13 parts Ongoing MatureThe whispers grew louder, the tension in the air thicker than a pea soup fog in Diagon Alley. There were rumors of the Dark Lord's return, whispers of his followers gaining power, and I knew it was only a matter of time before the truth was unveiled. Still, I kept myself unseen, masquerading as a chameleon mimicking a snake in Slytherin.
I couldn't be a normal teenager, not when I had this hidden behind me. I couldn't confide in my friends, couldn't share in their laughter without the fear that my true nature would slip through the cracks. Every giggle, every whispered secret felt like a betrayal of the trust my parents had placed in me. The castle's stones seemed to whisper of the battles to come, of the lives that would be lost and the choices I would have to make.
People had died because of the lie they believed, because they didn't know the truth. The Dark Lord had taken so much from the world, and now he was poised to take everything. The fear that I might be the reason for even more loss was a heavy burden to carry. I knew that if the truth got out, the whispers would turn to screams, the glances of curiosity to stares of horror. But now it was a noose around my neck, threatening to tighten with every step I took.