Catherine was in a consistently bad mood during the next week. She was angry at Lily because the tragic end of their picnic was easily foreseeable. In addition, the red-headed witch was mostly disappointed by the sudden interruption of their outing and pissed at James and Sirius for what they had done to Snape. Nevertheless, she still did not completely acknowledge the Slytherin's terrible behaviour.

"You are both to blame." – she shrugged it off when Catherine raised the issue.

James and Sirius were also on the receiving end of their friend's frustration. This was extremely confusing for them since they couldn't comprehend what they had done wrongly. In their opinion, the situation was simple: they had seen Snape getting ready to curse Catherine – they had taken care of the threat accordingly.

Catherine herself had a hard time explaining what the exact nature of her exasperation was. She settled with the conclusion that she could have defeated Snape on her own and not providing him with a reason to complain about Gryffindors always relying on outnumbering him in order to win a fight.

"I didn't know that you care so much about what people think." – noted Remus, devouring his second generous slice of carrot cake, while the two of them were sitting alone in the Common Room one week after the unfortunate incident.

"That's the thing – I really don't!" – sighed Catherine, chewing the tip of one of her braids – "But every time I see Snape in class or around the castle, I have this overwhelming desire to punch him in the face. I hate how he tries to pose as a victim!"

"So, the problem is what he would think?" – asked Remus a little confused.

"Yes! I mean, no… I don't know anymore!" – growled the young witch in frustration – "I just want him to know he's not right and I can take him down on my own!"

"But why do you even need to do that, Catherine?" – sighed the boy – "Every time you pick up a fight with him, you also get hurt."

"I don't pick up fights with him!" – shouted the girl outraged – "But, I'll be damned if I let him think he could do or say whatever he wants about me."

"In all fairness, a lot of people are laughing at him and mocking him because of you. It's not like he'd let it slide. You're both equally vindictive." – said Remus with a gentle smile, looking at his friend's pouting face.

"Plenty of people had laughed at me because of him too!" – she claimed stubbornly.

"I know, but you have us, and we would allow no one to get away with it. From what I've seen, he doesn't have anyone, but Lily." – Remus answered.

"Why are you defending him?" – Catherine asked in disbelief.

"I'm not. He's a pretty nasty person but I… I understand how it feels to be alone against the world." – the young Gryffindor almost whispered.

Catherine paused for a moment, observing her friend's pale face. The dark circles under his eyes were still a visible sign of the recent full moon. The witch took a deep breath and attempted to clear her mind from Snape's irritating presence.

"I'm sorry, Moony." – she said softly, moving closer to Remus – "I didn't mean to trigger you this way."

"Don't worry, Flame, I'm fine now. It's just that you can never fully erase these lonely memories." – he admitted bitterly.

The girl opened her mouth but couldn't find the right words. Anything she said risked delving into her own painful memories, exposing the lies about her life. Instead, she just laid her head on Remus' shoulder and the two of them spent a few minutes in silence, gazing at the roaring fire.

"The cake was really tasty." – Remus finally spoke – "If you continue baking such things for me after every full moon, I'll get all round and chubby."

"Nonsense, you need energy and a little bit of mood-booster." – the girl smiled – "Not to mention your birthday's next week. I'll prepare something special."

"You don't have to." – Remus blushed.

"Don't be too modest. James already gave me a list of cakes he likes for his birthday and it's not for almost a full month." – Catherine chuckled.

"Well, then, the chocolate cake you had all over you last week seemed delicious." – Remus said with a perfectly innocent expression, making Catherine's face turn red to the roots of her hair.

"What are you chatting about?" – Sirius' voice interrupted them, while he and the rest of the boys joined the two second-years.

"Cakes." – Catherine quickly responded, purposefully drawing their attention towards the carrot cake's leftovers.

"Honestly, you can give the Honeydukes a run for their Galleons." – proclaimed James, helping himself from the culinary masterpiece, generously covered with cream cheese frosting.

"Thanks, but it's really more of a hobby." – said the young witch humbly – "Where have you all been?"

"Zuh Li-bway." – answered Sirius, with his mouth full.

"Really?" – asked Catherine suspiciously.

"We do go there… from time to time." – exclaimed James, a little offended.

"Sure…" – answered the girl not entirely persuaded – "And what kind of mischief we're planning this time?"

"I'd say that the mischief is far from managed at this point." – Sirius chimed in and took out a parchment from his pocket – "But we're slowly making some progress."

