Hogwarts Legacy: The Price of Power

The Birthday

The second day of November arrived with the first true chill of the year, the grassy fields and verges surrounding Hogwarts glittering with a carpet of frost under a dark, clear sky, as though the land was a mirror for the glimmering stars above. Though most of the castle was abed at this early hour, a pair of ne'er-do-wells crept towards the Slytherin seventh-year girl's dorm.

"Shh, quietly now."

"Shush yourself, Sallow! You've got heavier footsteps than a Graphorn."

The door creaked open.

"Mind that dresser! Which bed's hers? I don't want to get Imelda by mistake."

"Oh, really? You got over her quickly."

"Shut up. I think this one's hers, that's her cloak."

Dracaena stirred, opening her eyes. Beyond the hangings of her four-poster, the dorm was dark. What had woken her? Surely it wasn't time to get up yet.

She heard a light scuffle beyond the hangings, and settled back down to her pillows. Probably just Imelda getting up at horrible-o'clock again to get in an extra few hours of flying...

The lights snapped on, and her curtains were wrenched back. Dracaena bolted upright with a yelp as both Sebastian and Ominis leapt onto her bed, throwing their arms around her.

"Happy birthday!" they chorused.

"What the hell-?" She floundered a little, tangled in the bedsheets as she struggled to sit up properly, the weight of them both pressing her back to the mattress. She yanked the covers up to her throat, causing Sebastian to tumble right off the bed. He popped up again with a grin as Ominis sat cross legged on the quilt, smiling at her.

"What on earth is going on?" Imelda pulled her own hangings apart and glared at them. "It's barely even six in the morning!"

"Blame Miss Early-Bird," Sebastian said with a laugh, climbing back onto Dracaena's bed and ruffling her tangled hair. "If she just slept in once or twice..."

"I do!" Dracaena protested, shaking her head with a small smile. "Honestly, you two, what are you like?"

"Oh, don't make me answer that," Ominis said, as Imelda wrenched her hangings closed again with a huff. He reached into his robes and pulled out a small parcel. "Happy birthday, Dracaena. Eighteen at last!"

"Urgh, don't remind me," she chuckled, taking it. "Thanks, Ominis."

"Here," Sebastian passed her another, larger parcel. "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will," she replied, managing to sit upright at last. "I hope you didn't spend too much on me."

She opened Sebastian's gift first, her smile broadening as a beautiful, emerald scarf slid into her hands. She tilted it to and fro, holding it up to the light. It seemed almost iridescent, with shades of forest and jade woven into the silk. When she tilted it just so, it glimmered with a shimmering sheen of gold.

"It's beautiful," she said, leaning over and brushing a kiss against his cheek. He grinned, a little dopily.

"I thought it'd match your eyes," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I enchanted it myself, it'll protect you against some minor spells. For the most part. I think."

"I love it," she said, squeezing his hand and wrapping the scarf around her neck. She picked up Ominis' smaller parcel, undoing she slim, black bow and smoothing out the paper. Inside was a delicate, silver bracelet, comprising of a short, slim chain and a solid silver sheet, about half an inch wide. On this were several raised dots.