"Holly." Mom said worriedly, but I ignored her.
"Come on, Holly, I'm sorry!" Dad said pitifully behind me. I just walked faster before going into my room. I just closed my eyes wearily.
It hurt, but… I was used to it. I… loved Dad, I don't think I can ever stop.
It wasn't until years later that I finally understood that no matter what I did, I wouldn't change who I was, and that I couldn't make Dad accept me because of it.
I… I might have hated Dad under other circumstances, if it weren't for Pops. Pops… he supported me in everything, just like Mom. They were both hardly surprised when I ended up in Slytherin and they welcomed me and accepted me for who I was.
Especially Pops. He took the time to patiently listen to everything I had to tell him, without making any comments, always supporting me, even helping me or studying things that interested me, about anything.
Where Dad made negative comments about Serena Prince, Pops would buy me a potions book written by Serena and we'd study it together. Where Dad mocked Slytherin, Pops would argue with me for hours about the absurd laws the Ministry passed. And much more.
That doesn't mean Dad was bad. In any other situation where Serena or Slytherin weren't mentioned, Dad was... he wasn't a good father, really, but... it was enough. I could admit in my head that I was justifying him, I admitted it, I could understand him, he was... toxic in his own way, but... I didn't care.
I was… equally content and resigned to having a half-father in her dad, as long as I had Pops.
I took a deep breath as I sank heavily onto the bed. I tried to close my eyes to rest and avoid a headache, but the knocking on the door made me groan.
"I don't want to talk, Dad!" I groaned, choked out.
"It's me." I heard Hope's weak voice from behind the door. I sighed.
"Come in, but close the door," I said simply. Hope obeyed. She came in quickly and closed the door just as quickly.
"How are you?" Hope asked worriedly as she came over and sat down near me.
"Fine," I said simply. Hope didn't say anything, but I could sense how worried she was. "Really, I'm fine," I sighed before turning to look at her properly. "I'm... tired of dealing with it every time Serena Prince is mentioned," I said ruefully. Hope just nodded.
"I know, I... I like to tease you, but not in a bad way. I have no problem with you liking Serena Prince and all that," Hope said quickly while squirming slightly.
"I know, Hope, it's different with Dad." I said gently before sitting down and leaning against her. "I know you don't mean it in a bad way, I know you're just teasing me and getting a reaction. We're sisters, that's what we do." I said with a small smile. Hope seemed more relieved as she smiled.
"Yes, that's what we do," Hope said, sounding lighter.
"But Dad... he hates Serena, for some reason, he never tells us what it is, just the same words I'm tired of hearing. I don't pay attention anymore, but... Slytherin's comments, the casual way he says them, even so... it hurts." I sighed shakily, and Hope put her arm around me.
"Ignore him, screw Prongs," Hope said immediately. I snorted loudly. "You're the best Slytherin at Hogwarts, no doubt about it." I chuckled.
"Wow, I'm glad to be the best," I said playfully. Hope just nodded contentedly.
"So... now that we've fixed that..." Hope said playfully, then turned to look at one of the walls, where there was a huge poster of Serena Prince. "Was it really necessary to stick that poster of her in her underwear, right there?" she asked teasingly. I blushed deeply.
On the wall hung a huge picture of Serena. It was a poster that had come with a special edition of Witch Weekly. They'd made a very limited number of those posters, and it had taken a lot of effort and money to get it. Enough to overcome my embarrassment and ask Pops to stick it on the wall and put defensive enchantments on it against everything, including the ravages of time.
In it, Serena Prince was in profile, sitting softly on the floor, her plump bottom bulging against the hard ground, her knees bent and pressed against her chest as her head leaned forward and she rested her cheek against her knee and looked directly at the camera.
She was dressed appropriately in underwear thin and discreet enough that barely any lines of her were visible; everything else was completely naked. From her long legs, her plump bottom, her arms wrapped around her legs, her slightly prominent ribs, her shoulders, the curve of her back, and everything in between.
She was staring intently and steadily at the camera, almost as if she were looking at the person holding the poster; it was almost hypnotic to get lost in her gaze, in her four-pointed star-shaped pupil.
"Please stop drooling over your poster while I'm here," Hope said dryly, and I snapped out of my daydream, blushing.
"It's my room, it's my poster, I'll drool all I want." I blurted out, blushing. Hope scoffed.
"So you don't mind if I drool over it, huh? I mean, seeing that poster, I really understand your obsession with her," Hope teased. I huffed and gave her a light shove.
"Don't drool over my poster, it's my poster," I said curtly. Hope laughed.
"This time you didn't deny the obsession part," she said playfully. I huffed, grabbed my pillow, and used it to smack her in the face. Hope just burst out laughing, and I chuckled softly.
Yes, my relationship with Dad may not have been the best, and frankly it's getting worse, but... I had the rest of my family, and that was enough.
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Holly POV – September 1, 1997.
The Hogwarts banquet was packed, just as expected. The Sorting had already taken place, the Headmaster had given his speech, and everyone was chatting animatedly. Only one person was missing. There was an empty seat next to the Headmaster's chair, and everyone knew who it belonged to.
Serena Prince. The special guest at Hogwarts who had not yet arrived.
