Severus sat at his desk, reading the letter from the International Alchemical Review for the third time. The official wording was meticulous, but the message was clear:
His research paper had been accepted for publication and was currently undergoing final peer review before being included in the next issue.
His name—Severus Shafiq—was about to be officially introduced to the international potions community.
This was no ordinary academic milestone. This was the first published research paper from a British potioneer in nearly three centuries.
Severus leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. He had expected recognition. But not this quickly. And certainly not on this scale.
The first shock came from an international publication. Alchemy & Arcana, one of the largest potions journals in the world, ran an article that sent waves across the magical community.
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"A Dormant Giant—Why Has Britain Stopped Innovating?"
By Eleanor Fontaine, Alchemy & Arcana
For centuries, Britain was a beacon of magical discovery. The greatest potioneers, spellcrafters, and magical theorists all came from one place—Hogwarts.
But that was 278 years ago.
Since then? Nothing.
No groundbreaking discoveries. No major contributions to magical knowledge.
Now, in the year 1976, the world sees its first British innovation in centuries.
And yet… it wasn't made in Britain. It was made in America.
Severus Shafiq, a British-born student, has published a revolutionary study on potion stabilization techniques, marking the first significant breakthrough from a British potioneer since the early 1700s.
But this raises an uncomfortable question: Why now? Why only after he left Britain?
If Hogwarts was truly the premier school for magical education, why is it that all meaningful innovation has come from elsewhere?
Why do we see progress from countries like France, Germany, India, and America—but not Britain?
Could it be that Hogwarts and the British Ministry do not encourage innovation at all?
This should be a wake-up call.
Britain is no longer leading the magical world.
It is simply watching.
And if the reaction to Shafiq's success is anything to go by—many in Britain are not happy about it.
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If the international article had caused a stir, the Daily Prophet's response made it an inferno.
The very next morning, a special feature article was published. Severus stared at the paper in disbelief as he read.
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"A British Prodigy—The Young Genius Making Waves Abroad!"
By Rita Skeeter
It is with great pride that we recognize one of our own—Severus Shafiq, a British-born potioneer, whose recent research in potion stabilization has earned him a place in the prestigious International Alchemical Review.
Shafiq, currently studying at Ilvermorny under an exchange program, has developed a breakthrough method that improves the healing efficacy of Essence of Dittany.
This marks the first recognized potions innovation from a British wizard in 278 years.
But the real question is—why did it take this long?
Why has Britain, once a hub of magical advancement, fallen so far behind? And why did Hogwarts not nurture this talent within its own walls?
Perhaps it is time to question the rigid traditions of our academic institutions.
Perhaps it is time to recognize that progress does not come from preserving the old—but from embracing the new.
For now, we can only watch as Severus Shafiq continues to rise in a foreign land. One can only hope he chooses to return.
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Severus snorted.
"Return?" he muttered. "Not bloody likely."
The impact of the two articles was immediate and unavoidable. The wizarding world of Britain, which had long prided itself on tradition and legacy, was now being forced to confront an uncomfortable truth:
Their greatest potioneering breakthrough in centuries had not come from Hogwarts, nor from any of their prestigious families. It had come from a sixteen-year-old who had left Britain entirely.
The letter arrived swiftly at Ilvermorny, bearing the official seal of House Prince.
Severus broke the wax seal and read:
Severus,
It appears that you have accomplished what few in our country have dared in centuries—you have forced Britain to acknowledge its stagnation. Your name is being spoken among the Wizengamot, the potioneers' guilds, and among the Sacred Twenty-Eight families.
Some are impressed. Others are… less so.
Regardless, you have set a precedent that cannot be ignored.
Continue as you are. Make them remember the name Shafiq.
- Arcturus Prince
Severus smirked, rolling up the parchment. His uncle was pleased—not just because of the achievement, but because of what it represented.
A half-blood, long ignored by the British elite, had just outshone them all. And the aristocracy hated that.
Eileen sat at Prince Manor, the Daily Prophet clutched in her hands.
Her son's name was there. Not hidden, not overlooked—center stage.
For so long, she had feared that her son would remain trapped under the weight of his father's cruelty, Hogwarts' prejudice, and society's rejection.
But now? Severus had defied them all.
She traced his name with her fingers, a small, wistful smile on her lips.
"My boy."
Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk, hands folded, eyes unreadable. He had always known that Severus was exceptionally gifted. He had even counted on it.
In another life, he had assumed Severus's brilliance would be shaped under his careful guidance, ensuring that the boy would eventually become a valuable piece in the greater war against Voldemort.
But now…Severus had escaped his influence entirely. Worse, he had thrived without it. Dumbledore exhaled slowly, steepling his fingers.
"Severus was meant to remain at Hogwarts. He was meant to be shaped into a guiding force. Instead… he has become something I can no longer influence."
And that, above all, worried him. For a brief moment, he felt an uncomfortable flicker of recognition.
A brilliant orphan, overlooked and dismissed, only to find power outside of Hogwarts' reach. Tom Riddle had done the same. Was this history repeating itself? Dumbledore set down the paper, his expression unreadable.
