Y/N arrives at Hogwarts with quiet hopes and hidden questions, known only as the shy best friend of Lilly Luna Potter. But from her very first weeks at school, she begins to sense that something is different-off. Strange whispers call her name. Visi...
The train to Hogwarts rumbled through the countryside, but the atmosphere inside was anything but comforting. Conversations were hushed, and even the ever-lively trolley witch seemed subdued. Rumors about the blood moon eclipse had spread like wildfire. Magic had misfired. Something ancient had stirred. Everyone felt it.
Y/N sat beside Albus in their compartment, watching raindrops race along the windowpane. The storm outside mirrored the unease within her.
Scorpius hadn't joined them. He'd traveled alone.
He had barely said goodbye after the autumn break ended-his face unreadable, his shoulders heavy. Rose hadn't spoken a word either, her glare cold enough to freeze the Hogwarts lake. Y/N later learned from Hugo that the two had ended things-loudly.
But what bothered her more was something else: the whispers and rumors.
These came from people she'd barely spoken to. That they still were a thing. Y/N had felt her blood run cold when she realized where the rumors were coming from.
Albus.
He hadn't said anything outright. He didn't need to. A smirk here. A well-timed pause there. And suddenly, the castle walls were buzzing with scandalous fabrications.
It hurt. More than she expected it to.
When she confronted him, he brushed it off.
"I'm just teasing." he said lightly. "People talk, Y/N. That's Hogwarts. Besides... it's not like he can't handle it."
Her jaw had tightened. She didn't know what to say.
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- The First Day Back -
The tension at Hogwarts was a living thing. Heavy. Watching.
Professors were unusually strict. Head pupils patrolled the halls like Aurors in training. Even portraits kept whispering warnings.
Y/N heard from Neville that some former students had returned to help maintain order. But not everyone saw it as protection.
Some felt trapped.
Among them... was Lily.
At first, Y/N had thought her friend was just shaken by the strange events. But by the second day, Lily started acting differently-colder. Restless. Distracted.
One evening, in the common room, Lily sat next to Y/N, her eyes gleaming with a spark that didn't feel like her.
"Guess what," she whispered. "There's a party tonight. Real one. Not one of those tame prefect-approved things."
Y/N blinked. "A party? Now?"
Lily nodded, her voice low. "It's... kind of secret. Invitation-only. I wasn't sure if I'd go, but... I think I want to." Y/N narrowed her eyes. "Why? You're not exactly... into that stuff." Lily shrugged, avoiding her gaze. "Things change."
