***Author's note – this doesn't precisely follow the 1992 lunar calendar – it's actually a few days off, but for purposes of the story, it's being modified.

That Thursday, both Harry and Ana felt the butterflies in their respective stomachs, albeit for entirely different reasons. Both children were instructed to report to Madam L's office after dinner to help her brew some sort of potion, but Harry was far more apprehensive about it than Ana, who was about to participate in the fourth Quiz Bowl of the term the following evening.

At six forty five, Harry and Ana knocked on Madam L's office door. "Enter," the aging Potions Master said simply. The two children did so, and Madam L instructed both of them to take a seat. "Took you long enough," she sighed. Harry and Ana jut looked at each other and shrugged.

Madam L gestured toward a table that hugged the wall on the opposite side of her office. "The ingredients on that table – do either of you know what we're going to be making with those?"

"Wolfsbane potion," Ana answered with no hesitation.

"Outstanding," Madam L said with a harrumph. "It seems someone's done their research. As far as crafting this elixir goes, it's largely still considered experimental in the wizarding world as it was successfully brewed for the first time just over a decade ago. Needless to say, the process to create it is painstaking, perhaps even dangerous – only an experienced potioneer would dare to craft it."

"If it's so hard to make, then why do you need us?" asked Harry.

Madam L glared at Harry for a split second, before softening her gaze. "You should know I'm getting on in years, Mister Potter. My hand isn't as steady as it used to be, but it doesn't mean that I still can't conjure a few sparks." She looked at the boy thoughtfully before continuing. "I'm not going to be around forever – now, don't everyone celebrate at once – and I'm aware you have a bit of a friendship with your Defense teacher. There's going to come a time when I won't be there to make him the potions he needs to retain his sanity while transformed, so I figured there's no harm in showing a couple of my more promising pupils the correct method to brew it."

Harry bit his lip. "I'm glad you trust us enough to brew the Wolfsbane potion, but my goal is to cure him of lycanthropy."

"That's a fool's errand," quipped Madam L. "This potion is a minor miracle in and of itself – Master Belby is one of the few British potioneers worthy of respect."

"From what Professor Lupin told me, my mother had a gift for potions," said Harry.

Madam L raised an eyebrow. "Was she Lily Evans Potter, by any chance?"

A startled Harry practically jumped back. "You knew her?"

Madam L shook her head. "No, but I'm aware of her reputation. Shame what happened to her… if there was a witch with the goods upstairs to eventually find a cure for lycanthropy, it might have been her." She shrugged. "At any rate, I have the recipe to concoct the potion right here. I will call out for an ingredient and quantity, and I will need for you to place them in that cauldron over there. Always be mindful of the temperature, as the wrong amount of heat will render the potion useless."

Harry and Ana went to the ingredients table and awaited further instructions. Madam L cleared her throat, and began reading off instructions. "First, I'll need seventeen wolfsbane leaves." Ana picked up the bundle of leaves and began counting the leaves, one by one, as she dropped them into the cauldron.

"Well done, Miss Harrison," purred Madam L. "Next, I'll need the juice of two mandrake leaves. It's the flask near the end of the table." Harry picked up the flask and carefully emptied the contents in the pot.

Madam L continued calling for ingredients, pausing every now and then to stir the mixture, or adjust the temperature. About two hours later, the concoction was complete, and she filled seven chalices with carefully-measured amounts of the mixture. "Thank Merlin and Morgana that's over," she declared. "Could you two do me a solid, and place these in the icebox for safe keeping? Your defense teacher will need those starting tomorrow night. I beg you not to let not even a single drop spill, otherwise the whole batch is ruined."

Ana and Harry each carried the goblets to the ice box in the corner of the office. The liquid had a particularly noxious odor, causing both children to hold their breaths. Once each dose was carefully placed in the ice box, the children heaved sighs of relief. "I don't know how Professor Lupin tolerates those… those potions stink to high heavens," groaned Ana.

