Second Chance || Harry Potter x Reader

Midnight Encounter |˚₊✩‧₊

Harry's Pov
。ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈·ﾟ。

The return to Grimmauld Place was quiet. Arthur and I stepped through the front door, greeted only by the echoes of our own footsteps. The house was unusually still, an absence of the usual chatter and movement.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, glancing around the dimly lit hallway.

"Out on errands, I suppose," Arthur replied, hanging up his coat. "Molly mentioned something about supplies."

A faint clinking sound caught my attention, and I turned towards the source, realizing it was coming from the kitchen. "It sounds like someone's in the kitchen."

Arthur gave me a nod. "Why don't you go see who's home? I'll be in my room if you need anything."

I made my way towards the kitchen, pushing the door open to find Sirius leaning against the counter, a cup of tea in hand. He looked up, a grin spreading across his face. "Harry, back so soon? How did it go?"

"Cleared of all charges," I said, unable to keep the relief out of my voice.

Sirius's smile widened, and he pushed off the counter to clap me on the shoulder. "I knew you'd pull through. They'd have to be out of their minds to expel you."

"Where's everyone?" I asked, glancing around the empty kitchen.

"Out and about. Y/N's upstairs, working on some charm or another. She's been at it all day," Sirius explained. "Hermione went with the others to pick up some last-minute school supplies."

I nodded, feeling a mix of anticipation and nervousness at the mention of Y/N. "I might go check on her."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, a knowing look in his eyes, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he just nodded. "She's in her room. Probably could use a break."

I left the kitchen and made my way upstairs, heart beating a little faster with each step. When I reached the door to the room Y/N shared with Hermione, I hesitated for a moment before knocking lightly. It creaked open just enough to reveal Y/N sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by scattered parchment. She was intently practicing a wand movement, but her eyes brightened as she noticed me, and she quickly set her wand aside.

"Harry! You're back! How did it go?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine concern.

"Good news—I'm not expelled. I can still go back to Hogwarts. Dumbledore stepped in just in time, and...well, let's just say things could have turned out a lot worse." I replied, stepping into the room and closing the door behind me.

She smiled, a wave of relief washing over her face. "That's wonderful news! I was really worried when you left this morning."

I felt a warmth spread through me at her words, and I found myself smiling back. "Thanks, Y/N. It wasn't exactly easy, though. But enough about that—what are you working on?"

Y/n brightened at the change of topic and picked up her wand again. "I'm trying to master the Protean Charm. It's supposed to link objects together so that when one is changed, the others change to match. It's really complex, and I've been struggling to get it just right."

"That's impressive," I said, genuinely meaning it. "I've heard that's a really difficult charm. How's it going?"

She sighed, a small pout forming on her lips. "It's going...okay, I guess. The coins are supposed to change at the same time, but they keep going out of sync. I'm missing something, but I can't figure out what."

I watched as she demonstrated the charm on a set of enchanted coins, her brow furrowing in concentration. Despite the challenge, there was a determined glint in her eye that made me admire her even more.