"Among Books and Professors"
After Sirius had taken the mirror in which Lockhart had been trapped, another Hogwarts professor arrived at the shop.
He was a small man, with pointed ears, bright eyes, and a long silver beard that barely touched his belt. Despite his short stature, his posture was elegant and full of energy. He wore burgundy robes with golden trim, and a calm smile lit up his face as he entered the store like a regular customer.
Wanda, who was standing behind the counter flipping through a book, looked up at the sound of the doorbell and smiled when she recognized him.
"Hello, Wanda! How's your day going?" greeted Professor Flitwick in his usual kind and cheerful tone.
"Well, Professor Flitwick. I hope you're having a good day too," Wanda replied with a sincere smile.
"Oh, certainly. But if that book I've been waiting for has arrived, my day will be even better," said the professor with barely restrained enthusiasm.
"Well, that's good news, because it just arrived today," Wanda replied as she turned and picked up one of the neatly wrapped packages behind the counter, the name of the recipient written in elegant calligraphy.
"Fabulous!" exclaimed Flitwick excitedly as he took the package into his hands. The book was large, and in his arms it looked like a massive tome — which, in fact, it was. The contrast only made the whole scene more endearing.
"Professor Flitwick!" said Hermione joyfully, approaching after setting her book down on the sofa.
"Oh! Hermione! I see Harry and Daphne are here as well. You three are even more into books than I am," the professor said with a smile as wide as his enthusiasm.
"Not really!" Daphne replied without hesitation. "It's just that Hermione and Harry are here, so I tag along. Otherwise, I'd be bored at home... At least with them, I'm bored with company," she added with casual bluntness.
Flitwick let out a chuckle.
"Ha ha ha. Well, books aren't for everyone. But sometimes you have to give them a chance to surprise you," he said wisely. Then he looked at Harry and Hermione with curiosity. "So, did you two read the books I recommended?"
"Yes," Harry replied calmly. "Though I liked the ones about dueling better. Hermione preferred the ones on the history of spell creation."
"That's right!" the girl said with a proud smile.
"I'm glad to hear that," the professor nodded with satisfaction. "You still have a few years to go before Hogwarts... but I'm already looking forward to seeing which houses you'll be sorted into," he added with a mischievous and playful grin.
The three children simply laughed, as none of them had a particular house in mind yet.
After paying for his order, Flitwick offered a tiny bow and left the shop almost skipping, probably too excited to wait another moment to dive into the book he had long awaited.
It seemed like the Hogwarts staff had made plans to visit the bookshop today, because right after Flitwick left, another professor walked in: Professor Pomona Sprout.
Sprout was a stout witch, with rosy cheeks and kind eyes peeking out from behind small round spectacles. Her light brown hair was tucked under a slightly worn gardening hat, and her robes carried the earthy scent of fresh soil and living plants. She always brought with her the fragrance of the greenhouses and a warm, maternal energy that filled any space she entered.
She crossed the threshold of the shop wearing a cheerful and gentle smile.
"Hello. I'd like to ask if you have these books, please," she said politely, handing a list to Wanda.
The Scarlet Witch took it carefully, and with a gentle flick of her hand, several books began to glide out of the shelves. They floated gracefully through the air until they landed softly on the table in front of the professor.
"Fast as always," Sprout commented with a charming smile. "I'm sure if Professor Flitwick saw you now, he'd fall over again."
"Oh, but he already did," Wanda replied with a playful grin. "He was so excited, he almost got crushed by his own pile of books."
"Ha ha ha!" Pomona laughed before paying quickly. As she reached the door, she bumped into someone entering and paused in surprise.
"Oh, Severus. It's rare to see you outside of Hogwarts. How are you?" she asked kindly, addressing the new customer.
"Fine," Snape replied with his usual dry, calm, and distant tone.
"That's good, that's good," Sprout murmured, completely unfazed by the cold aura of the Potions Master. After all, she had known him for years and was used to his demeanor. "Well, I'm off. Still need to finish replanting the mistletoe for next month's classes," she said, offering a warm farewell before heading out.
