The Mirror Council
"With this, today's lesson comes to an end. I hope you've all understood that, while the magical world may seem like a fantasy come true, it still hides far too many dangers for those who aren't prepared. That doesn't mean you should live in fear all the time, only that you should always have a backup plan," said Dominic with a serene smile as he concluded the lesson.
It had been a class full of excitement and practice. The students had not only learned some attack and defense spells, but also how simple charms, in the right circumstances, could make the difference in a real fight. Dominic had shown this with clarity, confirming what was already evident: he was the ideal professor for the subject.
The students left the classroom smiling and enthusiastic. On just the first day they had already learned so much, which only raised their expectations for the rest of the year.
Harry and his friends left with cheerful chatter, while Wanda stayed behind. She had to help Professor Grey deliver the dangerous creature to the staff room, where an investigator from the French Ministry was waiting. That lethifold would be used to study weaknesses and secrets—a rare prize that Dominic had managed to capture alive.
This had earned him immediate recognition. The Ministry had even tried to award him a medal of valor, though Dominic had postponed it, preferring instead to first show his students the real danger of such creatures. That decision had only increased his prestige further.
"Thank you very much, Professor Maximoff. How about, as a token of appreciation, I invite you for a cup of coffee? It would be a pleasure to get to know each other better. After all, we could say we're both the new professors at this school," Dominic said with a cordial smile.
"I'm sorry, but I have an important meeting with family and friends," Wanda replied calmly, returning the smile. As she spoke, she subtly moved her hand: the lethifold inside the briefcase was bound by several red chains that would be difficult to break, and then the case floated neatly to her side. Without another word, she began to walk toward the exit, showing she was in a hurry.
"Then another time," Dominic said without losing composure. He followed her at a respectful distance, close enough for her to hear, but without pressing or disturbing her.
She didn't respond. Dominic didn't seem bothered either, simply continuing at his own pace. Even so, the two young professors walking side by side down the corridors drew the attention of many students. Two attractive wizards together didn't go unnoticed; it was a sight worth admiring.
…
Wanda handed the lethifold over to the Ministry envoys without stopping to listen to the praise they showered upon Dominic or the enthusiastic remarks of the other professors. On his very first day, the man had already elevated the school's prestige, and he didn't seem to care about the attention it brought.
She, on the other hand, chose to return to her office. Closing the door behind her, she walked up to the large square mirror embedded in the wall and gently touched her reflection with her fingertips. The glass rippled like a wave, shifting for a moment before splitting into multiple squares of equal size.
One by one, several faces appeared in them.
Susan, sitting on a sofa, munched popcorn like someone enjoying a movie night. Wendel, on the other hand, was in his dental practice; despite having plenty of money now, he refused to abandon his profession. Selene was resting elegantly in her mansion's sitting room, sipping tea. Edward sat in an office piled with documents and seals, signing without pause, a massive window behind him revealing an imposing cityscape.
In another square, Pandora and Xenophilius appeared, sitting comfortably in their home. Narcissa was outdoors, with a vast field behind her and workers carefully measuring the land. Sirius, buried under mountains of paperwork, pretended to be working while Lupin, dressed in an elegant suit, watched him with clear annoyance. Someone entered to leave even more papers, and Lupin's expression said everything.
And, in the last square, there was Alice Longbottom. She looked nervous, seated in what appeared to be a hospital room. Behind her, a figure wrapped head-to-toe in bandages lay silently.
"Oh, Wanda, did you finish your work today at the French magic school? Why don't you join me for a movie? I'm completely abandoned here," Susan complained immediately, shooting Wanda a pleading look while popping a handful of popcorn into her mouth.
Wendel barely lifted his eyes from his anesthetized patient, confirming he couldn't hear a thing, and returned to his work.
"I still have classes to teach," Wanda replied calmly, her words softened by a gentle smile.
"What a shame," Susan sighed, and then she noticed the presence of the newcomer. "And who's the nervous little one?" she asked curiously.
"My, Alice… it's been a long time," Pandora chimed in with a kind smile.
"H-hello," Alice murmured, lifting her hand in a timid wave. It was difficult for her to be there; years had passed since she had last spoken with so many people. On top of that, she knew well the level of power and influence now held by some of those present. The Longbottom family, though equally ancient and pure-blooded, had fallen behind in comparison. Now that she was back, her husband worked day and night to restore some of their former glory, while her elderly mother-in-law, who had borne too many responsibilities since the tragedy, could finally take a rest.
"Longbottom, eh? It's been a while. You look better," Selene remarked in a calm voice. She also knew Alice, though they had never been close. In their Hogwarts days, the rivalry between Slytherins and Gryffindors made any bond impossible; at best, they simply ignored one another.
Only rare exceptions, like Selene and Sirius—childhood rivals who kept crossing paths—broke that rule.
Narcissa gave Alice a brief glance and immediately lost interest. Edward raised his eyes for just a second from his papers before returning to them. Sirius, buried under documents, tried to act distracted, but when he heard the familiar surname, his head snapped up. Even Lupin leaned closer to the mirror to get a better look.
