“So, what’s the point of using a wand when you can use your magic directly?” Jessica asked during lunch, after spending the whole morning practising Lumos with her wand.

  Unlike most magical children who’d accidentally shattered gsses or blown-up teapots – acts that terrified Muggles and made their peculiarities obvious – Jessica's magic first manifested in her dreams. The content of those dreams often mirrored her daily experiences, especially from TV shows. They were like the whimsical, cartoonish worlds of Disney, with characters like Tom and Jerry endlessly chasing each other or explosions resulting in nothing more than soot-covered faces and no real harm done.

  That changed one fateful day when she accidentally joined a group of teenagers in her orphanage watching a horror film on TV. Since then, nightmares had pgued her sleep, robbing her of rest. She grew terrified of sudden loud noises or footsteps creeping up unexpectedly. Things only improved when Scarlet gifted her an enchanted dreamcatcher, which she now cherished dearly, hanging above her headboard.

  Because Jessica’s magic surfaced in her sleep, a state where she was oblivious to the world, she had no memory of how magic felt. It wasn’t until she waved her wand at Ollivanders that she experienced the distinct sensation of magic flowing from within her. It was invisible, yet undeniably powerful.

  Wand magic felt natural and fluid, as though the wand became an extension of her arm. With just Lumos, she could project lights in different colours! But Scarlet – Scarlet could cast spells effortlessly, without words or a wand. If magic could be wielded so easily, why would anyone bother with a wand at all? The thought perplexed Jessica.

  Everyone at the table turned to Scarlet, silently awaiting her response. Scarlet set down her cup of flower tea, her tone calm and measured as she answered, “Have you ever used the radio in the activity room back at the orphan home?”

  “Yes! We’d all take turns listening to our favourite channels,” Jessica replied eagerly.

  “And did you ever have to adjust the antenna when the signal wasn’t clear?” Scarlet asked, waiting for Jessica’s nod before continuing. “Well, a wand is like the antenna. It isn’t that we can’t use magic without it – it's just far more challenging to do so with precision. Think of it like a radio without an antenna. The signal’s there, but it’s much harder to pick up clearly.”

  “Ooohhh!” Jessica’s eyes lit up as understanding dawned on her.

  Meanwhile, Bck, who was listening quietly, felt entirely lost. He had no idea what a radio was until Meiko had expined it to him during the shopping trip. And as for antennas? He wasn’t even sure where to begin. Clearly, he still had much to learn about Muggle life before he could understand Scarlet’s words.

  Jessica tilted her head, furrowing her brow. “So, at my current level, since I’m a beginner, I need the ‘antenna’ - my wand – to do magic properly. But once I’m skilled, I’ll be able to perform magic just like you - wandless and wordless?”

  “Technically, yes,” Scarlet agreed with a slight nod.

  Jessica narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “And actually?”

  “Actually?” Scarlet smiled, leaning back in her chair. “I’ve rarely seen wizards manage magic without their wands.”

  Jessica blinked, a grin slowly spreading across her face. “That makes you a really great witch! You can do magic when they can’t!”

  “Probably? I’m still learning,” Scarlet replied as she cut her chicken chop and dipped it into the sauce. “My path to pursuing magic has been different from most wizards, so it’s not entirely accurate to use me as a reference. Oh, and one more thing: what I taught you today – you’d best not let any of your cssmates know about it.”

  “Why not?” Jessica asked eagerly, her curiosity clearly piqued. “What you told me was so amazing!”

  “Because it’ll interfere with their sylbus,” Scarlet said, nudging her chin towards Alexis. “Unlike Alexis, who’s already absorbed Hogwarts’ current sylbus and has enough background to understand the theory behind it since she’s in a higher grade, you first-years are still at the stage of learning what magic is. Theory doesn’t really come into py until you’re further along. It’s like...I wouldn’t teach you division before making sure you’re solid on addition and multiplication. Actually...” Scarlet mused for a moment before chuckling softly, “I probably shouldn’t have taught Maya and Amelia about my kind of magic back then either. They must’ve been completely lost.”

  “Oh...alright, I get it.” Jessica finally relented, though her bright expression revealed her lingering admiration. Meanwhile, Bck remained quiet, though the discussion had sparked a flood of questions in his mind. However, he refrained from asking Scarlet anything, unwilling to risk coming across as a scker who hadn’t paid attention during his Hogwarts years. It was a hit to his pride.

