Four years passed in a flash, like a white colt streaking past a crevice.
Morning, 221B Baker Street.
John H. Watson yawned as he entered the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the four of them, opening the refrigerator door.
Most of his sleepiness vanished. He took a deep breath, ignored the fresh human arm with various cuts in the refrigerator, and took out a bag of bacon from the side.
A soup pot sat on the stove. He opened the lid, revealing a pot full of strange purple liquid. John's forehead throbbed as he silently put the lid back on.
Switching to a frying pan, the aroma of bacon spread through the house.
Aside from human organs often appearing in the refrigerator, occasional explosions upstairs, and the plants always trying to bite your hand... life with children was much livelier.
John thought aimlessly.
Suddenly, he felt a cold object press against his arm. No matter how many times it happened, he still jumped: "God! Aegis, can you please not climb on me when I'm making breakfast next time?"
It was a strange little black snake, wearing a miniature pair of goggles over its eyes.
John skillfully picked it up and hung it on the large conical flask nearby, letting all the snake's 'saliva' drip into the bottle. The bottle had been specifically placed there by Severus, as Basilisk venom was very precious!
"Good morning, John," Thomas said, entering the kitchen in his pajamas. It was summer vacation, so time not spent at school was always leisurely.
"Good morning, Thomas," John replied gently.
After adding some grains and water to Boris's birdcage, Thomas found another pan and started helping to fry eggs. Although this Raven didn't particularly like living in a cage, he still habitually prepared some food for it.
"Can you tell me what that pile of purple liquid in the soup pot is all about?" John remembered the strange liquid he had just seen, and his mouth twitched: "I remember Severus has his own specialized tools for brewing your potions."
Thomas's thoughts were interrupted by John's question. He glanced at the potion, which definitely had the color scheme of a fairy tale poison: "Severus's potion research has hit a bottleneck, and the formula always fails to achieve the desired effect. Sherlock suggested that he might try changing the material of the vessels used to brew the potion, saying it might lead to unexpected breakthroughs. Because they had already used all the vessels in the university laboratory, so..."
Thomas's face showed a complicated expression, because in these four years, they had never even touched the entrance to the Wizarding World.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown had purchased a complete set of basic potion equipment for them, but the ingredients brought back from Hogsmeade Village were not enough to support Severus in learning the various potions in "potion Fundamentals."
It must be said that Severus's talent was truly exceptional, and in this area, he possessed a daring recklessness that was inconsistent with his personality.
By the time Thomas discovered he was using Muggle World items to substitute for Wizarding World herbs and creatures, he had already poured a bottle of special cold medicine into his mouth... Fortunately, he was still alive!
"So, did it work?" John asked, speechless.
"I can't tell, you know, I'm not good at that," Thomas shrugged.
"Good morning, John, Thomas," Severus said, wiping his hair as he entered after the eggs and bacon were fried.
Brewing potions at night always made his hair greasy, so he was used to washing his hair and showering first thing in the morning.
"Good morning, Severus."
By the time Sherlock woke up, the three of them were halfway through breakfast.
Sherlock sat down in his seat, still half-asleep, and picked up a sandwich, eating it distractedly.
Watson placed a cup of black coffee in front of him: "Sherlock, can you please stop putting any corpses in the refrigerator, and stop giving Severus bad ideas!"
Hearing this, Sherlock was no longer sleepy. He looked up at Severus across from him: "Well, Severus, did my suggestion work!"
Severus shook his head, swallowing his food: "Not the intended effect, but it seems to have produced a new reaction, becoming a completely new potion." He couldn't yet determine the specific effect of this potion, unless... Thomas looked at Severus, warning: "Let Aegis test the effect for you. You are not allowed to drink potions with unknown effects yourself, understood!"
"Understood, Mama Thomas," Severus mumbled softly.
But he also recalled the last new potion, where due to his miscalculation, he grew cat ears for a week. Severus touched his head with lingering fear. Of course, he would never try random potions again!
Aegis, lying on a pile of bacon: No snake rights!
As they were chatting, a sharp bird cry suddenly came from the balcony. All four of them turned their gaze simultaneously to the source of the sound.
Two Owls, with shiny feathers and robust bodies, stood on the balcony railing, hooting into the room.
Although the window was open, they dared not fly any further!
On the balcony of 221B, several plants enclosed in glass domes were waving their leaves and vines at them, hitting the glass with a 'thump thump,' looking very ferocious.
One of the Short-eared Owls held a letter in its beak, while the other Tawny Owl's letter had fallen onto the balcony. It was the latter that was making the bird cry, its voice urgent and angry.
"Delivery... Owls?" Watson murmured in confusion.
Sherlock's eyes lit up, affirming: "It's a messenger from the Wizarding World!"
"It's the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry acceptance letter!" Severus's eyes brightened. He jumped off his chair, pushed open the French window, and stepped out. He extended his hand, and the Short-eared Owl immediately flew onto his arm.
Thomas also picked up the letter from the ground, used his Wood Element Ability to soothe and warn the plants, and they then became still, as if lifeless.
The Tawny Owl immediately hopped onto Thomas's shoulder.
"Is this the School of magic you told me about?" Sherlock picked up one of the letters, a high-quality parchment with an emblem printed on it: four animals surrounding the letter 'H.'
Sherlock tore open the letter. Watson and Severus stood beside him, excitedly watching his actions.
After Thomas fed the two frantically gesturing Owls some beans and water, he also opened the other letter.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Principal: Albus Dumbledore:
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Snape,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September the first. We await your Owl by no later than July thirty-first.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Following this was a long list of items, and finally, a separate parchment stated that as young wizards born to Muggle families, they could choose whether to have a Professor escort them to Diagon Alley to purchase school supplies.
Severus and Thomas each wrote a reply, indicating that they needed a Professor to guide them in purchasing school supplies.
Once they had written their replies, the two Owls picked up the letters and flew away.
One day in August, a lady dressed in black robes appeared at the door of 221B Baker Street.
In this bustling downtown area, she attracted many curious glances from passersby... She rang the doorbell.
A moment later, the door opened, revealing an elderly woman with gray hair—Mrs. Hudson, the landlady. Her gaze was wary as she looked at the strangely dressed, stern woman before her.
Professor McGonagall glanced at the envelope in her hand, confirmed the address again, and cleared her throat: "Excuse me, do the two Mr. Snape live here?"
"Oh, yes, the two Mr. Snape," Mrs. Hudson shouted upstairs with a vigor that belied her age: "Thomas, Severus, a strange woman is looking for you. Can you call Sherlock to come down with you? And bring that pistol of his that only causes trouble at home!"
...Professor McGonagall was momentarily choked. She secretly glanced at her understated, well-fitting wizard robes, and for the first time, thought that perhaps next time she came to the Muggle World, she should wear Muggle clothes instead.