0306 Frenzy

Severus Snape reclined listlessly against the plump pillow, a solitary tear of utter despair and heartache rolling down his sallow, pallid cheek, his lifeless obsidian eyes reflecting the unfathomable depths of his heartache and sorrow. 

Bryan, however, offered no consolation or words of comfort. After a soft, mournful sigh escaped his lips, he stared out through the narrow window, his gaze fixed upon the faint, ethereal light that barely penetrated the gloomy, leaden sky, lost in pensive thought.

‘Is there a way for Professor Snape to step out of the shadows that envelope his heart?’ 

Bryan had been pondering this question for some time but couldn’t find a solution. He even considered using a Time-Turner to take Snape back twelve years, allowing him to bid a proper farewell to Lily Evans. But upon further reflection, he realized how foolish that method was.

What good would it truly do for Snape after he sees Lily again?

She was a woman deeply, irretrievably in love with her family – her devoted husband, James Potter, and their cherished son, Harry. She could offer Snape nothing but further torment and anguish, for her heart belonged to another.

The crux of the matter was that Professor Snape, still consumed by his eternal love for Lily, would not willingly let her walk to her tragic death after witnessing her vibrant existence once more. He would undoubtedly do everything in his power to save her life, and the consequences of such actions were wholly unpredictable, potentially sending the entire timeline spiraling into an unfathomable abyss of chaos and uncertainty.

At that moment, Bryan suddenly felt a pang of regret that he had traveled to this magical world, this realm of sorcery and wonder. If he had instead journeyed to a more powerful Western Fantasy realm, or perhaps a world populated by Immortals and Gods, he might have been able to debate with Professor Snape about the concepts of reincarnation and rebirth, offering him solace in the notion that Lily’s soul might one day be reborn anew.

‘Reincarnation…’ Bryan’s brow furrowed ever so slightly as the notion took root in his mind.

Death, it seemed, was not truly the end of everything in this magical world. For centuries untold, countless wizards and witches had tirelessly studied the enigma of death in their relentless quest for immortality. In this realm, the closest thing to death that existed were ghosts – insubstantial shades of those who had once lived, bound to the mortal plane by their own lingering attachments and regrets.

According to the self-narratives of these spectral beings, after their original souls departed their physical bodies, they traveled through a path filled with warm, welcoming light towards the enigmatic world of death. However, no ghost could clearly explain what that mysterious realm was truly like, for they were all individuals who were too attached to the reality they had known, and had never truly reached the other side.

The world of death… Bryan’s thoughts turned to the enigmatic “Jellyfish World” depicted on the nine ancient stone tablets enshrined within the central temple of the legendary isle of Avalon.

“Perhaps one day…” Bryan took a deep, steadying breath and stood, his posture resolute. “You might meet Lily Evans in another world, Professor. However, by then, she might be a completely different person, unrecognizable from the woman you once knew and loved.”

“You…” Snape’s suppressed sob came to an abrupt halt, and he stared at Bryan in utter disbelief, as if he couldn’t believe what he had heard. “Clarify your words, Bryan. Seeing Lily again as a completely different person? Are you mocking me?”

Bryan reached out, patting Snape’s shoulder in a gesture of reassurance, and offered a gentle smile as he stood upright. “If you truly cannot forget Lily Evans, Professor, then keep this love alive in your heart and live on. Perhaps there really is a day when you will be reunited with her, though the circumstances may be vastly different from what you envision.”

…

*Scenebreak*

On Sunday morning, the hallowed halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were cloaked in an almost eerie calm and silence. Apart from the roommates of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, none of the other students even seemed to notice that the trio had been missing throughout the entirety of the previous night.

In the cavernous Slytherin common room, bedecked in the house colors of emerald and silver, Pansy Parkinson paced anxiously, her brow furrowed with concern as she tried in vain to ascertain the whereabouts of her beloved Draco Malfoy, along with his ever-present cronies, the burly Crabbe and Goyle. She was gripped by a nagging fear that Draco had secretly dropped out of school, as he had mentioned on more than one occasion that his father, was seriously considering sending him to a prestigious magical school in Germany that was seemingly even better than Hogwarts. Her concern continued until she found Snape returning from the hospital wing, despite Madam Pomfrey’s objections.

To Pansy’s horror, she learned that Draco and his two followers had been viciously attacked by a werewolf, sustaining serious injuries that had necessitated their transfer to St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for urgent treatment.

Two hours after a dazed and distraught Pansy Parkinson had departed from Snape’s office, a truly shocking and jaw-dropping piece of news began to spread like wildfire throughout the hallowed halls of Hogwarts!

Simultaneously, the young wizards and witches also learned that it had been Harry and his friends who had first noticed that something was amiss and uncovered the crucial clues. Along with Professor Snape, Professor Lupin, and the gamekeeper Hagrid, they had bravely driven away the werewolves from the Forbidden Forest who had been attempting to approach the school grounds with clearly evil intentions.

