Chapter 40: G.M.M

"In third place is 18-year-old Mr. Tilden Toots with his creation of the regermination potion capable of forcing a magical plant to regerminate, an innovative invention and of great importance to herbology, let's give him a round of applause please" began the teacher.

Instantly the entire audience began to applaud as Tilden Toots approached the table to receive his third-place prize.

Severus had to admit that this potion might seem rather basic, but in fact, no one had done it until this moment, it was a boon to all herbologists in the magical world and would no doubt sell in droves.

'I recognize that potion, Professor Pomona Sprout used to use it constantly and Professor Snape had taught us how to make it in our fifth year, surely so he wouldn't have to make it himself for the professor when he ran out' Hermione remembered.

"In second place is 24-year-old Miss Inna Yefimov with her creation of the Night Vision Potion which allows the consumer to see in the dark, as if it were daytime, making the environment light up around them, a potion that will serve many wizards who carry out activities at night, this potion will make the work and safety of many wizards and witches easier. Let's give her a round of applause!"

Again the audience filled the campus with applause, but this time the people were ecstatic.

Everyone looked with admiration at the young Russian witch who had invented this potion.

This was a very ingenious and interesting potion.

Everyone wanted to try one of these potions to see in the dark, the crowd kept talking about the potion and the uses the ministry could put them to.

No doubt most people were more interested in this potion than the other one that was only good for herbologists.

When Inna Yefimov took her second-place award several cameras and reporters started talking to her and taking pictures of her.

After a while, the dean calmed down the audience to name the last finalist.

"Alright, now before I say the first place, I want to introduce first the Chief of the Magical Species Protection Corps Thomas Wright, who came all the way from the Magicongress to award the winner of the contest," said the dean and all the people applauded again without the need for the dean to say anything else.

The cameramen were also taking pictures all the time.

"Thank you all and most of all I thank Dean Stacy along with the judges who allowed me to be present and have the honor of awarding the winner of this contest" began Thomas.

Earning another round of applause and photos.

"Well, now yes, first place in the Salem potion contest goes to Mr. Severus Prince who has created the Coactus Verumorphe potion, a potion capable of forcing any living being to remain in its true and complete bodily form," said Thomas causing the audience to look at him in amazement at what he was saying.

While photographers were looking for young Severus to take pictures of him.

Everyone had seen the 16-year-old, but no one expected him to be the winner let alone be able to create such an amazing potion.

"This potion created by Mr. Prince is a unique concoction that will revolutionize the magical world, this is because now the animagus, those who use polyjuice or any other creature that pretends to be what it is not can be discovered with this potion" continued Thomas.

Many reporters began to ask questions incessantly.

As the audience began to murmur and whisper uneasily.

"But this is not all, we have also proven that the potion is effective for werewolves, so from now on those wizards or muggles who suffer Lycanthropy will be able to take this potion to keep their human form, as I said before it is a unique creation that will revolutionize the magical world and help to establish a better order and security for everyone, please a big applause for Mr. Severus Prince."

When Thomas finished, Severus' group froze, not even they could believe their ears.

Well not all of them, Freyja always has something to say:

"Wow, Severus, you are amazing," said Freyja with stars in her eyes.

"Now you understand why it was a surprise," Severus said with a smile making the three of them look at him with different thoughts each.

'To think that he could create a solution for lycanthropy in such a short time is simply impossible, but yet he did it, my mother was not wrong about him. 'You impress me more Prince every day' thought Gwen with a smile.

'Severus is the best' thought Freyja happily.

'This..., how could this happen, there was nothing like this in the future, how did he achieve something that never existed, how did he change so much, I knew that my intervention in the past would make many things change, but it's too soon, by Merlin, what's going on and how many more things changed since my arrival?" started to think Hermione.

"I'll be right back, looks like I have to go get the prize," Severus said as he prepared to go to the center of the campus where the judges were.

The instant the reporters recognized him, they started asking him a lot of questions, photographers were taking pictures of him from all angles and the audience wouldn't stop talking about him.

But Severus went on his way without wasting any time.

Then Severus took the golden cauldron that was the prize for the winner of the contest, he greeted and thanked Thomas and the dean politely while the photographers kept taking pictures of them.

After that, he prepared to answer some questions from the reporters at Dean Stacy's request.

But just then two well-known figures in the American magical world appeared.

One was the CEO of SWI, Michelle Wilson a very prominent witch in the world at 81 years of age.

And the other was the magician Jayden White, the Director of Magical Security at MACUSA, well respected by the American magical community and is considered to be the second hand of the president.

The cameramen began photographing like crazy the arrival of these two very important people.

"Dean Stacy, excuse our unexpected intrusion into the contest, but I got the incredible news that a young magician has successfully created a potion capable of helping those suffering from Lycanthropy, so I instantly contacted Director Wilson to travel by the Floo Network to come quickly," said the Director of Magical Security.

"It's no problem at all, it's an honor to have the Director of Magical Security witnessing the contest," said Dean Stacy respectfully, while Director Wilson just nods quietly without saying a word.

"So, you must be Mr. Prince, I must say it is a pleasure to have such an excellent wizard and potioneer as your young man in the USA," said Mr. White upon seeing Severus as he offered his hand to shake.

