one : GRUMPY BEGINNINGS

chapter i : grumpy beginnings

THE SILENCE THAT PRECEDES TRAGEDY OFTEN SPEAKS THE LOUDEST. . . On that fateful Halloween night, a peaceful hum filled the cottage in Godric's Hollow. Lily Potter, utterly content, watched her husband chuckle, bouncing their baby son gently on the sofa. Upstairs, in the quiet nursery, their sweet daughter slept soundly.

Then, a sound that ripped through the very fabric of their reality.

          Not a knock, not even a bang, but a concussion that shook the foundations, plunging their world from soft lamplight into terror.

Her arms clamped around Harry, an iron grip born of pure instinct, as James, his face suddenly stark white, lunged for the hallway. "Lily! Take Harry and go!" His voice ripped from his throat, a raw, desperate shriek that echoed with chilling finality. "It's him! Hide! I'll hold him off!"

Lily ran, a blur of panicked motion, her heart a frantic drum against her ribs. She burst into the nursery, the comforting scent of baby powder instantly choked by the acrid taste of fear. With hands that shook so violently she could barely feel them, she lowered Harry, a feather-light bundle, into the crib. Valerie, her tiny face crumpled, was awake, her soft, innocent cries a heart-shattering counterpoint to the thunderous, escalating sounds from below.

A sob clawed its way up Lily's throat, but she swallowed it down, forcing her voice into a hushed, desperate whisper. "You two have to be strong." Tears blurred her vision, hot and stinging, but she fought them back, needing every precious second. She leaned over them, kissing each soft forehead, trying to press every ounce of her love, her very essence, into their skin. "We love you two more than anything. Take care of each other..." The last words were a barely audible tremor as the very air crackled with dark magic. Her body shook uncontrollably, a deep, bone-deep shudder. She straightened, her gaze locked on her children, a silent, agonising farewell in her green eyes, just as the door splintered inward with a deafening, final roar.

In the stifling quiet of Number Four Privet Drive, Valerie Raven Potter moved with a quiet, almost inherent grace as she cooked eggs. She was a striking reflection of her father's features, inheriting his raven hair. But where Harry's eyes held the piercing, vivid green of their mother, Valerie's gleamed with a captivating, soft brown – a depth that drew attention. Her only undeniable inheritance from Lily, beyond the subtle curve of her smile, was a profound talent for drawing. It was a beauty, both in her looks and her hands, that seemed to physically pain Petunia Dursley, a constant, unwanted echo of Lily's 'perfection' that Petunia could never truly escape.

           Growing up with the Dursley's, there was no escaping her cousin's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot: he was the leader. The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favourite sport: Harry Hunting.

It was this relentless torment, this casual cruelty towards her brother, that had sparked the trouble in Valerie. She found joy, in turning the tables. A cleverly sabotaged shoelace, or a perfectly timed 'accident' that sent Dudley sprawling into a muddy puddle. Valerie despised the bullying, but she loved the chaos it allowed her to create.

Harry James Potter, was collecting the letters from the front door, while his twin sister was frying eggs in the kitchen for breakfast. The twins only knew a dreary life, but little did they know the letters that scripted, "Mr H & Miss V Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey," would change their lives forever.

Valerie Potter stared out the train window, the recent chaos of the Quidditch World Cup still a flickering replay in her mind. A sudden 'whoosh' as the sliding door burst open shattered her thoughts.

         "Hey girly!" A whirlwind of limbs and vibrant energy, Eric Lewis launched himself at Valerie, wrapping her in a bone-crushing hug that stole her breath.

Valerie gasped, tearing herself free, laughter bubbling up despite the squeeze. "Geez, you don't have to hug me so hard!" She complained, settling onto the seats beside him.

       "Obviously I missed you!" Eric shot back, throwing his hands up. "It feels like I haven't seen you in ages! Paris was awesome, yeah, but when I heard Death Eaters attacked the World Cup while you were there? That was fucking stressing me out! I swear, I wanted to fly down there myself and knock the fuck out of those Death Eaters just to keep you safe! The absolute audacity of them, marching in like they own the place, honestly, my god..." He dramatically fanned himself.

