When Soren reached Hagrid's hut with Glimmer and his fairy fluttering beside him, Hagrid was pacing nervously outside, wringing his hands.
"Soren! Yeh're finally here," he said, relief washing over his face. "Yeh won't believe what happened… I seen Snape lurkin' around me hut."
Soren tensed. "He actually started hunting them for fairy wings?"
"Aye…" Hagrid sighed. "Which is why I began relocatin' the fairies early. I managed teh move nearly all of 'em safely."
"That's great!" Soren said—until Hagrid continued.
"But then Professor Snape came…"
"Oh no…" Soren muttered.
Hagrid nodded miserably. "Aye. The last fairy got so startled by Snape's appearance that it flew off toward the castle!"
Soren blinked. "Straight toward the castle?"
Hagrid spread his arms helplessly. "So will yeh help me find the missin' one before Professor Snape does? It headed in this direction from me hut."
"Of course, Hagrid," Soren said. "We'll look around. I'm sure we'll find it before Snape does."
---
They searched the Training Grounds thoroughly.
Behind the broom shed.
Around the trees.
Even among the practice dummies.
But there was no sign of the missing fairy.
Hagrid scratched his beard. "It came this way for sure… but I don' see any signs of a fairy. 'Cept for yer own, o' course."
Just then, Penny, Cassie, and Jacqueline arrived, walking briskly toward them.
Penny overheard the last part and frowned. "Did you say you're looking for a fairy?"
"Yes!" Soren said quickly. "Did you see it, Penny?"
She nodded. "Actually… yes. In the Potions Classroom. Though it was such an odd sight, I thought I was imagining things."
Hagrid's face drained of color.
"Oh no… Professor Snape'll find it fer sure!"
Soren stepped closer, urgency rising. "Penny, I promised Hagrid I'd help make sure Snape doesn't get that fairy's wings."
"I need your help."
Penny held his gaze for a second, then nodded slowly.
"Well… if you're asking, how can I say no?" she said with a soft smile. "I'll help you rescue the fairy and get it out."
She added honestly, "I personally don't see the harm in collecting fairy wings for potions—since they grow back—but… this is clearly important to you and Hagrid. So I'm willing to lend a hand."
Cassie stepped forward confidently. "Count me in. We'll get that fairy out before Snape ever knows."
Jacqueline nodded firmly. "We'll back you up, Soren. No matter what."
Soren felt a rush of relief.
"Thank you. All of you."
---
Soren looked toward the castle.
"Alright… Penny, Cassie, Jacqueline — you three go to the Potions Classroom and rescue the fairy."
"And I'll distract Snape."
Hagrid clapped a huge hand on Soren's shoulder. "Yer a good lad, Soren. A real good lad."
Soren tightened his grip on his wand.
"Let's save that fairy."
---
The heavy wooden door creaked open as Soren, Cassie, Penny, and Jacqueline quietly stepped into the Potions Classroom.
Professor Snape stood at the front table, wand in one hand, stirring a cauldron with elegant precision. The room smelled of mint, metal, and something vaguely burning.
He didn't look up when he spoke.
"Why… are there four of you in my classroom after hours?"
Penny stepped forward instantly—her acting surprisingly flawless.
"Professor Snape," she said, slightly breathless, "I—I think I left my quill here earlier. It was a gift from my mum, and it means a great deal to me. I was hoping I could search for it."
Snape lifted his eyes at her. His expression softened only a fraction.
"A sentimental quill," he murmured. "Very well. You may look for it. I would rather not be accused of misplacing students' treasured possessions."
Then his attention shifted, sharp and cold, to Soren, Cassie, and Jacqueline.
"And what," he asked slowly, "are you three doing here?"
Soren answered smoothly before the girls panicked.
"We… had some personal questions about potions, sir."
Snape narrowed his eyes.
"Questions," he repeated, unimpressed. "About potions."
"Yes, sir."
"We had several," Cassie added quickly.
"Important ones," Jacqueline finished.
Snape pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Very well. Ask. But do not waste my time."
---
While Snape reluctantly allowed Penny to "search," she slipped toward the storage shelves.
The tiny fairy, hidden between Penny's hands, peeked out and buzzed quietly.
Penny whispered to it, "Stay quiet. We'll get you out soon."
Meanwhile Soren launched into the most ridiculous potion questions ever asked at Hogwarts.
"Professor," he began seriously, "is it possible to brew a potion backwards? Like… start from the antidote and end with the poison?"
Snape blinked.
"No, Mr. Whitlock. That is not how linear causality or chemical transmutation works."
Cassie jumped in.
"And professor, if I accidentally dropped a chocolate frog into a cauldron, would it enhance the flavor or blow up the school?"
Snape stared at her.
"…Neither. It would simply melt."
Jacqueline raised her hand politely.
"Sir, hypothetically, if someone added frog spawn to a Beautification Potion, would it make the user more beautiful or more froggy?"
Snape's eyebrow twitched with visible pain.
"Miss Grenger, kindly refrain from describing potions as though they are children's toys."
