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|Her singing lily had already developed buds, promising to bloom soon.
She extracted Gaben from her shirt and settled him in the flower pot to bask in the sunshine. Just as she prepared to resume her repotting practice, she noticed Gaben raising his neck irritably and opening his mouth.
Though no sound emerged, Lys inexplicably understood.
Gaben was indignant that she hadn't allowed him to confront that bird.
"That bird this morning was indeed outrageous, but Gaben, you're only this big," Lys demonstrated, indicating about forty centimeters.
"And that bird was this enormous! Let's wait, shall we? When you're bigger, I'll let you challenge it, alright? Be patient~"
After making an exaggerated gesture about the bird's size, Lys soothed Gaben. Though he couldn't comprehend human speech, the comforting sentiment carried through.
So Gaben settled back into the flower pot, stretched languidly, and proceeded to ignore his owner.
The Hufflepuffs sharing this class with Slytherin watched in astonishment as the disheveled girl with tattered robes conducted an animated conversation with a snake... their shocked expressions masking whatever thoughts lay beneath.
In Potions class, Lys surprisingly produced a potion of acceptable quality, earning Slytherin two points of commendation.
When Professor Slughorn inquired about the source of her improvement, Lys candidly revealed Snape.
"I've been copying Snape's homework lately, Professor."
Accepting a cookie from Lys, the professor smacked his lips, "Ah yes, Snape, remarkable talent in potions. If emulating his work yields such improvement, well then, two more points to Slytherin for your progress in potions."
March was a hectic season for Madam Pomfrey, with numerous students seeking cold remedies from the hospital wing. Those who consumed the potion would have steam shooting straight from both ears.
Occasionally, students excelling in potions would be summoned by Professor Slughorn to assist in brewing Pepperup Potion and cold remedies.
That day, with steam streaming from her ears, Lys trudged listlessly to class, only to witness her house's handsome young prince being accosted.
Two Gryffindors, playing at being knights while yanking at his cloak, spouted nonsense about heirs of conspiracies and the Blacks being a family of mad dogs.
Regulus attempted to leave but found himself blocked as they assailed him with spells.
It was rather embarrassing for Gryffindor - these two, apparently third-years judging by their height, couldn't overcome a first-year student.
However, magical power required time to develop, and eventually, Regulus began to falter.
Just as a Leek-Nose Jinx was about to strike that handsome face, Lys intervened with two Leg-Locker Curses and two Tarantallegra spells, sending the two worthless bullies dancing away with their legs bound together.
When their figures had vanished at the corridor's end, Lys emerged from concealment and glanced at Regulus.
"Thank you for your assistance. I was merely magically exhausted, I'll recover after some rest."
Given that Lys was an older witch prone to magical fluctuations, Madam Pomfrey required her to carry Magic Replenishing Potion constantly, taking a sip whenever she felt unwell.
Lys rummaged through her four pockets and finally produced an unopened bottle, which she offered to Regulus. He accepted it with a gracious smile and drank without hesitation.
Before Regulus could properly compose himself, an angry, excited voice demanded from behind.
"Ratface! What are you doing to my brother?!" It was Sirius Black.
Perhaps he wasn't even seeking an answer, as he immediately cast Densaugeo at her.
"Did you consume your brain for breakfast, you stupid dog? I was... merely conversing with your brother," Lys finished, somewhat proud of her improving verbal finesse and consideration for the young prince.
He... presumably wouldn't want his brother knowing about the Gryffindor bullying.
Seeing his skeptical expression, Lys, avoiding confrontation, said, "Move aside, I'm running late!"
The still-active Pepperup Potion caused another puff of steam to erupt from her ears, lending her a rather comical appearance.
"Brother, indeed, knowing she's also a Black, I wished to have a casual conversation with her."
Lys shot an "I told you so" expression as she passed by Sirius Black.
Since the Astronomy professor had introduced the constellations, she'd learned that Sirius Black's name derived from the brightest star in Canis Major - Sirius.
Hah, so he truly was a dog - she'd been right to call him an arrogant mutt before.
And the young prince's name was intriguing too, being the brightest star in Leo.
She'd wondered previously why her name was "star," and now she realized her father must have been considering the Black family...
Shaking her head, she halted that train of thought. She remained at the bottom of Slytherin's hierarchy - proximity to the Black family would only invite disaster. Her mother wouldn't approve either - why welcome trouble into their home?
Defense Against the Dark Arts proved disastrous with this new professor. When explaining various dark creatures in this lesson, he declared that these beings were like pests - if encountered, they should be eliminated without hesitation.
This prompted Lys to pose a troubling question after class: "Professor, in that case, might I feed Worcestershire black gnomes to my snake?"
He couldn't say no - they'd just established these creatures were harmful, so why not put them to practical use? But saying yes was problematic - these were humanoid magical creatures, which violated common ethical standards.
In the end, Lys received no answer, only a paper marked 'P' for Poor.