I was practically bouncing with excitement. I had gotten Outstanding in therequired subjects and had already sent my letter to enroll in Serena Prince's class, so the holidays couldn't have gone by fast enough.
So we were finally here. I was sitting at the Slytherin table while we all seemed to be waiting. The noise was loud, like all welcome feasts. And then the door burst open, silencing everyone.
A woman walked through the door with complete confidence.
Lady Serena Prince entered gracefully. She was beautiful. Her angular, mature face was truly attractive; her short hair barely concealed it, even in profile. Her eyes were truly mesmerizing, jet black with star-shaped pupils that left a faint trail of light in her wake.
Her figure was also incredible; she was tall, terribly tall. She must have been at least a head and a half or two taller than me. But her figure wasn't at all disproportionate; her body was elegant, with long, shapely legs, a slim waist, and medium-sized breasts. She moved with a smooth and graceful gait despite her carefree walk.
She was walking straight ahead with a gentle smile, only to glance in my direction. I felt like my chest was going to burst when I felt her gaze fall on mine. I was in shock as she looked at me with… with affection? And then she winked at me discreetly. My eyes widened.
But before she could even understand what had happened, she just looked ahead again and kept walking.
"Albus, I apologize for being late," Serena Prince said gently. The headmaster just laughed as he stood up.
"Serena, it's a pleasure to see you again. You haven't changed a bit since the last time I saw you," the headmaster said cheerfully. Serena Prince just sighed.
"And you got older," Serena Prince said playfully, and I could hear several people gasping in surprise. "In fact, your beard got longer," she added dryly. The headmaster's eyes gleamed.
"Ah! Have you noticed? I've been carefully tending and cultivating it. Completely natural, I assure you." The headmaster said playfully, stroking his beard. "Come, let me introduce you, though I'm sure you don't need an introduction." The headmaster said cheerfully. Serena Prince simply nodded and stood beside the headmaster. "Students."
"As you know, this is a witch who needs no introduction, but even so, I'll give it to you. She is Serena Prince; for the few who don't know her name, you will soon learn about her in class. She has left an indelible mark on all aspects of our magical world."
"And she is here to leave one more mark. As has been mentioned to you through letters, or perhaps you read it in the newspapers, Serena Prince has taken the trouble and time to share her latest discovery."
"She will be teaching Modern Alchemy here at Hogwarts throughout the year. Any student with the necessary grades will be able to attend her classes. But also remember, this year, Hogwarts will have the honor of opening its doors to all the wizards and witches in the world, who will come solely to attend Professor Prince's class."
"Don't feel pressured, but remember to conduct yourselves accordingly. Our international reputation depends on you, " the headmaster said amiably. I almost snorted at that. "Do you have any words, Professor Prince?" the headmaster asked, looking at Serena. She simply nodded slightly and stepped forward.
"It's... a pleasure to be here at Hogwarts after so many years. This... this is where my journey began, and it's where yours begins. What you learn here is only the beginning, and as your professor, it will be a pleasure to watch and help you all begin your journeys." Professor Prince said with a gentle smile, then turned her head and looked at me intently once more. She smiled more genuinely. "So, with the approval of the professors, in addition to my Modern Alchemy classes."
"I'll be giving lectures, talks, and lessons every year, without exception. It will be a pleasure to meet you all," Professor Prince said, nodding. My eyes widened before I was startled by the crowd that began to applaud and cheer. After a few seconds, the headmaster clapped his hands to silence us.
"I'm glad you're all so excited about the classes, but for now, it's time to eat. Please enjoy the feast!" said the headmaster as he extended both hands and the food appeared before us. With that, the headmaster sat down and everyone began talking amongst themselves once again.
My gaze turned one last time to Professor Prince, who, to my surprise, was looking at me with a smile as I took my seat. Finally, she broke eye contact as she began to talk to the other teachers who took turns greeting her.
A tap on my side snapped me out of my reverie, and I started talking to my housemates. Every now and then, my eyes would wander to Professor Prince, as if there were something magnetic about her.
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Holly's POV – September 5th.
Today was the first class of modern alchemy.
The headmaster had given Professor Prince a room to use as a classroom for her class, and apparently, she had completely remodeled it. In particular, she had enlarged it to be bigger than the Great Hall.
There were plenty of seats set up, and in front of them was a blackboard, a desk with some books and instruments, and also a fairly large, completely empty area. We all moved quickly to take seats, including the adults and older professionals, who moved swiftly to get the seats in the front.
We students scattered into the crowd. I stayed next to Pops, and we both sat in the middle, where we'd found empty seats. I was practically bouncing around. I could even see the headmaster sitting right at the front.
Finally, when we were all seated, Serena entered confidently and began to walk with all the confidence in the world, as if she didn't care that she was in front of important wizards and witches of this generation; she only had a soft smile on her face as she stood in front of the blackboard and looked at us.
She waved her wand, and to my surprise, several projections of her face and the whiteboard appeared all around, so everyone could see comfortably no matter which seat they chose. I could hear a couple of sighs from the back row. Then Serena cleared her throat.
"Welcome to everyone for attending, some of you from so far away. For those who don't know me, I'm Serene Prince, your Professor this year. This class will cover my new books on alchemy, as you'll learn when you sign up and attend."