Valerie chuckled, nudging his arm. "Thanks, I'd do the same for you. And by the way, loving the eye look." She pointed to his eyes, where a sharp purple winged liner shimmered, adorned with tiny, glittering gems. Eric, loud and energetic as he was, was equally known for his fearless fashion and creative makeup.

         "Bitch, you're my soulmate," Eric teased, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Anyway, is that mystery boy still texting you?"

Valerie's lips curved into a slow grin. "I left his message on seen." The night after the incident at the Quidditch World Cup, her phone had buzzed with a message from an unknown number.

unknown11:11pm

hey valerie, are you alright?

um why?? how did u even get my number?

i saw you at the quidditch world cup yesterday, i'm just checking if ur safe

who is this??

a handsome boy

ur name, dumbass

someone

hmmm so you aren't going to tell me who you are?

nope :) it's more fun this way

goodnight then :)

wait noo come backseen

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STUDENTS HAD FINALLY ARRIVED, settling into their house tables, their attention fixed on the first-years shuffling towards the Sorting Hat. Valerie Potter had always carried an unspoken certainty: she'd follow Harry. Gryffindor, of course. It was where Potters belonged, where her brother undoubtedly would be. But then, the ancient hat, perched precariously on her head, didn't whisper or muse. It shouted: "SLYTHERIN!"

The word cracked through the Hall like a whip, silencing the whispers, drawing every eye. Valerie's breath hitched. She wasn't just different: She was suddenly the 'strange twin.' Not Gryffindor like Harry. No lightning bolt scar like Harry. No piercing green eyes like Harry. No natural talent for Quidditch like Harry. And, the most baffling detail of all, they didn't even share a birthday. Born mere minutes after her twin brother, Valerie's birthdate fell on August 1st instead of July 31st, a subtle but persistent reminder that Harry was, truly, the Chosen One.

Everything had always been about Harry. The attention, the expectations, the constant comparisons. Yet, as she walked towards the sea of green robes, a strange mix of defiance and self-acceptance settling over her, Valerie felt no jealousy, no resentment. Harry was her brother, her only family left in a world that saw her as little more than his shadow. And for that, she cherished him.

"Well, now we're all settled in and sorted.." Professor Dumbledore announced. "Id like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year.. But home to some very special guests as well. You see, Hogwarts had been chosen—" Professor Dumbledore gets interrupted by Filch.

          "So.." Dumbledore continues, as Filch jogs away again. "Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event: The Triwizard Tournament." Dumbledore's announcement caused some students to gossip with their friends, while Valerie's phone binged in her pocket.

unknown7:16pm

maybe i should join, i'm brave enough

WAIT ur here at hogwarts?

obviously 🙄

can u please tell me who you are??

sorry love i can't

why not? seen

                "For those of you who don't know. The Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools, for a series of magical contests. From each school, a single student is selected to compete. Now let me be clear! If chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say, these contests are not for the faint hearted. But more of that later.. For now, please join me in welcoming.. The lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic! And their headmistress, Madame Maxime." The large doors reveal a group of girls all dressed in light blue, dancing up the aisle.

unknown7:18pm

wow they're all pretty

i'd rather have you

ok lover boy

[name changed to lover boy]

lover boy

hm?

i honestly won't be surprised if ur just another guy that wants me

ur just too perfect

i know ;)

now give me some compliments too tf

bitch💀 i don't even know who u are dumbass

oh yeah oopsseen

     "I wish we had uniform like theirs.." Eric frowns, admiring the light silky blue uniforms.

The gorgeous women completed their performance and Dumbledore introduces the next school. "And now our friends from the north, please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and the high master Igor Karkaroff!"

A series of older boys walk up the aisle with staffs, twirling them around and periodically stabbing them into the ground with a spark effect. Valerie glances at Eric, who seems greatly intrigued by the men. "Enjoying yourself, Eric?" She teases him and he rolls his eyes in response. Once they were finished, everyone gave a round of applause and Dumbledore embraced the other headmaster.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ♡ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

A FEAST MATERIALISED across the four house tables, overflowing with every imaginable dish and dessert, even extending to accommodate the new influx of guests. The Great Hall erupted into a symphony of clattering cutlery and excited chatter as students dug in. Valerie, having just finished catching up with her roommates, Millicent Bulstrode and Daphne Greengrass, about the harrowing Quidditch World Cup incident, felt a playful nudge.