Rumors and speculation ran rampant, and those seeking the unvarnished truth flocked to the hospital wing in droves, only to be angrily chased away by a broom-wielding Madam Pomfrey, her stern countenance brooking no nonsense or intrusion.

By noon, even more astonishing news had arrived, sending shockwaves through the student population.

The source of this latest bombshell was the senior students who had ventured into the nearby wizarding village of Hogsmeade for the weekend. This news, when it reached the ears of the younger wizards and witches, sent them into an absolute frenzy of excitement and disbelief!

The notorious Werewolf Leader Fenrir Greyback and his vicious pack, who had committed countless unforgivable crimes within the borders of Magical Britain for many years, had been apprehended through the combined efforts of the Auror Office, led personally by Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge and the esteemed Head of the International Magical Cooperation Department, Barty Crouch Sr., along with the valuable cooperation of Bryan Watson, the Director of Hogwarts’ Student Safety Office. From that day forth, the residents of Magical Britain would no longer have to live in constant fear of this vile, bloodthirsty werewolf gang and their reign of terror!

The hard-won peace that had reigned in Magical Britain for so long had been shattered, and there had not been such an explosive, earth-shattering development in many years. Within half a day of the werewolf incident being fully exposed to the public, the situation had quickly escalated and become almost uncontrollable in its intensity.

After the midday meal, a veritable swarm of reporters from the Daily Prophet, Wizard Weekly, and many other well-known domestic and international wizarding publications descended en masse upon the gates of Hogwarts, determined to gain entry to the school in order to secure an exclusive interview with Bryan A. Watson. This young wizard, previously known only for unveiling the mystery of the legendary Chamber of Secrets and serving as the director of Hogwarts’ Student Safety Office, was now the center of intense scrutiny and public fascination.  

When Dumbledore himself stepped forward, citing Professor Watson’s allegedly ill health as a reason to politely but firmly decline the clamoring reporters’ requests for an interview, the frenzied media mob did not take no for an answer. 

Waves of insistent invitation letters beseeching Bryan for an appointment fluttered into his office window like a blizzard of enchanted snowflakes, reminding him vividly of the time he had assisted the flamboyant Gilderoy Lockhart in responding to his mountainous backlog of fan mail the previous year.

And some of the more reckless and brazen reporters, utterly undeterred by the closed and ostensibly impassable gates of Hogwarts, even attempted the foolhardy maneuver of sneaking through the treacherous Forbidden Forest in order to infiltrate the school grounds. However, the forest’s myriad native inhabitants – sentient trees, menacing acromantulas, wrathful centaurs and all manner of other magical beasts – were decidedly not keen on having a disruptive horde of wizards trampling through their sanctuaries. Several of the hapless reporters met with grievous misfortune in their ill-conceived efforts, and had it not been for Dumbledore’s swift action in negotiating peace on behalf of Hagrid and the forest denizens, the consequences could have been truly severe.

In the end, the helpless and thwarted reporters could only resign themselves to interviewing the residents of the nearby village of Hogsmeade, desperately hoping to dig out some tantalizing morsels of valuable information from the villagers regarding the recent shocking events.

Inside the hallowed castle walls, the third-floor corridor leading to Bryan’s office was nearly impassable, packed to overflowing with groups of excited young wizards and witches. They all knew that Professor Watson was not one who particularly emphasized his authority in private settings. The students fervently hoped to uncover some sensational new details or inside information, but unfortunately, Professor Watson’s office door remained firmly closed and tightly sealed, as if the room within were unoccupied.

As the sun began to sink below the horizon that evening, a special edition of the Evening Prophet newspaper was freshly printed and released to meet the rabid demand for more news.

Although those relentless and increasingly desperate reporters had failed to uncover any substantive information about the elimination of the werewolves themselves, they had managed to procure something of immense value – a single photograph, for which one particularly tenacious journalist had paid the exorbitant sum of two hundred Galleons.

The seller was a villager from Hogsmeade, an amateur astronomer and stargazer by hobby. On the fateful night in question, he had climbed to the highest vantage point nearby – the very hilltop upon which the supposedly haunted Shrieking Shack stood – armed with his telescope, ready to observe and chart the movement of the planets. It was during these stargazing vigils that he had quickly noticed the disturbance and commotion unfolding at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

His astronomical telescope, designed to accurately track and record the precise paths of celestial bodies, had inadvertently also captured the astonishing events that were transpiring nearly two miles distant. 

A young wizard, emanating an aura of chilling presence and radiating sheer, unearthly power, hovered high above the forest canopy, raining down torrents of flame hundreds of feet tall upon the earth below. Werewolves – those vicious, inhuman creatures – could be seen howling and struggling in futile desperation within the terrifying inferno, one after another falling lifeless to the ground amidst the searing onslaught – a scene akin to divine retribution wrought by the hand of an avenging angel!