"Unfortunately, I'm very busy and I was only able to find enough time to give this class for one year and here at Hogwarts, so I'm sorry I can't teach in other locations for your convenience, but I'm still glad that many of you have managed to attend here."
"Also, thank you to the Headmaster for allowing me to teach here at Hogwarts, and that's all. So, let's begin," Serena Prince said introductoryly. "First, I'll take attendance," Professor Prince said, looking at the paper in front of her. My eyes widened. There were over 1500 of us. Was she really going to take attendance? "Albus Dumbledore?" My eyebrow shot up.
"Is it really necessary, Serena?" the headmaster asked wearily.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore?" Professor Prince asked again without even looking up. We all remained silent, staring in disbelief. "Very well, it seems Mr. Dumbledore is not—"
"Present." The headmaster interrupted Professor Prince, sounding defeated. Professor Prince finally looked up at the headmaster.
"Ah, Mr. Dumbledore, you should speak when you're called upon," Professor Prince said reproachfully, then lowered her gaze once more. "Very well, as everyone is present, let's begin the lesson," Professor Prince said, setting aside the list of names— or rather, now that she could see it clearly, a completely blank piece of parchment.
We all stared at her in disbelief at her utter audacity and mockery of the headmaster. I looked incredulously at Ms. Prince, whose eyes were filled with amusement. I could even hear the headmaster's weary sigh. Pops laughed beside me, and I looked at him incredulously.
"Just ignore them, they're just playing around," Pops said playfully. I stared at him in shock and almost horror. Was this how two of the most important people of this generation were playing around? That... was terribly unexpected.
"Then let's begin," she said with a huge smile. And then... I just let myself go. It was the longest and most wonderful four hours of my life. My hand ached from all the typing, but every word that came out of Professor Prince's mouth was incredible. So incredible that no one really dared to stop her.
She… spoke about modern alchemy, explaining all the principles, all the important things, about equations, about compositions, about magic itself, in terms I had never heard before, with explanations I had never thought of or even conceived.
It seemed that she understood the same magic in such an intimate and different way than the rest of us, that the more she spoke, it seemed as if we had been looking at magic through opaque lenses, which became clearer with every word that came out of her mouth.
It was... it was wonderful.
Finally, the Professor seemed to realize that class time had ended a couple of hours ago; she simply smiled and nodded.
"I'm sorry for the long talk, let me get to it," the Professor said easily. "Does anyone have any questions before we end this class? I think I've kept you all a little too long." At those words, many hands went up. The Professor just smiled and pointed to someone in particular.
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Professor Prince asked. I opened my eyes slightly. Did she know Hermione? To Granger's surprise, she didn't actually know Professor Prince. So how...
"Yes," Granger said, clearing her throat. "I'd like to ask about the transmutation circle, Professor Prince. During our Ancient Runes classes, it's been shown that runes don't actually have any power or magic; they're just an ancient language, a dead language."
"So, runes aren't capable of projecting any magic, so how does the transmutation circle manage to... well, transmute?" Hermione asked quickly. I could see several people nodding, seemingly wanting to ask the same question. Serena Prince smiled slightly.
"You're right," Professor Prince said amusedly. "Runes are useless." My eyes widened slightly. "Then you might be wondering, how does transmutation happen?" The professor hummed softly. "And the answer is actually quite simple, but oddly enough, very counterintuitive. They're useless, but only on their own."
"Runes, drawings, or anything written on a stone, in the sand, on a slate, mean nothing to magic, just like words. Words have no power. There are dozens of levitation spells in different languages, all capable of producing exactly the same phenomenon, the same underlying mechanics, and the same magical equations."
"That means the words don't really matter. And yet, we use incantations for our magic; we're taught and learn that we have to pronounce an incantation properly, with the right words and the right intonation. Why? "
"And that's because words have no power beyond what we give them."
"And believe me, words have great power. Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of inflicting harm and remedying it. Words are the primary way people communicate, of interacting with one another."
"Magic, on the other hand, doesn't need languages, tongues, or writing; none of those things are inherent in magic. But even so, magic understands us, through our intention, through collective intention."
"There's a reason we use dead languages in our spells; they have greater meaning for us. Modern languages, like English, tend to use much more specific meanings. Latin, on the other hand, preserves words whose meaning is broader and more flexible. It's simply more magical, so to speak."
"And the same is true of runes. They have no power unless we give it to them. Intention! That's what matters most. Magic doesn't need words or runes, but we do." The professor smiled as she raised her hand. "Words are a crutch." She moved her hand before dozens of pieces of chalk rose into the air and then fell to the floor before beginning to move in unison, creating a circle of transmutation. "Runes are another," the professor said.
Then a piece of metal fell with a thud into the transmutation circle. The professor bent down slightly and touched the circle. Blue lightning flashed from the circle as the piece of metal was transmuted and changed shape. A beautiful statue of a woman transformed into a diamond appeared before us.
"Crutches don't walk, people do. Runes don't transmute matter, the alchemist does. The circle prevents the alchemist from getting lost," the professor said with a huge smile as she stood up. She clapped her hands, snapping us all out of our reverie. "With that, the first class is over. See you next time. If you have any questions, I'll post office hours when I'll be available. Don't hesitate to come and ask about anything related to the class," she said with a smile before we said goodbye.
"I... wow." I murmured while blinking slightly.
