Carina Gray is a sharp-witted, fiercely loyal Slytherin with a knack for mischief and a heart of gold she tries hard to keep hidden. Known for her bold sense of humor and unwavering courage, she isn't afraid to stand up for her friends, even if it m...
Carina sat at the Slytherin table, casually picking at her dinner while chatting with her friends. The Great Hall was buzzing with weekend energy, students laughing and chatting about their next Hogsmeade plans, but Carina was just enjoying a rare, peaceful evening with her usual group.
Theo and Lorenzo were arguing over the best way to cheat in Wizard's Chess, Pansy was showing Daphne a new charm she'd learned for hair styling, and Blaise was dramatically recounting how he'd nearly slipped on the stairs earlier and "gracefully recovered," though Mattheo was quick to dispute the "graceful" part.
Then, the Daily Prophet arrived.
Carina barely looked up as the owls swooped in, dropping papers across the tables, some accompanied by letters or packages from home. She didn't bother grabbing a copy until Pansy nudged her sharply in the ribs, holding out an open newspaper with wide eyes.
"Have you seen this?" Pansy whispered urgently.
Carina frowned, taking the paper and skimming the page. The first article that caught her eye was one about Hermione and Harry.
Harry Potter's Secret Love Affair! The Boy Who Lived, Enchanted By Brightest Witch of Her Age?
"Oh, for Merlin's sake," Carina muttered, rolling her eyes. "What a load of dragon dung."
She turned slightly and saw Viktor Krum a few seats down, also reading the article, his brow furrowed. She gave him a knowing look. "Don't believe a word of it, Krum. All nonsense."
Viktor grunted in response, not looking particularly amused.
"I mean, really," Carina continued, looking around at her friends. "As if Harry has time for some torrid love affair when he's barely keeping up with his homework, let alone not dying in this ridiculous tournament."
Daphne and Pansy both smirked, and Theo chuckled. "To be fair, if Harry did have a secret love affair, it'd be the most interesting thing about him."
Mattheo snickered but then pointed at the next page. "You should keep reading."
Carina, still unimpressed by the Prophet's dramatics, flipped the page—only for her stomach to drop.
Carina Black: Hogwarts' Dark Temptress?
Her eyes widened, scanning the article quickly, her grip tightening on the paper.
"Carina Black, Slytherin's rebellious golden girl, may not have entered the Triwizard Tournament herself, but sources claim she has been at the center of Hogwarts' biggest scandals. Most recently, rumors have surfaced regarding her scandalous rendezvous with a certain Durmstrang student. Students whisper that the two were caught in a rather compromising position in a broom closet late at night—an innocent third-year, overhearing the gossip, brought it to Daily Prophet reporter Rita Skeeter's attention. The young witness, who wishes to remain anonymous, expressed concern about how the affair could be distracting the promising Hogwarts champion from her duties in the Tournament.
