Chapter 89: The Glittering Chaos of Lys Black
Standing before the flowerpot, Lys Black stared at the round holes dotting the leaves. She had half a mind to dig up the lily bulbs, wash them thoroughly, and replant them in a new pot.
There had to be insect eggs in this soil. How else could the leaves have been chewed into Swiss cheese in just two or three days?
Once again, that slimy little bug was crunched and swallowed whole. Madam Pomfrey even praised Lys for how well she had raised her snake—friendly and clean.
Indeed, Gaboon vipers were naturally docile and lazy. Spending so much time in the magical world had given Lys the illusion that Gaboons were almost human-like in their intelligence.
With its stout body covered in symmetrical blotches, it even exuded a sense of clumsy affluence under the sunlight. In short, it looked like a chubby, silly creature. This unique physique was rare among snakes, so much so that some classmates mocked Lys for turning a snake into a pig.
To this, Lys could only wish those students would read more books. Gaboon vipers were simply born this way.
Instead of dreaming about flying around on those silly broomsticks and chasing after a ball, maybe they could improve their grades. Perhaps then, Professor Slughorn wouldn't have to rack his brains to come up with plausible excuses to make their final grades passable.
As Lys passed Madam Pomfrey's medicine storage room, she recalled Sirius Black's earlier taunt: "Looks like you're addicted to Cheering Potion." The Cheering Potion was a magical brew that induced immense joy in wizards.
Joy? Immense joy was the foundation of the Patronus Charm. Perhaps she could give it a try.
After all, in her current understanding, emotions seemed to be either a gap or a key. If she could harness enough emotion, maybe she could explore the impact of feelings on spells.
And so, starting one afternoon a week later, half the school witnessed the Slytherin girl, Stalys Black, strutting around the castle for two days in an outrageously dazzling outfit, carrying her snake with unbridled arrogance.
Her antics included, but were not limited to, mocking her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for being utterly terrible at teaching, storming the Transfiguration classroom to pet Professor McGonagall's Animagus form—a tabby cat—while shrieking, and conjuring an overly excited vase during Charms class that could do nothing but laugh hysterically.
Oh, and she also gave Sirius Black a head of silver hair.
She cast a hair-styling charm on that dumb mutt, making his hair the most flamboyant and eye-catching in the crowd, all because he had teased Lys for dressing like a walking crystal collection.
Professor McGonagall remarked that, as long as Lys wasn't hurting anyone, her little tricks were actually somewhat endearing.
Sirius didn't see it that way. He considered it an insult—far worse than a physical fight.
Dignity. Dignity!
Finally, when Lys shattered the ice on the Black Lake, ready to dive in and play with the giant squid, Hagrid—who could no longer tolerate her antics—dragged her into the hospital wing.
Over the past few days, he had spent a significant amount of time retrieving Lys from the depths of the Forbidden Forest. He was certain something was off with her.
"I always thought the lass was just in a good mood because of some good news. But no, it's Cheering Potion poisoning! Not a big deal, just some amplified traits and muddled thinking as side effects," Madam Pomfrey explained while administering the antidote. She couldn't help but feel a bit reluctant as she watched the radiant smile fade from Lys's face.
Come to think of it, she had never seen this child smile so beautifully before. Lys's hair was always uneven, her clothes were always her father's old hand-me-downs, and she skulked in the shadows with a brooding demeanor. Though soft-hearted, she could be ruthless over minor conflicts.
Now, her hair was trimmed short, revealing large eyes that had been previously hidden. The usually pensive gray eyes now sparkled with an indescribable light, and two days of good food and rest had given her a slightly rosy complexion. She looked genuinely striking—no, beautiful.
Except for that shirt. Madam Pomfrey swore that, in all her years at the school, she had never seen such a shirt on any of the eccentric students.
Some kind of crystalline material adorned the shirt, refracting dazzling, multicolored light with the slightest hint of illumination. The crystals covered the entire shirt!
Lys was practically blinding.
It was excessive.
Though she couldn't sit still on the hospital bed, Lys still showed respect for Madam Pomfrey. She sniffed the potion handed to her and drank it in one gulp.
This was one of the things Madam Pomfrey appreciated about Lys. No matter how visually appealing or effective these potions were, they always tasted horrendous—sometimes downright vile. Even adult wizards would often cough and sputter, making a mess.
But not Lys. No matter what potion she drank, she always did so quietly, neatly, and decisively.
As the smile gradually disappeared from Lys's face, Madam Pomfrey knew the potion was taking effect. After a little more observation to ensure there were no relapses, the child could return to her classes.
"Expecto Patronum." Once again, only a faint silver mist drifted from Lys's wand. Eager to experiment, she was met with the same disappointing result.
Ah, she had been working in the wrong direction all along.
Though disappointed, Lys returned to her dormitory to change into a normal shirt, threw on her school robe, and headed to class. Standing outside the classroom door, she had no idea what awaited her.
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