SABAISM | H. POTTER

TWELVE. | FIGURING IT OUT

Gemini found herself perched on Harry's back again, a familiar and oddly comforting position she'd come to enjoy since their earliest days at Hogwarts. The sunlit courtyard was alive with the sounds of laughter and distant birdsong, the air crisp and fragrant with the scent of wildflowers and freshly mown grass. All around them, students milled about, their black robes billowing in the gentle breeze, some tossing enchanted paper airplanes or huddling in small groups to gossip about the latest castle intrigue. Above, the sky was a brilliant blue, streaked with the occasional wisp of cloud, and the castle's ancient turrets gleamed golden in the afternoon light.

Just another day in their magical lives, Gemini thought, though she knew in her bones that nothing about today would be ordinary.

Harry's stride was steady and sure, his arms hooked beneath Gemini's knees as she rode piggyback, her chin resting lightly on his shoulder. She could feel the tension in his muscles, the way his jaw clenched every few steps, and she knew it wasn't just from the weight on his back. Harry was worried. She could sense it in the way his fingers flexed, in the furrow between his brows, in the way he kept glancing at the shadows beneath the arches as if expecting something—or someone—to leap out at them.

Hermione walked at their side, her arms wrapped around a stack of textbooks, her brow furrowed in concentration. Ron trailed behind, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, his face set in a perpetual scowl of confusion and mild annoyance.

"I've always heard that exams at Hogwarts are absolutely terrifying," Hermione mused, breaking the silence. Her voice was tinged with both anxiety and excitement, her eyes darting between her friends as if searching for reassurance. "But honestly, I'm starting to find the thought of them a bit exciting. Weren't you surprised that they didn't ask anything about Elfric the Eager?"

Gemini grinned, imagining Elfric's ridiculous hat and the way Professor Binns' ghostly voice always seemed to drone on about him in History of Magic. She was about to make a joke when Ron shook his head, clearly unimpressed.

"Speak for yourself," Ron grumbled, kicking a loose pebble across the flagstones. "You alright there, Harry?" His gaze shifted to Harry, who was rubbing his forehead with increasing frustration.

"My scar..." Harry muttered, his voice a mixture of fatigue and worry. "It keeps burning." He winced, pressing his fingers harder against the lightning-shaped scar that marred his skin.

Gemini could sense his unease, the way his whole body seemed to vibrate with tension. She leaned closer, her breath warm against his ear. "It's alright, Harry. It's happened before," she whispered, trying to soothe him with the gentle cadence of her voice.

"Not like this," Harry insisted, irritation creeping into his tone. His eyes were glassy, unfocused, as if he were seeing something far beyond the castle walls. "It's worse. It feels like... like something's about to happen."

Ron's worry deepened, his blue eyes wide with concern. "Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey," he suggested, his voice uncharacteristically gentle.

But Harry shook his head, ignoring Ron's advice. His eyes widened with urgency, and his grip on Gemini's legs tightened. "I think it's a warning. It means danger is coming!" His frustration boiled over, and he rubbed at his scar again, which now felt like a brand searing his skin.

Gemini's gaze swept the courtyard, searching for any sign of trouble. Her heart pounded in her chest, a steady drumbeat of anxiety. She'd always trusted her instincts, and right now, every fiber of her being was screaming that something was very, very wrong.

At that moment, she spotted Hagrid emerging from his hut at the edge of the grounds, his massive frame silhouetted against the sun. He was humming a tune, a battered flute in his hands, his beard bristling with twigs and crumbs from his latest snack. Gemini pointed excitedly, her eyes lighting up with hope.