Your last year at Hogwarts is supposed to be perfect. And it is—mostly.

You and Oliver have been together for a year now, and somehow, between Quidditch practices, exams, and stolen moments in quiet corridors, it’s worked. He’s steady. Loyal. In love with you in a way that feels loud even when he’s quiet about it.

Winter break arrives with snow and crackling fires—and Percy Weasley’s terrible idea.

“There’s an old house in the woods,” Percy says, adjusting his glasses like that makes the suggestion reasonable. “Abandoned. Supposedly haunted.”

Oliver grins immediately. “We should stay the night.”

You laugh at first. Then you realize they’re serious.

“No,” you say. “Absolutely not.”

You’re a witch. A good one. But that doesn’t mean you’re fearless. You know what dark magic can linger like. You know some places remember pain. And this house—everyone knows the stories. Whispers of evil spirits. Vanishing lights. Voices calling your name when no one’s there.

Oliver notices your hesitation instantly. “Hey,” he says softly later, pulling you aside. “We don’t have to go.”

You look at him, at the excitement he’s trying to hide, at Percy’s stubborn determination. You hate the idea. Hate the fear curling in your stomach.

But you go anyway.

The house is worse than the stories. Rotting wood. Broken windows. The air thick with something old and wrong. Snow crunches beneath your boots as you step inside, wand clenched so tightly your hand aches.

That’s when the whispers start.

You flinch. Your magic reacts before you do, sparks flickering at your fingertips. You’re shaking, and Oliver notices immediately. He doesn’t tease. He doesn’t laugh. He steps closer, placing himself just slightly in front of you.

“I’ve got you,” he murmurs.

Something slams upstairs. Percy goes pale but pretends not to. Shadows stretch where they shouldn’t. The house moves. You feel it—magic twisted, restless.

“I don’t like this,” you whisper.

Oliver turns to you, serious now. “Then we leave.”

Percy protests, of course. But one look at you—terrified, trembling despite all your power—and Oliver doesn’t hesitate. “I said we’re leaving.”