It's finally here! :) Thank you for continuing to support me by reading this. A sequel to a sequel is a series, right? So I guess that makes this the third installation. I hope you like it. This first chapter's purely introductory, so the next one will be more exciting and interesting, for sure. I've already got the plans in my mind. And wow. I think you'll be amazed. It all begins in the next chapter too, so you don't have to wait!
Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy sat down at his office desk, still too jumpy to even want to take a lunch break at all—it was his first day of on-the-job training at St. Mungo's as a Healer. His impeccable OWLs and even more spotless NEWTs qualified him immediately. He knew it was his calling. After spending so much time in this hospital in his younger days, Scorpius felt drawn to helping people and giving out the care that they gave him for so many years. And he was nearly healed. His mentor stepped into the small office for a moment, smiling gently. "When we come back, we'll be meeting on the third floor. I'll be showing you how to navigate the corridors up there—that level's the most confusing one." he told Scorpius. The blonde nodded gratefully. After the man left, he pulled his white coat around him against the chill of the building. Scorpius was always one to be cold—born months too early and still recovering from a teenage eating disorder made him rather fragile against the world's elements. But nonetheless, he wouldn't trade his job for the world.
The area atop his desk space was spotlessly clean; he never liked disorganization or anything like that. Everything had a place. He was just about to bite into his sandwich when he suddenly heard a little tap at the rainy window. A damp barnowl peeked in, letter wedged in its beak, big yellow eyes looking hopefully inside. Scorpius threw the window open to let it enter his little office. As he gathered the letter and stroked its dampened down, the bird took to pecking at his abandoned sandwich.
Dear Scorpius,
I hope you're fending well over at St. Mungo's. How are your parents doing with you leaving home? Your mother, more specifically? I've have two reasons I'm writing—one is to let you know that it certainly feels strange being here at Hogwarts without you and the others. The other…well, my stupid cousin overfed his owl and it can't get up off its perch until it drops some weight. So I have some messages he wants to tell you but simply can't.
The story I have to tell you is that today I was teaching History of Magic to the second-years, and I asked them to write a five-inch roll of parchment about the heroes in our history. Everyone immediately started talking about my uncle Harry and my mum and dad, but one little person wrote about a certain child protecting his family from harm by sacrificing himself in an old Hogsmeade pub. Michael wrote about you. Not only did he write three inches more than I'd asked for, but he proceeded to volunteer to read his in front of the class to tell everyone that a Muggle-born wizard knew about a great event in a friend's life that happened years before he even knew he possessed magic. I was quite proud of him. I figured you would be too. I guess it's just one of those reasons why I'm glad I became a Hogwarts professor!
Secondly, Albus asked me to tell you that he loves and misses you a lot. He said he was pondering whether or not he should cut off a toe or something so he could go to St. Mungo's and see you, but I strongly advised him against that. Alright, alright, I'll admit it. I yelled at him again. I just can't let him be an idiot all the time—and we know that can happen. Anyway, if you want to write to him, he'll have to reply using your owl since his is a little…engorged.
I do miss you. It feels weird grading exams instead of taking them and wondering how you did. Maybe someday you could come over and we can see who can grade tests faster? Miss you, Scorpius. Good luck.
Love,
Rose W.
Scorpius grinned. Hearing from his friends made him extremely happy—with Rose a professor, James and Auror, Albus an apprentice, Lorcan and Lysander field researchers…he just felt loved all around. And his Michael; Michael whom he'd stuck with all year, so that someone else wouldn't have to go through what he did in his Hogwarts years. He wondered how he was doing. Forgetting all about lunch now, Scorpius picked up a quill and began composing a message back to nearly second family.