"Actually, wow," Pops said beside me. "I never would have imagined that Serena actually had the ability to be a Professor, and even more so, a really good Professor. She surprised both the students and the headmaster." Pops said, amazed. I could only nod.
"I can't wait for the next class," I said without hesitation as I arranged my papers. Pops chuckled softly.
"Try not to miss your other classes," Pops said. I just nodded absentmindedly. Maybe… I should make a list of questions and visit her during her office hours? Yes… that was an idea.
----------------------
Holly Pov. – September 12 Pov.
"Headmaster?" I asked as I entered the headmaster's office; he just smiled brightly.
"Ah, Holly, come in, have a seat." The headmaster said with a smile. I just smiled back and entered the room as usual. As I sat down, I didn't even hesitate to take a drop of lemon juice from the bowl and squirt it into my mouth.
"So? What happened? I thought we wouldn't be training this year." I said casually. The headmaster smiled amusedly.
"Oh, you misunderstood me, Holly, I said that I wouldn't be able to teach you this year," the headmaster said jokingly.
"Isn't it the same?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Should it go with the portraits?" I asked curiously. The headmaster smiled mysteriously.
"No, nothing like that," the headmaster said, his eyes gleaming. "After all, there's still someone else in the castle who can teach you what you need." He stared at me intently. I frowned, my eyes widening as I realized what he was implying.
"No." I gasped in shock as excitement and a smile began to grow. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and the headmaster winked at me.
"Come in, Serena," the headmaster said easily. I could feel my chest begin to pound as Ms. Prince entered the headmaster's office.
"Albus." Professor Prince said easily, her presence seemed to draw the attention of the entire room, and now that I was so close I could hear the whispers escaping from her body.
"Ah, Serena, thank you for coming," the headmaster said amiably. Professor Prince raised an eyebrow in the headmaster's direction before looking at me. I froze completely as her completely black eyes, with… star-shaped pupils, shone so intensely as she stared at me. I could almost feel her seeing right through me.
"So?" asked Professor Prince before turning her gaze back to Dumbledore once more.
"It's about Holly," the headmaster said easily.
"Potter," Professor Prince said, still looking at me. To my surprise, she didn't seem annoyed or displeased by my presence. In fact, she looked at me with… affection? Again. Now I was sure I wasn't hallucinating at the banquet. She really was looking at me with affection. I blinked several times before her expression vanished as if it had never existed.
"Yes, her," said the headmaster without noticing Professor Prince's face.
"So what? What happens to her? " Professor Prince asked easily. "I remind you that I can't read minds," she added curtly.
"We both know that's a lie," the headmaster said easily. The Professor just smiled, amused. "But fine, let's get to the point. She has ancient magic, just like us," the headmaster said directly. The Professor paused for a moment and looked at me once more. I licked my dry lips.
Ancient magic. The ability to perceive and manipulate it. It was something I could do. And it's the main reason why I had become obsessed with Serena Prince.
The headmaster had told me that besides him, there was one other person with the same ability to use ancient magic. That we were the only three who could use it, who had that gift, that talent. The headmaster and I were two, and I had asked about the third for years, and I had finally gotten an answer from him. When he mentioned Serena Prince, it was simply…
She had the same gift as me. And she was out there, changing the world, creating, discovering, and doing things that would change the magical world at its core, shaping it with ease. So I began to follow in her footsteps almost with a fervent obsession.
She was like me. But… I felt a kind of connection with her. I could feel a pull drawing me towards her, enough that I couldn't stop thinking about Serena Prince.
I always thought that ancient magic had chosen us for a reason, and I felt drawn to it in a way I couldn't explain. Like... like my whole being wanted to follow it every step it took, follow it wherever it went.
I had asked the headmaster about it; I thought it was something about ancient magic, but… I didn't feel that same connection with him. I appreciated him, like a grandfather; he had taught me everything he knew, patiently, lovingly. But… but it wasn't the same.
So no, the headmaster didn't know about it either, so he thought it was just a crush, and… it could have been, but… that pull I felt towards Serena Prince was real. Almost as if wanting to be by her side was the most natural thing in the world.
"So, you have ancient magic, huh? " Professor Prince asked, leaning in to look at me more intently. I blushed and squirmed under her gaze. "That's strange... very strange, three ancient magic users in the same generation?" she hummed softly. The headmaster chuckled.
"I don't think counting me in the 'same' generation is appropriate," the headmaster said, amused. The Professor rolled her eyes.
"Yes, you're old, we know, but you know what I mean." The Professor said dryly, and the headmaster chuckled slightly. Professor Prince turned to look at me as she hummed. "When did you manifest the ancient magic?" she asked curiously.
"I-I've always had it," I said, my voice trembling. Professor Prince stopped stiffly.
"Always?" she asked curiously. "Not a late bloomer? But since always? Like, since you were born? " she asked quickly, I just nodded.
"And that's why I called you. I've been trying to contact you for years, but my correspondence tends not to reach you." The headmaster said, sounding amused. Professor Prince snorted.
"Oh, they do arrive, they just burn them without reading them." Professor Prince said without missing a beat, the headmaster just laughed amusedly.
"You're going to break this poor old man's heart," said the headmaster with a glint of amusement.