"Is this about this map you mentioned?" – asked the young witch, trying to cast a glance at the parchment.

"It is." – Sirius nodded – "After our midnight adventures in the Library it occurred to me that if we're to go through our time at Hogwarts without being expelled, we need more information. Even if we're invisible, we keep having these dangerous encounters, and considering the other… side project we're working on, we can't afford any mistakes."

"It's not that I do not agree with you, Sirius, but I fail to see how a map could fix our problem. We already know quite a lot about the castle."

"Patience, Miss Plantier, I'm getting there." – the boy winked at his classmate – "What do you know about the Inquisitus Imprintum spell?"

"Doesn't ring a bell." – answered the girl honestly.

"According to Enigmatic Imprints this spell delves into the magical imprints of creatures, extracting details such as identity and species. This information can then be translated onto another medium." – explained Sirius excitedly.

"So, you're telling me that you want to use this spell on the map, so it can scan the castle and reflect everyone accordingly?" – asked Catherine contemplatively.

"Exactly!" – Sirius replied, his grey eyes shining.

"This would be complicated though." – the young witch mumbled, mostly to herself – "The spell should be extremely powerful, in order to cover the whole school. It also should be triggered by something; it can't sustain itself indefinitely. Also, we can probably find a way for movements to be updated in real time."

"Do you think it's possible?" – asked James, completely forgetting about the cake.

"It's worth trying!" – Sirius chimed in.

"First thing, first. We need to make the map as detailed as possible before starting with the enchantments." – said Catherine, studying what Sirius had already sketched.

"I agree! Let's divide the castle between ourselves and once we're ready we can proceed with the castle grounds as well!" – suggested Sirius, jumping to his feet impatiently.

"Moony, shall we count on you too?" – asked James, looking at his silent friend.

Remus lifted his head and stared for a moment at the enthusiastic faces of his fellow Gryffindors, ready for yet another adventure. He tried to remember Dumbledore's kindness and how much he owed him for opening the gates of Hogwarts' for a werewolf. He tried convincing himself to steer clear of trouble and abide by the school rules but was taken aback upon hearing his own words:

"Absolutely, let's start top to bottom!"

The next few weeks were extremely hectic. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Catherine, all equipped with parchments and ink, spent every free moment strolling around the castle and sketching every corridor, room, statue, portrait, tapestry, broom cupboard, and staircase. Contrary to what they initially believed, the process turned out to be a lot of work. They hadn't even finished one quarter of the work before the Easter holidays.

While they all decided to stay at Hogwarts, except for Peter, whose mother insisted on him coming home, their attention couldn't stay entirely focused on the mapmaking. The end of the year exams were approaching and they needed to start revising.

"I can't believe I spent my birthday drawing a map and now I'm spending my Spring break studying." – groaned James, removing his glasses and throwing his quill to the other end of the Library table.

"It takes us more time than I anticipated." – sighed Sirius, glancing gloomily through the window. Outside the April sun was pouring golden sunlight above the castle grounds, green with the new grass, tempting the inhabitants of the school to temporarily abandon their quest for knowledge.

"What bothers me more is that we're not progressing on our other task." – said Catherine, cautiously looking around for people sitting nearby.

"Do you have any development on the Slughorn quest?" – asked James, retrieving his quill.

"Not really." – the girl admitted sulkily – "It's just never the right time. I wish he would invite me for one of his gatherings, but I think he usually favours older students."

"I've heard he invited McMahon to his Valentine's Day party." – casually added Sirius – "Apparently, it's not solely a matter of age."

"I do what I can!" – snapped Catherine irritated – "I can't help it if the old fool is only interested in status and blood relations. I don't have either."

"I'm sorry, Flame, I didn't mean to imply you were not doing your best." – quickly apologised Sirius.

"Whatever. I'll find a way, trust me, I most definitely will!" – the young witch said, her green eyes flashing with determination.

"Completely unrelated to your delusional plans," – Remus chimed in – "have you all decided on what electives you are going to pick for next year?"

"Ah, I have forgotten about that." – Sirius yawned – "I think I'll take Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies."

"Really?" – asked James – "Why?"

"Care of Magical Creatures because it seems interesting, and a tad dangerous, and Muggle Studies, mainly to piss off my parents."

"Splendid motivation." – Catherine mocked him.

"While I do not expect Care of Magical Creatures to involve anything truly dangerous, I'd probably take it as well." – said James, winking at Sirius – "I was thinking about Divination, mostly because it's probably easy, but I'm fine joining you for Muggle Studies."