When the newspaper bearing this stunning photographic evidence was delivered to Hogwarts by a majestic owl later that evening, the entire school erupted into pandemonium of excitement and awe.

As night fell and the Great Hall was illuminated by the warm glow of thousands of levitating candles reflecting the clear, star-studded sky overhead, it filled to capacity with chattering young wizards and witches. When Bryan, who had been taking a momentary respite in his office, emerged onto the stairs adjacent to the entrance hall, the Great Hall, its vaulted ceiling a perfect mirror of the night sky beyond, fell into an expectant hush for a full half-minute. The gathered students watched with bated breath as Professor Watson strode purposefully into the Great Hall from the entrance hall, passing between the long tables representing the four Hogwarts houses before making his way up to the staff table where the professors were seated.

Then, as if a dam had burst, the Great Hall erupted into thunderous cheers and applause from the hundreds of students in attendance! Shouts of admiration and awe rang out from every corner of the cavernous room.

“So cool, Professor!” bellowed the Weasley twins, red-haired mischief-makers from Gryffindor house, raising their hands high in a salute.

“Can I learn that spell from you, Professor?” Cedric Diggory, from Hufflepuff, called out with undisguised admiration, waving a copy of the sensational Evening Prophet bearing the now-iconic photograph.

Even the usually calm and composed witches of Ravenclaw house seemed to have temporarily misplaced their customary reserve, whispering together in conspiratorial tones, their heads bent close as they stole furtive glances at Bryan seated at the staff table, occasionally dissolving into fits of girlish giggles.

“Don’t forget!” Marcus Flint, the burly captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, shouted across the entire vast chamber in a booming voice. “Professor Watson belongs to Slytherin!”

Marcus’s enthusiastic declaration on Bryan’s behalf was greeted with a smattering of cheers and supportive whoops from the Slytherin table, though the response was noticeably more muted compared to the other three houses, whose students paid little heed to Flint’s words of house loyalty.

At the staff table, arrayed behind the lectern where Dumbledore typically presided, all of the Hogwarts professors raised their goblets in a respectful toast toward Bryan, their faces alight with pride and admiration.

“I think it won’t be long before you’re more famous than that charlatan Lockhart, Bryan,” remarked Professor McGonagall, allowing the faintest hint of a smile to crease the corners of her thin lips.

“I do hope you can learn to get accustomed to this level of attention and scrutiny,” she continued wryly. “After all, it doesn’t quite align with your typically modest and low-profile demeanor, does it?”

Although he had never before been the focal point of such widespread adulation and public fascination, Bryan did not appear in the least bit panicked or overwhelmed by the circumstances. He remained as outwardly composed and self-assured as if the one being discussed was someone else entirely.

“Hehe, I will certainly try to adapt,” Bryan responded with an easy smile, seemingly taking the outpouring of adulation in stride.

“Why, in fact, I have considered the possibility that a day like this might one day arrive, Bryan!” Professor Flitwick, the diminutive charms instructor, interjected excitedly, deliberately suppressing his naturally squeaky voice to avoid drawing undue attention, resulting in an oddly strained tone.

“Ever since you confided in me last year about your previous conflict with the werewolves, I’ve harbored a suspicion that you would one day take decisive action against those vile creatures once more,” Flitwick continued eagerly. “But I must admit, I did not anticipate you would do so in such a bold and uncompromising manner! Truly, your actions have been…prodigious, to say the least!”

All the while, Dumbledore, who had thus far remained conspicuously absent from the staff table, quietly observed the conversation between Bryan and the other professors with a faint, contented smile playing about his lips. 

It had been a while since he appeared at the staff table, and he didn’t mind being overshadowed. He quietly listened to the conversation between Bryan and the others, happily dealing with the pork chop on his plate. He seemed quite satisfied with Bryan’s calm performance at the moment.

Inside the hallowed castle walls, the trio who knew the whole truth of what had transpired – Harry, Ron, and Hermione– were being kept in the hospital wing under the ever-watchful eye of Madam Pomfrey for observation. While the rest of Hogwarts buzzed with excitement, the three friends were no doubt recovering from their harrowing ordeal.

The Ministry of Magic itself, the very institution that should have been at the forefront, fielding interviews and clarifying the facts, had thus far only issued a brief, succinct statement officially confirming the annihilation of the nefarious Fenrir Greyback and his roving pack of werewolves. Apart from this bare-bones acknowledgment, the Ministry had elected not to disclose any further details regarding the pivotal events or the heroes who made it possible.

