Trying | Hogwarts OC student

chapter 30

The days following his confrontation with Snape were a blur of frustration and simmering anger for Alistair. Detention after detention piled on, each one a stark reminder of his inability to control his emotions. Despite Snape's suggestion to visit Madam Pomfrey, Alistair couldn't bring himself to seek help. The idea of opening up to anyone about his struggles felt insurmountable.

Instead, he found himself slipping back into old habits, seeking solace in the familiar, albeit destructive, escape of substances. Late one evening, after another grueling detention, Alistair slipped away from the common room and made his way to a secluded spot near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the landscape.

With practiced ease, Alistair lit a joint and took a deep drag, feeling the tension in his body start to melt away almost instantly. The familiar haze settled over his mind, numbing the sharp edges of his thoughts and replacing them with a dull sense of detachment. He closed his eyes, letting the sensation wash over him, momentarily forgetting the turmoil of his life.

As he sat there, the memories of Lila and the constant pressure at Hogwarts were never far from his mind. He wondered what she was doing in America, if she was thinking of him as much as he was of her. The pain of her absence gnawed at him, exacerbated by the whispers and rumors that continued to circulate among his housemates. Every glance, every snide comment felt like a dagger to his already fragile psyche.

The Forbidden Forest loomed ominously behind him, a dark mass of tangled branches and hidden dangers. He could hear the distant calls of nocturnal creatures, a reminder of the perilous world that lay just beyond the castle's protective walls. For a moment, he toyed with the idea of venturing into the forest, of losing himself completely in its depths. But the rational part of his mind, dulled though it was, held him back.

As he took another deep drag, a sudden rustling in the bushes snapped him back to reality. His heart pounded in his chest as he quickly extinguished the joint and stood up, trying to peer through the darkness.

"Who's there?" he called out, his voice tinged with a mix of fear and annoyance.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, a familiar figure stepped into the moonlight. It was Fred and George Weasley.

"Relax, Montrose, it's just us," Fred said, holding up his hands in a placating gesture.

"What are you doing out here?" George added, his tone curious.

Alistair let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Needed some time alone," he muttered, though he knew they could smell the lingering scent of weed.

The twins exchanged a glance but didn't comment on it. Instead, Fred grinned. "Well, if you're looking for some fun, we've got a little project in the works that might interest you."

George nodded. "Yeah, something to take your mind off things. What do you say?"

Alistair hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Anything to distract him from the weight of his thoughts and the gnawing emptiness left by Lila's absence. "Alright. What do you have in mind?"

The twins' eyes gleamed with mischief as they led him back toward the castle, explaining their latest prank in hushed tones. They planned to charm the suits of armor in the Entrance Hall to sing the Hogwarts school song in a horrendously off-key manner at random intervals throughout the night. It was a harmless prank, but one that would undoubtedly cause chaos and confusion.

As they approached the castle, Alistair's thoughts briefly returned to Snape's stern words. But the haze of the weed and the thrill of the impending prank pushed those thoughts aside. For now, he would lose himself in the chaos and laughter, hoping to stave off the darkness that lurked at the edges of his mind.

The prank went off without a hitch, filling the halls with laughter and chaos. The suits of armor clanged and clattered, their metallic voices ringing out in a cacophony of mismatched notes. Students and teachers alike were drawn from their beds, their faces a mixture of confusion and amusement. For a brief moment, Alistair felt a sense of camaraderie and joy that had been missing from his life. The adrenaline rush and the shared laughter with the twins gave him a fleeting sense of normalcy.

But as the night wore on and the adrenaline faded, he found himself back in the same place, the same emptiness gnawing at his soul. The laughter of the prank echoed in his mind, but it did little to fill the void left by Lila's absence and the constant pressure he felt.

Later that night, as he lay in bed, the reality of his situation settled heavily on his chest. The temporary escape offered by the substances and the pranks was just that—temporary. The pain, the anger, the loneliness—they were all still there, waiting for him.

With a sigh, Alistair closed his eyes, hoping for a dreamless sleep that would grant him a few hours of peace. But deep down, he knew he couldn't keep running from his problems forever. One day, he would have to face them, but tonight was not that night. The shadows in his mind were relentless, and he felt himself slipping further into their grasp.

The next morning, the aftermath of the prank was evident. Students buzzed with excitement, recounting the previous night's events with glee. But Alistair felt none of their joy. The weight of his actions and the consequences they brought pressed down on him like a leaden blanket.

As he made his way to the Great Hall for breakfast, he felt the eyes of his housemates on him. The whispers started again, the rumors swirling around him like a suffocating fog. His temper flared, the anger bubbling just beneath the surface.

"Did you hear what Montrose did?"

"He's losing it, completely off the rails."

"I heard he was caught smoking by the Forbidden Forest."

Alistair's fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. The whispers were like knives, each one cutting deeper than the last. He felt a surge of anger rising within him, a desire to lash out, to make them stop.

Unable to contain his rage any longer, he slammed his fist down on the nearest table, causing a loud crash that silenced the room. "Enough!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the Great Hall. "If you have something to say, say it to my face!"

The hall fell silent, all eyes on Alistair. For a moment, no one moved, the shock of his outburst rendering them speechless. Then, slowly, the whispers resumed, quieter this time but still present.

Alistair stormed out of the hall, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. He knew he had to find a way to cope, to deal with the emotions that threatened to consume him.