Callidora Nott has always known exactly what is expected of her.
As the daughter of one of Britain's oldest pure-blood families, her future has already been carefully planned; alliances, power, and a life shaped by tradition she never chose. At home...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Thestrals Like Meat
March came quietly after the second task.
Drier.
But the wind was relentless.
It howled through the castle corridors, rattled the windows, bent the trees in the grounds until they groaned. Owl post had been delayed for days, feathers scattered somewhere across the sky.
Most students had gone to Hogsmeade.
Calli hadn't.
She had asked Fred to stay with her.
They walked through the forest, the wind weaving through the branches above them, carrying that sharp, biting cold that clung to your skin.
For a while neither of them spoke.
Calli's hands were tucked into the sleeves of her jumper, her steps slower than usual.
Fred noticed.
But waited for her to speak her mind.
Calli exhaled.
"You do know my mum is dead." She said.
It came out wrong.
Too blunt.
She winced slightly.
Fred looked at her, a little taken aback.
"I know, Calli."
She shook her head slightly, searching for the words.
The wind picked up, rustling the trees harder now.
Calli stared ahead.
"My mum..." She started again, quieter. "She wasn't like my father."
Fred stayed silent.
"She was kind." Calli continued. "Not weak. Just different. She used to sneak me things. Books. Sweets. Once she let me stay up all night because I said I didn't like the dark."
A faint, distant smile flickered.
"She would say things like it was your actions that defined who you are, not your House or your name."
Gone just as quickly.
"Summer. '85."
Her voice shifted.
Flattened.
"We were with her. Me and Theo."
Fred's chest tightened.
Calli swallowed.
"She just dropped."
The words felt too small.
Too clean.
For something that wasn't.
"It wasn't quick." She added, quieter now. "There was so much blood."
