After this incident, the little witch began sneaking over to chat with Lys regularly.
Through the little witch, Lys successfully tracked down the group spreading outrageous rumors about her and gave those bald troublemakers from various years—plus one teacher—a thorough thrashing.
From that point forward, the remaining students became considerably quieter, with only a handful of diehards left who found themselves chased about daily by Lys's magical pressure.
They penned complaints to the headmaster and wrote frantic letters home, but none of this prevented them from receiving Lys's disciplinary attention.
Because once Lys realized this position Karkaroff had arranged wasn't absolutely indispensable to her plans, she'd grown far less cautious about the role.
Now it was simply steady employment—something providing routine and research time. And at work, she preferred nobody make her uncomfortable.
This approach aligned perfectly with old Mr. Karkaroff's hopes. He'd previously suggested Lys should temper those insufferably arrogant children and young adults.
Following another group brawl, Lys assigned collective detention and lectured her students:
"When you're in a weak position, learn to read the room and protect yourself. You must weigh whether what you'll sacrifice or what you'll lose is more unbearable."
Though some children couldn't grasp the distinction between sacrifice and loss—rejecting both options entirely—they still served detention.
"When you're feeling cocky, keep your wits even sharper. Magic isn't fair, after all—who knows when you might find yourself capsized in some ditch?"
Those brainless idiots scoffed at this wisdom. Their families had maintained nobility for centuries—their greatest source of confidence. But that confidence proved useless, and they too served detention.
However, Lys understood that while she could share these insights early, they had considerable growing to do before truly comprehending such distinctions and their significance.
Herself? She'd learned through experience first, then drawn conclusions.
Consider her past choices—always gravitating toward what she could endure, what would benefit her future. Her genuine needs?
Warming the water in her hands, Lys reflected that she wasn't deserving yet.
Too many tasks remained unfinished, unresolved.
And whether that particular 'moon' would ever rise again remained unknown to Lys.
Rather amusingly, ever since encountering her old Divination professor during her travels, Lys had developed new habits. When passing through regions boasting renowned prophetic families or individuals, she'd even pay handsomely for readings.
Yet those practitioners invariably offered vague, noncommittal responses before dismissing her. Only one mixed-heritage wizard appeared genuinely troubled, telling Lys the situation didn't seem overly serious—though he couldn't clarify whether others faced no serious problems, or whether Lys herself faced none.
That wizard burned white sage for divination extensively, still stammering repeated assurances that everything appeared manageable.
Lys's questions were simple: Would her fears return? Would she ever enjoy complete freedom?
Regardless of their answers, Lys remained skeptical. She actively sought divination, yet she was also the one declaring disbelief.
Lys maintained her regular pattern—work, home, laboratory research.
While carving runes and studying certain enigmatic phenomena, Lys demolished the communal laboratory twice before the vice-headmaster assigned her a private workspace. One of Durmstrang'sDark Arts professors made a habit of pressing his face against Lys's window whenever possible.
He mocked Lys's magic as neither precise nor elegant, so she used her magical force to pin him against the glass for an hour—only releasing him when her workday ended.
Through years of research, Lys had abandoned pursuing magical finesse. She'd long since stopped hoping to achieve Professor Flitwick's seemingly sentient spellwork.
But Lys's raw magical power was formidable—extraordinarily so!
During her years traveling abroad, apart from two early ambushes due to inexperience, Lys had suffered genuine defeat only once.
Thinking of this brought a headache. That Russian encounter had been utterly brutal—even now, cold environments triggered memories of that near-death experience.
Her behavior then had crossed numerous boundaries. She'd overlooked something lethal—that resources and status existed in finite quantities. She'd interfered with interests among premier families and found herself cornered in Siberia, nearly beaten to death...
Fortunately, Lys had maintained that identity's secrecy effectively. Nobody connected that briefly notorious, arrogant wizard to Lys.
Shaking her head and pulling her coat tighter, Lys consulted her lunar calendar, calculating.
In two days, Mum would return to Britain for a five-day academic conference. Dad's Floo Network travel permit had been arranged by Senior Lucius. Only Friedm would remain home. Senna had initially planned bringing him to Britain as well, but Friedm refused, concerned about his collection of furry creatures...
Perhaps she could bring him to work instead. Two of those five days were holidays anyway—perfect timing to take the little one somewhere enjoyable.
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