CHAPTER 24 – LIFE AFTER HOGWARTS
Dear Jude,
Howdy there! How are you getting along with ol’ Snape? Pretty good, huh? I suppose that getting at each other’s throats is your idea of a happy marriage. Lotsa luck!
Cedric and I came across Bill Weasley today. Those dragons he was studying are simply magnificent! They are so large, almost a size bigger than Fluffy. And the fire, woah! You can make a barbecue for 10 families using that fire. Interesting! Speaking of Fluffy, I spotted Norbert somewhere in the distance. I think he has a mate and a few kids of his own. Fascinating sight. Tell Hagrid for me that they are doing just well. I even took a picture of him. There are 2 copies. Give one to Hagrid. He’ll like it.
We’re still traveling around the globe. I’m happy to announce that Cedric and I are in Norway, home of Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback, studying a new species called The Sludges. Their habitat is just right in the deep edges of the sewage (gross, but true) and we’ll be studying them very closely for some time. Wish us luck!
I always believe that both of us are going to succeed in publishing the true facts about magical creatures and the species of the unknown. I know we will, unlike some cheat like Gilderoy Lockhart. So look out for our 1st edition. You’re gonna love it! We’ll be traveling to Dominica next after we’re done with the Sludges.
I know you’ll take good care of my Cyril and Henrietta, so I won’t ask about him too much. Tell him that his baby sister’s doing just fine and will be due next fall. Lotsa love to you and the people of Hogwarts! Ta ta!
From your friend BECKA
Dear Jude,
Hello, Jude! Glad to see my letter? I bet you are. It’s been a long while since I wrote, what with all the business and everything. But I’m doing pretty fine, really
Guess what? I’m pregnant again! My dear Slipper is going to be a father again! Don’t tell Chris yet. He’s easily jealous, just like his father. I just went to a medi-witch and she said it could be another boy again. Haven’t I have enough boys yet? First it’s Talos, then Chris, and now this. They sure can be a handful sometimes.
Slipper and I are managing the apothecary really well. Business has been good, mostly because I make the best potions for the wizarding public. Stock’s been pretty good too, so if you and Prof. Snape need anything for the lab, be happy and feel free to order from me. I might give you a discount.
So how’s Becka? Got her letter yet? I know I got it. I wish I could go around the globe with her but the apothecary’s just fine. I’m still into making potions for our fellow wizards and witches, and also for the first-years-to-be of Hogwarts. Diagon Alley is just the perfect place to set up businesses. I could even sell some of my unwanted Muggle junk for extra income! He he!
Remind the kids to take their vitamins and don’t go about cursing people. But then again, kids will be kids. Let them have as much fun as they want, so long as they don’t get expelled. Send them my love.
Your loving friend, RACH
Jude smiled as she put the letters into her collection of other letters in a large box. It was the 3rd time she enlarged that box in order to add in more and more letters from her girlfriends.
Her studying days were over, but her life in Hogwarts hadn’t. She and the others had graduated with flying colours and became Top Students of Hogwarts for the Year, first in Hogwarts’ history to have that much Top Students. They even received a medal for saving Hogwarts and the whole witchcraft and wizardry nation from the wrath of Voldemort for now.
Jude’s awakening was a shock and surprise to Hogwarts. Madame Pomfrey almost had a heart attack when she saw Prof. Snape coming in with Jude in his arms, alive and kicking, beaming at her. She then burst into tears of joy as she fed Jude with the Skele-grow concoction. It tasted really nasty but Jude wouldn’t want to spend her whole life on a wheelchair.
Prof. Snape sent an owl to Hagrid to tell him about the good news. He was overjoyed and started running around the castle spreading the news, his heavy footsteps thumping away like mad. Peeves helped by gliding in and out of every house dorm and upsetting anything that might go bang, yelling, “The Black Witch’s alive! The Black Witch’s back!”
Many refused to believe it at first and yelled at him not to joke about the dead (although he was the dead), but when Hagrid started banging at the dorm doors and hollering about Jude, everyone rushed out to check it out.
Becka and Rach were the first to arrive at the Hospital Wing, followed by Harry, who was carrying Jude’s baby, and the gang, Draco Malfoy and the Hawkins siblings. They all fussed about Jude, hugging her and crying happy tears. The whole castle of Hogwarts rejoiced that night, including all the staff of Hogwarts, and the next morning, when the Skele-grow finally took effect, she received the warmest welcome during breakfast at the Great Hall.
All and all, the trio finally completed their 7th year and during the graduation ceremony, their parents came to Hogwarts castle see them. Jude visited Tony’s grave which was situated inside the Forbidden Forest after the graduation ceremony. She laid a few forget-me-nots on the grave and kissed his tombstone, thanking him for sacrificing his life for her and apologizing to him for accidentally murdering his parents.
Cedric was there to see Becka graduate and two days after the ceremony, he sent her an owl inviting her to join him on a quest to study creatures of the unknown throughout the globe. And she did. Taking her daughter Henrietta with her, she packed her bags, said her goodbyes to her parents and started her journey with Cedric. Romantically, they were married in France and had a son in Germany named Cyril Diggory.
