𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 | Harry James Potter x Reader

YR 3 ☆•°~'* 01

AN - Third year begins! 

❈🌠➵9¾♌ ⚯ 🗲━━━━━★. *･｡ﾟ✧⁺

Y/N's last two years at Hogwarts School were certainly eventful. As she lay on her bed on a gloomy Sunday morning, the girl couldn't help thinking about her previous years.

Her first year was perhaps the most challenging, she kept getting lost for the first few weeks, she had to adapt to magic being used everywhere, she learned a lot about the wizarding world, she was absolutely fascinated by her school subjects.

But it wasn't all homework and exploration. There were dangers as well. Chasing Draco Malfoy on a broom, her enemy since day two at Hogwarts, fighting a mountain troll, serving detention in the Forbidden Forest, going through a set of challenges with her three best friends to get to the Philosopher's Stone, and discovering that the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Quirrell, was possessed by Voldemort, the most dangerous Dark Wizard of all time... Y/N had to admit that she didn't expect her year to be so eventful and precarious.

Her second year was perhaps even worse. A great basilisk was roaming the castle using the plumbing and attacking Muggle-born students. Somehow, Y/N wasn't a victim of it, despite being a Muggle-born. She couldn't say the same for her best friend Hermione, who was petrified for weeks. Hagrid was sent to Azkaban, and Dumbledore, the Headmaster, resigned (Damn that Malfoy!). And Y/N thought that they had lost Ginny Weasley, Ron's little sister, who was taken into Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets. In the end, Harry Potter managed to kill the Basilisk and rescue Ginny. Y/N, Ron, Harry, and Hermione always seemed to be in the thick of all these dangers, and Harry was always the hero at the end of the day with help from his friends.

Y/N couldn't help but admire him for his bravery and determination to help those who need it, even when people turned on him, he always got through everything. She smiled to herself.

Suddenly, she jumped up from her bed. She looked at her calendar. July 31st, 1993. Her heart dropped. How could she forget Harry's birthday? She hadn't even sent him a gift yet! She'd been so busy traveling the country with her family the past few weeks that she didn't have time to get anything for her friend.  

She quickly got changed and ran down to the kitchen to grab a bit of breakfast before heading out.

'What's the matter with you?' Her mother asked, watching Y/N fumble with toast.

'Forgot Harry's birthday! I'm going out to buy him something, I won't be long!' And at these words, she ran outside to her bike.

Putting on her helmet, she cycled to the nearest shop, which was ten minutes away. She parked her bike and went into the store.

'Now, what would Harry James Potter like...' whispered Y/N as she walked through the aisles, examining the different articles.

She bought him a bag of muggle sweets and chocolates, eau de cologne, a birthday card, a blue jumper, and a snowy owl key chain. It wasn't much, but since she hadn't gone to Diagon Alley yet, she couldn't have gotten him something from the wizarding, which, now that she thought about it, he would've preferred much more than what she had gotten.

She left the shop and rode her bike to Harry's house. He only lived twenty minutes away from her house, and Y/N enjoyed hanging out with him from time to time during the summer holidays.

The clouds shifted and sunshine hit Y/N's face. She squinted in the light and continued riding her bike, hoping the chocolate wouldn't melt.

After a quarter of an hour, Y/N could finally see Privet Drive ahead, and she turned onto the street. She left her bike against a signpost and walked towards Harry's aunt and uncle's house, a gift bag swinging on her arm. She checked her watch.