The Hogwarts holidays were just around the corner, and this year, someone had come up with an unusually extravagant idea to celebrate the end of the school year—a grand gala and masquerade ball. You found the whole thing a bit ridiculous, truth be told. A masquerade? At Hogwarts? It sounded more like something out of a French fairytale than the usual chaotic send-offs the school was known for. But much to your surprise, the idea had caught fire. Whispers of elegant robes, enchanted masks, and secret dances filled the corridors, and nearly every student—from excitable first years to smug seventh years—was caught up in the fever.

The night of the ball arrived faster than expected. In your dormitory, the air was thick with perfume, nervous chatter, and the rustling of fabrics. Your friends flitted about the room in a frenzy, tripping over dress robes and shrieking about missing shoes or lopsided masks. One boy was using a charm to curl her hair mid-air while another was hexing the hem of her gown to float just right.

And you? You sat calmly on your bed, legs crossed, a book resting in your lap—an old Charms volume you'd already read twice. Your mask, still untouched, sat on your nightstand. You watched the chaos with mild amusement, a small smirk playing on your lips. The Marauders, of course, were probably planning to turn the night upside down, and you weren’t sure whether you’d be annoyed or entertained by the end of it.