Chapter 95: Ninety-Five

Time trudged on through sleepless nights, early mornings of study, and frequent detentions caused by fights with that stupid dog.

When Lys realized she needed four O's (Outstanding) and a successful Patronus Charm to secure her ticket home, there was only a month and a half left until the exams.

She buried herself in the library, furiously memorizing and writing essays with a do-or-die determination, completely forgetting about the glove and the book from the Restricted Section.

Since that unpleasant encounter with Potter at Hagrid's hut, Lys had avoided interacting with Hagrid for over two months.

However, with time running tight, she no longer had the leisure to venture into the Forbidden Forest to find prey for Gobble. Instead, before curfew, she would make brief visits to Hagrid's hut to bring food for Gobble.

Professor Flitwick remained unsatisfied with Lys's essays. He showed her examples written by Lily Evans and a few Ravenclaw students, saying, "This is the standard of work that will earn you an O at the end of term."

Lys was nearly at her wit's end, as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had said the same thing, and her Herbology essays were also under similar scrutiny.

Recently, she had been relying on Invigoration Draughts to stay up late. While the professors agreed her essay content was accurate and thorough, they criticized her chaotic grammar and disorganized descriptions.

What she needed was a clear structure and coherent flow to properly record her thoughts.

The week before exams, Lys even began sneaking into the library in the dead of night to verify details she was uncertain about.

After anxiously confirming her vague memories, she leaned against a bookshelf and buried her face in her hands.

She was utterly drained. How she longed to just lie down and never move again.

But when she finally felt rested and began to leave, she hadn't even stepped out of the shadow of the bookshelves when she heard approaching footsteps. Yet, there was no glow of a lantern—clearly, it was a student sneaking around after hours.

"Brother... don't be mad…"

Wait! That voice—it was the little psycho from Ravenclaw and his brother!

Lys had once secretly observed that little psycho before. His mind was truly twisted, the kind of person you'd do well to avoid at all costs.

Like a cat, she silently slipped around to the back of the bookshelf and waited for what felt like an eternity before finally sneaking out of the library and returning to her dormitory.

In truth, Lys had visited the Restricted Section several times on other nights.

She had tried to read every book she could take down from the shelves, but her efforts yielded little. While she learned some things, she often couldn't fully understand them.

One particular book on curses had captivated her. Lys was convinced the author must have been a woman—how else could there be so many curses aimed at making husbands miserable?

However, none of this was remotely useful for her third-year exams, so she had avoided the book entirely during her revision period.

The final exams were an intense ordeal.

Everyone took them seriously, as their grades would dictate the quality of their holiday.

Fortunately, aside from accidentally breaking the Divination professor's teacup, Lys performed at her best in every subject.

Even with the professors' challenging essays and test questions, she felt somewhat confident in her answers.

Especially in Potions—Lys gently touched the tip of Gobble's tail, which dangled near her chest. The bright blue potion she had brewed was absolutely flawless.

During the Potions exam, to ensure her brew wasn't affected by magical fluctuations, she drank two Stabilizing Potions and kept her distance from the cauldron during every step of the process.

After completing all her exams, Lys visited the hospital wing. The Singing Lily she had been nurturing still hadn't bloomed. She had planned to take it home, but Professor Sprout stopped her.

Sprout explained that abruptly changing the plant's environment might cause it to perceive a survival threat, leading to nutrient withdrawal and wilting of its buds. Sensitive magical plants were especially prone to such reactions.

Reluctantly, Lys left the plant in the hospital wing. Fortunately, Professor Sprout visited the greenhouse regularly and promised to help water her little darling.

In the second week of June, Hogwarts hosted the End-of-Term Feast. Dumbledore raised his goblet and wished all the students a joyful holiday.

Dragging her luggage, which had been shrunk with a Shrinking Charm, Lys once again found herself standing at the train station, waiting for the crowd to disperse.

But to her dismay, Sirius Black spotted her and immediately began mocking her. "Aha! Isn't this little Rat Skin? Why are you just standing here? Did your mum abandon you? Are you homeless now?"

Lys retaliated with a spell, encasing half of Sirius Black's head in a water bubble. "Wash your mouth out, so your stench doesn't ruin the appetite of half of Gryffindor!"

An enraged Sirius Black was eventually dragged away by his younger brother, Regulus Black. Their mother had sent them a letter before the holiday—its elegant phrasing couldn't hide her anger. Now wasn't the time for a fight. Regulus needed to get his brother home quickly to avoid further angering their mother.

Clutching her wand tightly, Lys waited until the station was empty.

It was time for those hands to reach out for her again…

Lost in thought, Lys suddenly sensed someone behind her. Without turning, she took two quick steps forward, casting two Shield Charms on herself in the process.

When she turned around, she saw Senna standing there, carrying a large package and tilting her head to avoid the direction Lys's wand was pointing.

"Have you completely lost it, you little lunatic?"

Hearing that familiar voice, Lys exhaled deeply and lowered her head, timidly whispering, "Mum."

With a crack of Apparition, they arrived at the old house. Lys immediately switched to her blackthorn wand.

Once inside the shop, she sprang into action, cleaning the room until it was spotless and serving a delicious meal.

After Senna had eaten her fill, Lys cautiously said, "Mum, I didn't manage to learn the Patronus Charm."

At Senna's sigh, Lys's heart sank.

"Let me see you try," Senna said.

As Lys nervously raised her wand, Senna pressed it back down.

"Forget it. Watch mine instead." Senna raised her cedar wand.

She knew now that the little lunatic, neglected by her and Noah for over a decade, would struggle to master a charm that required happy memories.

"Expecto Patronum."

With a smooth incantation, a torrent of silvery mist burst from Senna's wand, forming a she-wolf. It bared its sharp fangs at Lys, patrolling the shop like it owned the place before dissipating.

"This wand was a gift from your father. It suits me far better than the one I inherited from the family," Senna said, patting Lys's face with a knowing smirk.

Sliding her wand back into the holster on her arm, Senna gave Lys a fleeting smile.

"Go rest. Tomorrow, sort out that bag of potion ingredients by the door. I'll need them."

Relieved to be dismissed, Lys let out a long breath, cleaned up the dining table, and pulled out her old mask from last year. She put it on, sat behind the counter, and began processing ingredients while keeping an eye on the shop.

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