  I probably ought to dig through some of those old ancestral books in the family study. Bck mused to himself, observing the three young witches around the table.

  As they were finishing lunch, Alexis leaned towards Scarlet and said, “Sensei, can I, like, have a sec with you? In your study?”

  Scarlet raised a brow, setting her utensils down. “What for?”

  “My current job.” Alexis’s tone was utterly deadpan. “You asked me about it st night before bed, remember?”

  “...Right,” Scarlet said slowly, intrigued. She was quite curious about what had happened to Alexis back in Japan. Alexis had initially pnned to visit Scarlet, but had ended up in Japan on her own after Scarlet had to rush back to London to handle Pettigrew’s escape. Since then, Scarlet had refrained from contacting Alexis, reasoning they’d catch up once they were reunited at school. She had expected Alexis to be eager to share stories about the drama on the Hollywood movie sets that she’d mentioned during their phone calls before leaving America for Japan. But now, this was the third time Alexis had briefly mentioned her job in Japan...What job could she possibly have, especially considering her brief time there? More to the point, what sort of position had my dad offered her after meeting face-to-face? And what on earth did “pop-culture consultant” even mean?

  Turning to Jessica, Scarlet asked, “Will you be alright on your own?”

  Jessica waved both hands quickly, reassuring her. “Don’t worry about me - I’ll just read my textbooks and get used to the csses.”

  “Start with Gilderoy Lockhart’s book.” Scarlet suggested with a faint smirk. “They’re like fantasy tales of the wizarding world. You’ll probably enjoy them. Just don’t try to reconcile the rger-than-life character in the books with the actual author.”

  Jessica ughed and gave Scarlet an exaggerated “OK” gesture. “Got it - I’ll just think of him as fictional!” She called as Scarlet and Alexis left for the study.

  Inside the study, Scarlet immediately turned to Alexis with a small apology. “Sorry about that. I just had to think about Jessica. She’s never really been alone before, not at the orphanage and not in her old school. I’m always worried she might feel uncomfortable being by herself.”

  Alexis shook her head and gave a warm smile. “It’s totally fine. I’d probably be the same if I were you – she's kinda like the little sister everybody wishes they had.” Alexis settled into the chair across from Scarlet’s desk, pulling out a thick stack of papers from the bag she’d been carrying since morning.

  Scarlet watched with an arched brow as Alexis begin organising her papers with unexpected precision. “You’re not about to make me sign anything, are you?” she quipped dryly.

  “Of course not!” Alexis furrowed her brows. “I just, like, need you to help me with my current job pnning. I have to stay totally focused on this. Hold up – let me think if there’s anything I forgot to sort out first...”

  Scarlet interrupted her train of thought. “There’s something I think you’ll want to know. Do you want to hear it now, or sort out your stack of papers first?”

  “Papers ter,” Alexis said, snapping out of her thoughts. She looked up expectantly. “What do I need to know?”

  “I wasn’t able to get Dobby out of the Malfoys,” Scarlet admitted, her expression softening with apology. “Things didn’t go as pnned. I couldn’t get Lucius Malfoy on our side, but at least I managed to destroy the diary.”

  Alexis nodded, taking the news in stride. “Yeah, I figured it wouldn’t be easy. I mean, the guy managed to keep his whole family safe by the end while tons of people died, so...yeah, I’m sure there’s stuff that happened off-screen, y’know? But it’s all good. We’ll figure out another way to free Dobby. Actually – scratch that. I’ll figure out a way. You’ve already got, like, way too much on your pte. Just leave it to me, sensei.”

  “If you’re willing to take it on,” Scarlet said, nodding in approval. “One other thing - Gilderoy Lockhart is going to be our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. I know you’re not exactly his biggest fan. Do you pn on doing anything about it?”

  Alexis tilted her head, pondering for a moment. “Oh, yeah. His useless csses are, like, a total disaster for Hogwarts students. They can’t prepare for danger properly, and with Peter Pettigrew still on the loose? Ugh, who’s to say other prisoners won’t escape too? It could turn into that whole mass breakout-and-intrusion deal like in the original storyline. We need to be ready for that.”

  “And what’s your pn to address it?” Scarlet asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Simple. I’ll expose him as unqualified to teach DADA,” Alexis replied instantly. “And I’ll show everyone he’s totally not the guy he pretends to be in his books. If I just call him out privately, he’ll worm his way out of it – he always does. And if no one notices he’s useless, Dumbledore might still keep him around since there’s, like, no one else willing to take the cursed job. But honestly, I’d rather deal with having different Aurors as substitutes, even if it’s temporary.”

