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It was Sunday afternoon, and the rain was pouring heavily. All the witches and wizards present at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters were hurriedly bidding farewell to their children and guiding them into the train to protect them from the heavy downpour.
Ginny had taken her wand and held it above her head like an umbrella, her boots were soaked. After hugging Lily one last time, she ushered the children inside the train. The sound of the train whistle brought her attention back to the moment. In a few months, she would not see her children, and the thought made her heart tighten. She waited until the train began to move, waving goodbye to them. Afterward, she turned and made her way home.
Hurrying, Arya entered the train, shook the rain off her coat, and tidied her hair before heading down the aisle with the children. The sound of the train whistle filled the air, but it was subdued by the noise of the rain in London and the chatter of the children on board. A few minutes later, the Gryffindors entered a compartment and bid farewell to the others. It was hard for Arya to separate, as she had gotten used to their presence during the two-week Christmas break.
Arya opened a compartment door, and inside, Rosetta Smith was sitting and reading a newspaper. Arya had recently learned that she spoke to her frogs!
Scorpius politely asked:
"Is it okay if we sit here, Rosetta?"
Rosetta smiled and replied:
"Sure, no problem!"
The three of them entered the compartment. The air was slowly growing darker, and light rain splattered against the windows of the old train. Arya sat next to Rosetta, curiously staring at her frogs, but Rosetta paid her no attention, absorbed in the page of the newspaper.
Arya asked:
"How was your Christmas?"
Rosetta smiled and replied:
"It was great. My sister and I tried several different ways to talk to creatures!"
They all looked at Rosetta in surprise. However, Arya's attention was drawn to the newspaper in Rosetta's hands.
"Can I see it?"
Rosetta handed the paper to Arya and said:
"Here, it's today's edition. The sports league results are on the last page."
But Arya was more focused on the front page of the newspaper. The headline read: "International Cooperation Between Ministry and Macuza."
A middle-aged man in a black robe was shaking hands with the head of the international cooperation department of the Ministry. His grey eyes were as always, impenetrable. Arya said in disbelief:
"That's my father!"
The children all leaned over the newspaper to get a closer look. Mr. Calderon-Boot, with his leather gloves, was shaking Frank Libson's hand and didn't seem very happy about it. Several other wizards were standing in a formal manner, not even smiling.
Arya muttered:
"At least he has time to take a photo."
A brief silence followed. Scorpius carefully read the article and then said:
"It doesn't mention what kind of cooperation is happening here."
Albus added:
"Yeah, it's probably just for publicity. The Ministry never directly talks about what they're doing!"
Scorpius nodded in agreement. Arya took the newspaper back and continued reading.
The children remained silent until they arrived at Hogwarts, except for a faint whisper from Rosetta speaking to her frogs.
About two weeks had passed since Christmas, and Arya had buried herself in a sea of lessons and Quidditch practices. She stayed up late into the night, waking up earlier than anyone in the morning, trying to balance her time between the library and the Quidditch pitch. She rarely saw the boys, and whenever she would enter the Slytherin common room after studying, they were already asleep.
Since returning to Hogwarts, the atmosphere had been calm. No one was talking about the creature they had escaped from, and the professors seemed even stricter and more serious than usual.
That morning, when Arya entered the library, she saw Scorpius writing his assignments. The scent of paper filled the air as he focused on his work.
She sat down across from him and began to unpack her own homework. Scorpius greeted her:
"Hey, how are you?"
Arya gave a forced smile and responded:
"I'm good."
But it was obvious she wasn't. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, and she looked like she hadn't been getting enough sleep. She rested her hand on her forehead, trying to organize her thoughts.
Scorpius noticed and asked:
"You don't look so good. Why are you pushing yourself so hard?"
Arya replied quietly:
"Last term, I wasted so much time on those stupid creatures, and now with the Quidditch practices, I can't seem to manage both."