"Who are you trying to piss off?" – asked Catherine.

"My parents are not like Sirius'!" – said the black-haired boy defensively – "They do not care if I study about Muggles or not, plus we can learn more about your world, Flame."

"This is my world." – the young witch snapped.

"Merlin, you're touchy today! I meant learning about how your life is at home." – James said, browsing through his notes on the east side of the fifth floor.

"I was thinking about taking Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy." – Remus attempted to defuse the tension.

"Arithmancy? This sounds boring as hell!" – James laughed.

"It's actually quite interesting." – the other boy answered – "It's the basis for other disciplines like Potions, Transfiguration, Charms. It's all about numbers and logic."

"Was that supposed to change my opinion?" – James asked, amused.

"Leave him alone. Not everyone's trying to pick the easiest subjects." – snapped Catherine, still irritated with her friend – "Plus, Lily is also taking Arithmancy. You'll have company, Moony."

"What about you, Flame?" – Remus asked, smiling.

"Honestly, I haven't decided yet." – the black-haired girl answered, staring at the ceiling of the Library.

In several days the decision about the electives became a pressing issue, since Professor McGonagall insisted that everyone submit their choices before the end of the holidays.

Catherine found herself on the horns of a dilemma. She had never really considered any kind of career before. As an aristocrat she had some options, related to structures such as the Council or the Academy, although, sexism was deeply engraved in the main families and most witches didn't aim at high positions. In addition to that obstacle, Catherine was not even supposed to exist as a person. In general, she tried to avoid thinking a lot about the future, because she didn't know if she even had one, considering the demon she was carrying inside her. Furthermore, her parents had never enlightened her on how they were planning to proceed with her identity once she graduated from Hogwarts.

'If I ever do…' – the girl thought gloomily – 'Although, knowing my parents, they'll probably tell me to find a job in the Wizarding world and pretend I'm Catherine Plantier for the rest of my life.'

While in the past thinking about this prospective was so depressing that Catherine usually had ended up crying and avoiding everyone for days, it seemed that recently it had lost most of its sting. After all, living as Catherine Plantier, surrounded by her friends, would have been ten thousand times better than being a prisoner in her own home, even if she was never to use her real name or title again.

'But then what kind of job would I want in the future?' – the girl asked herself - 'Anyway, Muggle Studies are pointless for me; I already know enough about the Muggle world. Divination might be dangerous… What if Professor Everdream really has the Gift and sees something about me?'

Catherine briefly considered asking Greg for advice, but somehow, she didn't feel comfortable. Plus, he did return home for the holidays, so at best, she could have sent him an owl, which wouldn't have answered any follow-up questions she might have.

"Are you still using the Comprehensive Guide to Magical Herbs?" – someone asked, snapping Catherine out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw one of the Gryffindor third-years, a brown-haired boy, with eyes, the colour of dark chocolate and a mischievous smile, which gave him the appearance of a forest spirit. The young witch vaguely remembered she had seen this boy accompanying Greg around the school.

"No, I'm done with it." – she quickly said, handing the heavy volume to her fellow Gryffindor.

"You're Catherine Plantier, correct?" – the boy asked her, taking the book.

"Yes. And you are?" – the green-eyed witch asked, although she was pretty sure about the answer.

"Frank Longbottom. It's a shame we've never had the chance to talk the Common Room." – he grinned.

"Well, I suppose, we're just part of different crowds." – Catherine concluded, wondering where this conversation was going.

"True. I'm a little bit lonely now that most of my friends are home, but my parents are visiting relatives in the US and they'll stay there for a month, so I couldn't go with them." – explained Frank, taking a seat next to the girl.

"I see." – Catherine said, not certain whether the third-year's chatty demeanour was bothersome or amusing.

"If you want, I can help you with your homework? Which subject are you working on at the moment?" – the boy suggested helpfully.

"Thank you but I usually do not require help with my lessons." – Catherine declined, looking at the door, hoping one of the boys would appear – "Furthermore, I'm not doing homework but trying to decide on my electives for next year."

"Oh, I can help with that as well!" – exclaimed Frank with a smile.

"I doubt it. The problem's that I really haven't decided on my career path, and I can't make up my mind in such a short time." – the young witch admitted.

"I get that, it's a bit too early to decide on your future." – Frank smiled – "We're also supposed to have a career advice meeting at some point before taking our OWLs, so you should relax a bit. Just think of these electives as skills you don't have but might be useful for you regardless of the profession you chose."

