In the Light of Tomorrow: A Hogwarts Legacy Continuation

The Following Week 💚 Part II

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Y/N's Perspective

On Tuesday, I taught my first class. Luckily, Magic Theory is an elective at Hogwarts, and my students seemed excited to be there; although, they were curious about the wrong subject. I spent some time trying to remember their names and faces before heading to a quick faculty meeting with Professor Aesop Sharp. He was sitting with Professor Abraham Ronen in the faculty tower.

"Hi, Professor Ronen. Hi, Professor Sharp," I greeted.

Professor Ronen laughed, "We're colleagues now. You can call us by our first names. How are you faring?"

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking... Abraham." I sat beside them. It was strange to not see them as my professors. "Do you have any advice?"

"Make sure the troublemakers know you notice their antics early," Aesop responded, sternly.

"Have fun. Don't take things too seriously," Abraham added, "Speaking of which, I need to go set up the Gobstones." He stood up with a smile and left. Their teaching styles were very different but respectable.

I opened my journal and turned to Aesop. He began, "I will be teaching my students antidotes early. They'll undoubtedly need it with experimenting." We discussed potions theory. While offensive and defense potions could be combined, antidotes didn't work the same way.

After a while, our conversation turned into small talk such as how he was injured as an Auror, what Garreth Weasley was doing now, and the new properties discovered in ShrivelFig fruits.

"Everyone is excited that you came back," Aesop said. "It's important to have professors who will defend Hogwarts as you did."

"Thank you. I'm happy to have such supportive colleagues," I responded.

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On Wednesday, I entered the Three Broomsticks to find Sirona. "Hey Y/N," she greeted. "Do you have any news for me yet?"

I took a seat at the bar. "Yes. I'm sorry to say that the treasure vault was being protected by a dragon. I didn't find any signs of him."

After a moment of silence, Sirona handed me a butterbeer. "Thank you for checking," she said in a sad tone. There was another moment of silence as I wondered if or how I should comfort her.

The place was busier than usual with students who were catching up with friends. Sirona was darting back and forth between tables. I took a sip and glanced at the stairs wondering if I should've been using the professor's lounge. "I would avoid going upstairs for a bit," Sirona advised.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"I don't know much, but Headmaster Black is meeting with a lead Auror," she responded.

When Sirona left to serve another table, I headed upstairs curiously. The door was closed, but I could hear Headmaster Black speaking, "I can't go to the Ministry directly."

To my surprise, I heard Anne's voice. "That's a serious accusation. It's hard to believe given the Black family's relation to other families," She was quiet, and I leaned in closer. The old wooden floorboards creaked a little.

"I know that," The headmaster sounded furious, "He was posing as a professor, and I'm certain he was up to no good. I might not have direct proof of ill intent, but isn't it your jobs to deal with it before it becomes a problem?"

"Although this sounds like a Hogwarts matter, my team will investigate further," another woman's voice said. She continued speaking, but the door opened.

Sebastian stepped out into the narrow hallway with his wand out and paused when he noticed me. I gave a nervous wave, staying silent. My heart skipped a beat knowing I was in trouble.

He looked me directly in the eyes, tilted my chin up, and leaned in as though he was going for a kiss. I blushed thinking of when he kissed me in the treasure vault. Instead, he whispered in my ear, "I'm glad you're alright, but you shouldn't be here."

He walked me out to the side exit. I headed back to Hogwarts wondering if Sebastian would be visiting me tonight, but the idea of having my memories tampered with was unsettling.

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On Thursday, I remembered Headmaster Black's conversation and wondered if someone was still posing as a professor. There was plenty of free time after I taught my classes and packed for the weekend. I spent it caring for the magical beasts, watering my plants, enchanting garments, and reading for fun.

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On Friday, I helped supervise Ominis's last class of the week: a Defense Against the Dark Arts field trip to a nearby inferius lair. I took a seat on some rubble beside Ominis as students eradicated the undead creatures.

Just a day ago, these students learned Incendio and Confringo. The Slytherin and Gryffindor students were quick to make a game out of who could kill more Inferi.

"Professor Gaunt," a Hufflepuff girl walked over. Her voice was trembling, "They look too human." He gestured for her to take a seat beside us, and she did.

I looked at the Inferi. The pale, rotting, anthropomorphic corpses would tear us apart if even the chance. They hardly looked human to me, but I suppose they were actually humans once.

"You don't have to put them to rest if it scares you. We're doing this to keep the people in Lower Hogsfield safe," he explained.

"What if we misunderstand them, and they still have their memories from when they were alive?" she said and pointed at an Inferi, "That person was important to someone."

"There's no amount of magic that can bring the dead back to life, but I understand that it's hard to let go of what someone used to be," Ominis said.

A confringo blast was particularly noticeable and damaged the structure of an abandoned building. I ran over to make sure the students were safe.

Arresto Momentum, a Gryffindor student stopped the falling pieces. Repairo, a Ravenclaw student fixed the damage. They made fun of their friend who caused the damage and moved on to look for more Inferi.

I let out a sigh of relief. When I returned, the Hufflepuff student decided to give fighting a try. A few more students were surrounding Ominis as he told a story.

It wasn't a perfectly accurate retelling. In Professor Gaunt's version, his friend used a Dark Arts relic to control Inferi, lost everyone he held dear, and went to Azkaban. He told the story so convincingly; I wondered if that's how Ominis thought it should've been. He was always loyal to a fault.

He continued, "This was one of the few times I fought beside Professor Y/N. She helped save Feldcroft that day." The students turned to me and began asking questions.

At the end of the class, Ominis and I walked to the nearest Floo Flame together; we were going to see his family. "How are you feeling about tonight?" I asked him.

"I feel fine," he lied. Ominis was a terrible liar because he would always furrow his brows a bit as though his own words confused him.

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