The chaos of the fight erupts in the courtyard, shouts echoing against the stone walls as Mattheo throws a punch that lands squarely on the jaw of one of his rivals. Moments later, the boy from the opposing house reaches for his wand.

As he shouts the the unforgivable words, the glow illuminates the fear and rage in Mattheo’s face.

But before it can reach him, a figure steps in front of him—Theo, everything happening in an instant.

Mattheo stares, frozen in shock, his mind struggling to comprehend what’s just happened. “Theo?” he whispers, his voice cracking.

Theo doesn’t move.

“No,” Mattheo breathes, his chest tightening as panic floods his veins. “No, no, no!”

He falls to his knees beside Theo, his hands trembling as he reaches out to touch him. Tears spill down his face uncontrollably, blurring his vision. “Theo!” he screams. “Wake up! Please!”

“NO!” Mattheo’s scream echoes through the courtyard, a gut-wrenching sound that seems to shake the very ground beneath him. His tears fall onto Theo’s shirt as he clutches him, rocking back and forth as if sheer willpower could bring him back.