Lily's first class at Hogwarts had just ended when Skyl walked in through the classroom door. The students had not left yet, and they all greeted him when they saw him. The Gryffindor students happily said the teaching assistant Skyl had found was an amazing person, while the little snakes from Slytherin were all expressionless. They had listened to an entire class of "five points to Gryffindor" and had gone numb.
Skyl had come to collect the homework, and also to check Lily's teaching quality while he was there. This resurrected witch still seemed as sharp as ever. At the very least, the Shrinking Solutions the students had brewed were quite successful, and it was obvious she had taught them carefully.
The students left one after another. Lily stood by the door and said goodbye to each of them, probably just so she could personally say one sentence.
"Goodbye, Mr. Potter."
"Goodbye, Ms. Collins," Harry said seriously. He gave her a nod, his expression cold and gloomy, showing no particular warmth just because this new teaching assistant had treated him especially well.
In the instant the boy looked up at her, Lily carefully engraved his face into her heart. His lips, nose, and brows were so much like his father James's, except for those emerald-green eyes. They were exactly the same as her own, as if a fragment of Lily's soul were hidden inside them. Through those eyes, he must see the magical world, all its joys and sorrows, just as his mother once had.
"All right. Goodbye." Lily's eyes flickered as she gazed at the lightning-shaped scar on Harry's forehead. This was the scar Voldemort had left behind. That night in Godric's Hollow had given a living explanation for why the Dark Lord terrified people. A murderous madman had broken into a home without warning, plunging a family into hell and shattering a once-beautiful life into darkness.
Harry quietly walked out of the classroom and hurried to his next lesson with his companions. Of course, he would never guess what the new Potions teaching assistant was thinking.
Skyl gathered all the workbooks and prepared to take them back to the dormitory to grade. Back when he had been a teacher, the thing he had hated most was grading homework. It was not only painful for students to write, it was frightening for teachers to read. Every student's handwriting was different, and when he ran into work that looked like worms crawling across the page, he truly wanted to gouge his own eyes out.
Fortunately, this was the magical world. There were automatic grading quills. Cast a spell on the assignments, let them go off to be graded by the quill on their own, and once they were done, they could even fly back into the students' hands. It could not be more convenient.
Once the central brain was fully constructed and every Hogwarts student had a magical notebook, they could simply post all future assignments in the Handbook. Students could finish them and get them graded on the spot, and then Skyl could add a question bank so students with extra energy could practice for fun. That way, the professors would have an even easier time.
Only the transfer student and the new teaching assistant were left in the classroom. In a little while, the fourth-years would also be coming in for class. To be honest, Hogwarts was seriously short on teaching staff. The professors were basically working nonstop, with full schedules every day. After all, there were four houses and seven years. Skyl would soon have to deal with the next Transfiguration class too.
"How does it feel to be back in the classroom?" Skyl saw that Lily looked somewhat distracted, so he took the initiative to ask. He had not come only to collect homework. More than that, he was curious about the famous scene of mother and son meeting again.
"Harry… I saw him." Lily's eyes seemed to hold a gentle, shimmering sea. At this moment, she was a mother whose love had nowhere to go and no one to confide in. "He's grown up. His face looks just like James's, and his eyes… When I saw them, I almost thought I was looking in a mirror. Harry, my baby. Where has he been living for the past twelve years? I have ten thousand questions now…"
Skyl reminded her, "Don't forget our agreement."
"I haven't forgotten. It's just… it's so hard. When I saw him, it felt as if a thousand needles were stabbing into my heart."
The transfer student comforted her. "At least now you can see each other every day, can't you? You can help him as much as you are able, give him encouragement and praise. Harry is really lacking that kind of affection."
"Yes. No father, no mother. Who else would love him? Who else would give their life to protect him?" Lily could not help choking back a sob.
Skyl fell silent for a moment. Come to think of it, James and Lily had only been twenty-one years old when they died. They had really still been young. Yet Lily's sorrowful face was so full of motherhood. People in times of war always matured early, but fate had not treated them kindly in the slightest because of it.
Voldemort, you really deserve to die.