"Oh, Alice, are you feeling better? How's Frank?" asked Sirius with genuine joy at seeing his old colleague. He knew Wanda had helped in their recovery, but until now he hadn't had the chance to visit them. Augusta, tireless as ever, had taken them from place to place for every kind of test to confirm their condition, and afterward came the turn of a magical psychologist, necessary to help them adapt once again to the real world.
"Hello, Alice, it's good to see you well," said Lupin with a warm smile. Though he was officially the designated president of the Black company, Sirius often had to handle documents or important connections. Of course, Sirius tended to slip away, leaving all the work to him. That day, tired of carrying the responsibility alone, Lupin had forced him to sit down and face the paperwork. Not without a touch of mischief, he had even asked the secretary to create extra copies, just to bury Sirius under a mountain of documents as punishment.
"Hello, it's good to see you both as well. Frank is fine, just a little busy," replied Alice with a nostalgic smile. She noticed that the two of them looked older than the last time she had seen them. She knew what had happened to Sirius but avoided bringing it up. More than anyone, she understood what it meant to be locked away in a dark place, unable to leave.
"What did you call us for?" interrupted Narcissa coldly, unwilling to sit through a sentimental reunion. She had too many matters to attend to.
"Basically, it's to ask permission for something important that concerns your children. And also to give you some pictures I took," explained Wanda with a calm smile, pulling out a small bundle of photographs and showing them to everyone.
At once, the faces in the mirrors leaned forward expectantly, their eyes locking onto the images Wanda held.
The main one showed all the children transformed into babies, dressed in animal costumes.
Harry was a little piglet, his face sporting a mischievous, almost mocking grin toward his friends. Draco had an expression of wounded pride, dressed as a sheep. Hermione covered her face with her tiny hands, unable to endure the embarrassment of her goat costume. Daphne, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy it: she posed with a charming smile dressed as a bunny. Luna wore a peculiar outfit, disguised as a little tree, and in her hand she cheerfully held a bowtruckle as if trying to match it. Beside her, Astoria wore a tender puppy costume with floppy ears, gazing at the same bowtruckle with fascination. Neville was dressed as a frog, eyes wide and bewildered, as if he had no idea what was happening.
Two more students also appeared in the picture: Fleur, dressed as a panda, mouth open in surprise, and Luciel, dressed as a lion, scratching his head in resignation. After all, he had spent an entire day in school dressed as a dog, trailing after Harry… so this wasn't anything new. The only difference now was that, thanks to magic, he had been turned into a baby.
"How adorable!" exclaimed Selene, standing up so suddenly that she dropped her teacup. Before it hit the ground, her house-elf Laki caught it midair and set it back on the table with a flick of magic.
Even Edward set his quill aside to look at the photo more closely.
"You took a lot. Send them right now," said Susan eagerly, anxious to receive them.
Pandora's eyes widened with overflowing excitement, while Xenophilius beamed at the sight of little Luna.
"A sheep?" said Narcissa, eyeing her son. "You should have given him a wolf costume. It would suit him better." Even so, she couldn't hide the softening in her expression as she looked at him.
"I took several with different costumes," explained Wanda serenely.
Smiles spread all around.
"Pff…" Sirius struggled not to burst out laughing, imagining his godson's face at ending up like that. "Send me some too. They'll come in handy when I forget who his godfather is," he added mischievously.
"I think that's exactly why Harry is still annoyed with you," replied Lupin with a sigh, shaking his head.
"Ah… could I have some copies with Neville, please?" Alice asked timidly, raising her hand.
"Of course," answered Wanda. She gave her hand a light wave and all the photos glowed with a red shimmer before vanishing and reappearing directly in front of each of the participants.
They all took them eagerly and began to look at them with tenderness. The little ones looked so adorable that, for an instant, every worry seemed to vanish.
"Hmm… these two little ones look familiar to me," Selene remarked, focusing on Fleur and Luciel.
Edward studied the photos carefully before speaking: "Apollines's daughter… and her sister's son." The last part he said in a different tone, as if that detail carried particular weight. He remembered dealing with the Delacour family in some business matters and recognized them well.
"Are you talking about that man's son?" Selene asked, raising her gaze in surprise. Her eyes, for an instant, grew sad as they lingered on the boy.
"Delacour," murmured Narcissa, as if she too understood the implication.
"Eh… what's going on?" asked Sirius, confused.
"He's a child with a complicated history. His father was a French dark wizard, comparable in cruelty to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. But it's better to leave it at that," Selene explained gravely, closing the matter. She then turned her gaze toward Wanda. "What was it you wanted to talk to us about?"
"Well… basically it's about the danger they might face this year. And about their growth," Wanda replied, setting aside any lightness. Her gaze turned serious as she looked at them all.
After all, she herself had said she wouldn't interfere in the children's adventure. The competition was over, yes, but she also understood they needed to grow, to learn, and not to live forever inside a bubble. And, of course, before any decision, she had to ask permission from their parents.
"Sometimes I wish I could keep them safe forever, far from any danger… but I know that if I do, they will never learn to fly on their own."