Chương 60: Chapter 59 - First Week.

[Chapter Size: 3800 Words.]

Third Person POV

Hogwarts.

...

...

As the days passed, everything remained quite intense during the first week of classes. Certainly, everything Severus had demonstrated in class, especially in Defense Against the Dark Arts, discouraged Rabastan and the others from trying anything against him, at least during that week.

They merely continued staring at Severus with a certain reluctance and the same resentment over the following days.

He easily stood out during the next few days, as he demonstrated that he had developed new forms of magic and displayed excellence in virtually every subject, to the point of drawing exclamations of surprise from both students and professors, who awarded Slytherin points constantly.

It came as no surprise when the house finished the first week far ahead of all the others. By himself, Severus had earned more than three hundred points, even managing to gain as many as one hundred and twenty in a single day.

The professors praised him constantly. The change in his behavior also became one of the most talked-about subjects at Hogwarts, along with his appearance. Although no one knew what had really happened to him, there was no shortage of theories. After all, in a place where hundreds of teenagers lived together every day, rumors spread at an astonishing speed.

Severus was even impressed by the creativity of the stories they came up with. The most popular theory claimed that someone else had taken control of his body; some even said it was Merlin himself. Curiously, though, it was not a hypothesis so far from the truth. Even so, he did not care and simply watched as people tried to get close to him, especially the girls. Skilled enough to turn almost all of them down, he could judge a person's character and understood that most of them would only waste his time.

And he had no interest whatsoever in romantic relationships at that moment. His loves were somewhere in the spiritual world, and all his mind was focused on now was magic itself and technological development in this world. His mind had no time for anything else.

Newt Scamander wanted to meet him, but he would still have to wait more than a month, since the first visit to Hogsmeade took place on the first weekend of October. If Scamander were less impatient, he would show up at Hogwarts at some point; he had more than enough privilege to do so.

Another thing Severus noticed was that Slytherin also seemed to be gradually getting used to Heloísa's presence being ignored, although there was still a silent atmosphere of tension, and the first-year girls remained hostile toward her, even if they avoided showing it openly.

The girl, in turn, had already earned the nickname Ice Girl. Not because she was quiet and disliked talking to anyone, but because whenever someone annoyed her, a freezing gust of wind would arise around her, making anyone back away immediately. Not even the complaints to Slughorn worked, not after Severus had an honest conversation with the Potions professor. So the teasing decreased considerably after that, even though Heloísa still seemed bothered by everything she witnessed.

Severus was also left alone, but he knew the others were watching his every move more closely than anyone else. Slytherin still seemed unable to understand what he had become and did not know how to deal with him. A feeling of exclusion came quickly, but to their annoyance, he did not care—in fact, he was even grateful, especially since he himself disappeared most of the time whenever he was not in class.

Even though they had done nothing against Severus since the first day, it was obvious they were still planning something... They were simply waiting for the right moment to act, when they were better prepared.

Perhaps they first needed to figure out what to do through Lucius Malfoy, because on the third day, Severus had already received a letter from Lucius. The man did not seem pleased in the slightest with everything he had heard and politely asked what was going on. Severus merely shrugged. He did not need to reply. He still owed Lucius a debt, but he intended to repay it in another way, one that no one else would be capable of offering for all the years he had helped him at Hogwarts.

He possessed the means to solve certain problems that seemed impossible. He remembered well when Lucius had approached him during the summer holidays, at the end of his fifth year, asking to speak with him privately to see whether Severus was alright, as the Slytherin students had been saying he was depressed after what had happened with Lily. On that occasion, Lucius had shared one of his greatest concerns: his marriage had still not produced an heir, and he and Narcissa had been searching for doctors all over the world.

To Severus, that would simply be another case of infertility. In his previous life, he had created solutions for non-human species that struggled to reproduce, such as the Children of the Forest. Thanks to his intervention, a race that had been on the verge of extinction despite its long lifespan flourished over the course of two centuries, growing into a population of several thousand. There had not even been one hundred of them when he first found them, but over 240 years, their population had grown to ten thousand.

Even so, Lucius did not stop sending letters after noticing the lack of a response. Some of them even became subtly threatening after the third letter, on a Saturday, insisting that the two of them arrange a meeting in Hogsmeade. That could happen, but only when they had the opportunity a month from then.

