HP: The Stellar Witch [OFC]

~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones

~ Every 400 PS = Bonus Chapter!

****************************************************************

That evening, during a critical moment in her research, Senna had Lys wear a mask and manage the shop, attending to customers and selling potions.

"Hello, I'm looking for Miss Lam. I need her help brewing some potions. Is she available right now?" A man in a black robe and a silver mask entered the shop, his voice slick and thin. His tall frame made the already cramped space feel even smaller.

Lys carefully rehearsed her response in her mind, then softly replied, "Miss Lam is currently brewing potions. If you need—" Before she could finish, the sound of a cauldron exploding came from the back room, followed by a woman's manic laughter. "Hahaha! I did it! I knew mandrake root would work!"

Senna burst out of the back room, holding a bottle of potion so dark it seemed to absorb light. Her excitement was evident even through her mask. Her voice, deliberately altered to sound hoarse, carried a hint of raspiness. "I did it!" she exclaimed. Only after stepping out did she notice the customer.

Placing the crystal bottle into the storage cabinet behind her, Senna noticed the man's interest in the potion. "Not for sale," she stated. "Are you here to buy potions?"

"I assume you must be Miss Lam," the man said. "I'd like to commission a potion. Shall we discuss it here?" He gestured toward Lys, who stood silently to the side.

"Go ahead. What potion do you need?" Senna asked.

"Soul Stabilizer."

"I don't make those," Senna replied bluntly, shaking her head. "That stuff is too advanced. You'd need to find one of those old-timers in the potion world or the heirs of those damned potion families. I don't even have the recipe for a Soul Stabilizer."

Seeing her firm refusal, the man remained calm. "What if I provide the recipe and materials? I'll pay 500 Galleons per potion, regardless of quality," he offered, laying out his terms.

Senna wasn't interested. Soul Stabilizers were obscure potions, typically sought after by extreme Dark Wizards or eccentric researchers—people whose minds didn't operate like normal individuals.

Moreover, this potion required long-term supply. Accepting this commission would mean ongoing involvement, and such people would never allow others to hold leverage over them. Senna knew they'd dig into her background thoroughly, leaving her no peace.

"I don't make it. I'm just trying to scrape by on this street, tinkering with little projects for fun. A Soul Stabilizer is way beyond my capability, and I'm not going to attempt it. If you want to live longer, you need to know how big of a cake you can actually eat."

To prevent him from persisting, Senna added, "Maybe that damned bandaged man across the street can help you." She even pointed him in another direction.

Before leaving, the man cast a meaningful glance at the potion cabinet, then at Senna herself.

Previously, Senna had always worked alone, closing the shop whenever she brewed potions. This time, with Lys around, she had been careless. It seemed she'd have to stop using silencing charms on the door next time.

Three days later, after carefully instructing Lys not to answer the door, not to speak to anyone, and not to step outside, Senna Apparated multiple times to avoid being followed and returned home. There, she cared for her husband during the full moon, checked on the house, and delivered food.

When she returned, Senna carried a pile of second-year textbooks. She was shocked by Noah's expectations—he actually hoped that the little brat would achieve at least four "Exceeds Expectations" next term!

And so, Lys's miserable routine began: processing ingredients in the morning, reading books about curses and their origins in the afternoon, and taking second-year lessons from her mother in the evening.

To practice the spells in the books, Senna even produced a wand for Lys. "No idea when I confiscated this. Give it a try," she said.

The blackthorn wand felt oddly comfortable in Lys's hand, but she still couldn't cast normal spells successfully. For instance, while cleaning the floor, she not only cleaned it spotless but also removed two large planks, turning the exposed ground silver. In the end, they had to transfigure a piece of clothing into a rug to cover it up.

One day, as Lys was diligently reciting the principles of Transfiguration in the shop, a man with pitch-black skin entered, dragging a small cart behind him. He addressed her directly, "Lam. I'm looking for Lam."

This was an African wizard who dealt in all kinds of smuggling. He believed that this time, his old customer in Knockturn Alley might have struck it rich, as she had ordered a considerable quantity of snake eggshells and venom.

Senna had stayed up late brewing potions the previous night and was so tired that even after drinking a Vitality Boosting Potion, she couldn't stop yawning. After quickly calculating the quantities, she sorted out the defective items and non-serpent eggshells, then turned her attention to the venom. This old black-market dealer wasn't being very honest this time.

The amount of venom was acceptable, but its quality was poor. Senna haggled fiercely. "Don't pretend you don't understand English. This is the price. Take it or leave it."

"Fine, fine. You're such a pain, Lam. After all these years of business, don't you have anything good for me to take back?" the African wizard complained.

Seeing that Lam wasn't in the mood, the wizard prepared to deliver his goods elsewhere. But when he turned back to look, his heart nearly stopped.

That little elf-like shop assistant was reaching her hand into the snake's cage!