Chapter 62: End of Second Year
Soisen left Beauxbatons in a hurry without even waiting for the banquet to end, running away from the crying and furious students led by Fleur who are chasing him to force him to change Lala's tragic fate.
Even the professors joined the impromptu chase!
He ran through the corridors of the school under a barrage of lights shooting from the students' wands, with the aim of a stormtrooper!
...Meanwhile, in the now empty dining hall...
-You can come out now," commented Chloe after wiping her tears as she laid the damp handkerchief on the table, "They're all gone.
She and Headmistress Maxime were the only ones left behind, knowing the backup plan Soisen devised just in case.
Although they never believed he would actually use it!
-I told you I wasn't exaggerating," Soisen commented as he cancelled the invisibility, unable to help but let out a sigh of relief at his own caution, "Come on, I have to get out of here as soon as possible.
What they were all chasing at the moment was nothing less than another illusion, which should fool them until he left the interior of the school and dissipated. Madame Maxime pushed caressed the petals of a flower on a painting beside him in a specific order and a secret passage was revealed.
-I trust you have all your things," Chloe wanted to confirm.
-Of course," Soisen was not so innocent, he was sure that there were already students waiting for him in the place that was his residence.
-Come on, I will allow the use of the Flú Network due to the... unique circumstances -commented Maxime as she closed the secret passage that should lead to her office behind her -Did you think about my proposal?
-I appreciate your interest, but I'm not transferring schools," Soisen replied, "Hogwarts may have a lot of things to improve, but my family is too historically involved.
-A real pity," Maxime appreciated talent and Soisen showed a potential that few wizards his age were capable of achieving. More importantly, he was not satisfied even with that and was hardworking- In that case, let me give you a souvenir of your time here.
They reached his office and Maxime, apparently prepared for his refusal, handed him a plant that was carefully wrapped in a completely black cloth.
-This is it? -Soisen was quite familiar with Beauxbatons plants, but he couldn't recognize the scent of this particular one.
-A blue moon lily with twin flowers born during the last eclipse," Maxime explained as she took the pot by the fireplace and lowered it to Soisen's height, "I understand that you were searching unsuccessfully for this during the last three outings with Chloe to the local magical market, and it just so happened that a friend of mine in Barcelona had one that matched your conditions.
Soisen looked open-mouthed at the headmistress, alternating between the covered plant in her hands and her.
-Is she serious? -Not that she didn't take her word for it, but any potions master knows how incredibly difficult it is to obtain this plant, whose magical effects can only be achieved if it is born naturally without the slightest intervention.
-Just send me one of those limited edition packs of swan-shaped, floral-scented magic soaps," Maxime downplayed the matter and then muttered under his breath so Chloe couldn't hear him, "Make them bigger for that, the regular ones are running out too fast.
Soisen promised without even hesitating, he had been searching like crazy for this plant and exchanging it for a batch of cosmetic products the size of a half-giant was a bargain with a capital letter. What's more, he promised her that from now on, her orders at the store would be custom sized, free of charge!
It's nothing more than using Engorgio just before packing the product and I didn't want to owe such a big favor.
Satisfied by his response, she placed the Flu powders within reach, of which Soisen took a handful.
-Thank you once again for your hospitality and guidance," he said looking at Chloe and the headmistress.
He stepped into the fireplace and just before throwing the powders, his hand stopped abruptly as he felt his illusion dissipate sooner than expected as he turned a corner. His eyes lit up and he looked at the two women in front of him.
-See you in two years," he said mysteriously, before disappearing in a green flare saying his destination.
When the flames died out, there was no one in the fireplace and Maxime shared a look of incomprehension with Chloe.
-What did he mean by that? -they both thought at the same time.
Soisen had to repeat the process in reverse when he left France. Passing through both Ministries, before appearing at the Leaky Cauldron and calling the night bus to take him back to the village of Lacock, where he had to walk on foot to his home under Fidelius.
Given his hasty departure from Beauxbatons, he arrived two hours earlier than planned and wanted to surprise the family.
-I'm home! -she shouted once she closed the front door.
POOF!
With the sound of a bottle being uncorked, Nagini appeared behind Soisen and pointed her wand at him. Only when she confirmed the bond they shared as a totem guardian an instant later, she withdrew it and smiled at Soisen.
-Aw~ You've come at a bad time," he said as he put the wand away, "Your mothers left a few minutes ago and won't be back for another half hour.
-Anything I should know? -Soisen asked.
-Well, I guess you shouldn't, but there's no point now," Nagini shrugged and revealed what was going on, "They wanted to give you a surprise party for your return and they went to get a cake, one made by professionals, they said.
-Dammit - Soisen considered for a moment -Should I go back to wait and act like I just arrived?
-Do you think your mothers will buy your performance? Instead of answering, Nagini offered a counter-question.
-Dammit," Soisen repeated, not expecting his surprise to spoil the other surprise -Ideas?
-You could hide in the cake.
Soisen waited for Nagini to tell him she was joking, but she didn't.
-Nagini," he called as he walked over and looked her in the eyes, "Being more specific, how big of a cake did they plan on bringing?
-I don't know, they said something about starting to try different flavors of wedding cakes.
-...Dammit.
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