"This is actually a really solid piece of advice." – said Catherine, smiling.

"You sound surprised." – laughed Frank.

"I'm sorry, I'm really not the friendliest person, but I do appreciate your help." – the second-year nodded and stood up, collecting her papers.

"And I appreciate the honesty!" – Frank chuckled – "Still, maybe next time it won't be so awkward."

"Perhaps." – Catherine smiled and left the Library.

"I understand choosing Care of Magical Creatures but Study of Ancient Runes? Why would you spend your time learning dead languages?" – whispered Sirius during their first Charms class after the Easter holidays, when Catherine informed him about her choice of electives.

"First of all, even though we no longer actively use these languages, there's invaluable information written on them. Therefore, I consider my choice of this elective far from a waste of time. There are plenty of ancient texts that need to be discovered and translated. Ancient magic had unparallel capabilities which modern spells could only partially replace. Incendio!"

Catherine pointed her wand towards the torches the Gryffindors were practicing on, and two of them got lit immediately.

"Then why did it disappear?" – asked Sirius smugly.

"It didn't disappear, it's just being used less because it's harder, doesn't require a wand and takes more time than spells which give more precise results for many things. It has different dynamics, the magic flows should be handled differently and…"

"Alright, alright, I get it, you like your mystery spells written thousands of years ago! Incendio!" – chuckled Sirius, trying to light a torch himself.

"They're not spells, it's…"

"Fine, I got it. Now, help me out here! How do you light two at the same time?" – snapped the boy impatiently.

"What do you mean, how? Just do it!" – said the young witch.

After the class, Sirius was sulking because he never managed to light two torches at the same time, and he was also convinced Catherine purposefully refused to reveal the secret to it. The tension raised further during the next DADA class when they were being separated into pairs in order to practice the Expelliarmus spell, as well as blocking it. They had agreed previously that Catherine would be partnering with Sirius this time, but he just went straight to Remus, leaving Gwyneth Jones her only option. While the other Gryffindor girl was not too shabby with her spells, she was highly competitive, which very often resulted in her using some sneaky tricks to win a duel, an argument or whatever was on the table for winning.

Consequently, after Catherine managed to disarm her classmate three times in a row, the latter decided to change strategy. Instead of waiting for another round of spells exchange, Gwyneth took matter into her own hands.

"Expulso!" – she shouted the very second Catherine lifted her wand, ready to cast another disarming spell.

The black-haired girl immediately recognised the danger, however, she was surprised by her own reaction.

"Incendio!" – she heard herself casting the Fire-Making spell as a torrent of flames clashed with the white stream of light that Gwyneth's wand had produced. As a result, both spells were deflected, the Expulso curse breaking a few of the mirrors, covering one of the walls in the DADA classroom, and Catherine's spell ricocheting and being redirected straight to Professor Thorne.

In a flash his wand was out, and he used a non-verbal spell to protect himself, hence any nasty consequences were avoided, yet the whole class stopped their exercise and stared at the two girls in silence.

Catherine took a deep breath and looked at her teacher. To say he was livid might have been an understatement. His face was completely drained of all colours, and his lips were trembling.

"A month detention, Miss Plantier." – he almost whispered through his clinched teeth.

"What? Why?" – asked Catherine astonished by this blunt unfairness.

"You did not follow the instructions, you endangered your classmate by using an extremely powerful Fire-Making spell, and you almost hurt your teacher. Shall I continue?"

"First of all, Gwyneth didn't follow your instructions, I was merely attempting to protect myself!" – shouted the young witch, her green eyes flashing with anger, her face slowly turning red – "Second, I didn't mean for the spell to be powerful, that's how it's always been, ask Professor Flitwick! And third, what kind of a teacher would get hurt by a spell cast by a second-year?"

"First of all, you could have very well protected yourself with a Shield Charm, but instead you preferred a flashier display of power, didn't you?" – said Thorne, his sky-blue eyes, fixed at his rebellious student – "Second, the fact you're not able to assess the strength of such a dangerous spell is worrisome at best. During a practice duel you're the one responsible for not hurting your opponent. Third, I believe I'd take twenty points from Gryffindor due to your clear disrespect. I'm here to make sure you become the best version of yourself and not to be your friend. Praise is for the weak, Miss Plantier!"

