I'm sorry, I didn't realize the chapters weren't being uploaded. I'm not sure what happened. I'll fix it now. I'll also upload the chapters that were missed—there are two, I think.
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Lessons and Mothers
"I still think this is a bad idea… knowing the trouble Red is going to bring us," Hermione muttered, crossing her arms as she watched the red dragon strutting down the castle corridors as if he were their rightful owner. His scales gleamed with shameless vanity under the torchlight, and from time to time he paused to contemplate the portraits with an almost human curiosity.
Red tilted his head, as if he had understood her words, and approached Hermione with an arrogant gait. When he reached her side, he lowered his head and began fluttering his wings in such a ridiculously coquettish manner it looked like something out of a children's storybook.
"But well… we'll help you keep an eye on him," she added quickly, stepping back as Red let out a small, satisfied huff.
…
The Potions classroom was filled with an expectant murmur. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were sharing this lesson, two houses that rarely clashed and, on the contrary, mixed easily, chatting cheerfully about the excitement of their first official class at Hogwarts. The atmosphere was so calm that it almost seemed no one remembered the reputation of the professor who was about to arrive.
Then, without warning, the door swung open with a resounding crash that silenced everyone. Severus Snape swept into the room, his black robes billowing behind him like a dark omen. He walked with long, measured strides to the center of the classroom, and his cutting gaze passed over every face in silent judgment.
"No one," he began, his voice slow and venomous, like the drip of some lethal potion, "will wave their wands… or perform foolish incantations in this class."
A collective shiver ran across the benches.
"I suppose many of you lack the slightest appreciation for the subtle science and delicate art of potion-making. However…" His eyes, as dark as fresh ink, locked onto the corner where Harry, Draco, Daphne, and Hermione were seated. "…those few who possess the talent and the predisposition will learn to dominate the mind… to ensnare the senses… I will teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory… even put a stopper… in death."
A reverent silence fell over the room. Draco swallowed, uneasy. Although Snape was his godfather, he couldn't deny that voice sent a chill down his spine. Next to him, Harry remained calm, paying close attention to every word.
"I imagine," Snape continued, with a trace of disdain he barely bothered to conceal, "that some of you arrived here with such prodigious gifts that you might make your classmates look ridiculous." His gaze locked on their group again before he stepped forward with soft, almost predatory movements.
"I trust you have completed the assignments I set for you," he said, stopping in front of them.
"Yes, sir," replied Draco—quick and nervous—and Harry—calm and steady.
A murmur of confusion rippled through the classroom. It was the first lesson. What assignments could they possibly have done? But the answer was obvious: Harry had spent weeks pestering Snape with questions in the library, while Draco, for his part, had grown up under his guidance.
"What do you get if you add powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" he asked in a neutral tone.
"It produces the Elixir of Life, or the Draught of Living Death. A soporific potion so powerful it induces an almost irreversible sleep," they both replied in unison, without hesitation.
Snape raised an eyebrow slightly, but showed no sign of satisfaction.
"Where would you find a bezoar?"
"In the stomach of a goat."
"What's the difference between aconite and hellebore?"
"There is no substantial difference. Aconite is also called aconitum napellus, wolfsbane, or monkshood."
A heavy silence settled over them. Snape regarded them for a moment, his expression unreadable.
"At least… it seems you won't be embarrassing yourselves in my lessons," he pronounced coldly. He turned on his heel, his robes swirling like a storm brewing. "Well, then… why are you not taking notes?"
The classroom erupted in the scratching of quills on parchment. Some students leaned over their neighbors, trying to copy what they hadn't understood. Meanwhile, Snape walked to his desk and began writing on the board the recipe for a boil-curing potion.
They formed pairs. Harry and Draco worked with a synchronization that could only come from hours of prior study, finishing first with a potion of perfect color. Daphne and Hermione, though a little slower, also managed an impeccable mixture.
But not a single point was awarded.
When the lesson ended, the students filed out in silence, as if leaving a courtroom rather than a classroom.
"I suppose everyone was right… Professor Snape only gives points to Slytherin," Hermione sighed, somewhat disappointed to have missed the chance to earn some merit for Ravenclaw.
"Well… at least he didn't take points away, which everyone says is his favorite hobby with Gryffindor," Draco remarked with ironic relief. "Although… I'm pretty sure he still hasn't forgiven me for not ending up in Slytherin."
"He's probably more relieved you didn't end up in Gryffindor," Daphne added with a calm smile.
"True. Knowing him, if I were in Gryffindor, he'd accidentally turn me into a toad… every single day," Draco said, feigning resignation.
Fortunately, their next class was Charms with Professor Flitwick, a completely different atmosphere. There, Hermione, eager to redeem herself, raised her feather with a delicate gesture, without needing to say the incantation aloud. She restrained herself from showing she could do it without a wand as well… she'd save that for later, when it could earn her even more points.
Harry watched her with a smile that mixed amusement and admiration. He lifted his feather the traditional way, with a flawless "Wingardium Leviosa." After all, he had come to learn normal magic.