However, there was something among Lucius's letters that caught his attention. His Animagus form was being openly discussed at the Ministry, the news had spread quickly, and even a few reporters were investigating a sixteen-year-old Animagus with a magical animal... On top of that, the closeness between Severus and Scamander had been openly acknowledged.

Honestly, however, Severus cared very little about those matters. During that week, he was simply trying to understand his classes, practice in the Room of Requirement, and study other, non-magical subjects.

He also spent many hours in the library, reading as many books as possible to build a broad understanding of everything Hogwarts had to offer. It was, without a doubt, the largest library in all of magical Europe. He would not waste an opportunity like that. Even without access to the Restricted Section, he already delighted in the vast amount of knowledge available. For someone who had always loved learning and studying in his previous life, it was a true paradise. He was an admitted bookworm; the only problem was that people frequently disturbed him, so he discovered that the Room of Requirement could also provide the books he wanted, allowing him to enjoy a much better environment away from the eyes of the other students.

He had another advantage with that room, which he later learned was called the Room of Requirement—it had become part of his routine to use it constantly. He used Articuno to travel there instantly, which confused many of the Slytherins whenever he suddenly disappeared.

At the same time, the Marauders seemed increasingly restless. Ever since they realized the Marauder's Map had disappeared, they had been living in a state of complete panic. The looks they cast toward Severus were filled with suspicion and silent threats. They clearly suspected him, but they had no proof that he had been responsible for stealing it. Severus paid them and their provocations no mind.

Besides magic, he also began studying the politics of Wizarding Britain and the entire body of laws enforced by the Ministry of Magic.

He had not promised himself that he would destroy the Marauders only physically. If Hogwarts was incapable of punishing them properly, then he would do so through legal means.

He was already studying everything he would need in order to practice before the Wizengamot. If necessary, he would represent himself. That would not be a problem. In fact, he was fully confident that he would be far better than any old, arrogant bureaucrat occupying a seat in the Wizengamot.

He also possessed another advantage. As a king who had spent two centuries ruling, he had already dealt with countless matters both inside and outside his own country. Even within Arctic, there had been political issues that gave him some headaches, but outside of Arctic, their numbers had been far more irritating. That certainly gave him the confidence to deal with an entire army of politicians, corrupt or otherwise.

Even so, he preferred to act the proper way. He would gather evidence and hire a lawyer if necessary.

That was why he had already begun preparing everything.

By the end of the year, he intended to gather his own medical records from the school's hospital wing, along with Potter's and the others', including every detention record and numerous vials of memories taken from Severus's own mind. He would not do anything that year. He was still organizing everything carefully. When the time came, he would have more than enough evidence to destroy the Marauders once and for all by prosecuting them, even on criminal charges.

Another constant gaze upon him came from Lily.

Over the past three days, she had practically followed him through every corridor where their paths crossed. Even in the library, Severus had already noticed her presence several times. He simply ignored her.

The change in his behavior had certainly left her confused. After all, the last time they had spoken, it was the old Severus who had begged for a few minutes of her attention to explain that he had called her Mudblood unintentionally. Now, he acted as though she did not even exist.

But he was no longer that Severus.

Their friendship had deteriorated so much that he no longer felt any desire to rebuild it. Much less to love her the way his former self once had.

Perhaps it was because Lily had been the first person to show him kindness. The first girl who had shown him a little warmth in a world that, until then, had offered him nothing but coldness, violence, and darkness. His home life had always been dreadful; having Lily back then had been like having a light in Severus's life. Losing her had been like killing the only good thing that still existed within Severus Snape.

Now, however, everything was different.

And even if he could become someone Lily would like, there was far too much pain between them.

When he looked at Lily, he no longer saw that cheerful nine-year-old girl discovering magic by his side. Perhaps, in another life, the two of them could still have overcome all of that. Perhaps they might even have stayed together, married, and had children.

But not in this life.

There were wounds between them that ran far too deep. Their friendship had died many years earlier, even before their falling out.

Just as Lily no longer saw the shy boy she had met as a child, seeing only someone who had lost himself in the Dark Arts and his own prejudices, Severus no longer saw the little girl who had once trusted him, who had always been by his side no matter what happened. In her place stood a girl full of doubts, always suspicious of every word that came out of his mouth. She never fully believed him when he said he had been the victim of the Marauders' bullying on the many occasions when they used some form of invisibility. There was always that look of uncertainty, as though she expected him to be hiding something, as though he were the one in the wrong.

