┏ ೋღ : 𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂. ೋღ ┓

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖘𝖎𝖝𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓:
𝔣𝔢𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔰𝔫𝔞𝔭𝔭𝔶

┗━━ ೋღ : ©-fictophilic : ೋღ ━━━┛

𝕿HE HOLIDAYS WERE SOON OVER, and everyone found themselves returning to the familiarity of the 9 3/4 train station to head back to Hogwarts.

Your parents had simply dropped you off at the station with your luggage on their way to work. After sparing you a brief 'bye', they left and you were to never see them again until the next school break.

Your eyes scanned over the various students in the crowd, trying to find the two particular girls that you deemed as friends — Luna Lovegood and Kyra Murray. When you had failed to find them, you let out a strained and disappointed sigh before lifting your suitcase and trudging over to the side of the station.

Your headphones hung loosely around your neck, resting above the hood of your comfortable white hoodie. An oversized black and white flannel was layered over your hoodie, matching with your loose black pants and your clean, white sneakers.

Setting your luggage on the ground against one of the walls of the station, you sat beside it and leaned your back against the cool, rough bricks of the wall. You moved your headphones over your ears and sifted through your hoodie pockets to find your Walkman, pressing play on the device to begin the music.

Cracking open a novel that you had in your grasp, your eyes trailed over the words and the noise of the outside world fell into the background, behind the charming sound of the music. 'This Night Has Opened My Eyes' by 'The Smiths' had calmed your anxious mind while you read from your book.

Two songs and six and a half pages in, you felt a presence loom over you before they had decided to take a seat next to you. Out of the corner of your eye, you could spot the familiar red head of a Weasley — only it wasn't Ginny this time.

Turning your head slightly, you nudged your headphones down to your neck and raised a brow at the redheaded boy. "What do you want, George?"

"Well, someone's feeling snappy," George mentioned, placing a joking hand over his heart.

Despite his lighthearted tone, you couldn't help but feel your stomach and your smile drop at the thought of him thinking that you meant what you said rudely. "Sorry..."

"What're you sorry for? I was only joking," he laughed, his eyes torn away from you to look at the bustling crowd of students and their parents. He hadn't seemed to notice the small, relieved smile that had sprouted on your face.

"Well? What'd you need, Weasley?" You asked sassily with a roll of your eyes, though feeling a bit more lighthearted and joking than prior.

"Well damn, I think I miss how you were before," George commented with a chuckle, returning his eyes to your face. You couldn't help but notice how close you two were, feeling the heat rise up from your chest. "Only joking, of course."

Letting out a tense sigh mixed with a groan, you smiled and asked, "George, just tell me what you want."

"I was only helping my dear little sister find you," he responded with a lopsided grin. Averting his gaze away from you, he waved his arm over his head and yelled over the crowd. "Ginny! Over here!"

"No need to yell, George. I'm only a few feet away," Ginny scoffed, pretending her ears hurt from how loud George yelled. "You should know, (Y/n), that you don't need to keep up with the twins' antics if you don't want to."

Ginny seemed somehow different than when you had seen her last, during the Ministry's Holiday Ball. She seemed more confident and less meek, and it was kind of refreshing to see her like that.

You smiled at the redheaded girl and nodded your head. "Thanks, Ginny. I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

The Hogwarts Express chugged to life on a chilly January morning, its great crimson engine puffing white plumes of steam into the frosty air. Students, bundled in their warmest coats and scarves, bustled about on the train.

The scenery outside gradually shifted from the urban landscape of London to the rolling hills and snow-covered fields of the countryside. The sun casted a warm, golden hue over the landscape, painting a beautiful backdrop for their journey.

"I'm sorry I didn't have enough time to meet up with you and Violaine, (Y/n)," Luna breathed out, sitting across from you in the train compartment.

"It's alright. I'm sure you and her will meet sometime during the summer," you chuckled, leaning your head against the window pane of the train, feeling the rumbling of the Hogwarts Express vibrate through your head.

"Well, how was your break?" Kyra asked you as she sat beside you, her hand fishing through a bag of crisps. After taking a mouthful, she swallowed thickly and covered her mouth to prevent her from spitting before continuing, "How was your birthday with your family? How'd you celebrate?"

"My... birthday?" You repeated, somehow sounding confused. Realization dawned on you and you blinked rapidly. "Oh."

You were supposed to have a birthday celebration with your family over holiday break, since your birthday fell on a day during school.

But with your parents being so upset about your detention and the Ministry's Holiday Ball, you could only guess that they had forgotten.

But you had forgotten too, so that made it okay.

...Right?

"I forgot," you said with a careless shrug.

"You... forgot?" Kyra's brows had been furrowed and she stared at you in disbelief. "You forgot to celebrate your birthday?"

"Yeah, I forgot to remind my parents about it." You forced out an awkward chuckle, hoping to ease the growing tension.

Kyra looked at Luna and they shared the same look. They both paused and the sound of the train moving covered the thick silence.

