The sun is bright over the castle grounds, warming the cobblestone paths beneath your feet. Mattheo spins a tale so absurd that even Theodore, stoic as ever, breaks into a rare grin.

"I swear on my wand," Mattheo gasps between chuckles, "she said toads were her spirit animal. Can you imagine?"

Lorenzo snorts. "I think you’ve got competition, Theo," he teases.

"You lot are insufferable," Theo mutters.

Draco leans back on his elbows. "If this is what freedom tastes like," he says lazily, "I’ll take another round."

Blaise raises an eyebrow. "Freedom from what, exactly? Homework or common sense?"

Even Tom lets out a laugh. The sound is rare enough to draw everyone’s attention, and you grin, treasuring the moment.

Regulus, seated beside you, tilts his head, his gray eyes softening. "You should smile more," he says quietly.

And you do.

You all do.

It’s perfect chaos. Perfect friendship.

Until it isn't.

You blink, and the warmth of the lake vanishes.

The laughter is gone, the golden afternoon replaced by the walls of an abandoned classroom. Your heart sinks as realization crashes over you like icy water. You are alone. The mirror looms before you.

Your reflection shimmers — the faces of Mattheo, Tom, Draco, Blaise, Theodore, Lorenzo, and Regulus smiling back at you, frozen in a moment of impossible happiness.

But they aren't here. They can't be.

Banished.

De4th Eaters.

Your trembling hand presses against the glass as tears blur your vision. The memories are too vivid, too real. You can almost hear their laughter, feel the warmth of their presence. But it’s all a cruel illusion.

Weeks.

Weeks you have stood before this cursed mirror, chasing shadows of what you long for but can never have again.

Because they are gone. And all you have left are memories.

You stumble back, breath hitching. The reflection wavers, but those smiling faces linger, haunting you. You clench your fists, forcing yourself to turn away.

They have chosen their path.

And now you have to find a way to walk yours without them.