Which Witch; REMUS LUPIN

CHAPTER TWO: Babbling Beverage

WHICH WITCH
Chapter Two

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The atmosphere at Hogwarts felt unmistakably altered this year. Valeria, ever perceptive and aware, wasn't oblivious to the fact that the student body had noticeably thinned. The absence of many students, particularly those from Muggle-born or half-blood backgrounds, was all too apparent. The reasons were starkly clear—fear for their lives, and for some, death. The notion was chilling: students her own age, now gone. Just like that.

As Valeria sat at the Slytherin table, she absentmindedly pushed her breakfast around her plate. Her thoughts were far from the mundane act of eating. The clinking of silverware and the hum of conversation felt distant, overshadowed by the gravity of the situation.

"Val." Lucinda's voice cut through her reverie, accompanied by the snap of fingers in front of her face.

Valeria blinked, momentarily disoriented. "Sorry, what?"

Lucinda's gaze was pointedly focused on the last pancake on Valeria's plate. "I asked if you're going to eat your last pancake or if I can have it."

Valeria gave a distracted nod, pushing the plate toward Lucinda. She was still mulling over the recent events when Hestia's voice brought her back to the present.

"You okay?" Hestia's concern was evident in her frown.

"Yeah, yeah," Valeria replied, forcing a semblance of normalcy. "Just tired. Prefect duty last night was a nightmare. Rosier was relentless about finding someone to get in trouble before our shift was over."

Aurelia scoffed in disdain, her eyes rolling as she spoke. "He's such a dick."

Cordelia leaned in, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. "Yeah, but he's hot though."

Valeria shook her head vehemently, her expression one of clear distaste. "He's a toad," she declared firmly.

The girls heard a cacophony of yelling coming from the Gryffindor table, and Hestia's eyes narrowed in irritation. "God, I hate Gryffindors. Especially the loud ones."

Cordelia glanced over with a smirk. "It's Potter and his gang," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice. Valeria nodded in agreement, then stood up with a decisive movement. "Cinda, Hest, we'd better head out. We've got Potions with Slughorn on the other side of the castle."

Lucinda groaned, her fork halfway to her mouth. "But I'm not finished with my pancake."

"You've had four already," Hestia said matter-of-factly. Lucinda gasped dramatically, as if struck by a bolt of lightning. "Lies!"

The other girls snickered, and Lucinda, still protesting, reluctantly stood up. "Never comment on how much a girl has eaten. I've only had two."

Hestia raised an eyebrow. "We all got given three, Cinda. And you ate my last one."

"'Twas the elves. They ate them."

Valeria huffed, rolling her eyes as they started walking. "I'm sure they did."

As the girls walked into the Potions classroom, Professor Slughorn greeted them with a warm wave from behind his cluttered desk. The room was filled with the familiar scent of herbs and chemicals, and the flickering light of the cauldrons added a soft glow to the otherwise dim space. Slughorn made his way to his own cauldron, which was already bubbling gently.