She always expected the worst from Severus.

Even the meetings between the two of them had become rare before their argument. During their fifth year, it was almost always Severus who had to seek her out.

Not that he could blame her. Things simply were the way they were.

He was certain that, sooner or later, Lily would try to speak with him. Perhaps to discover the reason for his change. Perhaps simply to clear up her doubts.

If that happened, Severus would be willing to answer. But return to what they once were...? Never.

At most, all that remained was the memory of a happy little boy and girl discovering magic in a world that was completely new to both of them, as they grew up side by side in Cokeworth.

Severus admitted that those memories were still precious. But they belonged to a time that would never return.

Severus's greatest focus now was training. A war was already taking place in Britain, but he could feel that something far greater was about to engulf the entire world.

He then began using the Room of Requirement every day, both to practice the piano and to improve his spells and his current magical limits.

Ollivander also continued studying new tree species to develop a new type of wand, according to what he wrote in the letters they exchanged.

Severus was not quite sure what to think about that. If he could choose any wood in existence, he would want a wand made from a Heart Tree. Just remembering that tree filled him with a magical feeling. He could not imagine any other wood that would channel his magic better.

As for the core, he still needed to give it more thought. There were many interesting options, but honestly, it was already a shame that Heart Trees simply did not exist in that world.

Socially, although Severus had begun receiving much more attention from the rest of the students and Hogwarts' faculty, he ended up forming a rather close-knit group.

Iris, Roberta, Heloísa, Amelia Bones, two more sixth-year Hufflepuff friends, Xenophilius, and Pandora began gathering every day. They always had lunch together after eating in the Great Hall, and when classes ended, they would meet again.

Naturally, Severus ended up becoming the leader of that group.

In a way, they were all there because of him. They always listened to his suggestions and, almost naturally, ended up following wherever he decided to go. Most of the time, they gathered along the shores of the Black Lake, where they talked peacefully whenever they had the chance.

Sometimes they played chess, played the guitar, or used magic that made them laugh. Other times, they simply admired the scenery, while Fawkes appeared to visit them from time to time. The Headmaster's phoenix rarely approached other people, but it seemed to enjoy the company of that group quite a lot, especially because of Severus.

Saturday and Sunday were days without classes, but Severus was torn between spending time with his friends and staying in the Room of Requirement or the library, although he used the latter more often. Even Heloísa wondered where he was, with Articuno leaving his shoulder only to return some time later, as though Severus had borrowed him for just a moment. He said that he had found a secret place to train, not hiding that fact from her, and that he would take her there in the coming days, seeing no problem with Heloísa knowing about the Room of Requirement. In any case, he practically ignored everything else, even meals, with the house-elves bringing him whatever food he asked for.

Thus, that first week passed without any major events.

He continued taking care of his tree every day, not making it grow suddenly, wanting to enjoy the same experience as the other students.

But then, during the second week, truly strange things began to happen.

And this time, they had nothing to do with the Marauders, Slytherin, or Dumbledore finally calling Severus in to discuss his punishment, after spending the entire week without speaking to him since that morning.

It was something far more... bizarre.

During a Transfiguration class, Professor McGonagall was explaining the lesson as usual when something red shot past one of the classroom windows at high speed.

The very next instant, a phoenix landed gracefully on her desk.

The entire class fell silent.

McGonagall also realized it was not Fawkes. At first, she had thought the Headmaster was summoning her, but it was clearly not his phoenix, and she turned pale at the thought of why another phoenix had appeared in her classroom.

While everyone stared at the rare magical bird in complete amazement, only Severus made a slight grimace.

The phoenix slowly turned its head and fixed its eyes on him.

"What are you doing here?" Severus muttered, raising an eyebrow.

It was the very same phoenix he had found injured near the reserve and had fed with his own flames from the moment he first saw it.

Somehow... it had found its way to Hogwarts, more specifically, to him... It had come looking for him.

However, the firebird did not even have time to approach. With an explosion of golden flames, Fawkes appeared right in the middle of the classroom.

The classroom descended into chaos after that, and the cry of Dumbledore's phoenix echoed throughout the room.

Professor McGonagall's eyes widened as she desperately tried to maintain order while the students screamed in fear and watched the scene unfold.

