The Untold Reborn

Chapter-19 : A Web of Family, Fear and Friends

Aurelia groggily rubbed her eyes as she joined the other Slytherins streaming into the common room, confused by the sudden, abrupt wake-up call. Snape was standing by the entrance, his face stern and unreadable as he motioned them to move quickly.

"Everyone to the Great Hall. Now," he ordered in his deep, cold voice. No explanations followed, and the students, still half-asleep, stumbled down the dungeon corridors. Whispers buzzed around them, most of the younger students too drowsy to ask questions.

Aurelia tightened her grip on her wand, an uneasy feeling settling in her chest. Something was wrong.

When they arrived at the Great Hall, the tables had been removed, and Dumbledore stood at the front of the room, directing staff to conjure dozens—no, hundreds—of purple sleeping bags. The sight of them only made her feel more unsettled.

"This is a safety measure," Dumbledore's voice echoed in the hall, calm yet serious. "There will be a thorough search of the castle tonight. Remain here until instructed otherwise."

The Slytherins, along with students from the other Houses, began settling down on the floor, many looking confused or scared. Aurelia caught sight of Harry and his friends across the hall, but they were quickly lost in the crowd.

Later, as the room fell into an uneasy quiet, she overheard murmurs from students nearby—whispers of a break-in, and the name that made her blood run cold: Sirius Black.

It didn't take long before the rumor reached Aurelia. Her chest tightened as she learned what had happened. Sirius Black had broken into the Gryffindor Tower. Her first thought was of Harry.

"Are you alright?" Elise Burke, a fellow Slytherin, asked, noticing her pale expression.

"I'm fine," Aurelia said quietly, though her mind was racing. What if Black had gone after Harry? Her brother and her weren't just a target of the Dark Lord, but now of a crazy man who used to be in the Wizard prison, or so everyone believed.

Later, when the Slytherins gathered in a corner to talk, Aurelia found herself sitting with Elise Burke, Nora Prince, Piper Flint, Thorne Yaxley, and Cameron Selwyn. All of them looked uneasy, and their conversation quickly turned to how Black could have possibly entered the castle despite the Dementors stationed around it.

"There's no way he could have gotten in without help," Thorne said in a low voice, glancing around the group. "Someone must've let him in."

"Or maybe he used Dark magic we don't know about," Nora added, folding her arms. "He was a close follower of the Dark Lord. He could have learned things that—"

"Maybe he Apparated into the castle," Aurelia suggested, her brow furrowed as she tried to think of all the possibilities. "Though Dumbledore said it's impossible to Apparate on Hogwarts grounds, there could be ways around that."

"You can't Apparate into Hogwarts," Nora cut in, her tone dismissive. "Everyone knows that."

"Yes, but what if—" Aurelia began, only to be interrupted by the arrival of another figure.

"Talking about Black, are we?"

The group looked up to see Jasper Ignifer, a fourth-year Slytherin, standing nearby. He had a lazy smirk on his face, his black hair falling into his eyes as he casually slid into their circle. Aurelia immediately felt a strange prickle of recognition, her curiosity piqued as soon as she remembered his last name—Ignifer.

The same name she had been called on numerous occasions. 

Jasper glanced around at them, his gaze lingering on Aurelia for a moment longer than the others. "What's all this about Apparating into Hogwarts? Not possible, no matter how powerful Black might be."