[HOGWARTS DUNGEONS – HIDDEN ROOM – LATE AFTERNOON]
The sound of the creaking door echoed softly against the cold stone walls. Marcus Flint entered first, his face partially shrouded in the flickering shadows of poorly lit torches.
Just behind him came three Slytherin students — Derrick, Bletchley, and Cassius Warrington. None of them were smiling. The air was thick with a particular kind of frustration: the bitter taste of defeat.
"I can't get that mudblood's face out of my head..." Marcus growled, slamming his clenched fist against the wall. "That little brat punched me ! A bloody punch ! "
"And in front of Gryffindor and Lucian," muttered Cassius, rubbing his jaw where a spell had struck him — the pain still faintly present.
Silence stretched for a moment, heavy as lead. They all shared the same thought: how humiliated they had been. They, veteran Slytherins, shamed by a wandless girl and that boys...
"And that damned Gryffindor !" Marcus exploded. "If it weren't for him... if he hadn't shown up..."
"...that mudblood would've learned her place," Derrick added bitterly.
Marcus pulled away from the wall and began pacing, his jaw clenched tight. His eyes burned, not with tears, but with a hatred fed by wounded pride.
"We can't let this go," he said, his voice low and venomous. "Gryffindor has to pay. All of them. The mudblood, and especially that arrogant bastard Lucian."
"But he's strong," Bletchley said thoughtfully. "You saw it — he stopped us with a single spell, barely trying. And he's not alone..."
Marcus looked at him with contempt.
"Which is why we won't face him head-on. He likes playing the hero, right ? Likes protecting the weak ? Then let's give him something to worry about."
"What are you thinking ?" Cassius asked, leaning forward.The smile that crept across Flint's face had nothing joyful about it.
"A trap."
"What kind of trap ?"
Marcus lowered his voice, stepping closer to the others like a predator closing in on its prey.
"We grab one of those Hufflepuff girls... weak, isolated. Doesn't have to be anyone important. Just someone he'd care about saving. We kidnap her and leave enough clues... and that Gryffindor will come running."
"And then we wait with everything set," Bletchley finished, his eyes glinting with malice. "A duel he won't escape."
"Not a duel," Marcus said more seriously. "A lesson. He's going to learn what happens when someone crosses us. He's not walking away from this unharmed."
The others nodded. The plan began to take shape in their minds like a sticky web.
"I've already got one in mind," said Cassius. "There's a girl who's always alone after Herbology classes."
"Perfect," Marcus whispered. "Tomorrow, we follow her. Wait for the right moment. And then... let the hunt begin."
The torch crackled against the wall, casting dancing shadows on the vengeful faces of the Slytherins. The sting of humiliation still burned. But soon, if it was up to them, it would be Aurelius who would feel the pain.
[HOGWARTS GROUNDS – SUNNY AFTERNOON, NEXT DAY]
The sky over Hogwarts had forgotten, for a few hours, the clouds and winds it so often brought. The sun shone softly, warming the green grass without harshness, and the castle's older trees offered peaceful shade to the few students escaping the stuffy classrooms.
Beneath one of these trees, lying on the grass, were Aurelius, Lucian, and Mavis.
Lucian rested his head on his crossed arms, eyes closed, breathing the fresh air as if trying to store it for the days ahead.
"I could sleep here for weeks," he murmured lazily.
Mavis, lying on her back with her hands behind her head, twirled her wand between her fingers, staring up at the sky with a thoughtful expression.
"That double levitation charm is still confusing me..." she said distractedly. "I think I'm getting the casting angle wrong..."
"You're messing up because you're trying to force control," Aurelius replied, sitting nearby with a closed book at his side, his wand resting on his leg.
"Levitation is fluid, not forceful. The mind guides, the magic follows."
"Thanks, oh wisdom of the ages," Mavis teased with a smirk.
They laughed, and for a moment, everything felt normal.
Until something landed on Aurelius's knee.
A small bird made of parchment, precisely folded and glowing with a faint enchanted aura. The moment it touched his skin, it began to unfold on its own, revealing a message written in precise black ink.
Lucian sat up slightly, intrigued.
"What is that ? A message ?"
Aurelius didn't answer immediately. His eyes scanned the text quickly, and as he read, the shadow of his expression changed. The serenity vanished, replaced by a dark, dangerous tension.
