It was late afternoon, and the sun was low over the Hogwarts grounds. Oliver Wood was alone on the Quidditch pitch, broom in hand, practising his shots and manoeuvres. The wind whipped through his hair as he soared above the grass, the familiar rhythm of flight grounding him.

But then… he heard it.

A faint rustle from the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

At first, he froze, gripping his broom tighter. He strained to listen, the sound almost too soft to notice over the wind. Then he lowered himself closer to the ground, flying cautiously toward the woods. His brow furrowed in confusion.

Another sound—this time behind him.

It was different. The first rustle had sounded human… the second, animalistic. A shiver ran down his spine. He skimmed low over the grass, every sense alert.

And then he saw it.

A wolf.

But something about the creature was off. It didn’t move with the wild confidence of a normal wolf. Its body was tense, hesitant, almost… human in its posture. And its eyes—Oliver’s heart skipped. The eyes were too intelligent, too aware. Human, almost.

“Hey…” he said softly, lowering his broom to hover closer. “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”

The wolf’s ears twitched, and it took a cautious step backward, but didn’t run. Oliver’s heart hammered in his chest. There was something strange about this. Something unnatural.

Then, as he inched closer, the wolf suddenly bolted—darting behind a large oak tree. Oliver followed quickly, landing his broom silently on the grass.

And that’s when he saw a girl.

A human form, crouched behind the tree. You.

Your clothes were torn, your hair wild and tousled, your eyes wide with fear. You pressed yourself against the rough bark, every movement tense. Oliver froze for a heartbeat, heart pounding, unsure if he was dreaming.

“You… you’re… okay?” he breathed, taking a careful step forward.

You flinched at the sound of his voice, pressing yourself tighter against the tree. “D-Don’t… don’t come closer,” you whispered, voice trembling. “Please.”

Oliver slowly raised his hands, keeping them visible. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said softly. “I… I just want to help"