However, this shocking incident had already stirred up a growing maelstrom of fervent speculation and intense public interest throughout the entire Wizarding world at large. Whether it was in the wizarding village of Hogsmeade that bordered the Hogwarts grounds, the bustling commercial hub of Diagon Alley, or the sleepy Muggle-inhabited hamlets of St. Catchpole and Godric’s Hollow, witches and wizards from all walks of life could be seen engaged in heated discussions revolving around the recent eradication of Greyback’s werewolf pack and this astounding – albeit still mysterious – achievement on the part of the Ministry of Magic. 

So widespread and inescapable was the public fascination with the events that even the Muggle population, blissfully ignorant of the magical world concealed all around them, had their interest piqued when their own morning news programs disclosed that the notorious “terrorist” gang leader Fenrir Greyback had been shot dead by police in a raid, though no further context was provided.

For three full days following the climactic confrontation in the Forbidden Forest, neither Hogwarts itself nor the Ministry of Magic consented to grant any interviews or field any inquiries from the relentless media chorus regarding the subject. This strategic silence was, in fact, a carefully calculated tactic suggested by Bryan himself. He believed that public’s curiosity required a brief period of time to fully “ferment” and build to a fever pitch before being addressed.

At last, as the crimson light of dawn began to creep across the horizon on Thursday morning, bathing the grounds of the ancient school in the warm, rosy glow of a new day still cloaked in the hazy half-light of twilight, there were signs that the dam was finally about to break.

In the Student Safety Office situated on the third floor of the castle, Bryan, who had awoken early in anticipation of the coming tumult, was carefully adjusting his attire and grooming himself in front of a hovering, mirror-like pane of rippling water. Considering the media frenzy he was about to willingly enter and the likelihood that his words and actions would be analyzed and scrutinized by countless observers, he had taken the rare step of meticulously attending to his appearance and presentation.

“Professor Watson!” a booming voice called out, shattering the tranquil morning silence as Bryan descended the broad marble staircase leading out of the castle’s main entrance.

He turned to see the massive, towering figure of Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts groundskeeper, standing beside the winding path that led away from the school toward the front gates. The half-giant was waving an enormous hand excitedly to catch Bryan’s attention, his wild mane of hair and beard seeming even more unkempt than usual in the pale dawn light.

On the previous evening, the Ministry of Magic had officially dispatched an invitation to Hogwarts, inviting the students and staff members who had made outstanding contributions to the mission to eliminate Greyback and his pack to a special commendation ceremony to be held at the Ministry headquarters. In addition to Remus Lupin, the former Defence Against the Dark Arts professor who was still recuperating in the intensive care unit at St. Mungo’s following his pivotal role, both Hagrid and Professor Snape had also been included on the guest list to receive formal recognition.Faced with the olive branch extended by the Ministry of Magic, Snape left with a cold face. For him, saving Sirius Black’s life was only a disgrace.

Hagrid had also initially declined to participate, fearing that a half-giant in the spotlight might bring criticism to Dumbledore, but Bryan persuaded him with an irrefutable reason.

As for Harry, Ron and Hermione, being underage wizards, their officially recognized commendations for their crucial roles in the dramatic events would be issued directly by Hogwarts itself. The most likely outcome, Bryan anticipated, would be an addition of fifty well-earned house points apiece to their respective houses, offset by a standard deduction of thirty points for the relatively minor transgression of having ventured out into the Forbidden Forest after curfew on the night they uncovered the first vital clues.

The two figures – the young professor and the towering half-giant – made an odd pair as they strode side-by-side across the deserted grounds toward the front gates in the pale half-light of dawn. Hagrid, uncharacteristically fidgety and self-conscious, reached up to needlessly smooth his massive, wiry beard, his cheeks coloring beneath the thick hair.

“How do I look, Professor?” the groundskeeper asked in a small, almost childlike voice, unable to mask the anxious tremor underlying his words.  

For this monumentally important occasion, Hagrid had finally shed his customary tattered overcoat and moleskin breeches in favor of a gargantuan suit of finely-tailored dress robes that could have easily served as a mainsail on a galleon. Bryan could detect the faint, cloying aroma of some musky cologne or scented pomade that Hagrid had no doubt applied liberally in an attempt to mask the musty, animal-like odors that typically clung to his person and apparel.

“Very nice, Hagrid,” Bryan responded with an approving nod and a faint smile, carefully considering his words so as not to wound the sensitive half-giant’s feelings. Though he had known the groundskeeper for many years, this was truly the first time Bryan had ever seen Hagrid turned out in such uncharacteristically formal attire.

“I’d wager you’ll cut quite the dashing, photogenic figure in those robes,” he added with an encouraging tone, knowing that an appearance before the press and dignitaries at the Ministry was far outside Hagrid’s usual comfort zone. “They suit you very well.”

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For More Chapters; /FicFrenzy

Edit: Iam trying to add more details and background descriptions and stuff like that.

Iam learning this way of writing how is this chapter as I’ve expanded it significantly as i added many things. 

Did it got boring or anything in between?

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