Alina Nightshade doesn't think much about James Potter. Only that he seems rather keen on being annoying.
James Potter thinks Alina Nightshade is a mystery all wrapped up in a very pretty girl. And he is keen on trying to be her friend.
James Potte...
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Alina caps the cold potion bottle in her hands. The Wolfsbane Potion is ready.
The full moon is that night, and thankfully, the potion has been brewed just in time.
Rising from the bathroom floor, Alina clutches the bottle tightly, stepping over the cooling, empty cauldron. She needs to move quickly—breakfast is starting, and she has to get the potion to Remus before he disappears to the dorms for the day.
Grabbing her bag from the bed, she slings it over her shoulder, her fingers never loosening their grip on the fragile glass in her hand. She crosses the room and cracks open the dormitory door, peering out cautiously.
The common room isn't empty, but it isn't crowded either—a few students linger near the fire, chatting in low voices. Alina slips out, shutting the portrait quietly behind her, hoping to go unnoticed.
And then she sees them.
A group near the corner of the Slytherin common room, clustered like shadows in the dim light. Snape is there, along with Regulus, Barty, and Evan—all of them blank-faced, silent.
For a moment, Alina freezes mid-step. Barty's cold eyes flick to hers, his expression void of anything warm or familiar. That mask he wears—the detached, emotionless one—is firmly in place.
Alina's chest tightens. Her mind flashes with haunting clarity:
Barty on the floor of a cell, his arm branded with the Dark Mark.
Regulus, pulled beneath the black waters of a cavern, the weight of something dark dragging him down.
Both of them swallowed by the darkness.
No.
Her jaw tightens as a surge of resolve washes over her. She doesn't care if they hate her for it—she'll find a way to save them. She'll wipe their memories, hide them in a Muggle town, anything to keep them from that future.
She'll cheat death if she has to.
But now isn't the time. Not with the others there. They'll never listen while surrounded by Snape and the others.
Maybe if they're alone... Maybe...
The chill of the dungeons claws at her skin, snapping her back to reality. Her fingers have tightened so hard around the potion bottle that her knuckles are white. She forces herself to loosen her grip, exhaling shakily.
The bottle will shatter if she isn't careful.
The Slytherin girl forces her feet to move, the echo of her footsteps bouncing off the cold dungeon walls. She ascends the staircase to the first floor, heading for the Great Hall.
Her mind drifts, avoiding thoughts of the full moon, the Wolfsbane Potion in her hand, and the daunting reality of the day ahead.
Dark forces are rising. Even without reading the papers, Alina can't ignore the truth. The attacks are everywhere—lives taken, homes desecrated—all by those who wield power as a weapon against the powerless.