Rach didn’t go very far. Being trusted of independence by her parents, she took Talos along with her to a number of potion houses and magical shops to practice and enhance her potion-making skills. She even did a self-study on the ancient runes of the world and knew almost all the ancient languages from the four corners of the earth by heart, including Elvish and half-creature talks. Becka always asked her to translate anything that she found during her journey throughout the globe.
Finally she opened an apothecary shop of her own at Diagon Alley, selling anything from potions to elixirs to potion ingredients. She, after many attempts, finally found the permanent spell and potion (that has to come together to take effect) to make Slipper into a real human. Slipper changed his name to Matthew Roberts Lee, but Rach still liked calling him Slipper. After a few years being together managing the shop and all, they were wed in spring and had Chris 2 years later during winter.
What about Jude? Well, she furthered her studies as a medi-witch. Draco came to her to propose to her, wishing that she would marry him and be his wife, but Jude told him the truth about her love towards Prof. Snape, shattering his heart into a thousand pieces. She came back to Hogwarts to become another member in the Hospital Wing. At first, Madame Pomfrey wasn’t too thrilled to have a colleague in her workplace when Prof. Dumbledore informed this to everyone in the staff meeting, but when he called Jude to come in and say hello, she changed her mind immediately. She welcomed Jude warmly and became the best of friends in the Hospital Wing.
Prof. Snape hadn’t change a bit when she came back to serve Hogwarts. Apart from a few unnoticeable streaks of white hair, everything in him stayed the same. And the way they have their conversation hasn’t changed a jot. Prof. Snape still gave her cold remarks and cynical answers and Jude still tried to sweet-talk or reason with him and loud-mouthed him occasionally. By then, all of the staff knew about their relationship and the love hidden behind their arguments. Draco had actually enrolled himself into Hogwarts as the new DADA teacher in order to see Jude everyday and hoping that one day she would come back to him. He may be jealous at seeing Jude and Prof. Snape bickering at each other for all they care, but he refused to give up hope. He was determined to make her his wife and no one else.
You don’t get this type of loyal man everyday, you know.
Finally, after a few years in Hogwarts, Prof. Snape proposed to her. He dragged her all the way to his private domain a.k.a. his room and said directly to her in a cold, stern voice “I want you to marry me” and kissed her deeply, catching her by surprise. He must have gathered a lot of guts to do this because before he kissed her, she saw his sallow face actually blushing like mad. The rest that happened in Snape’s domain…well, you get the idea (saucy hot blushes ensured).
They were married in the castle grounds, conducted and joined together by Prof. Dumbledore himself. It was a joyous occasion and everyone, including the students and ex-students of Hogwarts (except Draco), cheering and waving out sparks and confetti from their wands. A year later, at the end of summer, Jude and Prof. Snape became the proud parents of twin girls named Severia and Severee Snape. Her son Kiaran was the happiest of all.
Jude was pretty famous in Hogwarts, and it goes the same with Rach in Diagon Alley and Becka almost across the globe. She was cheerful and friendly to all her fellow students. Sometimes they would come to her and complain about her husband’s unfair attitude and she would laugh it away and comfort them. She even put her Divination practice to use, only to caught by her cold husband and be lectured on. The students found it hard to believe that this husband and wife had such different characteristics yet able to stay married for so long. At other times, she drew comics and asked her Muggle parents to help her mail it to the publishers for extra income.
The children Chris, Cyril, Severia and Severee, Talos, Henrietta and Kiaran enrolled into Hogwarts together and became the best of friends. Seeing them together often reminded Jude about her school days with her girlfriends.
“Mummy, Mummy! We are going to Honeydukes to buy some goodies to watch the Quidditch games! We need money!”
Jude smiled as she filled the twins’ and Kiaran’s pouches with money. Kiaran, Severia and Severee were her prized jewels. Both the twins had long flowing black hair and dark eyes like their father. No crooked noses, though. The other kids came in to usher them to hurry up. Chris inherited his mother’s blue-black hair and intelligent looks while Cyril had the same brown hair and silver eyes of his father.
“Be careful now, kids,” Jude reminded. “Don’t go…”
“Running into trouble. We know!” The kids said in unison and giggled as they got onto their brooms and left. Jude shook her head and smiled weakly. Kids will always be kids.
Slowly the sky darkened. Thunder boomed at a distance, coming closer. Jude could feel the aura. The familiar dark aura.
So evil.
So sinister and dark.
Voldemort.
Prof. Snape rushed into the Hospital Wing. He felt the aura as well. The Death Eater’s mark on his wrist was burning pretty bright. He took Jude’s hand and whispered, “He’s here. The Dark Lord is back.”
“I know, Sev,” Jude replied, worried. “I felt it too.”
“Looks like he had replenished his strength again the last time we defeated him.”
Jude nodded. Then she realized something and said, “Sev, the kids! They went to Honeydukes just now! Go and bring them back, quick! Please, Sev, I fear the worst!”
“Don’t worry, Jude. I’m on it,” Prof. Snape assured her and left the Hospital Wing. Moments later, she saw him riding the broom and disappearing into the horizon. Jude hunted her briefcase and took out her slightly modified crystal ball.
“Time to call Harry and the Witches,” she muttered as she hovered her hands around the crystal ball, closed her eyes and concentrated.
What happens next? Well, that’s another story for you to think…
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