Minerva McGonagall had always been a strict but fair professor. And now, as she read the article, she felt a pang of regret. Severus had been right in front of them, and yet no one had ever encouraged him to pursue his talent in this way.
She exhaled sharply, setting the paper aside. "We failed him."
Hogwarts should have been a place that nurtured talent, not stifled it under outdated house politics. Perhaps it was time to change that.
Horace Slughorn stared at the parchment, blinking. Severus Shafiq—Severus Snape—had just accomplished something that would be talked about for generations.
Slughorn had always known the boy was brilliant, cunning, and resourceful. But he had also assumed that Severus would always need the right connections, the right sponsorship.
And yet, Severus had succeeded entirely on his own. Slughorn swallowed a sip of his wine, his stomach twisting with regret.
I should have cultivated a stronger bond with him. But it was too late now. Severus had outgrown Hogwarts, outgrown him, outgrown Britain itself.
Unlike some of their colleagues, Flitwick and Pomfrey had never doubted Severus's abilities. The moment Flitwick read the article, he beamed, his small frame nearly vibrating with excitement.
"I knew it! I always knew he was brilliant!"
Pomfrey, meanwhile, smiled to herself, quietly pleased.
"That boy has always been more than what Hogwarts allowed him to be."
She had seen the cuts, the bruises, and the exhaustion from his time at Hogwarts. She had patched him up after every attack from the Marauders. But now? Now the world saw what she had seen all along. And she couldn't be prouder.
Lily stared at the Daily Prophet, gripping the edges.
Severus's name. Right there. Recognized. Accomplished. Admired.
For a moment, she felt a strange mix of emotions. She had known he was brilliant, of course—but she had never truly thought about what he could become.
And now, reading this, she realized something that made her stomach twist. She had never seen him like this before. She had always seen Severus as her childhood friend, the awkward boy with talent but little confidence.
But now? He was someone the entire world was talking about. And he had done it without her.
Lucius Malfoy tapped his fingers against his desk, deep in thought.
A British half-blood, making an international name for himself?
This was… unexpected. And if there was one thing Lucius disliked, it was unexpected variables.
James Potter and Sirius Black sat in the Gryffindor common room, staring at the article.
James scoffed. "Since when did Snivellus become important?"
Sirius scowled. "Doesn't matter. He's still a greasy git."
Remus, however, was quiet. He had always suspected there was more to Severus than what they saw. Now, the whole world knew it.
The wizarding public of Britain was split down the middle.
For the first time in 278 years, a British-born wizard had made a significant potions breakthrough. This should have been a moment of national pride.
But the fact that it had happened outside of Britain? That Severus Shafiq had chosen to pursue his research in America rather than within Hogwarts, within the Ministry, or within the traditional British guilds?
It stung. Some saw him as a rising symbol of British excellence.
Others saw him as a traitor.
And the Ministry? The Ministry was in turmoil.
In wizarding pubs, family gatherings, and workplaces, Severus's name dominated conversations.
Some witches and wizards praised Severus, calling him a genius who had revived Britain's reputation after centuries of stagnation. Many young professionals and ambitious scholars saw him as a sign of change.
"Finally! A British wizard making headlines for something other than scandal or war."
"Maybe this will wake up Hogwarts. Maybe this will force the Ministry to start supporting innovation."
"If Hogwarts actually encouraged research, maybe we'd have had a dozen Severus Shafiqs by now."
Some staunch traditionalists felt betrayed that Severus had published his findings abroad.
"If he truly cared about Britain, he would have stayed and strengthened our country, not given his knowledge to the Americans."
"Britain made him! And what does he do? He takes his talents overseas."
"It's disgraceful. Hogwarts raises a young genius, and Ilvermorny reaps the rewards."
The debate raged in letters to the Daily Prophet, wizarding pubs, and even within Hogwarts itself.
But no matter which side they were on, one thing was clear—
Severus Shafiq was a name that could no longer be ignored.
Inside the halls of the British Ministry of Magic, the reaction was chaotic.
Some officials wanted to publicly congratulate Severus, to present him as a symbol of British excellence. "This could be a diplomatic victory—we could invite him back, offer him a high position in research!"
The Department of Mysteries took immediate interest. A teenager making groundbreaking discoveries in potion-making? "We need to keep an eye on him. If he continues at this rate, his knowledge could be valuable—or dangerous."
Some members of the British Potions Guild were both jealous and outraged. "He's just a boy! How did he achieve this without our oversight?"
Some of the more traditionalist members of the Wizengamot were furious that a British wizard had gained international recognition without their blessing.
"This kind of independence is dangerous."
"If we don't control him, someone else will."
"We cannot allow young talents to slip out of our influence."
The Minister himself was cautious. He saw an opportunity—but also a risk.
"This Severus Shafiq… if he aligns with Britain, we could use his work to elevate our standing. But if he turns against us—if he sees Britain as an enemy rather than a home—then we may have just created a problem."
The discussion was ongoing. Some wanted to lure Severus back to Britain with offers of funding and prestige.
Others saw his independence as a threat that needed to be controlled.
A few even whispered about surveillance, about keeping tabs on his movements.
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