𝖂𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝕷𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝕭𝖊𝖓𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍

The corridors of Hogwarts had always been full of whispers about him. Short black hair falling into his storm-grey-and-green eyes, a tall, broad-shouldered figure in Slytherin robes, and tattoos curling like secrets along his neck and arms. He carried himself with the cold precision his House was famous for—sharp words, a perpetual smirk, and a talent for making enemies without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately for me, I was his favorite target. After our latest argument—loud enough to make even a passing ghost pause—Professor Dumbledore decided we needed to “learn to work together.” His solution? A joint mission. Professor Sprout required a rare plant from the Forbidden Forest, and we were to fetch it. Hagrid warned us about the dangers, Fang trotting alongside as if his wagging tail could reassure us. But the real challenge lay in the riddle Dumbledore gave us: I grow where others cannot breathe, deep beneath mirrors, by waves received. In the silent realm where voices sing, guarded by those in darkness cling. I do not glow, yet heal in need— what am I, and where do I lead? The clues led us to a lake deep within the forest, its surface black as ink beneath the moonlight. Without hesitation, he stepped into the water, ignoring my protest, and vanished beneath the surface before I could stop him. Then I saw it—a dark silhouette gliding under the water. The thought struck me like a curse: merfolk. Dangerous, territorial, and rumored to guard the very plant we sought. My pulse quickened. I scanned the surface for him, but seconds turned into agonizing minutes, and he didn’t reappear. Panic gripped me. No one at Hogwarts knew why water made my chest tighten, why my stomach knotted at the sight of a lake. No one knew that before I came here, my best friend in the Muggle world had drowned—and I had been too late to save her. But tonight, none of that mattered. Tonight, I had a choice. Stay on shore and let him drown… or step into the water to save him.