Soren nodded solemnly.
"Of course, professor. And one more question, if a fairy willingly sheds a wing, is it considered fresher than a plucked one for potion use?"
Snape suddenly looked very interested.
"Why," he said slowly, "are you asking that?"
Soren froze.
Cassie jumped in again, blurting, "Because! We were curious about, uh… ethical sourcing."
Jacqueline nodded rapidly. "Yes. Ethical potion ingredients. Very important."
Snape stared at them so long Soren wondered if they were about to die.
---
Behind Snape's back, Penny crouched near a shelf of flobberworm mucus jars.
She whispered, "Okay, little fairy—you must keep quiet."
The fairy buzzed once, glowing faintly with excitement.
"Shh!" Penny whispered.
The fairy didn't listen.
It flew up—
Directly over Snape's head.
Penny silently panicked.
Cassie noticed and nearly fainted.
Jacqueline stared in horror.
Soren's soul briefly left his body.
The fairy hovered above Snape like a sparkling halo.
Snape sensed something and slowly looked upward—
Just as Penny dove forward and grabbed the fairy mid-air, shoving it under her robe.
Snape turned around.
"Miss Haywood," he said dangerously, "did you find your quill?"
Penny smiled, stiff as a statue.
"Yes, professor!"
"…Where?"
"Uh—in my pocket."
Snape stared at her pocket.
The fairy buzzed inside it.
Penny coughed loudly to cover the noise.
Soren jumped in before Snape asked anything else.
"Thank you for your time, professor. We won't bother you further."
Cassie nodded rapidly. Jacqueline began pushing all of them toward the door.
Snape exhaled slowly, tired of them all.
"Get out," he said.
They didn't wait to be told twice.
---
The moment the door closed behind them, Penny let out the breath she'd been holding.
"We did it," she whispered.
Jacqueline clutched her chest. "I think my soul evaporated when that fairy flew up."
Cassie nodded shakily. "I thought we were about to get buried alive under Snape's classroom floor."
Soren grinned.
"And we saved the fairy."
The fairy peeked out of Penny's robe and buzzed gratefully.
---
Soren, Penny, Cassie, and Jacqueline hurried back to Hagrid's hut, the rescued fairy fluttering gleefully in Penny's hands.
Hagrid spotted them coming and rushed forward, relief washing over his face.
"Yeh found it! Soren—thank yeh. I've been worryin' meself sick."
Soren smiled, "Yes, but I couldn't have done it without my friends… and my fairy."
Jacqueline gently lifted the rescued fairy so Hagrid could see it clearly.
Penny added, "It wasn't easy. It almost flew right into Snape's face."
Soren laughed. "Well, now Professor Snape will have to get his fairy wings at the apothecary like everyone else."
Hagrid let out a loud, booming laugh.
"Sounds like yeh've got yerself a good friend an' a fine fairy, Soren."
Soren nodded proudly, his fairy landing on his shoulder and glowing softly.
---
Together, they walked into the forest section of the Magical Creatures Reserve.
Fireflies drifted lazily between the trees, illuminating a peaceful clearing where dozens of fairies were already fluttering around.
Hagrid let out a long breath.
"Yeh don't know how much o' a relief this is. I've been pacin' 'round me hut all day with worry. Now I can rest easy knowin' all the fairies from me garden can live without fear o' losin' their wings."
Cassie folded her arms thoughtfully.
"But will the fairies really be happy here? They lived in your garden their whole lives."
Jacqueline nodded in agreement.
"What if they would've been happier in the garden without wings than here with them?"
Hagrid scratched his beard.
"I suppose we'll just have teh release this last one an' see fer ourselves."
Penny gently opened her hands.
The fairy burst upward in a swirl of glittering light, and instantly, the other fairies flocked toward it, glowing in excitement as they circled around their missing friend.
The rescued fairy chirped happily, joining them.
Soren smiled.
"I'm going to take that as a sign that your fairies are going to be very happy here, Hagrid."
"Aye," Hagrid said softly. "Looks like they fit right in."
Hagrid then looked at Soren with genuine wonder.
"Still amazes me how close yeh are with yer fairy. It listens to yeh better than me own."
Soren scratched the little fairy's head gently.
"It's lived with me since childhood," he admitted. "It understands me."
His fairy nodded proudly and rubbed its tiny cheek affectionately against Soren's.
Cassie's eyes sparkled. "That's adorable."
Jacqueline grinned. "The fairy might love Soren more than his Niffler does."
Penny laughed softly. "That's actually impressive."
Hagrid folded his massive arms, smiling warmly.
"Well, Soren… next time magical creatures are in trouble, I know exactly who I'm comin' to. Yeh've got a real gift."
Soren felt warmth in his chest at the compliment.
The fairies danced in glowing spirals above them, reunited and safe.
Hagrid stood proudly.
Penny, Cassie, and Jacqueline shared the moment with bright smiles.
Soren's fairy perched on his shoulder, humming happily.
And for the first time since he started Hogwarts—
Soren felt that Elara would be proud.