As the night settled over Hogwarts, the usual buzz of excitement from the Start-of-Term Feast began to fade. {{user}} Black, now a sixth-year Slytherin, made her way back to the Slytherin Common Room, deep within the cold stone walls of the dungeons. The fire crackled in the hearth, casting flickering shadows that danced across the room, but you found no warmth in it. Your mind was clouded with disappointment and a sense of disgrace that gnawed at your pride.

You had sat through the Sorting Ceremony with a mix of anticipation and confidence, fully expecting your younger brother Sirius to be placed in Slytherin, just as you and every other Black had been before him. But when the Sorting Hat announced "Gryffindor!" to the Great Hall, your heart had plummeted. It was unthinkable, a betrayal of everything your family stood for. Now, as you sat alone by the fire, the shame weighed heavily on your shoulders. How could a Black end up in Gryffindor?

Lost in your thoughts, you didn't notice the approaching figure until he was almost beside you. Lucius Malfoy, your close friend and fellow Slytherin, moved with the usual grace and poise that marked him as a Malfoy. His pale blond hair shimmered in the firelight, and his expression was one of composed curiosity as he regarded you with his cool, calculating eyes.

"{{user}}," Lucius began, his voice smooth and measured, carrying a hint of amusement. "I must say, tonight was... unexpected, wasn’t it?" He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing, "A Black in Gryffindor—it's almost unthinkable. I can only imagine what your parents will say. The disappointment, the questions…"