"Please, your heart must be so wrinkled that it will be impossible to break it," Professor Prince said dryly.
"Oh, you sound worried about my heart?" the headmaster asked playfully. The Professor rolled her eyes.
"I stopped caring about you years ago," he said curtly. " Especially since the first letter you sent me was asking if I could get you stockings made in any country, simply because you wanted to start a collection." Serena slurred her words. The headmaster sighed.
"And since you refused, I don't have my collection of stockings, truly tragic," the headmaster said sadly. "Like—"
"Can you concentrate?!" I suddenly yelled, and both their eyes turned to me. Horror quickly washed over me that I had silenced the headmaster and Lady Serena Prince. I paled considerably, and apologies were on the tip of my tongue. The headmaster and the Professor snorted with amusement.
"Wow, that was very... Gryffindor for a Slytherin," the Professor said dryly. I blushed deeply.
"It is," the headmaster said, amused. The Professor rolled her eyes.
"Well, let's see what we have here," said the Professor as she looked at me once more.
"Serena, can you?" the headmaster asked. The professor just sighed wearily before moving her hands, and a pair of glasses began to conjure up before her. She handed one to Dumbledore and the other to me. My eyes widened in surprise and confusion. The professor simply raised an eyebrow at me. "Put them on, Holly. You'll understand quickly," the headmaster said amiably as he put on the new glasses. I looked at them, confused, but slowly obeyed.
When I put on the glasses, my vision changed completely, and I almost gasped in shock. Lines, threads—more like, piles and piles of threads—were everywhere. Every object seemed to have several lines, but the ones with the most were the headmaster, who had hundreds of lines like a spiderweb, connecting to every object here and many that disappeared through the walls, and then the Professor.
She… was a different kind of monster, thousands of threads made up her body, coming and going and disappearing, forming a colossal network of threads.
"W-what am I seeing?" I asked in shock.
"Spiritweb," Professor Prince said. "It's the web of connections and magic that make up the soul of anything, be it a creature, a place, an object, or even something more intangible or even conceptual." She said gently. "Connections are, as the name suggests, connections—with others, with time, with reality itself. Everything is connected, whether through simple interactions, passions, thoughts, or destiny."
"It's... something spiritual, it's literally about how your soul is composed. We are all a web of connections, good and bad, and we are all connected. And most importantly, these connections are not subject to the ordinary laws of time. So these connections are able to connect one to the past and the future." The professor said gently. I looked surprised, still not fully understanding.
"Is... what?" I asked foolishly, the Professor slightly ignored me.
"Now, let's see what we found on your Spiritweb." The professor said as she began to move her hands in front of me, gently grasping my connections one by one. I looked at her in surprise as she checked them. "Ah... yes, I understand." The professor said easily.
"Do you understand?" I asked incredulously. The Professor laughed amusedly.
"It's easy to see, for those who know how to see," the Professor said mysteriously. I groaned loudly.
" Do you also speak in circles and riddles like the headmaster? Is that something I'll have to learn to do since I have ancient magic, or is it because of the age?" I asked with a grimace. The headmaster let out an amused laugh while the Professor smiled through her teeth.
"It's fun to be obtuse when the reactions are like yours," the Professor said playfully, winking at me. I blushed slightly. Then, the Professor grabbed one of my threads—connection, I corrected myself—and my eyes widened.
"Is this... is it cut off?" I asked in shock as I looked at my own connection.
"Is... is it something bad? Is Holly in danger? Who did it? " The headmaster asked seriously. The Professor shook her head.
"Nope, it's not dangerous at all. In fact, it's more normal than you'd expect. And who did it? Yours truly, me." The Professor said casually while maintaining the connection.
"Y-you?" I asked tremulously.
"Yes, me. But this connection is severed before it was even conceived," the professor hummed. "Voldemort, Tom Riddle. This is your connection to him," she said immediately. My eyes widened in shock.
"The last dark wizard? Do I have a connection to him? " I asked in shock.
"You had," the Professor said as she restored the disconnected connection. "As I mentioned, the connections are outside of time; you can see so many past, present, and future connections. You could see, if you wanted, your unborn children, your unknown spouse, friends and people you've never met but will meet in the future—anything. But just as easily, you could see the day you were born, or even echoes of the past that still linger here."
"The connection with Voldemort is... particularly strong, which is why it has remained severed, instead of disappearing as it normally should. Connections are not immutable; they exist, yes, but they can be changed, created and destroyed again. Free will exists, and it is not something that can be changed."
"But... there are connections so strong that they are... destined to happen, so strong that they manifest even before someone is born. That is Destiny. And this... is one of them. From what I understand, Voldemort was destined to face Holly Potter in such a significant way that surely a prophecy would be involved." Professor Prince hummed.
"A prophecy? Was I destined to face a dark lord?! Are they real? " I asked in shock, still trying to digest all the information.
""Yes."" said the headmaster and Professor Prince at the same time.
"As I said, the connections are timeless, but so is magic. Sometimes, someone is born with the sensitivity to see these connections outside of their time without realizing it, forward or backward. They are able to see particularly strong connections, connections like this one that mark certain destinies, but those people are not strong enough to understand these connections; they only see images, or say phrases or things without meaning. That's where prophecies and divination come from."
