Hyacinth's Pov
The days leading up to our return to Hogwarts were uneventful and honestly it was exactly what we needed. But once we started our return trip back to the castle it felt different than before.
Maybe it was because the snow had already started to melt turning the ground into sheets of grey ice, or maybe it was because the air inside the train felt thicker somehow. I couldn't exactly tell what was different, it just was. The other students didn't seem to notice much, however they chattered about exams Hogsmeade trips and whether Professor Sprout was really going to test us on pruning in the snow.
But for me, Hermione, Neville, and even Draco, it wasn't just about exams anymore. I found myself watching the castle windows gleamed in the sunset and thinking, what do we take with us when we leave? Hogwarts wasn't just a school anymore, it was a storehouse, and a part of me couldn't help cataloging what could make the journey with us to Atlantis.
The week after we returned, Neville practically dragged me to Greenhouse Three. "Before term ends we need cuttings," he said with his arms already full of pots "Foxglove, dittany, moonwart, valerian... it'll be criminal if we leave them behind."
I followed behind him laughing with a cup of cocoa still in my hand from breakfast as I said. "You say that like we're plotting a heist."
"We are," he shot back with a deadly serious look on his face. "A plant heist."
When we made it inside the greenhouse the heat instantly hit me in the face and the earthy smell clung to my jumper. Neville started fussing over trays like a mother hen, while I went hunting for the healthier seedlings and snipped them into enchanted pots we'd lined with stasis runes.
"What are you two doing?" Draco's voice drifted over from the doorway. His tone as sharp as ever.
Neville jumped so badly he nearly dropped a tray of valerian. I smirked when I said, "Breaking school rules. You want in?"
Draco rolled his eyes as he stepped inside. "I'm only here to make sure you two don't poison yourselves." He said but he still bent down and inspected a patch of moonwort though while muttering "My father says this stuff sells for five galleons a pinch."
"Congratulations," I said. "You're officially an accessory."
He ignored me but kept helping with the cuttings anyway. Typical I thought.
For a while it was almost... normal. We were just three students in a greenhouse with dirt under our nails and sunlight filtering through foggy pains.
That's when Draco spoke again but quieter this time. "Not everyone's getting the chance to come with us."
I looked up at him. Neville glanced at him too, his hands stealing over a tray of foxglove. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Draco's jaw tightened and he looked like he was debating whether to spit the words out or not. Finally, he said "Theo, Theodore Nott. His father... he's not just strict. He's a dangerous man. I've seen the bruises on Theo when he comes back from summer and winter holls. Theo doesn't have anyone to protect him." Draco met my eyes then, his sharp grey eye cut straight into my own "He shouldn't be left behind." he finished firmly.
Neville spoke before I could. "Theo was decent to me first year, when no one else was. He's quiet, but... He's not cruel like most of the other kids."
Draco gave the smallest nod and said. "He deserves better. Mother thought I should talk to you about it. She said if anyone could convince Sirius about Theo it would be you."
My throat felt tight, and not from the greenhouse heat. I nodded as I pressed a sprig of dittany into the pot in front of me and said, "Alright, I'll talk to my Dad. We'll figure something out Draco. Nobody will get left behind if I can help it."
Draco didn't thank me, I knew he wouldn't anyway. But something in his shoulders loosened just a fraction. Neville just gave me one of his soft, relieved smiles that said he'd been holding the same worry in his chest for weeks.
We finished the rest of our "heist" in silence. All the pots and cuttings were carefully stowed in stasis trays. When we finally stepped back out into the cool air, Neville's grin was bright, as Draco muttered about dirt under his nails, and I carried the last tray steadily in my arms.
This felt right I thought. It wasn't just about surviving the year anymore it was about building something better. It was about saving the people that we cared most about. It was about saving anyone worth saving.
That night, I called Dad through our mirrors in hopes of talking to him about Theo and how we could help him. The mirror shimmered as Dad's face came into focus, framed by the glow of the fire still lit behind him.
"Princess," he said, softly and in that tired way that meant he'd had a long day. "Everything alright?"
I hesitated before I just blurted it out, "Draco told me something today. About Theo Nott. His father's abusive, Dad. He said... Theo doesn't have anyone, and Neville vouched for him too. I don't know what to do, but I don't want to leave him behind, not when he is being abused."
Dad's eyes darkened instantly as he leaned forward, his jaw tightening. "Is Draco certain?"
"He wouldn't have said anything it if he wasn't," I said firmly. "And you know Neville wouldn't lie about something like that either."
He exhaled sharply before he said. "Alright, you did the right thing by telling me. I'm proud of you for not trying to take this on by yourself, Cinthy. Let me and Lucius handle his father." His mouth twisted in a way that told me he already wanted to hex Mr. Nott into next week. "You, Neville, and Draco just focus on keeping Theo close, make sure he knows he's got allies. The rest we'll handle."
Relief flooded through me, but it didn't erase the worry. "So, we can bring him with us? To Atlantis?"
"If Theo wants to come, then yes," Dad said, with certainty. "No one who needs family gets left behind. Not on my watch."
I swallowed hard, blinking back the tears in my eyes. "Thanks, Dad."
His smile softened, even with the shadows under his eyes. "That's what I'm here for, Princess. We'll make it right."
The mirror dimmed after our goodnights, but I just laid there for a while longer, staring at the ceiling.
For the first time, I realized Atlantis wasn't just about saving ourselves. It was about who we chose to bring with us and I wasn't about to leave Theo Nott behind.