Luna blinked her eyes away from Kyra and stared at you dead in the eye, her ocean-blue eyes holding a sense of gentleness. "They're supposed to remember it anyway."

As you began packing your books after your Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Kyra stood behind you and waited for you to finish so you two could walk together. She idly chatted away with Indie and Alana, both Kyra and Alana listening to Indie ramble on about Theodore Nott and his apparent charm.

With the final book placed in your bag, you were about to turn around and walk out of class with Kyra when you heard your professor call out to you. "Ms. (L/n), a moment please," Lupin inquired, other students beginning to file out of the classroom.

You glanced over at Kyra, who nodded and gestured that she'd be waiting right outside the classroom for you.

Hesitantly trudging up to the professor, you quietly asked, "Yes, Professor?"

"I was wondering if you could come to my office after your classes are over," he questioned, his eyes slowly trailing over to Harry Potter as the boy left the class with his two friends. "I have a student who's in need of some assistance and you're one of my best students."

"What about Hermione?" You asked, genuinely confused as to why the Gryffindor girl couldn't help. Hermione was the best in the class and you were barely just behind, so Hermione would've probably been a better fit to help another student. Not to mention, Hermione was more outgoing and confident than you were.

"I'm afraid Ms. Granger can't help with this particular spell," Professor Lupin answered. "She's also quite busy with work from her other classes." Taking a moment to think, you merely nodded your head in response, which earned a grateful smile from Lupin. "Thank you, Ms. (L/n). I'll see you in my office at the end of the day."

"Harry! There you are. You came." Professor Lupin greeted the bespectacled boy as Harry trudged through the office doors. The professor leaned against the railing of the balcony while Harry tossed his bag against the wall of the room. "Are you sure about this, Harry? You know, this is very advanced magic, well beyond the Ordinary Wizarding Level."

"I'm sure," Harry confirmed with a nod.

"Well, everything's prepared," Lupin mentioned, pointing to the trunk that sat on the floor of his office. "Now, the spell I'm going to try to teach you is called the Patronus Charm. Did you ever hear of it?" When Harry shook his head, Lupin continued as he descended the stairs in this office, "No? Well, a Patronus is a kind of positive force, and for the wizard who can conjure one, it works something like a shield, with the dementor feeding on it rather than him."

Lupin stood in front of Harry, towering over the third-year boy before taking a seat on the dark, wooden trunk. "But in order for it to work, you need to think of a memory. Not just any memory, a very happy memory, a very powerful memory. Can you do this?" Harry hesitantly and very slightly nodded. "Yes, very well." Lupin raised his hand and pointed to Harry. "Close your eyes. Concentrate. Explore your past."

Once Harry had closed his eyes for a bit, the professor asked, "Do you have a memory?" Harry silently nodded again and Lupin circled around the boy, his soft steps resounding in the silent atmosphere. "Allow it to fill you up. Lose yourself within it, then speak the incantation 'Expecto Patronum'."

"Expecto Patronum" Harry repeated.

"Very good," Lupin quietly complimented, walking back toward the dark trunk. As Harry opened his eyes, he found Professor Lupin with his hands on the trunk's latch. "Shall we? Wand at the ready."

Harry followed Lupin's instructions quickly, his wand pointed at the wooden trunk and ready to face whatever laid behind that latch. With a wave of Lupin's hand, the mechanism of the trunk clanged and a deep, reverberating metal noise resounded.

Professor Lupin kept his eyes on his student, internally questioning if the boy was ready to face what was in the chest. Deciding it had been time, Lupin pulled the top of the trunk back and released a looming, shadowy figure from the depths within.

The dementor — or boggart — flew above Harry, the boy keeping his wand trained on the figure before him. "Expecto Patronum," Harry exclaimed, though nothing happened. The air around them cooled and wind blew slightly, so much so that it had blown the candles out. "Expecto— Expecto... Expect..."

Harry's vision dimmed and he stumbled back, soon lying on the ground unconscious.

You knocked on the large wooden door of Professor Lupin's office, completely unaware and unsure of what awaited you beyond those doors. Anxious thoughts racked up in your mind, but none that you could fully comprehend and think about as Lupin opened the door welcomingly.

"Ah, Ms. (L/n), wonderful timing," Professor Lupin greeted, stepping to the side to let you walk into his office. He closed the door softly behind you, and as you were about to ask why he wanted to see you, you spotted an unconscious Harry Potter on the floor.

"Uhm..." You mumbled, pointing to the blacked-out boy on the ground.

"Yes, well, you see, that's why I've asked you to come," Lupin explained, stepping around you to help the boy lay more comfortably. "We were practicing the Patronus Charm on a boggart, and as you can see, it hasn't been going well."

"Right..." You muttered, gently removing your bag off your shoulder to lay against the wall, next to Harry's bag.

"He should be awake soon. Why don't you take a seat?" Lupin offered, gesturing to the spiral stairs that he had in his office. You obliged, walking around the duo and taking a seat on the steps.