"I've seen several of these connections, they all have certain similarities, and this connection, between Holly Potter and Voldemort, is one of the strongest I've seen. The thing here is, while these are strong connections, and in fact, almost impossible to avoid, it doesn't mean they can't be broken or severed."
"There are people with a higher destiny who could intervene and break the connection, or someone with the right abilities could do it. And ancient magic is so inherent to the world, to our reality, that it tends to ignore destiny, which is why I was able to kill and sever Voldemort's connections."
"But the most important thing is this: why do you have ancient magic? And that... is simpler than it seems. Something that's normal in prophesied confrontations is that both sides tend to even the odds. If Voldemort gets stronger, Holly should have the same strength, or even a power he's unaware of, to balance the scales."
"Voldemort had somehow gained access to ancient magic, and ancient magic reciprocated in kind to even the odds. The problem is, Voldemort no longer exists, but still, I repeat, magic and connections are timeless, so both still 'evened the scales,' even without Voldemort."
"It gave you access to ancient magic to balance a scale that no longer exists," the professor said matter-of-factly. I just stared at her in shock.
"Fascinating," the headmaster said, marveling, his eyes sparkling behind his glasses. " The implications of that are simply incredible. Without Voldemort, Holly has nothing to worry about; she can live her life peacefully, doing whatever she wants, with the gift that Voldemort himself practically gave her." The headmaster said with amusement.
"So... it was just luck? Luck that I was destined to face a shadowy figure who's already dead? " I asked in shock. The Professor smiled slightly.
"Exactly," Professor Prince said playfully as she took a step back. "This is, frankly, good luck, be grateful, Holly Potter. Whatever you want to do with your life is entirely your decision, and with a gift that magic itself has given you, enjoy it and simply... do whatever you want," the professor said matter-of-factly. I could only blink slightly. "Well, if that's all there is to it," the professor said simply.
"Actually, Serena, I was hoping you would accept young Holly as a student and teach her to master her gift," the headmaster said with a gentle smile. Professor Prince raised an eyebrow.
"And you can't?" she asked curtly. The headmaster smiled.
"Oh, I did it. Lily, Sirius, and James came years ago worried about young Holly. Her outbursts of ancient magic were terrifyingly strong. It was impressive. She was unconsciously boosting her accidental magic with ancient magic," the headmaster said gently. I grimaced.
That's putting it mildly. My parents had been genuinely worried about my bouts of ancient magic. Luckily, they had started happening when I was at least old enough to understand the headmaster's explanations and teachings.
Mom and Pops knew about the old magic. Dad… not really. I never understood the headmaster's decision. He said it was a way to keep it a secret. But at that age, it seemed silly and wrong to keep secrets from Dad.
Now, I was truly grateful to the headmaster for that. I suppose the headmaster was more than aware of Dad's personality.
"I've been teaching her how to control and manipulate it ever since. I've taken her with the portraits in the map chamber. She's truly excellent, and I'm really proud of her progress, but I'm sure you've learned a lot on your travels, and I'm sure Holly could learn a lot from you," the headmaster said with a smile. I blushed slightly at his words. The Professor, on the other hand, just raised an eyebrow without any emotion in the headmaster's direction.
"Oh, the map chamber? Just like that? When I was a student, the cost was a severed hand and an unbreakable vow." The Professor said dryly. My eyes widened slightly in confusion. The headmaster sighed, smiling sadly.
"I'm trying not to make the same mistakes as in the past," the headmaster said gently. The Professor just stared at him, almost emotionlessly, then rolled her eyes.
"I suppose, as you've demonstrated, an old dog really can learn things," the Professor said dryly. I blinked and looked at them both, confused, as if I were missing something. "So, you want to learn?" the Professor asked, turning to me.
"Yes!" I said immediately. "I-it would be an honor to learn from you, Professor Prince!" I added quickly. I could feel a rush of excitement surge through me. The professor hummed softly as she gazed at me intently.
"You know what... well," the Professor said, smiling gently. My eyes widened, and I suppressed the urge to squeal and cheer. Professor Prince looked at me warmly once more, that warmth as if she were speaking to someone she knew. "I'll send you a schedule. Don't be late," Professor Prince said before turning and leaving the office. The moment she closed the door, I squealed loudly and shook myself.
"I'm glad you're so happy, Holly," the headmaster said playfully, looking at me. I blushed deeply. "And by the way, the office doors aren't soundproof. I would have waited until she came downstairs," the headmaster scoffed. My eyes widened, and I stared in horror at the door, only to hear a muffled laugh from behind it—it belonged to professor Prince.
A blush spread across my face, but I could hardly care. I was about to learn from Serena Prince herself. I could feel that tug singing happily at the thought of spending time with her privately.
This would be fantastic.
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Holly's POV - September 20th.
I took a deep breath as I stared at the door to Professor Prince's private room. I felt a surge of nervousness before taking another deep breath and knocking on the door in front of me, only for it to open slightly on its own. I blinked slightly.
"Professor?" I said weakly before cautiously entering the room. "Professor?" I called out louder. My eyes immediately scanned the room. Empty, the professor was nowhere to be seen. I glanced around and blinked as I took in the room's decorations. There were very few personal belongings, which I suppose made sense. She had said she didn't stay at Hogwarts most of the time, so there was no point in decorating a room she wasn't going to use.
