Hogwarts. Another day in the castle, though this one passed with a mood considerably higher than usual among the days following the defeat of the Heir of Slytherin. The matter of Percy, the cursed diary, and the Chamber of Secrets had already spread to every corner. The story was public knowledge, although, as usually happened with rumors in the corridors, it had been distorted so much that almost no one knew for certain what had actually taken place.
However, the main event of this day bore no relation to those past dramas. It all occurred at noon, during lunch. It was somewhat unusual to see all the professors gathered at the table, including Dumbledore, who had been extremely elusive over the past few weeks. The Headmaster stood up and called for the room's attention.
"Dear students and professors," Dumbledore began in a serene voice, "today is another great day for Hogwarts, as we are pleased to announce the return of our companions home..."
The Headmaster was unable to finish his sentence. The heavy double doors of the Great Hall burst wide open, revealing the travelers who had been absent for so long.
Professor Kettleburn, Hannah, and Neville made their entry escorted by Hagrid. The half-giant, realizing instantly that he had gotten ahead of the presentation and interrupted the Headmaster, couldn't help but wear an expression of embarrassment. Dumbledore, far from being annoyed, began to clap heartily. Within seconds, the Great Hall was flooded with a roar of cheers, applause, and enthusiastic murmurs.
The rumors about the complications in Brazil had already spread weeks ago: Hannah's disappearance and Professor Kettleburn's injuries had turned the expedition to Castelobruxo into a topic of intense interest. Their return was a spectacle for the students, always eager for new stories... but what truly caused a stir was the striking transformation with which both students returned.
While Kettleburn displayed his usual appearance without too many visible changes, Neville and Hannah looked like entirely different people.
Neville walked toward the Gryffindor table. Anyone who had known him before could perceive the difference at a glance. Beyond the height gained from age and a light jungle tan, what truly caught one's attention was his posture. His stride had become firm and decisive; he kept his back straight, his shoulders open, and a direct gaze that no longer sought the floor. He emanated an unprecedented serenity and confidence. He smiled warmly upon reuniting with his housemates, seemingly oblivious to the imposing assurance he projected, though to the rest it was glaringly obvious.
Fred and George were the first to intercept him to liven up the atmosphere. Everyone wanted to know what kind of trial had been capable of transforming that timid, clumsy boy into what now seemed like the living incarnation of Gryffindor bravery. Neville, overwhelmed by the attention, recovered some of his shyness in the form of a vivid blush across his cheeks; faced with certain questions, he preferred to remain silent, withholding the details regarding the romantic events experienced on Amazonian soil.
For her part, Hannah didn't even get the chance to approach the Hufflepuff table. The group of girls rushed at her in a tide of hugs, cheers, and looks of absolute stupefaction at their friend's drastic change.
Hannah had grown considerably, emphasizing the fact that she was now older than the rest of her peers. Her skin bore a very distinct copper tan, far from Neville's superficial shade. Though she wore the school robes, it was clear she had adapted her attire to the Amazonian style: the garment featured practical cuts designed to combat the heat, and her hair was adorned with beads, alongside handcrafted bracelets, anklets, and necklaces. The ornaments caught the eyes of the most perceptive; they were not simple decorations, but pieces imbued with subtle magics.
Beyond the aesthetics, Hannah projected an overwhelming self-confidence. She had fought, she had killed, and she had survived for years in a time past. She was no longer a child. Her mere presence dominated the space, complemented by an evident physical maturity. Almost involuntarily, the new figure of her body projected a sweeping sensuality. Given that she had maintained an extremely active sex life with me since the trip, she carried a more "liberal" presence. For the students who remembered her from months ago, the contrast was abyssal: it was like going from 0 to 100.
The reunion with her friends was deeply emotional. After the initial confusion and the shock of barely recognizing her, Hannah broke down into tears of joy, infecting several of her companions and further feeding the general curiosity regarding the mysteries of the Brazilian jungle.
The Great Hall devolved into a chaotic, festive hubbub, but no professor made the slightest attempt to restore order. It was a moment of genuine celebration inside the castle.
Back at the lions' table, Neville shared selected anecdotes from his journey while listening to the wild accounts of what had occurred at Hogwarts. He kept any mention of Malena under a strict filter, aware that revealing too many details would only cause complications; however, simply showing off his new wand and narrating passages of his combat in the dense vegetation was enough to keep the entire table utterly spellbound.
At the Hufflepuff table, now surrounded by girls from various houses, Hannah faced an incessant barrage of questions and looks filled with open anatomical curiosity. Confronted with doubts regarding her drastic change, she simply shrugged and attributed it to a simple puberty "growth spurt"—an explanation very few bought upon contemplating the sheer magnitude of said "puberty." Girls like Hermione and Pansy, increasingly self-conscious of their own body development, kept a tense silence while examining their peer's bust and pronounced curves. An inevitable wave of insecurity and concern washed over them: seeing a peer mature so prematurely and exuberantly sparked deep doubts about their own pace.