"Nobody ever said the Wolfsbane Potion's pleasant, my child," purred Madam L. "Master Lupin has to stick a clothespin over his nose before he downs each dose. Unfortunately, any additives, such as sugar, renders the concoction null and void – he has to take it, as-is."

She looked at the clock on the wall. "Well, you've got about thirty minutes before curfew. I suppose I'll let you go for the evening… I appreciate your help, as does my colleague. Now, amscray." She fluttered her hands, as if shooing away a stubborn puppy.

The next morning at Hogwarts, Daphne finally got the response from Ana that she'd been craving. When she opened the envelope, her eyes widened when she saw two full pages' worth of lovely cursive handwriting that was nearly as lovely as her own:

"20 January 1992

Dear Daphne,

I can't believe the second half of the term's already underway! I had a fantastic break – it felt so wonderful to reconnect with my friends and family back home. Of course, I did bring ample reading material to while away the leaner moments!

I did have a white Christmas, as a matter of fact! It snowed two days before, and again the day after Christmas. Needless to say, I was stunned when I got a heavy package from Great Britain – I certainly wasn't expecting that. I sent a thank-you letter to Hermione already (you're right, she really seems to be a sweetheart), but I wanted to thank you as well as it was mostly your idea. Thank you all for the wonderful gift, from the bottom of my heart. The volumes you sent me are positively fascinating in every way imaginable.

I have another Quiz Bowl to look forward to at the end of the week – wish us luck! The Horned Serpents have won two of the three competitions so far, which is awesome, but we can't just show up and expect to win because the Wampus house has some talented members too – they've proven that they're good enough to beat us, even if we're not playing poorly!

I'd love for you to visit us in the summer – that's honestly the best time to visit Chicago, anyway. There are some terrific Italian restaurants in the area, but if your family isn't comfortable pretending to be nonmagical, there's supposedly a wizarding district that they can visit. I can't personally vouch because outside of Nessel Road in Boston, I haven't really been to any all-magical communities, though I'm sure it's something you are used to. I'll research what I can in the meantime.

I kind of figured you'd deduce Harry's identity – you come across as a bright and inquisitive witch, after all. It's funny that he's basically a rock star in your world, but to his friends and classmates, he's simply Harry. He doesn't act at all like a celebrity – he's just a naturally sweet and unassuming boy. I told him that you said hello, and he says hello back to you and your friends. And we all thank you for keeping this discovery to yourselves – I'm sure he appreciates not getting any unwanted attention!

You mentioned the possibility visiting Ilvermorny during your spring break? Lucky! We don't get a week off in the spring, just a week off for Thanskgiving in the late fall (don't get me wrong, it's nice having an additional week off, but if I had to choose, I'd rather spend my off-week in warmer, sunnier weather!) Just so you know, there's a spring dance for first and second-year students the week you're here, so you might want to pack a nice outfit just in case (well, you could wear your uniform and robes if you really want, but I'm sure you'd prefer to wear something else!) I'm sure Harry or Othniel would be delighted to save a dance for you.

I don't mean to pull the cart before the horse, but I'm really excited about meeting you this spring! Until then, study hard and mind your professors! And tell your friends I said hello!

With love from Ilvermorny,

Anastasia"

"So, what's new in Anastasia's world?" inquired Lavender. "That's a bit longer than what she usually sends…"

"Well," Daphne replied, "today is Friday, so it sounds like she's got another Quiz Bowl tonight. I hope her house wins!"

"She's a horned toad or whatever it's called," added Parvati. "The house of scholars. So they'll probably win easily."

"Not necessarily," corrected Daphne. "Firstly, she's a Horned Serpent. And secondly, they've won two matches and another house called Wampus won one so far. She seems a little worried because this Wampus team sounds like it's giving the Horned Serpents a run for their money."

"Take a look at Ravenclaw," chimed in Hermione. "They're our resident scholars, and they're sitting in third place, behind Slytherin and Gryffindor. So it shouldn't surprise any of us that the Horned Serpents aren't a mortal lock to win the Quiz Bowl every single term."