         "—You've got a watcher," Eric murmured, his voice a playful whisper in her ear.

Valerie's fork paused mid-air, a piece of roast potato suddenly feeling very heavy. A watcher? Her gaze drifted down the table directly, inevitably, to him.

Draco Malfoy.

It was a crush she carried, secret and heavy, since her very first year at Hogwarts.

A ridiculous, inconvenient, utterly forbidden crush that blossomed the moment she first saw him, all sharp angles and blindingly silver blond hair, with those piercing, storm-cloud grey eyes that seemed to see right through you.

He was everything she shouldn't want: arrogant, a bully, a pure-blood snob.

And yet, she was so unbelievably attracted to him.

It was a thrilling, dangerous pull, the kind that made your stomach clench and your cheeks burn, a secret she guarded fiercely.

She found him instantly, as if a spotlight followed him through the bustling hall.

He looked, as always, devastatingly handsome—an effortless, almost arrogant elegance radiating from him, even as he merely picked at his roast beef.

Damn him, he knows it too.

He knows the effect he has.

Just as her gaze lingered, his head slowly, deliberately, turned.

Their eyes locked across the expanse of the Great Hall, a charged, electric second where the world seemed to narrow to just the two of them. Then, he offered a slow, almost imperceptible smirk.

Valerie's breath hitched, a sharp intake she barely managed to hide, and her eyes instantly, awkwardly, darted away.

A blush, hot and undeniable, crept up her neck like wildfire.

She snatched a slice of chocolate cake, pretending sudden ravenous hunger. "Oh, shit!" She hissed, leaning closer to Eric. "Do I look alright? Is my hair... is anything messy?" Please, no. Not in front of him.

        "—Darling, you look lovely, trust me," Eric reassured her with a dramatic eye roll. "Now, about that watcher..." He leaned closer, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Distraction time. Have you seen his latest post? The one with the Slytherin Quidditch team?"

Valerie's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of something beyond casual interest. "Uh, no... haven't been on it much." Liar.

       "Oh, you have to see," Eric insisted, grabbing Valerie's phone and entering her password. He clicked Instagram, searching for his username. He angled the phone towards Valerie.

There he was.

Draco Malfoy, looking impossibly handsome in his Slytherin Quidditch uniform, his broom casually leaning on his shoulder, a smug but undeniably attractive smirk playing on his lips. Valerie's breath caught. He looked... incredible.

Merlin, even in a uniform he could make your knees weak.

      "See?" Eric nudged her, giggling softly. Valerie found herself leaning closer, her finger instinctively zooming in on Draco's face. He looked so confident, so... perfect. A sigh escaped her lips before she could stop it.

Suddenly, Eric gasped, his eyes wide with horrified amusement. "Oh my god, Valerie!"

         "What??? What is it?" Valerie's heart lurched, fearing she'd been too obvious.

Eric pointed at the phone, "You... you just liked the post."

Valerie's eyes darted back to the picture.

In the bottom corner, where the number of likes was displayed, her own profile icon glowed.

Her cheeks flamed.

She hadn't meant to!

Her thumb had slipped while she was so focused on his ridiculously chiseled jawline.

Her face went from warm to scorching. She could practically feel the heat radiating off her. "Oh my Merlin," She whispered, her voice barely audible. "No, no, no!" She frantically unliked the photo, her fingers fumbling.

Across the Slytherin table, just as Eric stifled a snort of laughter, Draco had received the notification on his phone causing his head to flick up.

A slow, knowing smirk spread across his devastatingly handsome face as his gaze locked directly onto Valerie's mortified expression.

He held her gaze for a beat too long, that smirk deepening, before turning back to his conversation, a definite air of amusement around him.

Valerie's blush intensified, spreading down her neck. She buried her face in her hands. "I think I'm going to die." She groaned into her palms.

Eric patted her back, still trying to contain his laughter. "Relax, Val. It's just a like. Though," He added, his voice full of teasing glee, "He definitely saw it."

Valerie peeked through her fingers, catching Draco's eye one more time. He offered a subtle, almost imperceptible raise of his eyebrow, his smirk unwavering.

