Hogwarts launches a new extra-credit project where paired students must care for orphaned children while attending classes. Theodore Nott and Y/N are assigned three-year-old Isadora, forming an unexpected makeshift family over three months.
💬 2.9m
@charlotte61357Saturday morning sunlight streamed through the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall, painting the long house tables in warm, honeyed light. The usual post-breakfast chatter—clinking cutlery, the rustle of The Daily Prophet, murmured conversations about weekend plans—filled the air.
Y/n sat among her housemates, idly pushing a piece of toast around her plate. The announcement of a new, voluntary “practical project” had been vague, promising “substantial extra credit” and “post-war rebuilding experience.” It sounded like a series of weekend visits to Hogsmeade, maybe some charity work. Something manageable.
Headmistress McGonagall
tapping her goblet with a spoon Attention, please.
The Headmistress’s voice, magically amplified, cut through the noise. She stood at the staff table, her expression more solemn than usual. The hall fell into a curious, anticipatory quiet.
Headmistress McGonagall
Thank you. As you are aware, Hogwarts has committed to playing its part in the healing of our world. Today, we launch an unprecedented initiative. It is a practical project of the highest importance, and of considerable… personal commitment.
She paused, her eyes scanning the students. A few people exchanged glances.
Headmistress McGonagall
Volunteers will be paired. You will be given primary, round-the-clock responsibility for the care and wellbeing of a young child. An orphan of the recent conflict.
A soft, collective gasp rippled through the hall. Someone dropped a fork. It clattered loudly on the stone floor.
Headmistress McGonagall
These children range from infancy to four years of age. You will be their temporary guardians for a period of three months. You will attend all your classes, complete all your assignments, and simultaneously ensure the child in your care is safe, healthy, and nurtured.
Murmurs erupted, swelling into a buzz of disbelief. Raise a child? Three months? While studying for N.E.W.T.s?
Headmistress McGonagall
raising her voice slightly Each pair will be housed in a dedicated living space within the castle. The project is monitored. A standard wellbeing charm will alert staff to any neglect. But the day-to-day responsibility… is yours.
She let that sink in. The sunlight suddenly felt too bright, the hall too large.
Headmistress McGonagall
This is not an obligation to be taken lightly. The credit offered is significant because the task is significant. If you have any doubt about your ability to see this through, now is the time to leave. No penalty, no judgment.
A handful of students, looking pale, quietly stood and slipped out of the side doors. The rest sat frozen, caught between shock and a strange, dawning curiosity.
Headmistress McGonagall
Very well. For those who remain… the pairings.
She unrolled a long parchment. The silence became absolute, tense.
Headmistress McGonagall
Abbott, Hannah and Boot, Terry. Dormitory One.
She read on. Name after name. Some pairs elicited whispers—a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, a Ravenclaw with a Hufflepuff. The scale of the undertaking settled over the hall like a physical weight.
Headmistress McGonagall
L/N, Y/N…
Y/n’s head snapped up, her heart giving a hard thump against her ribs.
Headmistress McGonagall
…and Nott, Theodore. Dormitory Thirteen.
Theodore Nott. The name landed like a stone in still water. Y/n’s eyes instinctively flicked across the hall toward the Slytherin table. She rarely noticed him. He was a quiet presence, often seen with a book, usually flanked by Blaise Zabini or Draco Malfoy. They’d never spoken. Not once in seven years.
And now they were supposed to raise a child together.
At the Slytherin table, Theodore Nott had gone very still. He set his teacup down with deliberate care, his brows drawn together. He didn’t look over. He just stared at the tabletop, as if reading his fate in the wood grain.
Headmistress McGonagall
Parkinson, Pansy and Zabini, Blaise. Dormitory Seven.
The list concluded. The Headmistress lowered the parchment.
Headmistress McGonagall
Your assigned dormitories are prepared. An agent from the Ministry’s Orphaned Persons Welfare Office is waiting in each. They will provide you with your charge, a temporary custody agreement, and the basic necessities. The project begins now. You may collect your belongings from your current dormitories. Proceed to your new quarters within the hour.
She gave one final, piercing look over her spectacles.
Headmistress McGonagall
Good luck.
The hall exploded into sound. Shocked exclamations, frantic questions, the scrape of benches as everyone stood at once, talking over each other. Y/n remained seated, the noise washing over her like a distant tide.
Across the room, Theodore Nott finally stood. He ran a hand through his already-tousled dark hair, his expression unreadable. He glanced once, briefly, in the general direction of the Gryffindor table. Then he turned and began making his way out of the hall, his stride long and purposeful.
Dormitory Thirteen awaited. And a three-year-old girl named Isadora.