An intense smell of burning lingered in the air, while the scorched black color covered every surface Rose looked at. The aftermath of a very powerful fire spell, causing damage even to the magic-resistant stones that Hogwarts had been built with a thousand years ago.
Crack!
With a loud and clear sound in a secluded part of Hogwarts, Rose watched as a small, scaly gray head broke through the hard shell of the egg. The red eyes seemed full of innocence, gazing at the surroundings with pure curiosity.
A moment later, the entire egg exploded into small pieces, scattering around, revealing the winged, metallic-gray-scaled creature. It didn't appear larger than a domestic cat, although even as a hatchling, it could tear through flesh with its extremely sharp teeth.
Rose smiled at the Ironbelly hatchling before her, the creature staring at her and baring its teeth. Ignoring the threatening look from the baby dragon, she picked it up in her arms and left one of the many vacant rooms in Hogwarts.
As soon as she stepped out of the room, leaving behind a completely charred space, Rose came face to face with a woman dressed in emerald robes, her features stern and unyielding.
Minerva McGonagall.
"Miss Potter." Minerva greeted her student and glanced at the baby dragon in Rose's arms with a hint of interest. Turning her gaze to the room Rose had just exited, the Transfiguration professor's face darkened instantly upon seeing the state of it.
"Professor McGonagall." Rose couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed under Minerva's accusatory stare. She really hadn't expected to see her favorite professor at that moment.
Sighing, Minerva rubbed her eyebrows and looked at Rose. "Walk with me, Miss Potter."
Rose nodded and walked alongside the older woman. She couldn't help but glance at Minerva. If there was anyone who had taken care of her during her time at Hogwarts, it was this woman.
Even after just over a year together, Minerva had become someone irreplaceable to her. Her advice, her answers to Rose's doubts, and even her responses to personal, feminine concerns had all come from this woman.
She was almost like a mother, only a little older.
"What are you thinking about in silence?" Minerva asked, noticing Rose's unusual quietness. The girl was typically exceptionally loud at all times.
"I'm thinking about making a potion to purify this little guy's bloodline," Rose responded calmly, her eyes gazing at the Ironbelly in her arms. The little one didn't seem happy at all about being held, constantly trying to bite her, which obviously failed because of her innate technique.
Minerva couldn't help but look at Rose with a touch of surprise, the image of a red-haired girl overlapping with that of the white-haired one before her.
"You really do look like your mother, Rose," Minerva commented in a sad and regretful tone. If she had arrived sooner, perhaps the Potters wouldn't have died.
Rose stopped walking for a moment at her words, but soon resumed with a complicated expression.
"What was my mother like?" Rose asked, her tone softer than usual.
"Lily was a lively girl. She never stopped getting into trouble between Gryffindor and Slytherin, always defending her friends with a fierceness that reminded me of a lion," Minerva replied, a smile appearing on her lips as she remembered Lily Evans.
"She had a rare talent for potions, something you only see once in hundreds of years. She was always coming up with new recipes with her brilliant and unusual mind. Once, she created a potion that made animals talk, and believe me, it wasn't a pleasant experience. Imagine how many neutered cats were furious when they became aware of their condition," Minerva said with a playful tone, looking at Rose.
Rose couldn't help but laugh at hearing about the potion her mother had created. From Minerva's words, she could imagine her mother being a version of Luna, though more protective and with a few screws loose. After all, who in their right mind would think of creating such a potion!
"If you'd like, I can give you some of the notes your mother entrusted to me," Minerva offered in a very gentle tone, something she wouldn't do for just anyone—only those she trusted. But Lily's daughter deserved to see that side of her.
Rose's eyes sparkled at Minerva's words, and she nodded, thanking her sincerely. "Thank you, it will really help me with creating my bloodline purification potion."
She hoped her mother's notes would guide her before the Race officially began in four days.
Minerva nodded and added, "Albus became famous for his twelve uses of dragon's blood. You can ask for a copy of his notes—they will certainly help with the potion you're trying to create."
Rose agreed with Minerva, and the two walked side by side, chatting about more mundane things.
In the Gryffindor girls' dormitory, Rose was holding a red diary in good condition.
The first sentence written inside made Rose's heart race, and a smile tugged at her lips.
Notes and Experiences in Potions by Lily Evans, the most incredible potion-maker.
Her mother really did resemble her in some ways!
"The first thing I was taught when making potions was to follow the recipe. This wouldn't be wrong if you didn't want to dive deep into the complex field of potion-making. However, if you wish to become a Potions Master, you MUST set aside all recipes and experiment with each magical property for yourself. Only then will you take the first step toward becoming a Potions Master."
"But above all, you must have money and connections to follow this path. If it weren't for Professor McGonagall's support, I wouldn't be where I am today, despite the talent I possess. The wizarding world is a cruel place for someone like me, who wasn't born to magical parents, without inheritance or money. Someone at the bottom of the extremely rigid caste hierarchy of England."
Rose couldn't help but think her mother was very realistic for someone so young. She apparently didn't only see the glamour of the wizarding world like most Muggle-borns. She saw the cold and indifferent reality for Muggle-borns.
Did my mother marry my father because of this?
This was a question Rose had asked herself after learning that her mother had no interest in James Potter before their final year at Hogwarts. In her eyes, her mother had married her father because of the inheritance of the Potter House. Even if there was love after the marriage, she hadn't married James out of love.
After all, given her father's childish personality and the bullying he inflicted on his classmates, James definitely wasn't that attractive to Lily.
These thoughts stirred mixed feelings in her heart, but could Rose criticize her mother's choice? The answer was a resounding no. As the future Matriarch of the Potter House, she had already realized how many benefits she had due to her noble birth.
It was as if all doors were open to her—a privilege her mother didn't have because of her Muggle-born status. Rose could imagine that the English wizarding world had likely stripped away all the glamour and stories that had been told to Lily Potter.
Rose shook her head to clear these thoughts and focused on reading her mother's notes. Through her words written in the diary, the image of her mother became clearer and clearer in her mind—her personality, her desire to become someone important in the world, and above all, her love for potions.
Compared to her father, whom she had read about in the Potter House records, the two were completely different. James Potter was the typical spoiled boy from a noble house, born with a silver spoon in his mouth and excessively pampered by his grandparents, who had him at an old age.
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Author's Note:
I wrote this chapter because of a comment I received, mentioning that something essential was missing from the story—the dynamic of the professors' point of view. It's something I didn't realize until I read that comment.
I'm still sick; I woke up feeling even worse than before, and my mouth is bitter from all the medicine I took yesterday. Still, I forced myself to write, and by the time this chapter is posted, I'll be asleep again.
Thank you for all the encouraging comments.
Support me to write more and read chapters ahead of all regular readers!
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Next Chapter Second Volume: Chapter 193 - How to Train Your Dragon (4), Chapter 194 - How to Train Your Dragon (5), Chapter 195 - Dragon Race (1), Chapter 196 - Dragon Race (2), Chapter 197 - Dragon Race (3), Chapter 198 - Dragon Race (4), Chapter 199 - Dragon Race (5), Chapter 200 - Dragon Race (6), Chapter 201 - Dragon Race (7), Chapter 202 - Dragon Race (8), Chapter 203 - Golden Path (1), Chapter 204 - Golden Path (2), Chapter 205 - Golden Path (3), Chapter 206 - Battle in Desert City (1), Chapter 207 - Battle in Desert City (2), Chapter 208 - On the Night of the Storm (1), Chapter 209 - On the Night of the Storm (2).