The Last Cradle

Noah Marston, the last surviving heir of a once-proud pure-blood family, carries a legacy steeped in tragedy and defiance. Raised by her godfather, Severus Snape, after a devastating loss shattered her family, Noah's brilliance as a witch is overshadowed by her volatile nature and a dark proclivity for forbidden magic. Expelled from Adamson School for Witchery for casting the Unforgivable Curse Crucio on a fellow student, Noah's name has become infamous, forcing Snape to navigate the Ministry's scrutiny to keep her from being detained.

With no other wizarding institution willing to accept her, Noah transfers to Hogwarts as a third-year student-her last chance at redemption. But Hogwarts isn't just another school; it's the same hallowed ground her parents once tread, carrying the weight of their forbidden love and a haunting legacy. As Noah struggles to navigate her new life, she finds herself torn between embracing the darkness that seems to run in her blood and carving out her own path.

Under Snape's reluctant guidance and the wary gaze of her peers, Noah's journey is fraught with tension, secrets, and the looming shadow of her family's past. But Hogwarts has its own mysteries, and Noah's arrival may awaken more than just her personal demons. Will she rise above her infamy, or will the dark legacy of the Marston name consume her?

(Originally written on April 16, 2018)