       "Oh," Valerie whispered, her voice a mix of mortification and something else... a strange, fluttery excitement. "Oh no."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ♡ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

THE STORM HAD BLOWN ITSELF OUT by the following morning, though the ceiling in the Great Hall was still gloomy: heavy clouds of pewter grey swirled. But in the female Slytherin dormitory, the air crackled with a different kind of energy. Valerie Potter and Eric Lewis were already wide awake, buzzing with a mixture of nerves and impatient excitement. This was it: the day they'd discover which academic 'stream' would dictate their fourth and fifth years. Years one through three had been a random mash-up, but now, for core subjects, they'd be locked into groups A, B, C, or D, from highest to lowest. Electives, thankfully, remained a chaotic free-for-all.

Valerie, meticulous as ever, was precisely drawing a sharp black winged liner onto her eyelids, her beautiful reflection staring back from the vanity mirror. Beside her, perched on a stool and mimicking her every move, Eric was attempting the same graphic liner, his tongue poking out in concentration. He shared a dorm with the male Slytherins, however, he spent more time in this particular dorm.

Around them, the rest of the roommates gradually stirred, each revealing their own unique morning rhythms.

Daphne Greengrass, a bubbly, short, Irish girl who often reminded Valerie of a fairy, was expertly applying a iridescent glitter to her already rosy cheeks, her bright orange hair already styled into two perky buns.

Across the room, Millicent Bulstrode, with her striking pale complexion and a rebellious silver nose ring, wrestled into her uniform, her silver-blond hair streaked with vibrant pink highlights.

Nearby, Ivory Davis, her dark brown skin glowing, cooed softly to her brown owl while already engrossed in a thick, leather-bound book, occasionally brushing through her long, black hair.

And then there was Miranda Lim, somehow still stubbornly, miraculously, fast asleep under her covers, a dark-haired Asian girl utterly oblivious to the increasing chatter, clearly prioritising her love for sleep over the excitement of the first day back.

          "EARTH TO MIRANDA!" Millicent's voice boomed, giving the bundled form a severe shake. A muffled whine emerged from beneath the duvet.

         "It's already seven-twenty-nine, darling," Daphne called out from the bathroom, her voice light. "—First day of school!"

"So early! Leave me alone!" Miranda grumbled, burrowing deeper into the covers. Millicent merely shrugged, as unbothered as Miranda. Since year one, she'd been Miranda's personal, unflappable alarm clock.

          "Fine, if you say so," Millicent conceded, reaching into her vanity for her tiny silver hoop earrings. "More coffee for me, then!"

          "You're insanely addicted," Ivory commented, brushing through her dark hair, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Eric's eyes darted to the pink heart-shaped clock on the wall. Seven-thirty. The new class lists would be up in the common room. "Oh, fuck," He breathed, a sudden surge of adrenaline. "It's time!"

Arm in arm, a tangle of nervous energy and shared excitement, Valerie and Eric strode towards the Slytherin common room. The dread of potential separation tightened Valerie's stomach.

What if we're not together?

         "If I'm not in the same classes as you, I'm jumping off the Astronomy Tower," Eric declared dramatically, but his grip on her arm tightened, betraying his sarcasm.

Valerie squeezed his hand. "I'll jump off with you," She promised, the words half-joking, half-terrified.

As they neared the common room, a throng of students, thick as treacle, blocked the entrance to the class lists. A giant wall was covered in papers, each one a potential determinant of their next two years. Valerie and Eric's eyes immediately began to frantically scan, searching for their names, for any sign of their shared fate.

And all the while, in the back of Valerie's mind, a fresh wave of embarrassment washed over her. Draco Malfoy's smirk from last night, the 'liked' post, played on a loop. Every time she thought she buried it, it flared up again, making her cheeks burn. Would he say something? Would he just... smirk again? The thrill of the forbidden crush warred with the absolute mortification.

