The Hobgoblins (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Chilling Cacophony

A summer chill hung over the lake; the waters tinged gold as the morning sun rose, the rays of light slowly bathing the ancient castle as the students within stirred. A lone student jogged beside the lake, enjoying the morning interval before the school erupted in a cacophony of students heading to breakfast in the Great Hall.

A hand reached up to brush aside locks of curly black hair from silver-gray eyes as the young wizard let out a deep sigh as moisture from the morning mist that reddened his cheeks and ears started to melt away under the morning sun. His eyes focused on the appearance of a few students flying high in the sky on their brooms to make the usual morning loop of the school before breakfast.

Regulus scooped his bag up from the shoreline and started the path towards Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his muscles aching from the morning exercise while his mind felt refreshed for the after-breakfast lessons. Thin fingers reached up, tugging nervously at the collar of his robes, the green indicating he belonged to Slytherin. Soon, he arrived at the castle, still not running into other students.

His pace slowed upon catching sight of a group of students exiting the Ravenclaw tower, their collars touched by the characteristic blue of Ravenclaw. Regulus' jaw dropped, taken slightly aback at the candid way the young man draped his arms across the shoulders of the two girls unabashedly.

"What are you looking at?" The young wizard brushed a lock of black hair away from skin touched with tones of gold as his blue eyes glared at Regulus for intruding on whatever was going on between the three.

"Nothing," Regulus said, quickening his pace to escape the awkward situation, swallowing as he did so, almost glancing back to answer his question, "Isn't he in my year as well?"

As such, he didn't notice a fellow Slytherin leaving the grand staircase until he bumped into them, their hands roughly grabbing his shoulders and pushing him away. "Black."

Regulus looked up at the sound of irritation, swallowing. "Snape?" The older youth let go, heading to the Great Hall, while Regulus stopped in his tracks, frowning. "Severus Snape seems to be in a fowler mood than usual, but why?"

"If you just stand there," another said as they passed, "You'll be late for breakfast."

Regulus' silver-gray eyes blinked, taking in the sight of a Hufflepuff hurrying past him to the Great Hall from his year.

Regulus shook his head, heading towards the Great Hall himself. When he arrived, he sat at the Slytherin table next to his dorm mate and cousin-by-marriage Evan Rosier, who didn't look up when Regulus sat down, focused as he was on eating and catching up on some last-minute studying.

Pulling his school bag into his lap, Regulus opened his mouth to say something when someone wrapped their arms around his and Evan's shoulders, quietly slipping between the two as Evan let out a sound of annoyance at the sudden intrusion upon their personal space. "Shouldn't you be at your table, Barty?"

"You're no fun! Tell him, Reggie!"

Regulus turned his head, taken aback by his fourth cousin's boisterousness, his entire body tense from the unexpected touch while Evan's mouth pressed together, his eyes glued to his book.

"He's right, you know," someone other than Evan said.

Regulus glanced up to see a young man with vivid red hair and a scattering of freckles across his cheeks. "Another cousin-by-marriage—a Prewett."

Barty let out a sound of irritation. "Go away, Prewitt."

Regulus tensed even more, a hand reaching up to move aside his fourth cousin's arm as his eyes drifted down. "Great. Barty and Addy are going to get into it this morning."