HP: The Stellar Witch [OFC]

The new chapter is now available!

Additionally, the latest Patreon early-access chapters have been updated to Chapter 93

Thank you all for enjoying this work!

patreon.com/DarkGolds

————————————————————————————————

"A lily bulb - how about this one? A Singing Lily. Though admittedly sometimes noisy, it's resilient and inedible - perfect for you, child."

With Professor Sprout's help, she received a soil-filled pot with a buried bulb. "Once it sprouts, you'll need to give it sunlight. But it's too cold now, so keep it in the greenhouse. You'll need to come regularly to care for it and water it, alright?" Lys had no objections to visiting while hunting or practicing spells.

Satisfied, Lys returned to the castle with Crunch. The weather was getting colder, and Crunch, native to warmer regions, had little energy in these temperatures. Lys often tucked it between her warming-charmed vest and shirt.

Days flew by as Lys immersed herself in the joy of successful spellcasting, rising early and staying up late. Soon Christmas approached, and Lys immediately signed up to stay at school.

She briefly worried about Christmas gifts but soon relaxed - with nothing else to offer, what choice did she have but to sneak into the kitchen?

Lys stared dumbfounded at the aromatic but strange cookies she'd made. She'd only used juice from forest fruits as ingredients, so how had they become so... hard?

The house-elf trying to taste-test them started banging its head against the wall, unable to bite through the finished product.

Blocking the elf's head-banging with her right hand while holding a cookie in her left, Lys didn't want to waste them. She asked the elves to wrap them up - she could use them as bait in the Forbidden Forest later, since they did smell good.

After making another batch of somewhat normal cookies and arranging for the elves to deliver them like last year, Lys left the kitchen, not noticing El Abor standing motionless around the corner.

Sitting in the library, pinching her quill tip, Lys sighed at its poor quality. Her handwriting was already messy, and with a split tip, her Defense Against the Dark Arts essay would surely fail.

Smacking her lips, she put away her homework and pulled out the large water flask from Madam Pomfrey. She took a big sip - she'd added a few drops of the dental potion Snape had given her last year. A cooling sensation rushed to her head, reviving her focus after getting lost in her reading.

Madam Pince had become less strict with this girl who practically lived in the library - after all, she was there every single day. Perhaps she should just hand over her position to her.

Lys held a Defense Against the Dark Arts book whose text constantly scrambled itself - you could only read the next chapter after successfully casting spells from the previous one. Such magical books allowed spell practice once registered.

Crouching under the beech tree despite the cold, Lys chose this spot for spell practice after accidentally breaking a bed leg while practicing in her dormitory, avoiding powerful spells indoors since then.

It was an interesting book, but why did its clearly defined "dark magic" section match exactly with the spells in her father's books?

The professors never spoke of dark magic, as if it were some kind of monster.

Lost in thought, Lys's wand remained active. She raised it to cast a dark spell from the book, carefully examining her feelings. Where were the dark, evil emotions the book mentioned? She felt only curiosity.

Absorbed in thought, Lys didn't notice two Gryffindor upperclassmen exchanging trading cards nearby. One jumped up in shock at Lys's spell, scattering cards everywhere.

"Dark witch! I knew all Slytherins were evil - even their youngest students practice dark magic. Mmph..." Before the boy could finish, his female companion covered his mouth.

"Cros Weasley, are you trying to get killed? How rude!" After scolding her friend fiercely, she composed herself and addressed Lys, "Sorry, he got a bit excited. I hope you can forgive- um..."

Her eyes darted around, hand still covering the boy's mouth. "He meant dark magic isn't healthy. It affects emotions generally, and the soul with deeper use, so he got excited. Don't misunderstand, he's just a bit..."

Perhaps realizing her words didn't match the boy's frantic struggling, she changed tack: "I know you're a Black. Family tradition, right? Yes, tradition. Hope you have a nice day."

Lys, caught off guard, could only reply, "Thanks for your concern. Have a nice day too."

The girl dragged her friend away, leaving the scattered cards behind. From a distance came her scolding: "Be friendly... she's just a child, probably just curious... you can't throw around serious accusations!" The last part was practically shouted.

Lys tucked the cards into her book - they were Chocolate Frog cards featuring famous wizards' portraits and biographies, popular among young wizards for collecting and trading.

She left them by the Great Hall entrance at dinner time.