Then, she quickly returned to her notes, but after a few moments, she asked:
"Where else do they use Graphorn Horn powder, apart from in the 'Memory' potion?"
Scorpius thought for a moment and then answered:
"I think it's also used to treat internal wounds."
Arya smiled faintly and said:
"Right, I had forgotten. Thanks."
She resumed her writing. Scorpius wanted to say something more, but Arya looked too focused. After a few minutes, he carefully asked:
"By the way, those Christmas books you left with me… Do you mind if I read them? I've already started reading a bit of Magical Creatures and I'm really getting into it."
She smiled at him and said, "Of course, you can borrow them. Just make sure you return them before the exams so I can check them out."
Scorpius grinned and added:
"And if you need help with your assignments during Quidditch practice, you can count on me."
Arya nodded but said:
"Thanks, but I need to learn on my own."
She opened her Herbology book and continued reading. For the next half hour, neither of them spoke, completely absorbed in their work. The clock hands moved quickly, and they were so deep in their thoughts that they barely noticed the passage of time.
"I think Potion Making should have started by now," Arya said suddenly.
Scorpius looked at her and said:
"You're right. Let's go."
They quickly packed up their things and rushed down the hallways. They were out of breath when they arrived at the class, just as Professor Salavar began the lesson. He looked at them with the same calm demeanor and said:
"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Calderon-Boot, glad you could join us. Fortunately, we haven't started on the interesting part of the lesson yet."
Arya and Scorpius entered the class. The Potions class, as always, was humid and filled with steam from the cauldrons. The smell of various ingredients filled the air, and the color of the potions changed moment by moment. Professor Salavar stood in the middle of the class, answering questions with his usual smile and humility. Arya tried to make her way through the foggy space and find Albus. Eventually, she found him at the end of the third row and sat next to him.
Albus quietly asked, "Where have you two been?"
They both answered at the same time: "The library!"
They turned their attention to Professor Salavar, who had adopted a completely serious expression. Salavar raised the glass tube he held, which contained a red liquid resembling blood. He then began to speak:
"Does anyone know what this liquid is?"
The students looked at each other. No one raised their hand. Professor Salavar continued:
"This is the venom of a Shahlula, a delicate creature that lives in the sea. Today, we are going to use it in the 'Fake Death' potion. Does anyone know anything about this potion?"
Scorpius and a Ravenclaw girl raised their hands. Salavar gestured to the girl and said:
"Yes, Miss Collins."
The girl spoke with a clear, strong voice:
"The Fake Death potion is a potion that makes the body appear dead. It stops all physical signs of life, such as breathing and heartbeat, and usually, after three or four days, it returns to its normal state. Of course, with the antidote, the person can be brought back to life."
Salavar smiled, and a slight wrinkle appeared on his forehead. He then said:
"Yes, that's completely correct, Miss Collins. Five points for Ravenclaw!"
He then continued:
"This potion is dangerous and has limited use. However, since at least one question about it always appears in exams, I prefer you make the potion correctly. Just be careful, because we worked hard to get permission to use the Shahlula venom. Make sure to use it properly and don't waste it. Now, start!"
Arya took the vial containing the Shahlula venom and tried to pour it into an empty container, but the venom was sticky and clung to the glass like a clot of blood. So, she decided to heat it up a bit. She placed the glass over the flame and waited for the venom to liquefy. During this time, she added the other ingredients one by one: unicorn hair and cloves, whose fragrant smell filled the air. She stirred it, and the potion turned a clear blue.
As she was chopping lavender buds, she saw Salavar coming towards them. He was peering into nearly every cauldron, offering advice to the students. As he inspected the potions with his piercing eyes, his usual smile was gone. Instead, they saw a strict, no-nonsense professor whose sharp gaze missed even the smallest detail.
As he continued, he said:
"Miss Smith, I think you added too many cloves. I wrote down five in the instructions!"
"Potter, very good!"
