The wolf and the lioness - Hogwarts. (Patreon)

Lily Evans, Hogwarts.

The stranger… Aegon… was a mystery.

As soon as Lily was able to observe his face, she quickly deduced that he was quite young, less than twenty, and yet…

He moved with the grace of a panther and the lethality of an alpha predator, completely certain of his own superiority.

Longbottom and Miss Weasley walked with difficulty, but with relief more than evident on their faces as they entered the infirmary.

“GINNY!” Molly Weasley shouted, running forward with tears in her eyes and embracing her daughter with overwhelming relief, followed by her husband and other sons.

Lily couldn’t help the way something inside her burned with envy. Her hand trembled, her cold emerald gaze fixed on how Molly could embrace her beloved daughter.

A sensation Lily had not felt in more than a decade.

Since that cursed night.

The night she lost absolutely everything.

The night Sirius found her clinging to the lifeless body of her beloved Harry.

The day Lily Potter died alongside her husband James… and her son Harry.

Lily was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice the stranger approaching her until he spoke.

“Are you alright?” the masculine voice of the mysterious young man asked, surprising Lily and making her look at Aegon with a frown.

“It’s none of your concern,” she said sharply, her face cold, hiding the pain that was still as fresh as that damned night.

Alas, Aegon did not seem intimidated in the slightest. He simply held her gaze in complete silence.

“I recognize pain when I see it. It’s as clear in your eyes as the sun. You don’t have to say anything, it is alright" Aegon said cautiously, placing a hand on Lily’s shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

And that simple action left the redhead momentarily speechless. She could only nod in silence. Nothing more was needed. Not right now.

Aegon smiled calmly and walked with curiosity toward one of the infirmary beds, where Miss Granger still lay petrified.

The mysterious young man frowned as he looked at the young Gryffindor and asked:

“What happened?” His caution and concern were more than evident.

Lily sighed, tired but relieved that the Chamber disaster had ended.

“Miss Granger and a large number of students were petrified by the monster you killed. We are working on an antidote,” she confessed with a frown, feeling frustrated at her inability to speed up the process.

Aegon frowned, staring intently at the petrified girl, and simply said:

“STRUN HI LOS!”

Lily couldn’t help but gasp—and shiver—as she felt the monstrously powerful magic erupt from Aegon’s throat.

The sheer weight of it made the air itself feel… heavy.

The action immediately drew the attention of Ariana and Poppy, who focused entirely on the mysterious stranger.

The red-haired professor watched, stunned, as a kind of golden breath rushed toward Miss Granger, spreading rapidly across her body.

The strange and undeniably powerful magic seeped into her skin, slowly dissolving the gray, stone-like curse of the Basilisk until...

“AAAHGH!” Miss Granger gasped violently, her body trembling as she looked around with terrified eyes.

“LOOK OUT!!! IT’S… it’s… it’s—” the young witch began, only to fall silent as she realized she was in the school infirmary.

For several seconds, no one spoke.

Everyone present was completely stunned by the alarming ease with which this… Aegon Targaryen had broken such a powerful curse.

Who the hell was this young man?

“HERMIONE!!” Longbottom shouted in relief, rushing toward the young lioness, his face filled with emotion and unshed tears, closely followed by Poppy, who immediately began examining the girl.

“What the hell was that?” Lily demanded, her tone rough, though she clearly didn’t care at this point.

She had just witnessed a young wizard undo one of the most powerful curses she had ever seen… with three simple words.

She had never seen anything like it in her life.

And she wanted answers.

Aegon looked at her calmly and replied:

“That was magic.”

His voice carried a hint of amusement.

Lily stared at him in disbelief for a moment before her expression hardened into anger, preparing herself for a confrontation with the arrogant young man.

But Aegon had no interest in arguing.

He simply turned and walked toward the next bed, where Miss Clearwater lay petrified, and repeated the process.

“STRUN HI LOS!”

Again, that overwhelming sensation of power filled the room, pressing against Lily’s senses as Aegon used his mysterious magic to lift the curse from the second student.

“Absolutely incredible,” Ariana said, observing the young man with great intensity.

“He’s very young,” Lily added calmly, analyzing Aegon with careful attention.

