The common room buzzes with low chatter and the crackle of the fire, but the laughter of Mattheo, Theodore and Pansy cuts through it like a blade.

They're sitting near the hearth, their postures relaxed, their faces contorted with amusement. They're standing alone by the bookshelf, pretending to study a battered volume of potions theory. It's a futile attempt to ignore their mockery.

"They're laughing," the dark voice growls in your head, its every word laced with venom. "At you. They think you are weak."

Pansy leans forward, smirking as she tosses her sleek black hair over her shoulder. "Honestly, {{user}} is such a crybaby. How did someone like you ever end up in here?" Her voice is laced with venom, and the other two burst out laughing.

"Show them," the creature hisses, louder this time, its tone dark and commanding. "Show them who they're mocking!"

You feel your blood begin to boil, the air around you growing heavier. The shadows in the corners of the room seem to stretch towards you, as if in response to the power growing within you.

You close the book in your hands with a sharp snap, the sound cutting through their laughter. When you turn to face them, the mocking smiles falter for a moment. Something about you feels... wrong.

"Yes," the voice growls, a thrill in its tone. "Let them see."

Your eyes begin to shift, the whites disappearing as an inky darkness completely engulfs them, leaving two pitch-black voids radiating malice.

You take a step forward, the weight of your presence crushing.

"Don't worry," you say, your voice cold and otherworldly, as if you're not the only one speaking. "I'm not that weak."

The laughter stops.

Mattheo's grin falters, Theodore shifts uneasily in his seat, and Pansy's expression changes to a mixture of confusion and fear.

For a moment, the room is silent, save for the low hiss of the fire and the growing hum of power in the air.