The hospital wing had become a sanctuary of greenery and soft light, thanks to Ezzy's accidental mana bloom. Poppy, the ever-diligent house-elf, flitted around the room, pruning vines and humming a cheerful tune.
"Master Ezzy is awake!" she squeaked, her large eyes brimming with tears. "Poppy is so happy! Poppy made Master Ezzy's favorite treacle tart!"
Ezzy smiled weakly, propped up by a mountain of pillows. "Thanks, Poppy. You're the best."
The elf beamed, her ears flapping as she bustled about. "Poppy also cleaned Master Ezzy's robes and polished his wand! And Poppy made sure the flowers don't grow too much. Poppy is very good at gardening!"
Ezzy looked at the energetic elf and said, "Thank you very much for your hard work, and I know how good your gardening skills are. I don't have a beautiful Moly plants on my garden for no reason."
Hermione, sitting nearby, raised an eyebrow. "Poppy, you're amazing. But don't overwork yourself, okay?"
Poppy shook her head vigorously. "Poppy loves helping! Poppy will always take care of Master Ezzy and his friends!"
As the group laughed, Poppy disappeared with a pop, only to return moments later with a tray of steaming pumpkin pasties.
With Ezzy recovering, the group gathered in the Gryffindor common room to decipher the star celestial map. The parchment glowed faintly, its starry lines shifting like constellations in motion.
"It's not just a map," Hermione said, her nose buried in Astronomy and Ancient Cartography. "It's a key. See these symbols? They correspond to the Founders' relics."
"Relics?" Ron asked, mouth full of pasty. "Like… swords and cups and stuff?"
"Exactly," Hermione said, pointing to a glowing chalice on the map. "Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, Godric Gryffindor's Sword, and Salazar Slytherin's Locket. They're tied to Hogwarts' magic."
Suhi frowned. "But the locket and the diadem are lost. And the sword's in Dumbledore's office."
"Not lost but stolen," AstraLuna said, appearing suddenly behind the couch.
The group jumped. The group didn't even ask how they appear anywhere they want, without restriction but the girls were just not ordinary, so they just went with the flow.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, his scar twinging faintly.
Astra's smile was razor-thin. "Our family guarded the relics. Until he came."
"Voldemort," Luna whispered, her voice trembling. "He took the locket. Corrupted it. And now… it's part of the blight."
As the week progressed, Hogwarts returned to its usual rhythm—though with a few notable interruptions.
In Transfiguration, McGonagall assigned the class to turn teacups into a trophy. Ron's attempt resulted in a teacup with legs, which promptly scuttled off the desk and into Jane's lap.
"It's a teaturtle!" Ron declared proudly, earning a rare chuckle from McGonagall because even though everything Ron did was wrong but the transfiguration was quite sophisticated.
In Elemental Magic, Professor Riddle challenged the students to summon rain indoors. Ezzy, still recovering, managed a light drizzle, while Suhi created a miniature hurricane that soaked everyone within a one-foot radius.
"Impressive control, Ms. Yelkrava," Riddle said, drying his robes with a flick of his wand. "But perhaps aim for subtlety next time."
The Weasley twins made their presence known during a particularly dull History of Magic class. As Binns droned on about the International Statute of Secrecy, a flock of enchanted paper cranes swooped through the room, dropping glittering confetti.
"Fred! George!" McGonagall barked, though her lips twitched as she confiscated the cranes.
Ezzy's half-brothers, Frank and Liam, cornered him in the courtyard after Potions.
"Think you're special, do you?" Liam sneered, his Ravenclaw robes swishing dramatically. "Just because you've got a fancy glow and a knack for plants doesn't make you better than us."
Frank, ever the quiet one, crossed his arms. "You're embarrassing the family, Ezzy. Dad would've—"
"What Dad?," Ezzy snapped, his voice sharper than he intended. "Back off, before I break your hands!"
The tension crackled until Suhi appeared, her water affinity swirling ominously. "Problem here?"
Liam scoffed but retreated, muttering about "Whatever"
---Later in the Great Hall---
Harry and Ron's run-in with Draco Malfoy and his cronies was inevitable. It happened in the Great Hall, where Draco was holding court, mocking Neville's latest Herbology mishap.
"Longbottom couldn't grow a weed if it bit him, pathetic fat arse." Draco sneered, earning laughter from Crabbe and Goyle.
Harry stepped forward, his wand twitching. "Shut it, Malfoy."
Draco smirked. "What's the matter, Potter? Can't handle the truth? Why? Cause you are pathetic yourself? May be it's because of your dead parents..."
The punch came out of nowhere. Ron's fist connected with Draco's jaw, sending him sprawling into a bowl of mashed potatoes.
"That's for being a git," Ron said, shaking out his hand.
The Great Hall erupted into chaos as Gryffindors cheered and Slytherins jeered. McGonagall arrived moments later, her lips pressed into a thin line.
"Detention, Mr. Weasley. And you, Mr. Malfoy—clean yourself up. You're a disgrace to that uniform."
That evening, the group gathered by the fire in the common room, their laughter echoing off the stone walls.
"Did you see Malfoy's face?" Ron crowed, miming the punch. "He looked like a landed trout!"
Hermione rolled her eyes but smiled. "You're lucky McGonagall didn't expel you."
"Worth it," Ron said, grinning.
Ezzy leaned back, his heart lighter than it had been in weeks. "But you shouldn't have resorted in using your hand."
Harry clapped him on the shoulder. "You're the one to talk. Hahahaha!"
Suhi nodded, her eyes soft.
Even Neville, still nursing a bruise from his Herbology mishap, smiled. "Only if I could have done that."
"Right," they chorused.
As the fire crackled and the stars twinkled through the windows, Ezzy felt a sense of belonging he hadn't known.