Chương 45: Chapter 44 - Lakeshore. 

[Chapter Size: 3400 Words.] 

Third Person POV 

Hogwarts. 

... 

... 

"Okay, that was really weird." Roberta broke the silence that had settled over the group after they left the kitchen. 

Everyone's eyes were on Severus, who remained silent for a moment before looking at the three girls staring at him. 

"Okay, I wasn't expecting that to happen." He muttered. 

"You literally started a house-elf rebellion in Hogwarts and didn't expect that to happen?" Iris stared at him with her arms crossed, her expression full of questions. 

The truth was that, after classifying the house-elves as magical animals, Severus had simply used his consciousness and his warg abilities to try to connect with them. 

Except he overdid it. The problem was that, when he tried to connect with all of them at the same time, the house-elves immediately turned their attention toward him, frightening even his three companions. 

The worst part came afterward. Severus felt that he was completely altering the house-elves' magical contracts through that connection and sensed magic reacting. 

They simply began to change. Until the first one knelt before the table while the others gathered around him. 

"Master! Master! You are the new master!" they began to shout. 

Severus had no idea how that had happened. He had never imagined that his warg abilities could destroy an existing magical contract and reform it. 

Although, in theory, it made sense. After all, he possessed the ability to create bonds. But that only proved that his innate abilities were more powerful than the magical contracts made by the house-elves. 

He doubted that any warg, even his children, descendants, or the best-trained ones from his former world, would be capable of doing something similar. 

But Severus had simply bulldozed through the contracts. They shattered like glass the instant his consciousness came into contact with them. 

For someone capable of controlling animals thousands of kilometers away and establishing virtually limitless connections, stealing Hogwarts' house-elves had not been that difficult. 

Even so, he was worried. That would certainly attract far too much attention. Especially the Headmaster's attention. He now had more than two hundred castle house-elves under his command. 

Which, in a way, granted him enormous influence over practically the entire castle. That was why his only order had been simple. 

He told them to continue doing exactly what they had always done at Hogwarts. He also ordered them to continue obeying the Headmaster. 

If he ever needed them, he would call for them personally. But he intended to avoid doing that. 

As for Iris, Roberta, and Heloisa, the situation was completely different. The girls simply stared at him as if he were an alien. 

Severus merely sighed as he tried to find some way not to cause even more problems than he already had. In any case, they had said they would not ask questions at that moment. 

So the group headed outside the castle. 

Severus wanted to go to the Black Lake before the start of the afternoon Transfiguration class. Several students were enjoying the sunlight outside. 

"Hey, Scamander!" A group of Ravenclaw students walked by greeting Iris as she waved back. 

"So, Heloisa. Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Severus lightly tapped the back of Heloisa's head. 

"Nothing much. I'll tell you later." She said. 

Severus nodded, since she didn't want to open up in front of the other girls. At least she seemed willing to talk to him later. 

"Are you feeling down about something? Don't worry, you're with two Hufflepuffs!" They tried to cheer the girl up. 

Heloisa smiled. She had already improved quite a bit since they arrived at the kitchen. 

"Let me ask you something. What do you plan to do with all those elves?" Roberta couldn't help but ask as they walked. 

They had finally left the gate and were crossing the bridge at the back of the castle. 

Severus thought for a few moments. "I don't know. I'll just let things happen. It's good to know that, if I need something specific, I can ask for it." 

"Did you hear that, Iris? Looks like we already have someone to turn to if we ever need a house-elf." Roberta started laughing. 

"Don't abuse it." Severus showed a small smile. 

As they walked across the bridge, he continued reflecting on a few things. Students were standing around chatting everywhere as they passed by. 

Some greeted Scamander and Roberta. Others looked at Severus curiously. 

It was strange. At fifteen or sixteen namedays in that world, he had been a king. In his other life, he had needed to take care of an entire kingdom, deal with logistical, military, and political matters, manage a court full of nobles who could be as grumpy as goblins and, in some cases, even more irritating. He had a family, wives, and children. 

But here... Here, at almost sixteen years old, he could be someone ordinary. Well, not exactly ordinary. He would probably never have a normal life like any magical student. 

The world would never allow that after everything he had lived through. Even so, he didn't have to carry all those responsibilities. He could simply enjoy the life of a teenager. 

