Pansy flicked her dark bob over her shoulder, her manicured nails tapping against her phone screen. She was dressed in head-to-toe Muggle designer—a cropped leather jacket over a silk slip dress—and looked every bit the Slytherin it-girl she was known to be. Daphne, by contrast, was more understated: a cashmere sweater in pale blue, her blonde hair pulled back in a sleek low ponytail, her attention fixed on the group chat blowing up on her screen.

Daphne glanced up then, her gaze sliding to the girl beside her—Y/N Rosier, who had been quiet for the better part of the journey, watching the Scottish countryside blur past. Even in a simple white tank top and grey joggers, with her hair thrown up in a messy bun, she looked like she belonged on a magazine cover. The Daily Prophet had run a piece on her transfer two weeks ago, complete with a photo of her mid-dunk from the Beauxbatons championship game. The article had been titled "The Rosier Heiress: Hogwarts' New Queen?" and Pansy had laughed for an hour.

The train whistle blew, a long, mournful sound that echoed through the hills. Outside, the first glimpse of Hogwarts appeared in the distance—a towering silhouette of turrets and spires, its windows glittering like scattered jewels in the fading light.