With Sophia

Before helping Sophia close her sketchbook, Lucretia could not resist taking one more look. The portrait of the giant leader was lifelike.

"Professor Binns never mentioned these details. Especially the expression on his face... such deep grief. He didn't seem like the savage, bloodthirsty creature from the textbook."

Sophia's voice softened, and her gaze drifted into the distance. "Because he wasn't. His name was Gram, leader of the Skall Clan. His people had guarded that forest for generations, until the Ministry of Magic forcibly carried out the relocation order..."

Her fingers lingered over the portrait, as though she were caressing a real person.

"The forest was burning. Gram tried to save the ancient sacred tree, but it was too late. The flames devoured everything. Even the air was weeping."

She pointed at the stone pendant around the giant's neck in the picture.

"That pendant was a gift from the forest elves to his ancestors. It represented the duty and honor of a guardian. But he failed... He couldn't protect anything."

Lucretia looked at Sophia's pale face and gently took her hand. "You... saw all that?"

A faint, bitter smile appeared on Sophia's face as she nodded.

Lucretia bit her lower lip and thought for a moment. "There's still some time before the next class. Shall we sit in the garden for a while? Sunshine and fresh air are good for headaches. The A History of Magic classroom is too stuffy."

Sophia nodded gratefully. The two packed their bags and left the classroom.

September sunlight fell warmly across the Hogwarts courtyard.

Lucretia led Sophia to sit on a stone bench beside the herbology greenhouse.

The scent of flowers and herbs lingered in the air, and the plants seemed especially lively around Lucretia.

"Feeling better?"

Lucretia watched Sophia close her eyes and enjoy the warmth of the sunlight.

Sophia answered softly, "Mm, much better. Sometimes the echoes are too intense, like those emotions are being poured straight into my mind..."

Lucretia nodded in understanding. "Like how the plants' feelings can sometimes be so strong that they make me dizzy. I can sense their vitality, their needs, and sometimes even their... memories."

Sophia opened her eyes and looked at her curiously. "Memories?"

Lucretia looked toward an ancient oak tree. "Mm, especially trees that have lived for many years. They record everything that happens around them and store it in their rings, like a living history book. Sometimes I can sense the seasons they've seen, the storms they've endured, even the laughter of children playing around their roots."

Sophia nodded, looking at Lucretia's hands.

"Perhaps our abilities aren't that different... The echoes I receive from people and objects, the memories you sense from plants... we're both listening to the stories of this world, just in different ways."

They both fell silent, each thinking about what had just been said.

Sophia opened her sketchbook and gently brushed her fingers over the portrait of the giant leader before turning to another page.

This drawing was completely different from the giant before it.

The lines were hesitant, the details blurred, as though the artist had been unsure whether to draw it at all.

It showed the back of a woman, her long hair flowing in the wind, but her outline seemed to waver on the page.

Lucretia leaned closer. "Who is this?"

Sophia lowered her voice. "Professor Sheffield. But not as she is now... It's a fragment from the past."

"Where is she? Is that... a forest? Was she carrying out an Auror mission?"

Sophia used her charcoal pencil to point to a small circle around the woman's neck.

"A forest. She was standing there... I could always see that necklace clearly. But everything else... what she was doing, who she was with, it was all blurred as though behind a mist. Only the emotions were clear. Sorrow... and deep regret."

Lucretia asked quietly, "Do you really believe she has... that kind of secret?"

After thinking for a moment, Sophia slowly closed the sketchbook.

"Everyone has secrets, Leia. And some secrets are heavy enough for a person to carry for the rest of their life. I don't know what Professor Sheffield's secret is, but I can feel that it has something to do with the special attention she gives us."

A bell rang in the distance, reminding the students that their next class would soon begin.

They stood and headed toward the castle.

Lucretia looked through her timetable. "We have Defense Against the Dark Arts Class soon. Maybe we can secretly watch and see whether Professor Sheffield is really wearing that necklace?"

Sophia smiled thoughtfully. "If she really wears it, she'll certainly keep it hidden under her collar. But... you can sense something different in the way she teaches too, can't you? She isn't like the other professors, who only focus on books and theory."

Lucretia nodded cautiously, not revealing what Little Barty had mentioned in his letter. "She does place more emphasis on practical application and adaptable thinking."

Sophia said softly, "Like the giant wars Professor Binns discussed today. Those Ministry of Magic officials cared too much about rules and procedures, and in the end caused a tragedy that could have been avoided. Sometimes instinct and understanding are more important than fixed strategies."

Lucretia and Sophia walked along the third-floor corridor toward the classroom.

Sunlight streamed through the tall arched windows, casting bright geometric patterns across the flagstone floor.

In the distance, Little Barty and Regulus were leaning beside a windowsill.

Little Barty had been looking down, but as though sensing something, his gaze swept over.

The moment he saw Lucretia, a smile appeared on his face, and he lifted a hand to wave.

Regulus followed his friend's movement with his eyes. The serious expression he had worn while doing homework instantly softened.

He set down his quill and waved at Lucretia as well.

The two of them rose from the windowsill almost at the same time, wanting to come over and speak with her.

Their synchronized reaction drew curious looks from the other students passing by.

Lucretia said to Sophia, "Phi, go save us some seats first. I'll go say a few words to them."

Sophia nodded quietly. "All right. See you in class."

Regulus closed the notebook in his hand, his quill still caught between his fingers. "Just finished A History of Magic? Did Professor Binns cover anything today that managed to keep you awake?"

Lucretia's eyes lit up, and she became animated. "The giant wars! And the giant rebellions and relocation acts between 1707 and 1720! I thought it was quite interesting, especially the parts about the connection between giants and their natural environment."

Little Barty raised his brows higher. "Really? Most people start drooling within five minutes. I'm not wrong, am I, Regulus?"

Regulus rolled his eyes and slapped the notebook in his hand directly into Little Barty's face.

The heavy book struck with a smack, and Little Barty covered his nose as he took a step back.

Lucretia laughed at their interaction. "Some giant tribes can sense the pulse of mountains or changes in forests. It sounds like a form of primitive Natural Magic, doesn't it?"

Regulus nodded. "Indeed. No wonder you didn't fall asleep like I did, little sister. Ancient magic has always been more closely connected to nature. Modern wizards often rely too much on wands and spells, overlooking more primitive forms of magic."

Thinking of the boy whose head had crashed heavily onto the desk, Lucretia laughed again. "All those Hufflepuffs fell asleep. Emma too, though Helena was also very interested in that part of history."

Little Barty nodded in the direction Sophia had just gone, his tone becoming somewhat flat. "Speaking of your roommate... how did the potion work last time?"