Chapter 11

During the first week of vacation, I mostly stayed at home, busy with my holiday homework. Lily and Severus visited me a few times, but they were persuaded by my theory that finishing homework early would allow us to enjoy the rest of the holiday stress-free. So, they went home to do their homework as well. The assignments, mostly theoretical essays, were manageable with some flipping through books and notes. I was also excited about my "Anti-Underage Magic Restriction" plan, which I'd start testing in a few days.

Having completed all my homework, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. We had planned a celebration for Petunia tonight, and with my assignments out of the way, I could start my real vacation.

That evening, our little celebration took place in Lily's room at the Evans' house. We had prepared food and drinks, including some snacks from the wizarding world. We chatted all evening about Petunia's school life and our time at Hogwarts. Most of the conversation was lively among us three girls, while Severus mostly listened, occasionally smiling or raising an eyebrow, sometimes adding a sharp comment. I revealed the foolish antics of one of Lily's admirers, earning a disdainful snort from Severus. Lily dug up some embarrassing moments from Petunia's essay competition, leaving poor Petunia blushing, unsure if it was from anger or embarrassment. The wizarding snacks surprised Petunia, and she shared my love for chocolate frogs.

The next day, Sunday, Eileen took Severus and me to Diagon Alley. Sundays were family days for Lily, so she didn't join us. This trip to Diagon Alley lacked the novelty of the first visit, so we headed straight to Eileen's apothecary.

The shop was small, not in a prominent location, just a little storefront on a street corner, simply named "The Apothecary." Inside, there were no employees, only a house-elf named Kaka. Eileen explained that Kaka was a house-elf from the Prince family. After the family's decline and her divorce, she had visited their old estate, finding only an abandoned manor and this loyal house-elf. She had converted the manor into a potion base, where she produced most of the shop's potions and conducted her experimental research. The manor also housed a large collection of potion books, accessible only to Severus once he reached fourth-year potion proficiency. Severus's eyes lit up with determination at this prospect.

Eileen's shop primarily stocked common potions, with higher-level potions available by order. Each potion sold was marked "Prince" on the bottom, ensuring high quality and building a strong brand. Eileen truly demonstrated her talents and capabilities after breaking free from the constraints of a troubled romance.

I asked why she didn't name the shop "Prince Apothecary." She pulled a potion bottle from a shelf, showing us the bottom labeled "S.P.S."

"This potion was made by Severus. It's his personal creation, not the Prince family's," Eileen explained, turning to Severus. "Even though it's just some basic potions now, as long as you can produce high-quality potions, there will be a place for your work here." She pointed to a row of shelves. "There are also contributions from others here, as long as they pass quality checks. Sawyer, you could try making some extra money too," she winked at me. "Severus, the Gringotts key I gave you is for a vault I opened for you, containing the money earned from your potions sales," Eileen added, looking pleased at Severus's rare stunned expression. "It's not much yet, but you can use your own money for things you like."

Severus's joy turned him momentarily childlike, "I can buy ingredients to make advanced potions from the books now!"

I patted his shoulder, smiling, "I knew your potions were the best! We'll need to find a suitable place at school for your potions work, though. Always using the Potions classroom isn't ideal."

Severus returned to his composed demeanor, though a faint blush colored his cheeks. Eileen ruffled his hair affectionately, amused by his bashfulness.

After leaving the apothecary, we wandered around on our own, visiting a second-hand store. Severus picked out some old books, and I bought a second-hand wand that felt quite good in my hand. Testing a few simple spells, it worked reasonably well.

Severus looked puzzled by my purchase. Once we left the store, before he could ask, I explained, "I researched the restrictions on underage magic use. The Ministry monitors our magic usage partly through our wands, which are registered with them. Using magic during holidays would trigger their sensors." I twirled the new wand, made of elm with a unicorn hair core, ten and a half inches long. "They also monitor magical activity in our living areas. However, in wizarding households, because there are adults, they can't pinpoint who cast the spell. For Muggle-borns, they rely on parental supervision."

"So, you can't use magic at home?" Severus frowned, considering the plausibility of this explanation. "But wouldn't my mom's magic be counted against you?"

"Exactly, if that's how it works," I said, transforming a small roadside stone into a chubby white mug with a Transfiguration spell. "But since Eileen has frequently used magic at my house since I was six, our home might be assumed to be a wizarding residence. I'll test it out at home. Want to buy a spare wand too?" I put away my new wand.

"No, I don't need one at home," Severus said. It seemed he was more interested in potions than practicing spells.

Back home, I immediately locked myself in my room to experiment. Starting with small spells, I began with Lumos. I tried several classroom spells, all working fine without receiving any Ministry warning letters. Next, I tested some household spells I had learned from books, like basic cleaning and organizing spells, which also worked perfectly.

Conclusion: the "Anti-Underage Magic Restriction" plan was a success!

Feeling a bit smug, I went downstairs. Isaya was humming while cleaning the living room. I cleared my throat, and under her watchful eyes, I waved my wand over the furniture she was dusting, casting a cleaning spell. The thin layer of dust vanished, leaving the surfaces gleaming.

Isaya's astonished look made me laugh out loud.

"Sawyer, you really are a witch!" Isaya exclaimed, making me wince slightly. Did she think I was faking it all this time?

"Oh, Sawyer, it's not that I didn't believe you. It's just the first time I've seen you do real magic—not just making things float," Isaya clarified, still looking thrilled. "You're amazing! From now on, you can handle all the cleaning when you're home!"

"... No problem..." I muttered, realizing her impression of wizards was that they made excellent housekeepers. Looks like I'd have to research more household magic.