"The pleasure is all mine Director of Defense" replied Severus calmly as he shook the offered hand.

As the two were greeting each other, the campus was filled with camera flashes.

"Just Mr. White young man. Once your interview is over I am going to ask you to come with me to the Magicongress if possible" the Director of Defense informed him.

"Sure, I would be honored Mr. White" nodded Severus earning a smile and a nod from the director.

After a while, Severus answered some questions he was asked such as, "How long did it take you to create the potion?"

To which Severus replied, "The truth is that the potion I created was not actually a new project, but was a project I had already started in my fifth year at Hogwarts, but only recently achieved results."

"Mr. Prince, it is known that in Europe werewolves are very repudiated by society, this leads me to wonder why you thought of creating this potion, perhaps you have a family member or friend who suffers from this disease?"

"Yes, well, the idea of creating this potion came to me after suffering one of the most traumatic events I had in my life, and no, I have no friends or family members who suffer from such a disease, that's all I can tell you."

When Severus said this, Hermione who was standing next to Gwen and Freyja listening, knew instantly what a traumatic event that was.

'It was when he nearly died at the hands of Professor Remus Lupin transformed into a wolf, I remember that memory of the future Snape, if it wasn't for James things would have ended very badly. It must have been really traumatic to experience that' Hermione thought sadly as she recalled the memories of her old Professor Snape.

"Mr. Prince, do you by any chance have any connection to the old Prince family of potioneers in Britain?" asked one of the reporters who apparently knew the Princes.

Severus already knew that this moment was going to come sooner or later, so he decided to whitewash his entire situation right now in the magical world.

It was time to stop hiding.

"That's right, I am part of the Prince family, although I should correct that, the Prince origins are Irish, but it is understandable the confusion given that in recent years the Prince have been part of the politics of Great Britain."

"But, Mr. Prince, as I understand it, there are no living descendants in the Prince Family, how can you be a member then, are you perhaps a distant relative?" asked another of the reporters.

Severus smiled and then answered confidently showing the Prince family ring on his hand: "It seems I did not introduce myself properly, my mistake, I am Severus Prince sole heir of the Prince family and the current Lord Prince."

When he finished saying this, he called upon the magic of the ring to show the coat of arms of his house in the sky, causing everyone present to look up at the sky and at Severus in surprise.

Even the members of the U.S. Magic Congress were shocked by these events.

The Director of Magical Security along with SWI Director Wilson looked at Dean Stacy who feigned surprise as they did, even though she already assumed that Severus was the heir.

What she did not expect was that he was already the Lord of the Prince family, so there was some surprise in her expression.

The photographers again filled the campus with flashes and smoke from the pictures she was taking.

After answering a few more questions, Severus thanked everyone and said goodbye.

He then warned Gwen, Hermione, and Freyja that he had to go to the Magicongress and that he would tell them all about it later.

The Director of Magical Security, Director Wilson, and Dean Stacy accompanied him to one of the Floo Network chimneys they had in the institute that connected to the Magic Congress.

At the MACUSA, they met with several important people from different departments.

They asked Severus to if possible start mass production of this potion so they could deliver it to the werewolves.

Obviously, they did not ask him for the recipe of the potion under any agreement since they already knew that Severus was now Lord Prince, so he had a whole potion factory that could take care of the distribution of the potion on his own.

But they did arrange with him to have a large number of potions delivered to MACUSA each month.

Severus obviously agreed without seeking to make a profit, since what he was looking for was to get a good relationship with MACUSA, so that he could use them as a deterrent in case Voldemort or the death eaters wanted to try something against him.

And Severus was not only gaining MACUSA but also the favor of the public opinion of the American magical community, so Voldemort and his followers would have to think twice before seeking trouble with him.

Then, to Severus' surprise, President Fischer was present and presented him with the Gold Medal of Merit (G.M.M.) in person.

The President thanked him for his willingness to help werewolves and congratulated him for his great contribution to the magical world.

In the USA, as opposed to Great Britain, all the magical beings in the American magical community are taken into account and they usually try to help those wizards or Muggles who suffer from some problem or disease such as Lycanthropy.

So it was normal that the President looked favorably on Severus since he had made a great contribution not only to the magical world, but especially to the American community that had no way to treat the wizards, witches, and muggles that every full moon are transformed into wolves and became crazy/aggressive by the Lycanthropy.

In the evening, after receiving the "Gold Medal of Merit(G.M.M)" and thanks from MACUSA, Severus returned to SWI via the Floo network.

He then met Hermione, Gwen, and Freyja and told them everything that had happened.

A few moments later the last ship leaving SWI for Boston Harbor was about to sail.

So Hermione said goodbye to the three of them even though she was reluctant to leave since she hadn't heard the whole story well and still had many questions to ask Severus.

Once she left, Gwen and Freyja talked with Severus for a while more before going to rest, tomorrow the program would start again so they had to go to sleep.

Severus also decided to go to rest, but sadly Ethan also asked him a lot of questions all night.

Even Sasaki, who did not usually talk much, listened attentively and asked him a few questions about the potion.

Only once he had summarized everything to Ethan and promised to tell him tomorrow things well, Severus could sleep without problems.