"Yours is good too, Caldorn, but make sure you add the buds faster, or it might foam."
Then, he turned to the rest of the class and said:
"This potion was usually used in wars. Injured soldiers would drink it to appear dead, so the enemy wouldn't bother them. After a few days, they would come back to life, unless they were eaten by creatures in the meantime. Unfortunately, this potion is very risky," and he chuckled.
Once the potion-making was finished, they handed in their cauldrons one by one. Arya was pleased because she had made significant progress in potion-making, and she credited this to her late-night studies.
When Arya and Albus exited the steamy room, Arya asked:
"Where are you going now?"
Albus replied:
"We're going outside. We have Care of Magical Creatures next."
Scorpius joined them, looking slightly flushed but cheerful.
Arya said, "Why are you always the last one to leave?"
"I'm really careful in potion making, and I don't take it lightly. Anyway, Salavar was happy with me, and he gave five points to Slytherin!"
They all smiled as they made their way out of the classroom. When they reached the entrance hall, Arya waved them off to go to her Ancient Magic class.
When she reached the northern tower, the hallway was quiet. Arya loved the view from the northern tower windows, which overlooked much of Hogwarts and even the Black Lake.
She entered the Ancient Magic class. As always, Professor Spencer was sitting at her desk, calmly writing something. She looked up and smiled at Arya.
"You're early, Arya."
"Yes, Professor, I wanted to study a bit before the others arrived," Arya said, taking her usual seat.
Professor Spencer continued organizing her papers and then said to Arya:
"By the way, I found that tracking charm you were looking for," she said with a smile.
"It's a really difficult charm, though."
Arya stepped closer and took the paper from her hand. The runes were so complex they were barely legible.
Professor Spencer gave her a faint smile and said:
"Remember last time I told you these charms were too difficult and I didn't think you could cast them?"
Arya nodded in agreement.
Spencer looked at her. Her beautiful blue eyes now carried a hint of sorrow.
"Well, I've come to realize that was the wrong thing to say. There was a time when people told me I couldn't do things either. My world was full of 'you can'ts.' But I practiced so much that by the age of seventeen, I could perform spells that no one even thought possible."
She glanced at Arya's astonished face, then continued:
"I want to tell you—never give up. You can cast this spell. Just keep trying. Try until you can."
This time, the sadness in her eyes was replaced with determination.
Arya, clearly moved, gave a faint smile and said:
"Thank you, Professor. I'll do my best."
Arya admired this woman deeply. At such a young age, she had become the professor of one of the most difficult subjects at Hogwarts. She had incredible skill in Ancient Runes and possessed a remarkable gift for persuasion—so much so that even the most difficult lessons became understandable through her explanations. Arya had always thought of her as a determined and calm individual, but that day, she realized that the professor also had a sad and troubled side.
When Arya returned to the dungeons, most students were already heading to their dormitories. The common room was gradually emptying, and the fire in the fireplace was dying down.
Arya said goodnight to the boys and climbed the stairs. When she entered her room, she changed into her nightclothes and lay down on her bed. All in all, it had been a good day. She was especially happy because, for the past few days, she hadn't woken up with any phoenix feathers in her bed—something that hadn't even happened during her stay at the Potters' house.
She tossed and turned a little in bed, but was so tired that her eyes soon grew heavy, and she easily drifted off to sleep.
In the boys' dormitory next door, nearly everyone had fallen into a peaceful sleep—except Albus. In the darkness of the room, he had lit his wand and was holding it over the Marauder's Map, trying to track something suspicious. He found it fascinating to monitor the movements of the school's staff and teachers and regretted not having taken this treasure from James earlier.
As he was studying the parchment, something in Professor McGonagall's office caught his attention. She wasn't alone, as she usually was. Someone was with her—someone who kept pacing from one end of the office to the other. Albus squinted at the map, trying to read the name. He stared at it in shock. There, clearly visible on the map, was the name:
Elliot Caldorn-Boot.
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