At the entrance to the Hogwarts Headmaster's office, Professor Snape grabbed a crucial document and vanished from the castle grounds without a trace.
Meanwhile, in a trash-strewn street in Croydon, Minerva McGonagall clutched a yellowed letter, standing before a rundown Victorian semi-detached house in the poor southern suburbs. The people around her didn't seem to notice her, letting her study the warped floorboards and drafty single-pane windows.
The letter in her hand revealed faint handwriting under her tight grip:
[Dear Madam,
When I learned the truth, I knew those long years of wandering were finally behind me. Forgive my outburst, Madam—I wept through the night. Please see this, I beg you, and forgive his foolishness. Be patient, just a bit more patient.]
What she didn't know was that she wasn't the only wizard on this street.
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Christmas was creeping closer, and Sean's Owl Cookies had caused a stir in the Hut of Hope. The moment they appeared, everyone gathered around, wide-eyed. While Sean was baking, odd things kept happening—like a cookie suddenly turning into an owl and flapping away.
It was endlessly fascinating to the group.
At first, they thought it was just some fancy Transfiguration spell. But when they overheard Fred and George Weasley whispering in the corridor about striking a "shareholder deal" with Sean, they realized something bigger was up. Everyone knew the Weasleys were the kings of prank inventions.
"Sean, what are these?" Justin asked, leaning in curiously.
"Owl Cookies," Sean replied. Seeing Justin's puzzled look, he added softly, "They turn the eater into an owl."
"Merlin's beard!" Justin gasped. After Sean gave a slight nod, Justin picked up a cookie, turning it over carefully, still clueless about the magic woven into it.
Hermione dashed over, grabbing a cookie to inspect. "Alchemy?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.
Sean nodded.
Harry and Ron exchanged bewildered looks. Alchemy? That was a sixth-year subject!
"I bet Sean's gonna be the next Percy—no, three, five, ten times better than Percy!" Ron declared confidently.
Harry hesitated. Sometimes he felt like, aside from his fame, he couldn't measure up to his friends. A twinge of self-doubt crept in.
"Just passed the test run," Sean said, recalling how the Weasley twins had eagerly volunteered as guinea pigs. The results were solid—though they ended up stuck in a pine tree after transforming, and Sean had to use a giant snowman to get them down. Aside from the shock of being grabbed by a massive snowman when they snapped back to themselves, it went smoothly.
"One thing to watch out for," Sean added. "You've gotta take turns. When you turn into an owl, you lose your senses for a bit."
That loss of control reminded Sean of something from Quidditch Through the Ages:
[Later wizards transformed themselves into bats. While this allowed them to fly freely, their bat brains made them forget where they were going. Floating aimlessly in the air was all too common.]
Magic was vast like that—every time you uncovered a secret, you found out someone had written it down centuries ago.
The Owl Cookies were only safe to use in controlled settings, but Sean had a hunch. Wizards had an "inner form," and if a wizard's sense of self aligned with the creature they transformed into, the process might be easier. If Professor McGonagall ate a "Cat Cookie," would she keep her wits? It was just a theory, but fixing the loss-of-control issue wasn't hard. It came down to mastering advanced "self-to-living" Transfiguration, like Viktor Krum turning his head into a shark's and still staying sharp. That proved it was possible.
In the Hut of Hope, everyone sat in a circle, buzzing with excitement, waiting to see this magical creation in action.
"Alright, I'll go first," Justin said, eyeing the mix of thrilled and nervous faces. He grabbed an Owl Cookie and took a bite. His expression shifted almost instantly, but he powered through and finished it.
"How's it taste?" Sean asked.
"Amazing!" Justin said, not blinking.
"Be honest."
"Tastes like dirt," Justin admitted, his face scrunching up. It was the worst thing he'd ever eaten.
As Justin transformed into an owl and flapped around chaotically, Sean hit a snag: his cookies were awful. One by one, the young witches and wizards in the Hut of Hope took bites, grimaced, and swallowed, turning into owls and back again.
Before heading to Professor Terra, Sean realized his biggest problem: despite all the books he'd studied, not one taught him how to cook.
When Sean rummaged through his books, Justin hovered nearby. When Sean borrowed magical cooking books from the library, Justin sighed dramatically. And when Sean flipped through Conjure a Feast!, Justin's voice mixed with the sound of falling snow:
"My mom says half your life should be lived among friends. Sean, let me help with this."
His eyes sparkled with sincerity and enthusiasm.
A few hours later, fresh Owl Cookies came out of the Hogwarts kitchens, and Justin couldn't stop grinning. "Flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder, butter, milk… the ratios are…" he recited, as Sean scribbled down every word. The Owl Cookies were officially complete.
Sean waved his wand, and the cookies landed in Justin's hands. "See you tonight," he said, grabbing a sample and heading to the Alchemy office. The Howler and Owl Cookies were his first steps into alchemy.
In the corridor, Sean's steps were quick. Ever since that letter from London arrived, he'd been keeping himself extra busy to avoid dwelling on the mix of excitement, anticipation, unease, and worry it stirred up. Professor McGonagall's gentle blue eyes, calm and clear like a still lake, kept flickering in his mind. In this life or any other, she was old enough to be his grandmother. Yet he still didn't know how to face it all.
This winter, the wind howled past his shoulders, carrying him from the past to the future. Above, the stars twinkled, vast and unknowable.
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