The Scarlet Witch Prophecy - Wanda Maximoff x Reader

The Fifth Year (Part Two)

Things were strange at Hogwarts, and you could already tell the moment you stepped onto the school grounds.

On the way out of the express, properly uniformed and laughing lightly at Mantis' comment about the way Quill was behaving around Gamora, you walked with your friends to the carriages that were taking the students to the castle and stumbled with fright when you noticed the huge black horses in the vehicles.

"Wow, what are those things?" You asked immediately, looking at the almost ghostly figures. They resembled horses, but were completely black, including the deep-set eyes. Besides being very skinny, as if their skin had grown very thin against their bones.

"What are you talking about, Y/N?" Mantis questioned confusedly at your side, trying to figure out what scared you.

"The horses, of course." You say. "Since when do we have horses in the carriages?"

"We don't." Mantis retorted confused, looking at you with a frown. "Are you feeling well?"

It took a few minutes for you to understand that only you of all your friends and possibly the vast majority of the students, was able to see the horses.

You were considering pretending you never said anything, but then Harley Quinn, your housemate, commented beside you:

"I can see them too." She said gently. She was sitting in the carriage you were going up in, and had watched your entire conversation. Quill, who was already seated as well, giggled, and Gamora nudged him with her elbow. You didn't know Harley exactly, but she had a certain reputation at school for being a bit crazy, not that you liked gossip. But judging by the way Quill grimaced, he seemed to think it was funny that you and Harley saw things no one else did.

"R-right." You mumbled clumsily, taking a seat next to Gamora in the carriage. Mantis followed you and sat down next to Harley, in front of you.

"You're Harley Quinn, right? From the same year as us?" Mantis asks tenderly, smiling at the blonde.

"Yep." She says and looks at you next. "I know you. You always hold up the portrait for the others to pass in the communal hall."

You scratch your neck awkwardly, not quite knowing what to say. Harley is still smiling, and you think it best to introduce your friends.

"This is Quill, Gamora, and Mantis." You count, and the teenagers smile politely. You look around to see if anyone else is going to get on the carriage, but no one makes mention, so you close the compartment, and the magical horses begin to move. Quill stretches his feet out on the empty seat. You wonder where the hell Nebula has gotten to, but you remember that she stayed behind to talk to Tony. "How was your summer, Harley?" you ask politely, and the girl looks surprised that you want to continue talking to her at all.

Harley told briefly about having had a difficult summer with all the things that happened, but what really surprised you and your friends was learning that her best friend, Pamela Isley, who had been your classmate for the past few years, was not going back to Hogwarts this year because her parents did not trust the castle's security after what happened at the tournament.

"I realized they had fewer students on the train too." Gamora added once Harley stopped talking. The group agrees in unison, and you want to ignore the way your stomach flips at hearing them mention your father's death next, but you force yourself to smile briefly.

"That doesn't make any sense at all, you know?" Harley then comments. "Dad often says there's no place safer than Hogwarts."

"I hear there are all kinds of protection around the castle grounds." Mantis reasons as well. You murmur in agreement, saying that in the book Hogwarts, a story, this is also mentioned.