That seemed much better than living in a medieval world, where, if you weren't born into wealth, you had to work from an early age just to have food at the end of the day or feed your family. 

Here, he could be just an ordinary teenager, with friends, experiencing magic. And that didn't seem like a bad experience. 

As he thought about that, his eyes turned toward the Black Lake below them, between the trees near the bridge. 

'A very different life...' It felt normal, and he liked that normality. 

After all, in this modern world, nobody at sixteen needed to think like a king, have a family... Nobody needed to carry so many responsibilities. And nobody needed to marry so early. Marriages happened much later. 

Well... It didn't seem like a bad thing... Whatever this world had in store for him, he could enjoy those years. He could just... relax a little. 

"What are you thinking about?" Iris placed her arms behind her back as she walked backward in front of Severus, very close to him. 

A mischievous smile appeared on her face. She was clearly teasing him. 

She reminded him a little of Val, his wife. Though Val had been a wild princess, while Iris Scamander was a more curious girl, less hot-tempered, and far more fun. A huge contrast to Val. 

Even so, the blonde hair and blue eyes reminded him of his wife. 

"Hey, why are you looking at me like that?" Iris Scamander quickly complained when she noticed Severus watching her thoughtfully without saying anything. 

He blinked a few times before simply smiling and pulling himself out of his thoughts. "Nothing much. It's just that you remind me of someone." 

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "So was she pretty? Maybe an old crush? I mean, you used to hang around Lily Evans all the time, but she's a redhead. Maybe it was before Hogwarts..." She began speculating. 

"Her name was Val, and it was a long time ago." He replied, unable to completely hide the faintly sad tone in his voice. 

How long had it been? A century. It had already been a century since he had seen his wives. 

And he hadn't even had the chance to reunite with them. 

"Well... she was beautiful." He ended up admitting as well. 

Hearing that, Iris pouted slightly. "And I'm not?" she asked. 

Before Severus could answer, Roberta interrupted. "Stop flirting with him so openly, Iris Scamander. You have a fiancé, remember?" 

"Not if I break up with him..." she replied without hiding any of her intentions. 

Heloisa seemed completely lost and flushed as she watched the older girl hit on Severus like that. 

Severus finally grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her forward. "Let's stop that. I want to see the lake." He said. 

The group continued across the bridge and finally descended to the shore of the Black Lake. 

There were a few students scattered around the area. Some first-year boys were there as well, exploring. 

Heloisa couldn't hide the sparkle in her eyes as she watched them. Something the other three older students immediately noticed. 

It was obvious that she was being excluded by the first-year students. 

"And where is Articuno?" Roberta asked. 

Standing by the edge of the lake, Severus couldn't help but look upward. "He's flying around the area. I'll ask him to come here." 

At that very moment, through their bond, Articuno received the call. The Blue Phoenix burst into motion above the towers of Hogwarts. 

Its wings scattered tiny crystalline snowflakes as it flew. Its enormous tail, nearly three times larger than its own body, rippled through the sky like a frozen stream. 

Suddenly, a burst of light appeared beside it. Another phoenix arrived through Apparition. 

Severus immediately turned his gaze toward the towers, surprised. Through the creature's eyes, Severus saw something unexpected. 

Dumbledore's phoenix had appeared. It was the first time Fawkes and Articuno had met. 

That immediately caught Severus's attention. The two birds let out their characteristic songs as they observed one another. 

At that moment, there was no one flying through the skies above Hogwarts to witness the two magical birds. After all, it was still the first day of classes. 

"Did something happen?" Heloisa asked when she noticed that Severus had completely fixed his gaze on the castle. 

"Nothing much. You'll find out soon enough." Severus only said that while watching the two phoenixes, if he could even call them that, flying around Gryffindor Tower before heading toward the lake, exactly where they were. 

The Headmaster's phoenix began releasing small flames into the air, while Articuno left crystalline ice particles in its wake. 

Soon, everyone saw them approaching the group. The surprise was immediate as the two birds began landing in front of them. 

"So? What is this?" Iris asked, standing up after having been sitting by the shore with the others and moving to Severus's side. 

Everyone noticed the meeting between the two birds. Severus extended his hand, and Articuno landed on his forearm. 

"Why is the Headmaster's phoenix here?!" Iris asked when she saw the red phoenix. 

"It followed Articuno..." Severus said. 