Snape entered the bookshop with soft but firm steps. His dark eyes scanned the room carefully, as if evaluating every corner for someone he'd rather avoid before proceeding. Most likely Sirius, with whom he'd had more than a few unpleasant encounters—even outside of Hogwarts.
As always, his gaze landed first on Harry, who greeted him with a polite nod.
Snape returned the gesture just as seriously, though without any trace of hostility. Then he turned toward Wanda and walked straight to the counter.
"I need the new materials book that was released this month. And the ones on advanced herbology," he said in his cold but steady voice, his eyes fixed intently on Wanda.
"Of course," Wanda replied calmly. She moved her hand to summon the books from their shelves, but paused the spell slightly when she noticed Harry approaching. She was curious to see what her little one would do.
"You're the Potions professor at Hogwarts, right?" Harry asked respectfully, with composure and poise—just as he'd been taught by Selene during etiquette lessons.
Snape raised an eyebrow, surprised. He hadn't expected Harry to approach him, let alone speak to him so politely. Most of the time, the boy simply observed in silence whenever he and Sirius exchanged their usual biting words. He never got involved, as if it weren't his problem. And truthfully, it wasn't.
"I am," Snape replied, meeting Harry's gaze directly.
"Would it be alright if I asked you about this recipe?" Harry said, pulling a slightly wrinkled piece of paper from his pocket. "I managed to make the potion, but I don't understand why the transformation happens when mixing these ingredients. I'd really like to know why it works that way."
Normally, he would have asked his mother or his grandfather from the portrait in their mansion. But Wanda brewed potions like wild magic—if she wanted them to work, they did, regardless of whether the ingredients matched the recipe. And his grandfather… well, he was terrible at teaching. He used terminology so advanced that Harry barely understood half of it.
That's why he figured a teacher who worked with children might be better at explaining things clearly.
"You... brewed a potion?" Snape asked, eyes widening briefly—whether from surprise or disbelief, it was unclear.
"Mm, yes. It wasn't hard," Harry replied calmly, tilting his head slightly as if the question itself made no sense. He had followed the recipe, and the potion had formed. But what he wanted to know was why.
Snape stared at him for a few seconds in silence. Then, with a slower tone, he said:
"Take out some parchment and ink. Write down what I'm about to tell you."
Harry nodded immediately and went to his bag beside the sofa, which was full of books—not from the shop, but brought from his own home. He pulled out a notebook and a Muggle pen—much more practical than quills—and returned with a serious, attentive expression.
Snape began to explain. He detailed the function of each ingredient, how they reacted when combined, how some enhanced others, while some neutralized or repelled the particles of different components. He spoke about order, temperature, and magical compatibility. It was a complex lesson, but a clear one—patient, even.
Harry wrote quickly, asking precise questions as he listened intently. Snape answered each one without changing his tone or losing his calm. Several minutes passed before Harry finished his notes.
"Thank you very much," he said, bowing his head slightly in appreciation.
"Mm," Snape replied simply. Then he turned back to Wanda, placed a few gold coins on the counter, took his books, and left without another word.
"Wow… Harry, aren't you scared of that professor?" asked Daphne, approaching with curiosity.
"Why?" Harry asked, genuinely confused.
"Because he looks... creepy," Daphne replied, still surprised by the whole interaction.
"Your dad doesn't make many expressions and always looks serious, but he's kind and friendly. Why should I be scared of Professor Snape?" Harry answered, his logic simple and sincere.
Daphne fell silent for a moment. It was true. Her dad could look cold or stern, but he was very protective of his family. She had even seen an entire family kneel before him to apologize, and he had simply waved them off without a word. Still, she thought he was cool.
Maybe others saw her father as frightening... but she didn't.
And maybe the same could be said about Professor Snape.
"Besides," Harry added with a hint of pride, "seeking knowledge from someone who knows more than you—especially a professor—is the right thing to do."
Next chapter: Time skip — Harry and the others turn ten.