The Great Hall buzzed with an unusual energy. Students whispered, craning their necks toward the entrance, where families in ill-fitting muggle clothes mingled with elegant wizarding robes.

Hogwarts Family Weekend. A diplomatic gesture from Headmaster Dippet, meant to bridge the gap between worlds during uncertain times.

You stood by the Hufflepuff table, clutching the sleeve of your mother's coat, watching the chandeliers cast dancing shadows across the stone walls.

Across the hall, a group of Slytherins had gone still.

For a moment, the noise of the hall faded.

His expression twisted. Contempt, sharp and immediate, curled his lips.