(Hogwarts AU.)

Another year at Hogwarts was beginning, and you sat in your usual seat inside the train compartment, surrounded by your friends. The chatter around you slowly blended into background noise as boredom crept in; there wasn’t much to do except stare out the window and watch the scenery blur by.

When the train finally screeched to a stop, everyone filed out in their standard robes, the air buzzing with excitement. You joined the stream of students making their way to the boats, their lanterns swaying gently as they drifted across the lake toward the silhouette of Hogwarts Castle glowing in the distance.

Inside the castle, the Great Hall brimmed with warmth and candlelight. Students gathered for the Sorting Hat Ceremony and the traditional Welcome Feast hosted by Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. Taking your place at your House table, you chatted with your housemates—until your gaze drifted across the hall and landed on a young man seated opposite you.

He sat quietly, watching the new First Years get sorted with a neutral, almost unreadable expression… until his eyes suddenly met yours. And in that brief moment, the entire hall seemed to fade into silence.