He was… quite attractive, with the bearing of a leader and a maturity she did not find even in wizards twice his age.

A warrior—clearly.

And one who had seen far too much battle.

It showed in the way his eyes moved… always watching, always calculating.

His black hair, pale skin, and gray eyes gave him an aristocratic appearance very similar to the Blacks—in fact, he could even pass as a lost son of Sirius.

“He is indeed. And powerful,” Ariana replied firmly.

“I don’t see him carrying a wand, Ariana, and I saw him use potions completely unknown to me,” said Lily, almost as if admitting that fact pained her.

“Were you able to look into his mind?” the Headmistress asked cautiously, making Lily frown and shake her head.

“No. It’s evident he has training in the mental arts. But I saw what happened directly from Longbottom,” said the Potions professor, looking directly at the older witch.

“Ariana… Aegon, if that’s even his name, appeared out of nowhere, in a white flash, wrapped in some kind of… draconic armor made of pure magic. He tore the basilisk apart in seconds and used one of those strange spells to destroy Riddle’s creature without even breaking a sweat. I have never seen that much magical power,” the redhead confessed.

Lily’s words left the Headmistress in silence for several seconds.

“Then let us ask him. Perhaps he knows something about the cause of his arrival at our esteemed school,” said the old witch calmly, walking toward Aegon, who had already finished undoing all the petrifications, including Argus’s cat.

“I must say, your magical power and talent are truly impressive, Mr. Targaryen. I thank you for breaking the curse on my students,” Ariana began, drawing the attention of the intriguing young man.

Lily expected someone so young to react with arrogance or smugness…

But Aegon simply nodded with elegance.

As if he were used to praise.

And after what she had seen in Longbottom’s memories… Lily couldn’t blame him.

“I appreciate your words, Headmistress Dumbledore. And it was nothing, the curse was rather weak. Their souls are intact, and their connections to Aetherium are strong and healthy,” he said calmly, capturing the full attention of both witches.

“Aetherium?” Lily asked before she could stop herself, her curiosity overwhelming her restraint.

Aegon looked at her calmly and replied:

“Aetherium, the magical plane, the origin of all magic.”

He spoke with absolute naturalness.

At the same time, without a wand or incantation, he raised his right hand—now illuminated with blue flames.

Lily and Ariana stared at him in disbelief.

His words were… bold.

To say the least.

“Interesting. For decades, the greatest minds of the Magical World have debated the origin of magic. Our most solid theories point to blood as its source,” Ariana said, clear academic interest shining in her eyes.

Lily resisted the urge to scoff at the stupid theory.

If blood were truly the origin of magic, then muggle-borns like her would not exist.

Something the idiots at the Ministry conveniently ignored.

And apparently… Aegon shared her view.

“Blood is not the origin of anything. It is merely a catalyst. The soul… is what truly matters,” he said with a wisdom far beyond the years he appeared to possess.

With every passing moment, Lily found herself more intrigued by the young man.

There was something about him that was… difficult to explain.

The Headmistress stepped forward and spoke again.

“I would like for us to speak in more detail about your curious arrival. I wish to understand the circumstances so we may provide you with the assistance you need,” she said calmly.

Aegon smiled softly and began to tell them about his home, his history, and his war.

He mentioned that he was a battle mage and a ruler of a place called Skyrim, completely unknown to Lily, yet sounding both fascinating and terrifying at the same time.

He spoke of being a general in a war.

He spoke of fighting a clan of vampires.

He spoke of battling a semi-divine entity of total destruction—the very being he had been fighting before appearing here.

“I was fighting Alduin, at the peak of the Throat of the World, when the World-Eater used a forbidden Thu’um, one completely unknown to me. A white flash blinded me for a moment, and the next thing I knew, I was in that underground chamber with that annoying beast. I need to find a way to send a message to my wife… before she does something foolish,” Aegon said calmly, letting out a tired sigh.

Lily, at the mention of a wife, unable to contain herself, asked:

“How old are you, Aegon?”

She knew he was young, he looked to be in his twenties.

A man shaped by war and experience.

“I am six and ten name days. An adult,” he said naturally.

That answer made both Ariana and Lily stare at him in shock and disbelief.

