While Lys was filling out an order form, Senna once again reminded her to practice her cursive handwriting.
"Your handwriting is atrocious! I'm giving you some time—you'd better show some improvement."
Through those order forms and material lists, Lys noticed a recent increase in customers buying potions. Some were even purchasing time-consuming brews like Polyjuice Potion or love potions. Overall, the variety and quantity of potions sold had significantly increased.
Time slipped by in the monotony of Lys's busyness and endless practice.
One day, a man with lifeless white hair and an extremely frail appearance staggered into the shop, holding a bottle of shimmering silver liquid and pleading for sanctuary. That was when Senna finally lifted her head from her cauldron.
The man struggled to speak, his voice trembling. "Kill him... kill him... I still have one bottle left. You can have them both! Pure, untainted... Moon Turtle's blood!"
Senna motioned for Lys to check the situation. But when Lys stepped outside, she was shocked to find her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor standing there!
And from the look in his eyes, it was clear—he knew who she was.
"You... Why are you here? Perhaps you'd like to come in, have a chat, or maybe buy something?" Lys pressed her lips together, her habit of rambling nonsense in moments of panic surfacing once more.
To her surprise, the professor gave her a peculiar look and, with unexpected politeness, stepped through the door. "Pardon the intrusion."
This polite greeting caused the man collapsed on the shop floor to let out a blood-curdling scream.
Senna's pale eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the scene before her.
Holding his wand steady and aimed at his target, and openly revealing his identity in the notorious Knockturn Alley—Senna had to admit, this man was no ordinary wizard. Inviting him in seemed like a better idea than starting a fight outright.
"I deal in potion ingredients, not garbage. So perhaps, sir, you could take this gentleman outside and handle your business there?" Senna politely suggested, clearly not wanting her shop dirtied.
But instead of responding to her request, the man introduced himself. "I'm the new owner of the protective gear shop next door. I just moved in and hope we can get along." He smiled at Lys, then hoisted the frail, white-haired man and prepared to leave.
Just as he opened the door to leave, Lys stopped him. "Professor, perhaps I need a contract or an oath from you." After much hesitation, she raised her wand and pointed it at him.
Her mother had always warned her—never let anyone discover their family's affairs.
"Alright, alright, Miss Lys. I fully support your cautious approach, but could you please lower your wand first? Madam, would you mind overseeing this process?" the man said, addressing Senna.
In the end, under Senna's wand, the professor made a vow of secrecy. However, after taking the oath, he seemed even more at ease. After briefly stepping outside to deal with the white-haired man, he returned, holding two small silver bottles.
"A little housewarming gift—don't mock me for being stingy. I'm a former Auror and former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. You can call me August."
Senna offered no reaction, though her wand, concealed within her robe, remained steadily aimed at August.
Lys glanced at her mother for guidance before addressing her professor. "Professor, in Knockturn Alley, people generally don't have the concept of neighbors or social visits. Could you please go home?"
August scratched his head and replied with a nonchalant deflection. "No need to call me professor. Dumbledore seems to think bloodstained hands cross an uncrossable line. So, when I decided to move here, I resigned."
Seeing her mother's growing impatience, Lys felt a cold sweat forming. She was certain she had brought trouble into their lives.
"Understood, Professor. I understand. Now, could you please go home, Professor?"
Placing the two bottles on the counter, August shrugged and said, "I've just moved in. If there are any rules I should know, please let me know." With that, he opened the door and left.
Senna, watching her daughter's slumped shoulders, couldn't hide her disdain. But she also understood the reason behind Lys's behavior.
"If you hadn't let him in, would he have forced his way inside? And if he had, would the situation have been any different? Don't be so spineless. Lift your head!" With those words, Senna didn't spare Lys another glance and hurried back to her beloved cauldron.
Over the next two weeks, Lys noticed she had gained an audience while dealing with troublesome wizards. August would squat by the gap between his shop and the potion shop's window, peering inside. Occasionally, he'd even gesture animatedly, though the glass—enchanted with silencing charms, protective spells, and curses—ensured she couldn't hear a word he said.
One day, after losing a fight with a wizard and being dragged back into the shop by Senna, her face sporting a deep gash, August finally couldn't hold back. He entered the shop, first handing Lys a locket. When she hesitated to take it, he placed it on the counter.
Then, eager to offer advice, he began instructing Lys on combat techniques. However, upon seeing Senna at the top of the stairs, her cloak slightly raised to reveal her wand, August immediately placed his own wand and cloak on a nearby table. Rolling up his sleeves, he gestured to show he was unarmed.
Senna gave a small nod, which August took as permission to proceed. He began teaching Lys everything from quick wand-gripping techniques to practical uses of the Shield Charm. He even dissected her recent fight. "Miss Stalys, you didn't go hard enough. Your reaction speed and magical power outclassed his, so why didn't you incapacitate him immediately?"
"Where's the fire you showed during that brawl on the Quidditch pitch?" August exclaimed, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. Lys swallowed nervously, glancing at her mother. She noticed Senna's wand remained firmly pointed at August from within her cloak.
"You're right," Lys admitted. "I need to disable my opponent immediately, not follow a predictable sequence of spells."
Encouraged by this realization, Lys began incorporating more underhanded tactics into her practice duels with August. She set up various sneaky traps around the shop, such as placing two metallic snakes in the potion cabinet near the door. These snakes would release blinding flashes of light upon detecting specific magical frequencies, temporarily blinding opponents and preventing them from aiming accurately.
Though these tricks were simple, they proved effective. August even adopted some of them for himself after returning home.
From then on, Lys stopped relying on spells like the Leg-Locker Curse or the Full Body-Bind Curse in fights. Instead, she began using the dark spells her mother had taught her and the ones from her father's old books.
Sometimes, Lys even felt a strange sense of excitement. With her mother always watching, she felt an intense desire to prove herself. This motivation made her spellcasting smoother and more confident.
Even spells she had struggled with before began to come more naturally during practice. The progress she had been agonizing over for the past year suddenly seemed effortless.
Lys couldn't help but wonder—had her lack of success at school been due to a weak desire to succeed?
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