A Different Wizard (Harry Potter x Reader)

1

It was a fine evening. The rays of the setting sun highlighted Adele's face as she reread the old letters clutched in her hand. It was from Harry Potter, her childhood buddy who left for his schooling a few years before. The lengthy parchment with Harry's curved handwriting conveyed nothing but his return next week or the day after. It felt like the poor boy never wanted these letters to end. He always wrote to her even if he was to return the next day. However this time, he seems to have forgotten, to send her another letter describing how amazing his fourth year had been; or when he returns. She waited by her window every day, gazing up at the cloudless sky, hoping for a beautiful snowy owl to soar in her direction. But nothing arrived.
Adele unfolded all the letters from the past year and glanced at them unblinkingly as though Harry would pop out of them any minute and explain his absence.

'And then we'll be able to spend more time together.'

'Let's go to all the places we once called our anti-Dudley headquarters.'

'Wait for me in front of your house. Well, on second thought, no! What if I return at night? Then meet me by the windowsill. We can sign to each other, meet at Rolex the day after and go practice your flame works in the cottage.'

'I've got lots to tell you. Ron and Hermione also hope you're doing well. They would like to meet you. I wish you could come to fetch me or see me off next year. It would be amazing.'

'I can't wait to see you and how much you've changed. Well, not that you might've changed that much, I know you're still that matchstick. No body shaming, but you need to eat something.'

'I've got lots and lots to tell you, Adele. All the chaos of this year, and I shall see you soon...'

And so it went on. All these chit-chats came to a halt in his last letter telling how he barely escaped from the Hungarian horntail and got the golden egg. It was the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, to be heeded only by the chosen competitors who were of age. It was still uneasy how Harry, though underage, got selected for the game. He also wrote about the second task to be proclaimed soon. She doesn't know what happened afterwards, though she dreaded the most, whether he was alive or not. But that felt unrealistic. She shook that thought away as soon as it came. It was the last thing she hoped she had to worry about now.

Adele glanced around her room erratically to preoccupy herself. The windows which invariably stood open, were now closed and unwelcome. Outside, the darkness began to engulf every bit of the street, allowing the footpath to reveal itself only in the flickering golden lights. Adele's room looked as if it was raided, with stacks of paper here and there, pillows tossed onto the floor and the fan moving about lazily over her. Eventually, her eyes landed on the crumbled pieces ditched in the corner before her lips curled down into a frown. She let herself fall back onto the pillows on her bed before closing her eyes.

A flashback of the past

The icy wind pierced through the huddled trees, shadowed by huge clouds from above, making the forbidden forest even more treacherous. Two dark figures emerged out of the blue, holding onto each other as they cautiously forced themselves forward; their hushed voices adding more eeriness to the scene. The forest fell silent, as though every branch were listening and did not want to miss a thing. Even the faintest rustling of leaves made them leap over and tackle whoever stood before them. The taller among them seemed to be walking unnaturally upright, clopping occasionally on large rocks set upon the forest floor.

"Traitors!" Cried the trees. But it wasn't the trees, as almost a hundred pairs of hostile eyes shot at them across the forest. The centaurs.

"Wheelock!" Thrashed the trees again. "Round up mates, don't let them get away."