That was… far younger than expected.

“I understand your story, and in gratitude for your actions against the beast, Hogwarts will provide you with all the assistance you require,” said the older witch.

Aegon smiled and nodded with clear gratitude.

Lily continued to observe him.

There was something about him that… drew her in like a moth to a flame.

As if magic itself were pushing her toward him.

Toward this… Aegon.

And stepping forward, Lily spoke:

“You will need a cover story. How long do you think you’ll need to contact your… world?” she asked, still struggling to process concepts like other worlds and dimensional travel.

Something that, apparently, was common where Aegon came from.

“No… I couldn’t give you an exact answer. Dimensions function like a spiral, and there are billions of them. Finding Tamriel among the rest would be like… finding a needle in a haystack. I will need to create a soul beacon linked to my life force so my wife can locate me and respond. Perhaps… a couple of months, maybe a year or two to be honest” Aegon sighed, clearly frustrated and concerned.

Lily nodded, hesitating for a moment, uncertain whether she should say what was on her mind.

Alas… Aegon needed help and he had proven himself more than capable, helping him was the least she could do after he had saved the school.

“I have… I have someone I know who looks very similar to you physically. He’s a gigolo, so the appearance of a lost son wouldn’t draw much attention. It would be the perfect cover and would give you enough time to… contact your wife. His house is big, there is enough space for you to sleep and carry out your experiments. he doesn't make much use of it,” said the redhead.

The Headmistress looked at her with surprise… and something else in her gaze.

Aegon looked at Lily with surprise, before nodding with gratitude.

“I appreciate your assistance, Lady Lily,” Aegon said, bowing his head slightly.

That simple gesture drew a traitorous blush from the professor.

“It’s nothing,” Lily replied quickly, before turning to the Headmistress.

“I’ll take Aegon to see Sirius and settle him there. We can speak in more detail tomorrow morning. I’m sure you need to deal with this disaster… and I’m also certain that idiot Nott will try something. I’ll let you handle damage control,” Lily said, making Ariana nod with determination.

“Very well. Then we will meet in my office as soon as possible” the Headmistress affirmed, inclining her head toward Aegon before moving through the infirmary, already beginning to manage the aftermath.

“Follow me, please,” Lily said.

Aegon nodded calmly, and both of them exited through the infirmary doors.

Lily couldn’t help but observe him more closely now.

He was tall—she had to tilt her head slightly to meet his gaze.

Very attractive.

With a solemn, severe expression, and Merlin his magic...it makes Lily's tingle in the most delicious way.

“I would like to… ask you something,” Lily said cautiously.

Aegon looked at her calmly, though neither of them slowed their pace.

Seeing she had his attention, the redhead continued.

“These worlds you mentioned… how do they work? Are there differences between them?” she asked, concealing the anxiety in her voice through her occlumency.

Aegon looked at her in silence for a moment before answering.

“From what Ciri has told me, many worlds are quite similar to each other, with subtle differences. Though many others are completely different. For example, this place is far too different from my world of origin… or Skyrim, but I am sure that there is a Hogwarts out there almost the same as this, maybe more than one” the young mage said calmly.

“Why do you ask?”

And those words silenced the redhead.

She simply fell quiet once more.

“For no particular reason… forget I mentioned it, Mr. Targaryen. We have a mutt to visit, and I want to see the face he makes when I show up with his lost son. I’m quite certain he’ll die of a heart attack,” Lily said with amusement, abruptly changing the subject.

Aegon looked at her with a raised eyebrow, clearly noticing the sudden shift in topic.

But he said nothing.

At least not for now.

“If you wish to know more, you only have to ask. I recognize those eyes… full of pain,” he said calmly, turning his gaze away to give Lily a measure of privacy.

A gesture the redhead appreciated deeply.

As she wiped away the pair of traitorous tears from her beautiful eyes.

“Thank you,” she whispered, understanding the meaning behind that gesture.

And for the first time in many years…

More than ten years of a life filled with regret, hatred, fury, and agony—

Lily felt something she had not felt in a very long time.

Hope.

A fragile, dangerous hope… the kind that could either save her—or destroy her completely.

And it was all tied to a single person.

Aegon Targaryen.