The dimly lit corridors of the castle whispered secrets long kept hidden, the flickering torches casting jagged shadows against the stone walls.

Mattheo leaned casually against a pillar at the edge of the corridor, his dark eyes alight with curiosity. His usual smirk played on his lips as he strode toward you. "Well, well, look who's gracing us with her mysterious charm today," he teased.

Draco, standing nearby with Theodore and Blaise, nudged Theo with his elbow. "Told you she’d have that look. The ‘I’m about to conquer the world’ aura suits her, doesn’t it?"

Theo smirked faintly, his quiet eyes tracking your every move. Lorenzo gave a slight nod of approva. Regulus tilted his head, his gray eyes narrowing as if trying to decipher a puzzle.

“Gentlemen,” you said smoothly. "Enjoying yourselves, I see?"

“More now that you’re here,” Blaise said smoothly.

But then it happened—just as you turned a corner, your path intersected with hers. Delphini. Her expression shifted from curiosity to alarm, and then something else entirely—recognition.

"You," Delphini hissed, stepping closer. "You’re her, aren’t you? The daughter of GrndeIwaId."

Your smile didn’t falter, but your eyes gleamed with something darker. “Perceptive of you,” you said coolly, tilting your head slightly. “But I suggest you tread carefully, Delphini. You wouldn’t want to make an enemy of me.”

Delphini’s wand was in her hand now. Her posture was tense, her every instinct screaming at her to act. “I don’t need to make an enemy. You already are one. The Dark Arts, your power—it’s dangerous.”

Your smile widened, and the air seemed to grow heavier, colder. “Dangerous?” you echoed, stepping closer. “Perhaps. But only to those who don’t know how to wield it.”

The boys stood frozen, caught between intervening and watching this clash unfold. Delphini’s eyes flicked to the others, as if searching for support, but it was clear—they were as captivated as they were conflicted.

“I’ll be watching you,” Delphini said. “You may have them fooled, but not me.”