Soon enough, much like Lupin had said, Harry stirred in his unconscious state before he began to blink his eyes open. "Here we go. Come on. Sit up. Deep breaths," Lupin muttered to Harry as he helped sit the boy up. "It's all right. I didn't expect you to do it the first time. That would've been remarkable." Digging through his coat pockets, Lupin pulled out a chocolate bar and offered it to Harry. "Here, eat this. You'll feel better."

"That's one nasty dementor," Harry mumbled as he chewed on the chocolate.

"Oh, no, no, no." Lupin shook his head and stood to his feet, walking to relight the candles next to you. "That was a boggart, Harry. A boggart. The real thing will be worse. Much, much worse."

As Harry stumbled up to his feet, he turned around to look at Lupin. Naturally, he caught sight of you as you sat on the foot of the spiral stairs, staring up at the blue-eyed boy with just as much confusion as he was conveying.

"Harry, you know Ms. (L/n). You're in the same class," Lupin commented from the sidelines, sensing Harry's confusion.

Harry simply nodded and gave you a strained smile, even though he didn't even know about you until he fell on you during that Quidditch match. You returned the forced smile, fidgeting awkwardly with your fingers.

"She's quite remarkable, I'd say. Same level of genius as your friend Ms. Granger," Lupin complimented, and you could practically feel your ego inflating like crazy. "She's casted the Patronus Charm as a third-year. The only case that I know of."

Turning his attention to you, Lupin asked you, "If you would please demonstrate."

As you nodded your head, you pushed yourself off the steps and stood onto your feet. Digging into your pocket and pulling out your wand, you took a slight breath before muttering the words to the charm, "Expecto Patronum."

Within a flick of your wrist and a twirl of your wand, a sparkling blue light emitted from the tip of your wand and began to form the figure of a hippogriff. The wings of the hippogriff expanded proudly and the Patronus soared above everyone's heads. An echoing shriek rang in the air from the hippogriff Patronus as it flew.

Eyes were trained on the Patronus as it circled around the office. Harry seemed just as mesmerized as you were — and you were mesmerized because you just couldn't get over how you were able to do that. Lupin grinned up at the Patronus, muttering, "Remarkable."

Harry smiled and laughed when the hippogriff flew down and brushed itself under his arm, reminding him of Buckbeak. Your eyes lit up as the Patronus flew under Harry's arm and flew toward you, disappearing in a flurry of sparkles right as it soared through your body.

"So, (Y/n), if you don't mind me asking, what memory did you think of to conjure that Patronus?" Lupin inquired, the sparkles and the outline of the hippogriff disappearing into thin air.

You hesitated, your mind racking up the right string of words to convey your thoughts. "It was a kind of bittersweet moment, but it was the happiest I'd ever been. It was my birthday in my first year."

Harry pondered over that comment, racking his brain up with thoughts of what could've been his happiest memory. When his mind came up with it, he had understood what you had meant. His happiest memory was also a little bittersweet.

As the dim winter sun cast a dappled pattern of light and shadow on the cobblestone path, students made their way to the greenhouse as they all wore their black school robes. Nestled between the ancient castle and the Forbidden Forest, the greenhouse glistened with a thick layer of dew in the early morning light.

As you and Kyra entered the building, you were met with the intoxicating scent of earth and growing things. Rows of plants, of all sizes and shapes, filled the space, their leaves reflecting various shades of green.

Finding your usual spot next to Neville, Kyra took her spot beside you on your other side. "Hi, (Y/n)," Neville spoke up from beside you. You blinked up at him owlishly, but you hadn't minded talking to him since you two had spoken before due to him helping you with that one Herbology project.

"Hey, Neville," you responded with a friendly smile.

"How was your holiday break?" Neville inquired genuinely.

"It was good," you answered shortly. Deciding that you'd feel guilty if you didn't ask, you quickly added, "...Yours?"

"Mine was good as well," Neville happily replied, a wide grin spread across his face. "My grandma and I had begun growing snowdrops in our backyard."

"That's cool. Snowdrops are pretty," you said simply.

"What'd you do over the break?" Neville asked curiously and genuinely. It had surprised you, especially when you thought the conversation was going to end there.

It made your heart somewhat happy to have someone — other than Luna and Kyra — be so curious and interested in what you had to say.

"Oh, uhm, just hung out with some friends," you responded with a timid smile. "Saw a friend of mine that I haven't seen in a while."

Just as you finished what you were saying, Professor Sprout walked behind you and gently placed a piece of parchment paper faced down in front of you. You gave her a strained smile, muttering, "Thank you."

You glanced down at the paper before gingerly taking it into your hand. Flipping it over, your eyes were met with the sight of a red 'O' at the top of the page, and below that was everything for the Herbology project that Neville had helped you with.

A smile took over your face and Neville watched you eye your paper. He, and everyone else, had already gotten their Herbology project grades since they all turned it in on time, but since you had a concussion, you had