"Marvelous! Truly marvelous! Without even saying the word," Flitwick exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement as he climbed onto his stack of books to get a better look. "Five points for Ravenclaw… and four for Mr. Potter, for mastering the charm on his first try."
Draco and Daphne, who had spent more time on Occlumency, etiquette, and alchemy than practicing trivial levitation, managed to make their feathers float a second later. Even so, they received the professor's warm applause.
—
Meanwhile, in Flourish and Blotts, Wanda was sitting behind the counter with an open book she wasn't reading, serving customers with motions so automatic she looked like an enchanted statue. Every time someone approached, she slid their purchases across and took payment without even lifting her gaze, as if her mind were somewhere far away.
Not far off, Liz appeared with a soft pop, holding Susan by the arm, who seemed to have insisted on coming along.
"Thank you, Liz," Susan said with a kind smile as Liz let go of her, waved briefly, and vanished again in a silver shimmer.
Susan watched her friend for a moment before approaching slowly.
"Thinking about your little cub, aren't you?" she asked gently, trying to sound understanding.
Wanda lifted her eyes slowly and nodded, not even bothering to pretend indifference.
"He's never been away from me for this long," she murmured, her voice carrying a faint tremor that didn't go unnoticed.
"You know… it's only been two days, right?" Susan said, trying to suppress a nervous laugh that betrayed she wasn't entirely calm herself. "But well… I can't say much either. I miss Mione too." She sighed with a touch of resignation and ran a hand through her hair.
"It's a pity we don't live in Hogsmeade… we could peek in a little… even if it was just with binoculars," she added in a guilty whisper.
Wanda turned her face, and Susan immediately recognized that look: the one that meant her friend was seriously considering doing exactly that.
"Don't you dare!" Susan exclaimed, raising a finger in theatrical warning. "We are not going to apparate to Hogsmeade just to try spying through the castle gates like a pair of lunatics. Can you imagine McGonagall's face if she caught us crouching in the bushes?"
Wanda arched an eyebrow but said nothing, and her silence was all the answer Susan needed.
"Well… if something happens, you can always… I don't know… rip the roof off the school and rescue Harry yourself," she said, trying to sound lighthearted, though her voice quivered a little. "And you could grab Mione under your other arm, so she doesn't say we forgot her."
"But in the meantime… you should give them a little space. You can't hover over their heads all the time… or they'll never learn how to be on their own. Harry… and Hermione too… need a little air. Some freedom."
"They say it's the safest school in Europe," she added, as if repeating a mantra she didn't quite believe. "You have to trust a bit… they won't let anything happen to the children."
Wanda narrowed her eyes with a somber expression.
"I've known places considered the safest in the world… and I watched them explode. Twice," she said with absolute calm, as if she were talking about some minor domestic inconvenience.
Susan pressed a hand to her chest, as if she needed to catch her breath.
"Yes… if they're in trouble, they'll know how to call us. And I'll go immediately to protect them," Wanda murmured, her gaze distant and carrying a hint of sadness. "But it's harder than it sounds. Since Harry came to live with me… we've never been apart for more than a few hours."
"If only there were telephones in the wizarding world… we could call them every day," Susan sighed. "Instead of using those silly owls that think they have the right to peck you if you're slow to answer."
"There are two-way mirrors, which can connect across long distances," interrupted a male voice behind her.
"Ah—you scared me!" Susan exclaimed, pressing a hand to her chest as she looked at him with feigned reproach.
Wanda didn't even turn around; she had already felt Sirius approaching but had deliberately ignored him.
"What are you doing here?" Susan asked, trying to regain her composure.
"Wolfsbane potion. I need the recipe for Lupin. I thought the Potters might have it, so I came to ask Wanda if she could look in the family records. The Ministry moves slower than a drunk snail, and I remembered that when we were kids, Euphemia told us the Potter ancestors had researched it… but, of course, we were arrogant brats and preferred to become Animagi instead of paying attention," Sirius explained, folding his arms. "And I need the caretaker's permission to enter the manor."
"You can go," Wanda granted in a serious tone, her gaze unwavering. "But first, tell me more about that mirror."
"The two-way mirror is a very old and extremely rare object. Two identical mirrors, connected to each other. You can talk to someone instantly, even if they're hundreds of miles away," Sirius explained, as if reciting from a catalog. "I have a pair. Found them rummaging through the junk at the Black house."
"Give them to me… and I'll cure Lupin," Wanda replied without hesitation.
"What?" Sirius stammered, bewildered. "You… you can cure him? Make him stop being a werewolf?"
"Surely it's easier than stripping a wizard of his magic," Wanda said with utter tranquility, as if she were talking about fixing a piece of furniture.
"Wait… you can do that too?" Sirius asked, taking two steps back, his eyes wide.
"Do you want the trade or not?" Wanda insisted with a faint note of impatience.
"Of course… of course. Let me fetch the mirrors… and Lupin," Sirius agreed, finally turning serious.