'It wants to mark its territory and also make sure we aren't a threat.' Articuno replied internally. 

Meanwhile, the red-haired phoenix flew above them, scattering small embers and flames behind its wings. 

"The Headmaster has a phoenix too?" Heloisa seemed completely enchanted by the firebird above them. 

Severus watched as Fawkes let out a cry, drawing the attention of other students nearby. 

It was not at all common to see her outside the Headmaster's office. 

Severus raised his other arm and invited her to come closer. The phoenix seemed to accept. Severus could feel a small connection beginning to form. 

At that moment, he realized that he could do to her the same thing he had done to the house-elves. But that would mean imposing his will, practically subjugating the bird. 

And he knew that phoenix was deeply loyal to its owner. In other words, to Dumbledore. 2

She approached him, flapped her wings to slow down, and gently landed on his other forearm. 

"Wow..." Heloisa murmured. 

Severus turned around, receiving the group's admiring gazes while supporting both birds at the same time. 

Despite that, he soon began a superficial conversation with Fawkes through pure intent. She could not convey human language, but she could express intentions and emotions. 

Articuno also took part in the conversation through its characteristic calls, which the other phoenix answered in the same manner. 

It was a conversation between phoenixes. In the end, Severus managed to reach an understanding. 

The Headmaster's phoenix understood that the Ice Phoenix did not represent a threat to Hogwarts, nor did Severus. 

Fawkes saw that within him and seemed satisfied, rubbing her head against Severus's arm. 

Severus also noticed something curious. As far as he remembered, Fawkes had never been particularly friendly toward him. 

But this time seemed different; she even appeared comfortable in his presence. 

To the point of allowing him to touch her. Severus then picked up both phoenixes and placed them on the girls. 

He gave the fire phoenix to Roberta, who was caught by surprise and took it into her arms, but then he raised a finger. A small flame appeared above its tip. It was approximately the size of a Golden Snitch. 

Fawkes widened her eyes and moved closer before beginning to eat the flame, completely unconcerned about being held by another student. 1

"I knew you'd like it." Severus smiled. 

"You're making her eat fire!" Iris seemed completely stunned by that from beside him. 

"I met a phoenix during the holidays too. I became friends with her because every week I gave her these flames of mine. I don't know why, but she loved them. I figured other phoenixes might like them too. I even showed this to your grandfather, and not even he understood why she behaved like that..." Severus explained while the bird continued feeding. 

She would not stay there for long, but after eating those flames, she simply began to feel satisfied and sleepy, displaying the same behavior as the other fire phoenix. 

'...' Articuno said nothing about it, but Severus knew she had some theory about what was happening. 2

So Fawkes ended up settling in Roberta's lap, who seemed a little frightened by the situation. Meanwhile, Articuno divided her attention between Heloisa and Iris, with the latter sitting down again. 

"You get along so well with animals. You could be the greatest magizoologist the world has ever seen." Iris said while looking at Severus. She seemed quite serious. 

Severus looked at her and shrugged. "Maybe. But that's not the path I'm going to follow. Even so, I love animals as much as your grandfather and you do." Severus replied. 

She showed a satisfied smile at the comment. "Are you sure? We could make quite a team." She suggested. 

"Maybe." Severus only replied before turning his gaze back to the lake. 

He walked to the shore and began touching the water with the tip of his shoe. 

"What are you doing?" Heloisa asked. 

"I had to travel across the sea using multiple Apparitions and Glacius to freeze the water every time I ended up in the middle of nowhere. But I got an idea. I wanted to learn how to walk on water. If I can change the way my foot steps on it, making it as solid as land..." Severus imagined aloud. 

"You've got to be kidding. Walking on water? I've never seen anything like that." Roberta commented with a grimace while keeping the sleeping Fawkes in her lap. 2

"Why not?" Severus countered. "Isn't magic about doing things that should be impossible? People can cast fire, lightning, transform objects into other things, but they don't believe they can walk on water?" He shook his head. 

"Magic should only be limited by imagination. If you believe something is possible and can combine the right factors, then it becomes possible." The first spells began to emerge from someone. 

Roberta had the decency to simply stare at him with a flushed face. And the others began laughing. 

"I'd like to walk on water." Heloisa said. 

Severus looked at her. "Well, one day you'll be able to. Just let me develop a spell first." He declared. 

