devilish; lorenzo berkshire

𝐼𝐼𝐼

While the effects of summer are still lingering thick in the air, the student body is finally back in the swing of things. Even if this exact school is new to you, you're no stranger to the post-holiday anger; everything school related pisses you off to the point of tears, right now.

Your steps ring out through the still sun-warmed halls, shoes clicking on the floor, but the air is cold, and you are forced to wrap your robes tighter around yourself. Your hand bared to the air is holding tightly onto the small package in your hand, and you curse all of the seasons silently when you finally make it to the owlery.

"Cassius!" You call, casting a gaze past the open stairs leading up to this space, and take in the slowly yellowing trees all around Hogwarts. October is fast approaching.

Your owl lands on the ledge next to you, a small hoot of greeting cut off with a hoot of surprise as he lifts his claws away from the cold stone. How such a small bird can have so much sass, you do not know.

"There you are." You say, and carefully tie the package to his leg, taking care to not make it too tight. "Take this to mum, yes? And see if you can get some of her homemade lemon cake back."

Cassius twists his head to look behind him, and then finally looks back at you before bursting into flight, wings spread majestically.

You follow his dark form with your gaze, and at last, turn around, a yawn splitting your lips. You woke up early to send the package, and now you have to deal with the consequences.

All in all, Hogwarts is going alright. You've been achieving a decent grade in all of your classes, and you know that it's purely because you haven't put in the proper work yet to excel. All you need is to study a little each month, and you will be perfectly fine. Hopefully.

Classes are starting to get more and more interesting, and you still have some work to catch up on from other years; while you do know more spells than the rest of your classmates, there are some spells that are considered standard here that you have never even heard before.

The teachers like you, because you've been mostly quite and obedient in classes, and homework assignments are still easy to keep on top of, since you're actively completing them.

It all seems great.

You're still deep in thought, when suddenly there's a loud clank coming from your left. Your head snaps up, and you peer down the corridor that is yet to be lit, the shadows betraying the absence of windows.

"Triae propriae retributionis. Sanguis effundet, et ego resurgam..."

The whisper is dark, light, but the voice is obviously feminine. It's too sweet, the harmonies of the voice, and yet the words that are spoken in latin seem cruel beyond measure. The tone is morbid, carrying a kindness found in cruelty.

Goosebumps run up the back of your arms, and you shiver, only to hear another, deeper voice join the first.

"What are you doing? If Gulo finds you, he'll have your guts served for the next meeting."

There's a brief scuffle, and the first, the girl, sighs loudly.

"It's fine. He doesn't know what's happening, he's too busy being spiritual or something. Plus, it's just some harmless fun. I want to pass my next test."