Even so, I could see some personal decorations, mostly photos. I glanced at them out of the corner of my eye before biting my lip; finally, my curiosity got the better of me, and I went closer.
"Oh," I murmured as I saw the first image. A picture of Professor Prince and her wife on their wedding day. They were wearing their wedding cloak. They looked beautiful, magical, happy, and very much in love. I felt a pang in my chest and immediately looked away.
Look at the second one. Just like the first, it seemed to be… a wedding too, but with a different woman, who had blonde hair with scattered pink and blue streaks. Enid Sinclair, I recognized her immediately; she had appeared alongside the professor several times. In the photo, she was wearing a beautiful dress next to Serena, who was wearing an elegant suit. Just like before, they looked really good, beautiful, and also, in love.
The following images were the same: pictures that looked like they were taken from a wedding, all completely different, as if they had married in different cultures. One had blonde hair, another turquoise, one multicolored like a rainbow, another green hair, and another white hair.
The next image was not of a wedding, at least not of the Professor, but the image showed Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy getting married, the Professor and Bellatrix were behind and to the sides of the newlywed couple, as bridesmaids.
I stopped looking at the image before I saw there were still more pictures to come; I almost felt a pang of jealousy thinking they were still more wedding photos. I looked at the picture and pouted when I realized it was another wedding where the Professor was one of the people involved.
I blinked slightly before frowning. The woman seemed terribly familiar to me: black hair, green eyes, and glasses. I tried to look at her closely.
"Are you done snooping?" The words jolted me, enough to send the photograph flying and make me panic as it fell to the ground, only to stop a few inches from the ground and then return to its place.
"Professor!" I squealed in a panic, a flush of embarrassment spreading across my cheeks at being caught snooping through the teacher's belongings. I turned to face her before stopping abruptly and suddenly feeling my mouth go dry.
The Professor was leaning playfully against the edge of a door. The problem was, she'd just gotten out of the shower. Her hair was still damp, clinging to her cheek and dripping down her shoulders and chest—breasts barely covered by a tiny sleeveless top that barely concealed anything but them, or at least tried to.
Most importantly, it ended right below her breasts, revealing her stomach. A muscular stomach, with slightly defined abs, still damp from her recent shower. I couldn't help but lick my lips as I watched a drop trickle down her abs before my eyes drifted even lower.
Her legs, for Morgana's sake, she was wearing shorts, very short ones, and nothing else; she was completely barefoot, so you could appreciate everything about her legs, from her slightly plump but muscular thighs to her well-groomed feet whose toenails were painted a really attractive dark violet.
I could feel a warmth rising in the lower part of my stomach.
"Should I change so you don't get distracted in class?" Professor Prince suddenly asked.
"NO!" I squealed before I could even process the teacher's words. I only blinked before blushing completely. I could feel the heat building from my chest and spreading to my face and ears. "Oh, Merlin, I'm so sorry, Professor! I didn't mean to stare! That was very disrespectful of me, I'm so sorry! " I began to stammer rapidly, completely embarrassed.
"Don't worry, Holly, you're not the first, nor the last, to stare at me. I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable. I'm used to wearing light clothing at home; I suppose I acquired a more relaxed wardrobe while I was away from Great Britain," the Professor said gently.
"T-there's no problem with your clothes, Professor," I said quickly, clearing my throat. "T-these are your rooms, you can wear whatever you feel most comfortable, y-you don't need to change because of me," I added quickly, my blush deepening, especially when the Professor chuckled softly.
"Yes, of course, for comfortable, right? " The Professor asked mockingly. I looked away, completely embarrassed. "By the way, I certainly don't dislike your gaze, unlike many other people," she said flirtatiously. I blushed even more.
"Y-you have a lot of wives," I said suddenly while looking at the pictures. "I-I don't think anyone knows you're married to other people besides Bellatrix Prince," I added.
"That's the idea," the Professor said gently. "It's nobody's business whether I'm married to or not," she said easily. I just nodded gently.
"Although I must admit the Prophet was quite vocal in listing your many lovers and the idea that you're forming a coven," I said amusedly. The Professor snorted with amusement before muttering something that sounded like 'more like a religion,' but I must have imagined it because she kept talking when I turned to look at her.
"A coven, which... isn't very imaginative, though I wouldn't expect much more from something like the Prophet." The Professor scoffed. I smiled slightly.
"Mom and Pops hate the Prophet too," I said jokingly. The Professor blinked.
"Pops?" asked the curious Professor.
"Uh, oh, Remus, he's Pops, and Dad's James. I was raised by both of them, so that's what I called them when I was little, and it stuck." I said quickly. The Professor hummed as she nodded.
"Right, Remus and Lily got married, didn't they? What a strange world." The Professor murmured, almost amazed. "I'm happy for them. Are they good together? I must admit I didn't see it coming." The Professor admitted. I smiled slightly.
"They are, they're good together. They love each other." I said gently. "It's almost repulsive." I shuddered slightly. "How I only ever had one sister is truly a mystery." I said dryly. The Professor let out an amused laugh.
"As fun as it may be, we'd better get down to business; we have ancient magic to study," the Professor said, her eyes shining brightly. I straightened up slightly.