"Someone is protecting Harry," the transfer student said vaguely. Then he changed the subject and joked, "Before I came to the classroom, I passed through the Great Hall and saw that the Gryffindor hourglass had gained a lot of gems. Don't tell me you spent the entire class giving Harry points?"
Lily wiped away her tears and gave a shy smile. She grinned and said lightly, "The moment I saw that scar on his forehead, I couldn't help feeling heartbroken. I promise I won't do it next time."
"No, I'm not trying to stop you. In fact, I'm also a Gryffindor, so please, keep going. Go harder." Skyl laughed and happily nodded goodbye to the female teaching assistant. "Then, farewell, Ms. Collins."
"Farewell, Mr. Skyl. And thank you."
The transfer student waved and strode away.
After afternoon classes ended, Skyl still had to take Lily to handle her hiring procedures. In truth, it was not troublesome. First, he had to inform Dumbledore and tell him he had found a teaching assistant, and that she would be a member of Hogwarts from now on. The old headmaster agreed without a word, without even conducting an interview, showing his complete trust in Skyl.
Next, they asked the house-elves to arrange a staff dormitory for Lily, and that was the job done.
At that evening's feast, the new teaching assistant took a seat at the staff table in the Great Hall. Dumbledore raised his goblet to welcome her, and enthusiastic applause rang out from the Gryffindor table.
Lily Evans stood generously and bowed to the students. On her right sat the amiable half-giant Hagrid, and on her left sat the pale, gloomy Professor Snape.
After she sat down, Lily's gaze often rested on Harry. Seeing the boy eat heartily, she could not help smiling.
Beside her, Hagrid ate roughly. He enthusiastically introduced the food on the table to the new teaching assistant and urged her to eat more. Lily also remembered Hagrid. Back then, he had also been a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and he had gotten along well with the others. Lily became friendly with Hagrid in just a few sentences, chatting and laughing with him. During that time, her eyes still drifted now and then toward the Gryffindor table.
Snape took all of this in. Suddenly, he said, "Ms. Collins, would you mind coming to my office later? I have some questions I would like you to answer regarding this afternoon's lesson."
"Of course. I'm your teaching assistant," Lily answered lightly. "Do you need me to notify Skyl? After all, he has a more detailed understanding of the students' progress."
"I can trust Skyl's level."
"Then do you think I'm not capable of doing this job?"
Snape's face remained expressionless. That silence already explained the problem very clearly. In fact, the old bat's suspicion of Lily did not stop there. As long as anyone paid special attention to Harry, Snape would become guarded.
When the feast ended, Dumbledore and Professor Gellert hurried away again, heading to the White Tower. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick followed one after the other not long afterward. Professor Sprout and Hagrid returned to their respective work areas as well, leaving them no free time either.
Lily followed Snape to his office. It was located beside the Potions classroom. Passing through a tightly shut small door led into this enclosed, dim little room, where many personal belongings and precious potion ingredients were kept. Many books lay open on the desk, along with an automatic brewing cauldron. A strange herbal smell filled the air. For anyone who disliked dealing with potions, the environment would be somewhat unbearable.
"Not bad," Lily said, praising Snape's collection.
After looking around, she did not see anything unrelated to potions. There were no popular novels on the shelves, nor any scattered little ornaments on the desk. The air was also very cold. A single breath would turn into white mist. This place was practically like a prison cell.
Snape returned to his office chair and, surrounded by books and potions, sat like a prisoner-king. He questioned the teaching assistant coldly. "Why did you come here to work?"
"Skyl asked me to substitute for him."
"I heard you gave Gryffindor fifty points in a single class. Which student was so outstanding?"
Lily did not take the bait. Calmly, she said, "I have the right to exercise my own judgment. Since I believe the points were reasonable, you have no right to question it. If you doubt my teaching ability, then we can have a contest right now."
"…" Snape leaned back slightly. The chair beneath him let out a piercing creak. He stayed silent for a while before saying, "Harry Potter. Why are you paying special attention to him?"
Alarm bells rang in Lily's heart. She narrowed her eyes, and the expression on her face became like that of a lioness about to lose her temper.
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