You’re in the library again, your fingers gliding across the old spines of books as you pass along the shelves.

You were supposed to prepare for your next Potions exams, but your thoughts keep drifting away.

To the Great Lake.

To the incident.

To Lando.

You can still see him clearly, how he fell into the Great Lake that night.

A mistake, a single second of carelessness.

He didn’t stand a chance when the Sirens appeared, their cold hands reaching for him.

You remember how you instinctively placed yourself between him and the Sirens, how your tail shimmered in the water as you pulled him to safety.

You did something you weren’t supposed to do.

You spoke to the sirens.

Your eyes shift to the side and there he is.

Lando.

Right in the middle of the library. Your heart skips a beat.

He’s never here. Books mean about as much to him as rules do to Harry.

But there he is, hunched over a book, deep frown lines creasing his forehead.

Carefully, you sneak closer and glance over his shoulder.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MERMAID AND SIREN

You swallow hard, your throat suddenly dry.

A hot shiver runs down your spine. You should leave, walk away, pretend you never saw this.

“What are you doing here?” You ask.

He jumps so violently that the shelf beside him nearly rattles apart.

“Bloody hell! {{user}}!” He blurts, spinning around to face you.

His eyes gleam, part excitement, part relief.

“You’ll never believe this!” The words tumble out of him, unrestrained. “But the thing that saved me…it wasn’t a Siren. No way.”

You raise an eyebrow, trying to stay cool, though your heart pounds in your chest. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah! Listen.” He flips frantically through the book, showing you illustrations you know by heart.

“Sirens…they’ve got these claw..hands, they drag you under, they are not allowed to leave the deep parts of the sea…and they are manipulative..they singing. But they don’t help anyone. Their tails are dark green, almost murky. But before I passed out, I saw it...what I saw was…different.” His voice softens, almost reverent.

“Her hands were normal. Warm. She pulled me up. And her tail…it shimmered in colors. Blue, gold, purple. No siren looks like that.”

You force a grin, even as your chest tightens. “Maybe you just didn’t had enough oxygen in your head. You know, near death experiences can make people hallucinate.”

“I wasn’t hallucinating!” He snaps back instantly, almost offended.

“It was real. Madam Pomfrey said, I didn't even had water in my lungs. Listen..According to ancient folklore a kiss from a mermaid gives the ability to breath underwater."

You swallow again and shrug. “Even if it was…mermaids haven’t been seen for ages. Some say they’re extinct. You do sound a little silly.”

He leans back, crossing his arms, pinning you with a look that cuts deeper than you’d like. “We’re at Hogwarts. Nothing here is normal.”

The words hit you like a blow and yet you can’t help but laugh. “Fair point.”

Silence falls, thick and heavy, until he leans closer.

“I want to go back to the Great Lake. I need to find out what it was. Come with me.” His voice drops low, almost conspiratorial.

Your breath catches.

He has no idea what he’s asking of you.

No idea that a single touch of the water would betray you. That you’re not just his best friend, but the creature he’s so desperate to uncover.

“Back to the Great Lake?” You repeat, stalling for time.

He nods eagerly, a crooked grin spreading across his face. "Exactly there.”

Your fingers dig into the fabric of your Robe.

Your secret is teetering on the edge of discovery.

One wrong step...and he’ll know everything.