"Of course, Professor," I said without hesitation. "How do we begin?" I asked with a thrill of excitement.
"First, let's see where you are, what Albus taught you, so show me what you can do." I said the Professor playfully. I blinked and looked around.
"Here?" I asked cautiously. The Professor just hummed before shrugging. She moved her fingers slightly, and immediately the whole room began to expand. The walls, ceiling, and floor seemed to multiply and extend, blending and swirling together. I almost closed my eyes from the dizziness, but it ended just as quickly as it began.
I was now in the middle of a nearly empty room the size of the Great Hall. The professor's belongings lay harmlessly in a corner, while the professor and I stood in the middle of the vast room. I stared incredulously at the professor.
" Y-you... you just extended the room, with us right there?! " I asked incredulously. That... was almost unheard of! The precise control she must have had over the extension spell, for us to remain unharmed while she extended the room as she did, must have been near perfect.
"As I said, let's see what you can do," the Professor said with a smile. I smiled excitedly as I took out my wand and held it gently between my fingers.
"I'm ready, how do we do this?" I asked excitedly. The Professor just laughed.
"Just throw everything you've got at me," the Professor said gently. My eyes widened slightly.
"b-but-"
"You won't hurt me." She interrupted playfully. "And if you do, I'll be very impressed." She said with a smile, then took out her wand and held it with elegant gentleness. I straightened slightly. Impress. I wanted to impress her. But I didn't want to hurt her. I bit my lower lip lightly before nodding earnestly.
I got into position before moving and beginning to cast spells one after another. My hand trembled slightly as I stared incredulously at the professor. With each attack I launched, she moved her wand gracefully, without wasted movement; the tip of her wand struck my spells and dispelled them effortlessly.
She barely blinked, staring at me with a faint smile as I cast spell after spell. I gritted my teeth slightly before increasing the level. I started casting Jinx and Hexes, but it had the same effect. Finally, I resorted to some curses I'd learned—nothing fancy, but they were hard to defend against.
Even so, the professor barely flinched; her wand practically intercepted all my spells effortlessly. I used transfiguration and other wide-area spells, but it was the same. Anything the professor's wand touched vanished or turned to dust without any effort.
"You're good for your age, but I thought you'd show me ancient magic—that's what we're here for, isn't it?" the Professor asked playfully. I frowned before adjusting my grip on my hand. I took a deep breath before resorting to ancient magic.
As always, the ancient magic responded to me with ease; it almost seemed eager for me to use it. I cast an overpowered spell, something I was sure would bring down even a troll. But the professor merely waved her wand. I could hear the whispers of ancient magic emanating from it; they were barely noticeable, but there was no wasted power. It was enough to nullify my attack.
Even so, I kept moving and unleashing another wave of spells, each stronger than the last. Finally, I raised my wand and conjured a lightning bolt above the frustrated professor. I barely had time to react and flinch before the professor moved her hand, which blurred in my vision and was raised above her head.
Just like before, the tip of her wand touched the lightning and then snatched control of my own spell away, took control of the lightning and deflected it with a sweeping motion of her wand, swirling the lightning around her body before it harmlessly disappeared.
I stared blankly at the Professor who was still smiling without even seeming to have made an effort to do so.
"W-what-how?" I asked incredulously. The Professor laughed slightly.
"Good work, you're actually better than I expected," said the Professor as she approached in my direction.
"I couldn't hit you with a single spell," I said, almost offended. The Professor laughed.
"No one has managed to hit me in years, Miss Potter. You are talented, yes, but you still have a lot of room for improvement. Perhaps in a few years you will achieve it." She said, winking at me. I pouted.
"Holly," I said immediately. She raised an eyebrow. "Call me Holly, it doesn't bother me," I said, blushing slightly. She smiled slightly.
"Holly," she said slowly and huskily, my name practically rolling off her tongue, sending a shiver down my spine. "You can call me Serena in private," the Professor said playfully. My eyes widened slightly.
"S-Serena," I stammered. I almost wanted to kick myself for not being able to imitate what she had done and just ended up sounding like a blushing freshman. She just laughed.
"Very well, I know what level you're at, so we can begin the lesson," the Professor said, approaching. "Raise your wand," she instructed as she walked around me and stood behind me. I did as she said, trying to focus on my wand and not how close she was. "Let's start with some wand movements that need refining. I saw some waste; let's correct that first," she said huskily in my ear. Then I felt her body loom behind me, one of her hands reaching out and resting on my hilt, the other wrapping my hand around my wand.
I shuddered intensely. I felt as if lightning had struck me when her hands touched my body. As if my magic reacted and was euphoric upon contact with her. But I could barely focus on its meaning; my mind had practically shut down as I blushed deeply. I could feel the grip on my wand tremble as Serena tightened her grip on my hand.
"Hold your wand, Holly," she said huskily in my ear. I closed my eyes as I tried to concentrate.
This was bad, this was very bad. I couldn't concentrate, I couldn't think. I let the Professor guide my movements while I tried my hardest to focus on the lesson, but I could barely think.
I was in heaven and hell at the same time, and I was enjoying it. This was dangerous. If the other classes were like this, I wouldn't learn anything if my brain was practically mush just because she was holding my hand. At the same time, I didn't want her to let go.
I am doomed and I enjoyed every moment.
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