  “Good.” Scarlet smiled. “At least you’re not going full hero-mode.”

  “Uh-huh.” Alexis nodded thoughtfully. “What else? Oh—yeah, the basilisk under Hogwarts. It’ll stay asleep as long as no one messes with it. But if it becomes a problem, I think we can get, like, Professor Kettleburn, or, omg, what about Mr. Newt Scamander? He could totally handle it! I mean, it’s a rare magical creature. Killing it would be such a waste! But...worst-case scenario, if it starts hurting students...”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Scarlet cur in firmly. “No need to worry.”

  “And your research on the counter-curse for the Killing Curse?” Alexis asked suddenly, recalling the ambitious pn Scarlet had mentioned before the holidays. “Any progress on that?”

  Scarlet shook her head, slightly frowning her brows, “Not yet. I was tied up with company site visits in Japan and Hong Kong. I’ll pick it up at Hogwarts – start by focusing on the core principles behind the curse itself.”

  “Whew. Okay, ngl, I’m just gd you’re not, like, running around testing it on mbs or something.” Alexis let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. “The Killing Curse? Yeah, so not your style, sensei.”

  After going through the reports she’d given Scarlet before summer holiday, Alexis watched as Scarlet carefully noted precautionary details, double-checking every incident worth documenting. Eventually, Alexis leaned back with a satisfied nod. “Okay. Looks like there’s nothing major we’ve missed, except, like, keeping an eye on Peter Pettigrew. That rat is still the worst.”

  “Okay, good. Now, back to your career pn.” Scarlet set her nearly-complete to-do list aside. What was left depended mostly on timing, so all she could do now was wait for the plot to unfold. “What happened to you back in Japan. I thought you went there for vacation?”

  “I thought so too, but apparently, Uncle Kyle had other ideas,” Alexis replied, rolled her eyes. “Seriously, sensei, you must’ve overshared way too much about me with him...Just to confirm, he’s the only person in the world who knows you’re reincarnated into this world, right? No one else?”

  “Unless you count Queen Scáthach as someone worth worrying about,” Scarlet replied, her tone casual. “She recognised right away that I’m not originally from this world. Other than her, only my dad knows – and now you. I didn’t hide anything from my dad, so of course he knows about you too.”

  Alexis let out a relieved sigh. “Good. At least I don’t have to stress about being kidnapped for some insane reason or whatever.”

  “Your dad - Uncle Kyle – thinks big,” she continued, her teeth gritted in frustration as she practically spat his name. “And apparently, he assumes I’m like, just as capable as you or something. So...he’s got this huge pn for me.”

  “And you just waltzed right into the thorny throne he set up for you?” Scarlet asked, raising an eyebrow, intrigued by Alexis’s deadpan expression. “What kind of bait did he use?”

  “An anime studio,” Alexis groaned, facepalming. “He’s offering me my own studio to produce animations based on my ideas and needs. In other words, I can turn any comic, lightnovel, or random concept into an amazing anime – and he’ll fund it completely.” She dropped her hands dramatically. “In exchange, he wants me to pitch ideas and pns for, like, everything reted to future entertainment - games, movies, music, novels, TV shows, merch designs, tourism, marketing strategies, trends, and animations. Oh, and because of this, I now have to learn Japanese so I can work with the assistant he’s hired to help me. The guy’s English is so bad, I can barely understand him through the accent!”

  After a pause, Scarlet said neutrally, “Well...you do have a better grasp on entertainment trends than I do. I spent years wandering East Asia as a nomad, dealing with abnormalities as a caster. that kind of lifestyle leaves you a bit out of touch with pop culture. Most of the people I talked to were casters, too, so we weren’t exactly binge-watching TV or chatting about fandoms. So...ganbateh-ne, Are-chan.”

  Alexis dragged her hands down her face, revealing wide, pleading puppy eyes that glistened with despair. “Sensei, pleeeeease, help me,” she whined, her tone just shy of a sob.

  “...Fine. Bring me your papers and tell me what’s in your head.” Scarlet rolled her eyes, clearly resigned. She mentally resolved to bme her dad for this entirely, he’s going to get zero letters from me for at least a month!