"Don't sell me this bullshit!" – erupted Catherine, completely forgetting where she was. She couldn't stand this injustice anymore. Despite her father's assurance he had passed to Greg, the young witch was adamant that Thorne was a spy who had his eyes on her since the first moment she set foot in Hogwarts. He was constantly tormenting her, always expecting much more from her than from any of the other students, not to mention being overly interested in what she was doing outside of his classroom. She didn't care anymore, her only thought was making him pay for every nasty comment and every pain suffered during DADA.

"Don't you dare to talk to me in this manner!" – the wizard shouted back – "I don't give a damn if you like me or hate me! You'd learn how to control both your anger and your power even if it's the last thing I am to accomplish in this life!"

"I'm not some kind of a pet you train! I'm a fucking human being! Take one hundred points from Gryffindor if you want! I simply don't care anymore!" – Catherine cried, her eyes filled with angry tears. She turned around and darted through the door, not being concerned about Thorne's stunned face or the yelling that erupted behind her back. She didn't stop running until she reached one of her favourite spots close to the Forbidden Forest. It was a secluded nook, surrounded by old pine trees whose branches were slowly quivering in the light spring breeze.

The young witch sat on the ground, cradled her knees, and focused on her breathing. She felt strong zaps of raw magic bursting through her body, begging to find a release. Catherine groaned in frustration. It was hardly the first time Thorne was unfair to her, but losing her temper like that meant she would have not only problems with the school but also with her parents.

'This should not be a reason to be expelled, right?' – she thought anxiously.

The very idea of being returned home and losing any prospect for the future terrified her to no end. She started feeling shortness of breath and her heart was beating erratically. The young witch realised that despite her brain and her growing powers she was still just a little girl who had no control over her own life. Suddenly someone embraced her trembling frame. She lifted her head and saw Remus' worried face.

"I knew I would find you here." – he smiled gently – "James went to check around the Lake, but I thought you would rather seek some privacy."

"I'm sorry, Moony. I probably look like an idiot." – Catherine murmured, wiping away the tears from her face.

"You can never look like an idiot to me. After everything we've been through together, I thought you knew." – said the boy softly, taking a seat next to his friend.

"I don't know why I lost it like that. Thorne probably took all the points we had left in the Gryffindor hourglass."

"Not really. He was rather stunned by the way you left. In addition, he was busy with Sirius and James, who started shouting at him after you left." – explained Remus.

"Light, they shouldn't have gotten involved. I'm in deep trouble as it is. What's the point for them to be punished as well, for something I did?" – sighed Catherine.

"You did?" – snapped Remus unexpectedly – "Catherine, you didn't do anything. It was an accident during practice – it happens. His expectations of you are ridiculous and I might have not yelled at him, but I feel I should have."

Catherine stared at her friends in disbelief. For the timid, quiet Remus Lupin to react this strongly, it was unheard of. The only time she had seen him in a similar state was when they had faced the Boggart in the Honeydukes' cellar. The girl laid her head on his shoulder and smiled.

"It's good that you didn't get yourself in trouble. With all of us being in detention someone must do our homework."

"Don't worry, he didn't give detention to Sirius and James." – said the young wizard.

"He didn't?"

"Nope, he just sent them to McGonagall, dismissed the class, and went to his study." – shrugged the boy.

"I forgot about McGonagall." – groaned Catherine – "I bet she'll give me quite a scolding."

"I don't think so. She's always been just, despite being strict." – Remus disagreed – "Do you want to go back to the castle?"

"I want to stay here a bit longer. I need to collect myself before returning to this hot mess I got myself into." – the girl sighed, gazing at the blue April sky, scattered with fluffy white clouds.

Marquis Carsilion Egbert took a large sip of brandy, sighing audibly. He closed his eyes, attempting to relax all his muscles. This simple technique was taught to the Guardians as a basic exercise for calming their nerves before a mission. Unfortunately, it didn't do much for the DADA teacher. In his mind the events of the day were playing on repeat over and over again.

He couldn't believe he lost it like that. It was all a big misunderstanding. He saw the flames and reacted instinctively but for a moment there he was afraid it was true fire, and he was doomed. By the time he had realised it was a simple, although powerful Fire-Making spell, he had already lashed out on Catherine and apparently pushed her too far. He was really surprised by the hurt in her voice. Sarcasm and anger, he could handle easily; they were natural reactions. But the pain in the girl's voice… the sorrow in her eyes, so like Louisa's eyes… this was unbearable.