Then he crouched down by the lake's edge and began touching the water, trying to figure out the best way to harden it. 

At the same time, he turned his attention back to the lake. He had also called his new friend, since he wanted to greet it personally this time. 

It didn't take long for a massive silhouette to appear near the shore and begin moving toward the group. 

"Hey! Hey! It's a giant squid!" Iris shouted excitedly, immediately jumping to her feet. 

"Yes, I called it." 

"You called it? How do you do that?" Iris asked in surprise. The Ice Phoenix was one thing, but the squid? 

"Well... I have my tricks... it's something I was born with." Severus simply replied. 

She didn't press much further, although she still had her doubts, since Severus was very strange to her. Being able to talk to dragons, control them to make them less aggressive, being in contact with phoenixes, and even the giant squid... Not to mention the strange event in the kitchen... 

The giant squid continued approaching them, certainly drawing the attention of anyone looking in that direction of the lake. 

It began stretching its tentacles toward Severus, who calmly grabbed them. The texture was strange; he could feel the tentacle, almost like gelatin, though it was also somewhat oily. 

Iris wasted no time and started touching the tentacles as well. 

"OOOHHH!" A sound came from the giant squid. 

It was a noise of satisfaction. 

"It makes sounds..." Iris murmured, laughing as she touched the squid. She would certainly record that in her notebook of discoveries. Because she also loved animals and kept one for exactly that sort of thing. 

"Interesting. I want to explore every living animal in this world..." Severus couldn't help but comment. That was far better than spending time with those Slytherins. 

An Apparition occurred near them. Everyone immediately turned toward the sound. 

When they noticed, Severus was already being wrapped by two tentacles around his arms while he played with the squid, which seemed to enjoy the interaction quite a bit. Through the connection, Severus knew that was true. 

The one who had appeared was Headmaster Dumbledore. He approached with his hands behind his back and a curious look directed at the group. 

There was a faint smile on his lips. "Well, this is quite surprising. Especially since Fawkes is here as well." 

He cast a glance toward Fawkes, who was still resting in the Hufflepuff girl's lap, before returning his attention to Severus. 

Their eyes met for a moment. Neither of them had spoken since that mental conversation during the previous night's feast. 

But the Headmaster's blue eyes were filled with curiosity this time, without any Legilimency behind the gaze. It was simply the mind of a man trying to unravel the secrets of the unrecognizable young man standing before him. 

"I see you've also made friends with the giant squid, Mr. Snape. I've never seen it behave like this with any student. Not to the point of coming all the way to the shore just to place its tentacles on them." Dumbledore said, with a mixture of amusement and satisfaction in his voice. 

At that very moment, one of the tentacles lightly tapped Severus on the face. It wasn't hard. It was merely an affectionate touch from the squid. But it made the boy close his eyes while everyone began laughing. 

"Well, we were lucky it came to us today." Severus replied in a calm tone. 

Then he smiled at the giant squid. The Headmaster certainly already knew about the creature's strange behavior that morning in the Slytherin common room. 

"Well, in any case..." The Headmaster looked at the students who were already beginning to head back toward the castle. 

"It's time for you to go to your classes. Although I would like to better understand how Fawkes ended up here, as well as this behavior from the squid." He said with a small laugh. 

Meanwhile, Severus began releasing the tentacles, and the giant squid slowly retreated into the depths of the lake. 

Roberta and Heloisa also began to stand up. The birds were still with them. 

Fawkes remained nestled in Roberta's arms, while Articuno landed once more on Heloisa's shoulders and stayed there. 

"Here, Headmaster." Roberta handed Fawkes over to Dumbledore. 

The phoenix seemed a little sleepy and confused, but at the same time conveyed a sense of satisfaction that the Headmaster had never seen in his familiar before. 

Dumbledore couldn't quite understand why his companion was acting that way, but he simply nodded. "Thank you." He said. 

Soon afterward, the students said their goodbyes. 

"I would like you to meet me in my office after your Herbology class, Mr. Snape, before dinner." Dumbledore said. 

Severus had already expected that and nodded. He gave a friendly wave before Dumbledore disappeared through Apparition. 

Severus watched the spot for a few more seconds. Then he turned his gaze back to the others. 

"Let's go." He said simply. 

Then they followed the path back to the castle together. 

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