Daphne nodded at her friend. "Exactly! While I don't like knocking my family's traditional house, they do tend to get rather… underhanded with their methods. They'll do just about anything to win – after all, their unofficial motto is, it's only cheating if you get caught!"

"Their captain, Gemma Farley, seems pretty straight-laced," murmured Parvati. "I'm sure she's proud of being a Serpent, but she can also separate the wheat from the chaff. She's not afraid to get on to her fellow Slytherins for harassing other students."

"She used to babysit Astoria and me a couple of years ago," giggled Daphne. "Gemma has a good head on her shoulders. I don't think she appreciates the stereotypes that go along with being a Slytherin. I just wish the rest of her teammates were more like her…"

"Gemma's one of the good ones," admitted Hermione. "She's given me some pointers in Potions and Charms before… granted, I normally don't need much help with my classes, but I couldn't help but accept her offer to spend a little one-on-one time with me, and get to know a student outside of Gryffindor. She also told me there's nothing wrong with being Muggle-born, and that if any of her housemates give me any trouble, to owl her. She has no problem deducting house points from Slytherin if they get out of line."

Daphne lowered her voice to just a bit above a whisper. "Oh, Anastasia said that there's a spring dance the week we're due to visit – assuming Professor McGonagall remains true to her word. You might want to pack something nice to wear just in case one her male housemates ask us for a dance."

"A chance to have a dance with the Boy-Who-Lived?" squeaked Lavender. "Sign me up!"

"Get in line, girlfriend," giggled Daphne.

Back at Ilvermorny, Harry had just cleaned up after an invigorating workout and briskly made his way downstairs to the Horned Serpent table for a filling breakfast. Although he knew that there was a Quiz Bowl to look forward to that evening, he couldn't help but notice a particularly glaring absence – Ana was nowhere to be found. Neither Othniel nor Tallulah had any idea where she was, and even Nova could only shrug when prodded.

Harry's heart pounded with apprehension – he couldn't finish his cheesy grits and hashbrowns. Just a few minutes before he was due to get up and go to class, he caught a glimpse of a familiar golden-haired teen walking past him. "Missy," he panted as he tried to flag her down. "Missy? Is Ana all right?"

Missy turned around to address Harry. She offered him a wistful smile. "Oh, hiya Harry. Ana's fine… well, she will be fine. She woke up with a low-grade fever, I'm afraid. Nothing serious, thankfully, but she'll need to spend the day resting – she'll be her usual bubbly self again before you know it."

Harry's heart sank. "That means… she won't be able to compete tonight, right?"

Missy nodded solemnly. "Summer Ingersoll – she's a fourth year - will be taking her spot for this evening. It really sucks, because Ana's the heart and soul of our team. I feel like we'll be fighting with one hand tied behind our back – she's really that good."

"Yeah, and Wampus is probably ready to pounce… no pun intended," groaned Harry. "I mean, even with Ana being cooped up in bed, we still have a good team… it's just not the same is all."

"Oh, we're not going to wave the white flag yet," Missy promised. "And even if we don't win tonight, we still have the rubber match next month to look forward to."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, but I hope it doesn't have to come down to that… good luck tonight." He tilted his head. "Is she upstairs or in the infirmary?"

Missy looked at Harry thoughtfully. "Last I heard, she was being seen by Madam Romero. She'll probably be back upstairs later this morning. I'd imagine they'd give her a potion or two to help her feel a bit better, and be told to rest in her own bed for the rest of the day. She probably won't be doing much of anything for the rest of the weekend, other than maybe schoolwork, which will definitely get keep her from going crazy."

"D'you think you could give her some flowers or something? You can say they're from myself, Othniel, and Tallulah," Harry asked.

"Well, I do know the orchideous spell," admitted Missy. "I suppose I could conjure up a bouquet of poseys for her on your behalf this afternoon."

"Oh, that'd be brilliant," Harry replied. "Thanks!"