The two phoenixes immediately began fighting over territory. They flew in circles, letting out sharp cries, disappearing and reappearing in bursts of fire while hurling small jets of flame at one another.

All the students had to run outside, with the Transfiguration professor deeply concerned by what was happening. The Headmaster also arrived, and everyone could hear the phoenixes fighting inside, with flames already burning throughout the classroom.

After a few moments, the invading phoenix simply disappeared in an explosion of flames. Dumbledore went inside and repaired everything, somewhat concerned about an unknown phoenix coming to the school.

He honestly would not have had any problem with it, but Fawkes was extremely territorial.

Everything calmed down, or at least that was what everyone thought, because the very next day... she returned.

Early that morning, during breakfast in the Great Hall, everything seemed perfectly normal.

Until another explosion of fire erupted above the long tables.

The same red phoenix reappeared.

Many students stood up, startled and amazed, as she landed on one of the pillars near the floating candles, carefully observing the hall as though searching for someone.

A few seconds later, another explosion of golden flames lit up the ceiling. Fawkes appeared immediately.

The moment the two saw each other, they began another loud argument, exchanging piercing cries as they circled above the heads of hundreds of utterly bewildered students.

'She's here...' Articuno spoke directly into his mind.

'I know, she's looking for me...' Severus replied.

It was the same phoenix he had fed for an entire month in the reserve. He was beginning to wonder whether feeding her with his own flames had really been such a good idea, considering all this commotion.

'Have you noticed how phoenixes keep being drawn to you? You know that...'

By then, even Fawkes had practically become a daily visitor for Severus. Every day, he would appear just to feed on a little of his flames before leaving again.

There were now two red phoenixes at Hogwarts.

Severus watched the red phoenix disappear once again while Fawkes let out a triumphant cry. He clearly did not like the presence of another red phoenix within Hogwarts.

That afternoon, after classes had ended, Severus went out alone onto the castle grounds.

He took a deep breath and waited.

It did not take long before an explosion of flames announced her arrival. The red phoenix landed gently on his arms, looking at him expectantly.

She also let out a dissatisfied cry, as though she were angry that he had gone away...

"Seriously? You really came because of me?" he asked, while the bird merely tilted her head slightly.

She did not answer, of course. But the intelligent gleam in her eyes said exactly that.

She was there for him. Severus let out a long sigh before accepting it with resignation.

"Very well..." Then he called Fawkes mentally.

Dumbledore's phoenix appeared a few seconds later in an explosion of golden flames.

At the same time, Severus also called Articuno. The enormous blue phoenix appeared shortly afterward, landing behind him.

The two red phoenixes immediately fluffed up their feathers, glaring at each other with obvious hostility, ready to start another fight.

Severus raised a hand between them before either could attack. "Enough." His voice was calm, yet firm.

A green aura began radiating from his body, slowly spreading through the surroundings.

The druidic magic enveloped all three birds at once. It was magic designed to calm living creatures. Articuno was the only bird there who was not hostile toward anyone.

Little by little, their raised feathers settled back into place. The cries ceased, and the tension between them vanished as though it had never existed. Articuno watched the scene in silence, while Severus was pleased to finally see the two phoenixes calm down.

Fawkes and the red phoenix continued staring at each other for a few moments.

This time, however, without any intention of attacking.

"Let's make one thing clear. Neither of you is going to attack the other anymore. This phoenix... is looking for me," Severus said to Fawkes.

He looked at the wild phoenix. "If you're looking for me to feed on my flames, then you'll have to bond with me, just as Articuno has. I won't force you to do it, but that's what I require if you want to stay here," Severus said.

The wild phoenix looked back at him with her blue eyes before spreading her wings, signaling her agreement.

"Very good, welcome to the team. I'll call you Solaris from now on, since you're a girl," Severus said with satisfaction, forming a bond with a second phoenix. Their contract took shape through a bond that began at that very moment.

"Now you may eat," he said, holding out both hands as flames formed within them. Both Fawkes and Solaris lunged toward the flames, feeding on them.

As they consumed the flames, Severus could not help but wonder darkly whether one of the dragons from the reserve might end up coming to Hogwarts looking for him...

'They wouldn't do that... would they?'

'It's possible. You've bonded with some of them. Especially that Welsh Green female...'

'That wasn't a question that needed answering...' Severus replied to Articuno, already aware of that fact and feeling even more concerned now.

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