"Aurelius ?" Mavis asked, sitting up, noticing how tightly he gripped the parchment.
He took a deep breath... and read aloud:
"We know you like playing the hero. Saving the weak.
Well... now you have a real chance to prove that ridiculous role you love so much.
We took something of yours. Well, not exactly yours, but something we know you won't ignore.
A Hufflepuff girl — alone, useless, and weak. She's locked up, for now. Still alive. That could change.
If you want to see her again, come alone to Greenhouse 5 after sunset. Bring help... and she disappears.
Show us a Gryffindor knows how to fight."
The silence that followed was denser than the air before a storm.
Lucian sprang to his feet, eyes narrowed.
"Those bastards... kidnapping someone?! They've lost their minds!"
Mavis clenched her fists, her eyes burning with indignation.
"We have to help."
Aurelius looked at them, the parchment trembling in his hand. He nodded with a firm motion.
"Let's go."
And with that, the three of them shot across the Hogwarts grounds like arrows just released. The wind tore at their robes, the grass blurred beneath their feet, and each of their hearts beat like war drums.
Above them, clouds began to gather slowly. The time for rest was over.
And something dark awaited them in Greenhouse 5.
[HOGWARTS GROUNDS – OUTSIDE GREENHOUSE 5 – SUNSET]
The afternoon shadows stretched long, painting the Hogwarts gardens in golden and orange hues. The muffled sound of their own footsteps was all Aurelius, Lucian, and Mavis could hear as they crept toward Greenhouse 5 — a glass-and-iron structure that looked peaceful from afar… but whose aura today was anything but.
Aurelius raised a hand, signaling for silence. The three of them sneaked up to one of the side windows, where the internal vegetation was thinner. They could see. And hear.
Inside the greenhouse, five Slytherin students were gathered. Marcus Flint stood at the center of the space, arms crossed, visibly impatient. Behind him, a short Hufflepuff girl with tied brown hair was bound to a rustic wooden chair, wandless, and with a poorly tied blindfold over her eyes. Despite the situation, she seemed... surprisingly calm.
"They're late," Derrick growled, twirling his wand between his fingers. "I thought the great Gryffindor savior would've flown here."
"Maybe he chickened out," Cassius mocked.
Then, unexpectedly, the tied-up girl laughed.
"Ooooh, please, Mister Kidnapper... don't hurt me!" she said in a theatrical tone, exaggerating her voice like she was acting in a school play.Mavis, outside, widened her eyes. Lucian bit his lip to hold back a laugh.
"What... is she joking ?" Mavis whispered.
"Seems like it," Aurelius murmured, incredulous.
Inside, Marcus spun around abruptly, clearly irritated.
"Can you shut up ?!" he hissed through his teeth.
The girl raised her head a bit, clearly not intimidated.
"What, you kidnapped me and you're not even going to try to scare me? What kind of incompetent villains are you ?" she taunted, laughing. "Not even a mild torture spell ? A finger cut off ? At least a convincing threat ?"
"No one's going to touch you!" Marcus exploded, redder than usual.
"Why not ?!" she shot back, indignant. "This is the worst kidnapping in magical history ! Let me go, I'll fix this stupid plan myself !"
Marcus ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.
"This should've been anyone else ! Why wasn't there another pathetic creature in the garden that day ?!"
Outside, the trio exchanged looks. Lucian whispered:
"She's either the bravest witch I've ever met… or completely insane."
"Probably both," Mavis replied, impressed.
Aurelius, still silent, studied every corner of the greenhouse. His mind was already drawing entry paths, blind spots, and ideal attack angles. Finally, he turned to the other two and spoke in a low voice:
"We need to be fast. They're grouped up, but the girl's in the center... too close. If she moves, she could end up in the middle of a spell."
"We can use a distraction," Lucian suggested. "I'll throw a light spell from the side, and when they look, you two come in from behind."
"I can charm the girl's robes, pull her out of the crossfire," Mavis added. "It'll keep any spell away from her."
Aurelius nodded.
"Perfect. Mavis, cast as soon as we enter. Lucian, signal with the flash. I'll take care of Flint."
"With pleasure," Lucian muttered, gritting his teeth.
"And be careful," Aurelius added. "If anything goes wrong… prioritize the girl. Flint's not stupid. He wants a reaction, not a war."