Chapter 37. Return to Hogwarts
Finally outside, Severus smiled wearily and lifted his face to the sky. Dark clouds still covered it, but they were slowly retreating, letting the moonlight through.
"Severus, are you sure you are alright?" Nagini asked anxiously, returning to her normal size and slipping under his cloak.
"Absolutely. I could even say I have never felt so good. thank you and. call me Alan."
"It is. okay."
The next moment, a light gust of wind blew the hood off his head.
"It is time to go home."
"Sev. I mean Alan, on your head."
"Hm?" He raised an eyebrow in confusion, formed a small mirror out of water in front of himself, and stared at his reflection in bewilderment. "What is it?"
"One strand of hair on your head has turned gray!" Nagini muttered, flicking her tail just above the center of his forehead, sure he was making fun of her.
"That is what you are worried about. I am honestly surprised my hair did not turn completely gray. One strand is nothing." He snapped his fingers, and it turned black again. "Usually, after rituals like that, some people can even grow horns, and hiding those would be a real pain."
"I see. hmm. your eyes seem a little brighter, and your skin softer. wait! Horns?!"
"That is right, there was one such case, and he had to wear a huge hat on his head for the rest of his life and constantly file them down."
For a moment, Nagini pictured Severus's usual confident expression with large, branching horns. Unable to contain herself, she laughed, and then he flicked her tail, and the laughter stopped at once.
"That is enough. Let us go home. I still need to understand what exactly has changed in my body."
"But I would have liked to see you with horns." Seeing the finger aimed at her, she quickly closed her eyes, but. instead of another flick, his hand began to stroke her head gently.
"I am sorry. I made you worry and do things you did not want to do. I promise it will not happen again." How selfish I am. feeling her worry makes me feel more alive, right. and when has anyone worried about me since then?
"It is okay. I am just glad I can help you, because you have already done far too much for me, and I still have not been able to repay you in any way."
"If you keep talking this nonsense, you will get another flick."
"I am pouring my heart out to you here, and you."
With a playful smile, Severus turned toward Nagini, who had poked her head out, and kissed the top of her head. Her eyes opened wide in shock, and she froze.
"Thank you."
"W-what are y-you doing?! I-I."
"I am expressing my gratitude," Severus said calmly, winking at her, and she just about overflowed with embarrassment and hurriedly slipped back under his robe.
He did not develop this theme, of course, so as not to put his companion in an even more awkward position. He only looked back toward the cave one last time, checked the surroundings again, and then simply disappeared.
The following day, or rather, six hours after his return, Malfoy stopped by with congratulations and a newspaper. On page two, under the Young Talents section, there was a photograph of him receiving his badge from a Ministry of Magic employee. How they had managed to take that photo, even he could not figure out.
After that, the younger Macmillan also came by to congratulate him on behalf of the family, along with a small gift, an artifact that improves concentration.
Of course, he had not come only for that. He also came to pick up two cubes and introduce him to his sister, who had suddenly tagged along with him.
After they left, Severus could finally get down to business and set up the shop-house. He chose the interior design and hired workers who would begin the following day. He also spoke with Tom, the pub owner, who, for a nominal fee, helped him find a manager.
So he hired a half-blood from the Shafiqi family, Shafiqi Karner, recently ruined by the large debts his deceased father had left behind.
Of course, he did not hire just anyone. Only after an interview with Legilimency did he sign a one-year contract with Karner.
He could not spend the rest of the day relaxing until evening. Almost every half hour, different people approached him with offers of cooperation, and not just shopkeepers, but the true hegemons of the field. Of course, these were not heads of state, only their representatives, but even the Ministry of Magic came, offering him a good position in the supply department right after graduation and slipping him a letter of recommendation.
That kind of demand for him was due not only to his skill, but also to his name. If they recruited someone like him, then besides getting a good craftsman, they could advertise themselves through him, and that would attract even more clients.
But fame had a dark side too. He drew the attention of the less-than-legal parts of the wizarding world. One of the first such groups was the Death Eaters, again, and this time represented by Lucius. Then came ones he did not know, the Dark Broomsticks and the Grey Wizards, a couple of smaller gangs, and a few shops from Knockturn Alley. He politely sent them all packing, but most promised to return, giving him time to think about it. He took the hint and promised to visit them that evening in a more intimate setting, after placing tracking charms on each of them.
Around ten o'clock in the evening, after cleaning up the garbage, Severus returned home, where a slightly nervous Nagini was waiting for him.
"What happened there? I heard some explosions outside, but I did not dare go out. I was afraid they might recognize me by my coloring," she asked anxiously, studying him from head to toe for any injuries.
"Do not worry, I am fine. I went to get ingredients. We will be opening the shop soon, and I need to brew some potions in advance." He crouched and held out his hand to her. She climbed onto it at once and poked her head out from under his collar.
"I see," she breathed, relieved. "Are we going back to Hogwarts?"
"What else can I do? I need to keep exploring the castle. Now that I have become much stronger, I should definitely be able to sense other places like the basilisk's chamber. There are a lot of legends about the castle. for example, a room that contains anything you could possibly want, or a majestic garden left by the founder of Hufflepuff House, along with Helga Hufflepuff's cup. I also found a small mention of Rowena Ravenclaw's secret library, where she loved spending evenings with her students, but after her death she did not have time to pass on the password or its location. I think that is probably fiction, but it is still worth looking into. I have learned a huge number of such legends over the past five years, though I am most interested in the legacy of Godric Gryffindor."
"What did he leave?"
"The Sword of Gryffindor, the goblins' finest work, which they still want back to this day," Severus chuckled. "Although I would not mind getting my hands on King Arthur's sword, Excalibur, or Gram either. It would not be a bad idea to take a look at Durandal, Muramasa." He went on listing with a smile, recalling the names of legendary swords he had read about in books. He turned off all the lights and stopped the flow of magic into the rooms.
At the same time, a crowd of excited wizards ran through the streets, rushing toward the four fires. Many tried to break through and help the people in the burning buildings, but it was useless. The fire, as if alive, would not let them. It could not be extinguished. The flames resisted spells, and water had no effect on them.
There were also those who were not eager to help, and only watched from afar, wondering who had angered those losers. Many of them knew who owned the buildings and were not particularly surprised by such a spectacle. After all, gang wars were common, especially in turbulent times like these, when the Ministry was throwing all its resources into the fight against Voldemort, and small gangs were largely ignored unless they crossed the line.
And, for example, right now, besides ordinary wizards, there were sullen Aurors roaming the streets, dispatched to deal with the aftermath. And amid all this commotion, and with Nagini casting a suspicious glance at the indifferent Severus, the culprit behind this whole chaos, he used one of the public fireplaces to leave Diagon Alley, went to Hogsmeade, and from there they headed on foot toward the castle.
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