'I've always known I'm terrible with children; that's why I've never wanted any of my own.' – the wizard thought gloomily.

And yet, he had never hesitated to take the position of the DADA teacher and help Edward in any way possible to hide Catherine's existence. They've been doing it for so many years that his caution probably turned into a paranoia. Carsilion knew the chance of other aristocrats meddling in Hogwarts' business and finding out he was teaching there was very slim. Even if they did, it was doubtful whether they would have made any connections between him, Catherine Plantier, and the McMahon family. Despite that, he couldn't stop obsessing over the possibility of their cover being exposed.

He had tried to appear brave and calm for his best friend that fateful November night twelve years ago, but the truth was that since then, the Marquis had constant nightmares about being forced to watch the execution of Edward, Louisa, and their children.

A knock on the door interrupted Carsilion's thoughts. Without waiting for an invitation Professor McGonagall entered her colleague's office. She was wearing forest green robes, her black hair tightly drawn in a neat bun. Her flashing dark eyes and tight lips hinted that Carsilion Egbert or in this case his other alias, Carter Thorne, was in deep trouble.

"It's good to see that you're relaxing, Carter." – she said with a metallic note in her voice – "I was a bit worried since you didn't appear at dinner."

"Cut to the chase, Minerva," – the wizard spoke wearily – "I had a long day."

"So did I." – the witch stated, positioning herself in front of the DADA's teacher desk, hands on her hips – "Care to provide me with your version of the events that occurred during your class with my second-years today? More specifically, I'm interested in your particular disdain for one Miss Catherine Plantier."

The wizard ran his fingers through his auburn hair, quickly assessing the situation.

"Have a seat, Minerva." – he finally gestured towards one of the comfortable looking armchairs in front of his desk.

"I prefer not to." – quickly declined the Head of Gryffindor.

"Alright." – sighed the other teacher – "I messed up. I had quite some time to reflect on the incident and I admit I didn't use my best judgement there."

"You didn't use your best judgement? Carter, you've been purposefully edging this girl since she set her foot in the school. You know, I'm not the one to interfere with my colleagues' teaching styles, but I can't hold my tongue anymore when you're showing such obvious prejudice. Why do you dislike Miss Plantier so much?"

"I assure you that this is not the case, Minerva." – Carter Thorne shook his head – "In fact, I like Miss Plantier very much. I believe she has an incredible potential and if I am being tough with her, it is for her own good."

"How's constantly subjecting her to humiliation and expecting her to perform on much higher level compared to her peers corresponds to what you've just told me?" – asked the witch coldly.

"I know it might sound harsh to you, but learning in stressful situations allows you to better adapt to unsafe circumstances in real life." – the wizard answered.

"And what are these circumstances?" – the Transfiguration professor insisted to know – "I highly doubt anyone is going to attack Miss Plantier in your classroom, besides you, I mean."

"Sarcasm is not helpful in this instance. You know me well enough to be certain I'd never seriously endanger my students, let alone, Catherine." – Carter said with a stone face.

"Do I, Carter? I thought we were very much aligned in many aspects, but I'm deeply disappointed you didn't bother to communicate your 'individual education plan' to me, especially since it concerned a student from my House."

"I appreciate your feedback, Minerva." – the DADA teacher said icily – "However, as you correctly pointed out, this issue concerns my classes and how I conduct them. If you have a problem with that concept, I advise you to consult Albus."

"This is exactly what I'm planning to do!" – McGonagall snapped and turned towards the door.

"Minerva, wait!" – Carter stopped her – "I really wish you could see my point of view. I told you, I truly do like Catherine Plantier, to the extent that someone could accuse me of favouritism. That's why I will continue to train her to protect herself to the best of my abilities and in the way I consider most suitable for her. Exactly the way my father used to train me."

"And how did that turn out for you?" – the witch asked, before leaving the DADA professor's office and slamming the door behind her.

Carsilion slumped into his chair, burying his face in his hands. It had been years since he last thought about his father, and for a good reason.

'If it hadn't been for Edward, I would have probably just killed myself back then.' – the Marquis thought – 'I need to figure out how to fix things with his daughter. I can't give up, her safety is of most importance.'

The sound of wings flipping came from the window. The wizard lifted his head just in time to see a handsome snowy owl that dropped a red envelope and swiftly flew away. Carsilion watched helplessly while the howler started to smoke, eventually exploding, the magically amplified angry voice of Louisa McMahon shattering the Privacy spells around his office.