Unconsciously, several of those present cast guarded glances in my direction. Without needing to resort to Legilimency, I knew Hermione was preemptively scolding me in her mind just in case I thought about showing interest in such "attributes"; she could only pray to reach that development soon, completely ignorant of the fact that I had already enjoyed those fruits in their entirety.
The most affected, however, was Susan. Beyond the physical or sexual plane, she felt a knot in her chest upon noticing the invisible rift that had opened with her best friend. The girl with whom she used to share everything was returning transformed into a different person, wrapped in an unfamiliar aura.
Even so, excitement dominated the atmosphere. The enigmas regarding the expedition, which I had previously refused to answer, would finally come to light. Hannah and I set out to recount a polished version of our journey through the jungle—omitting orgies, time travel, and ancient evil deities—with her taking the lead while I limited myself to piping up with details or resolving specific questions.
At the staff table, the environment held its own set of tensions. Professor Kettleburn became the center of inquiries among his colleagues, enduring lighthearted jokes about whether he had managed to keep all his limbs. The old magizoologist laughed, though deep down the experience had left him exhausted; the coma he had suffered and the helplessness of having been unable to protect his students pushed him to seriously mention his retirement.
Dumbledore, with a serene smile, supported his intentions. The Headmaster possessed more precise information about the events in the Amazon and knew that neither Kettleburn nor anyone else could have done much in that situation; likewise, he couldn't reveal it, so he ultimately opted to maintain an affable demeanor.
Of course, Dumbledore's friendliness also served as a shield to evade the icy, resentment-filled glare that Snape was directing at him from the side. The Headmaster knew he had overloaded the Potions Master with work in his absence, but his shamelessness was broad enough to ignore it. What bewildered the old man was that Severus's fury was not concentrated solely on him. On the other side of the table, Minerva was devouring her meal at an unusually hurried pace—a behavior she herself seemed unaware of—while keeping her eyes fixed on the students... and on Snape, returning the provocation with the exact same hostility. Both houses had always been at odds, but this seemed far more personal. Dumbledore sensed that something severe had fractured the dynamic between the two, but he preferred to postpone his inquiries: he had enough on his plate with the logistics of the "upcoming event" and the time dedicated to his sister. He was left with nothing to do but contemplate the silent duel between an impenetrable Snape and a restless McGonagall.
...
Later on, the girls retreated to the hideout to subject Hannah to a thorough interrogation... which devolved into an outright sexual harassment session.
The sensuality she projected with her new figure, combined with the trust they shared among themselves, incited the others to grope and inspect her, eager to discover the secret formula behind such development. Penelope was the only one to show a degree of empathy, though the gesture was short-lived: being the only two with developed figures, they ended up cornered by the rest as if they were guarding the secret of maturity. It was a chaotic dynamic among friends, but more than anything, it was their way of celebrating their reunion; a spectacle they forbade me from witnessing, though I managed to spy on them from the shadows anyway.
Setting games aside, I had other matters to attend to. Among them, the resolution of the "reward" for my brothers following Lockhart's fall.
When the Minister for Magic came to the castle to pin the medal on himself in front of the cameras alongside the "heroines of Hogwarts" and those who helped corner "the mastermind," he barely offered symbolic recognition. No Order of Merlin, nor any grand announcement in the papers beyond the initial one—Fudge couldn't highlight the others too much if it underscored his own blunder.
So I decided to correct that injustice on my own. I appeared before the boys one day to hand them a fund in Galleons and various magical artifacts for their role as "secondary heroes." Though surprised by my sudden gesture of generosity, they didn't question the origin of the funds, already accustomed to my methods and secret channels. Splitting a hundred Galleons among themselves generated an immediate mix of euphoria, gratitude, and a certain envy at how easy it was for me to part with such "wealth."
That was only the beginning; in the future, I planned to fund the twins' joke shop business and perhaps ensure Ron got on a prosperous track, since, after all, we were family.
But the true surprise didn't come from family. It didn't come from Harry—that rich kid didn't need my money... though he did ask me to train him to become stronger, a request I swiftly rejected without showing the slightest interest in wasting my time on him, simply giving him a few magical items for combat instead. No, the person who found me now and left me incredulous was the least expected member of the group, and the one who had suffered the most from Lockhart's magic.
"I really need your help, Red..." said a poorly made-up Lee Jordan, forcing a distinctly effeminate tone along with his gestures and body language.