STREAM A - highest section in 4th year

Oliver Abernathy - Ravenclaw

Evelyn Bautista - Ravenclaw

Caleb Bradbury - Ravenclaw

Millicent Bulstrode - Slytherin

Cressida Cambridge - Ravenclaw

Daniel Chen - Hufflepuff

Ivory Davis - Slytherin

Agatha De La Cruz - Gryffindor

Anthony Goldstein - Hufflepuff

Hermione Granger - Gryffindor

Katrina Halstead - Gryffindor

Wayne Hopkins - Hufflepuff

Eric Lewis - Slytherin

Draco Malfoy - Slytherin

Pansy Parkinson - Slytherin

Padma Patil - Ravenclaw

Harry Potter - Gryffindor

Valerie Potter - Slytherin

Jasmine Rivera - Ravenclaw

Lydia Sterling - Gryffindor

Dean Thomas - Gryffindor

Jasper Thorne - Ravenclaw

Octavia Turpin - Ravenclaw

Ron Weasley - Gryffindor

Nathaniel Young - Ravenclaw

Blaise Zabini - Slytherin

The duo gasped from excitement, arms flinging around each other in a celebratory embrace. Not only had they made it into Stream A, the top class, but a quick scan showed most of their closest friends were in it too. A wave of relief, mixed with triumph, washed over them.

Chattering away to Eric about her thrill, Valerie began to drift away from the knot of students, completely oblivious to her surroundings. "I—" Her words cut off as she collided, hard, with a solid chest.

She stumbled back, a surprised yelp escaping her, and glanced up.

It was Draco Malfoy, half a head taller, his face now too close, those storm-cloud eyes narrowed, a question in their depths. "Fuck," Valerie muttered, the word a desperate sigh. "Of course, it had to be you." Her hand shot out, grasping Eric's, and she yanked him, a whirlwind of mortification, out of the common room.

          Eric, still grinning, managed to keep pace. "You bumped into him purposely, didn't you?" He teased, his voice dripping with amusement.

"Yeah, I was too desperate," Valerie shot back, her tone thick with sarcasm, but a fresh blush crept up her neck. "I'm madly in love with him." The joke felt hollow, a flimsy shield against the very real flutter in her stomach. Or was she?

A low, smooth voice drifted from behind, cutting through the common room's buzz and freezing Valerie mid-stride.

"I wasn't expecting the Valerie Potter to fall for me,"

Her blood ran cold.

The voice belonged to Draco Malfoy himself.

Her entire body locked, terror gripping her.

Next to him, Blaise Zabini stood, a wide, knowing grin plastered across his face.

         "—I suppose no one can resist how attractive I am." Draco finished, his voice laced with an almost unbearable smugness.

OH FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! The words screamed in Valerie's head, echoing off the inside of her skull. Every cell in her body screamed for escape. To vanish. To run, to bury herself into the ground and never see the light of day, or Draco Malfoy, ever again! Her cheeks felt like they were on fire, a inferno of shame.

Eric stood beside her, eyes wide, a silent testament to the absolute trainwreck unfolding. Valerie's insides coiled, her mind racing, scrambling for a coherent thought, anything to douse the roaring blaze of mortification. "I was being sarcastic, Malfoy—" She managed, the words catching in her throat, sounding weak even to her own ears.

But Draco merely smirked, a devastatingly pleased expression.

He and Blaise turned, strolling away casually, their laughter barely audible, but the image of that smirk was burned into Valerie's vision. He was immensely pleased by her comments: especially hearing she was desperate for him. The thought made her want to spontaneously combust.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ♡ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

THE GOLDEN TRIO examined their new course schedules at breakfast. A few seats along, Fred, George, and Lee, were deep in discussion, plotting magical methods of ageing themselves and bluffing their way into the Triwizard Tournament.

The duo entered the Great Hall, Eric's eyes immediately caught sight of the familiar blond. "What the fuck—" He cursed under his breath. "Blaise and Draco are sitting at our regular spot."

          "—It's to taunt me, obviously," Valerie sighed in annoyance, a fresh wave of heat rising in her face. "I know I messed up, but I have to act as casual as possible to show them what happened earlier isn't bothering me... Because if the things I said about Draco earlier were pure sarcasm, it shouldn't be bothering me, right?"

          "Correct." Eric agreed, before both of them sat themselves with the Golden Trio: Valerie sitting between Eric and Ron, while Hermione and Harry were across from them.

Valerie cheerfully smiled, forcing a brightness she didn't quite feel. "Congratulations to all of us!"

         "Hermione is still in disbelief that I made it into section A," Ron calmly mentioned, shoveling cereal into his mouth.

"—It's not that I think lowly of you," Hermione spoke from across the table, toast in hand. "It's just that... you never put effort during class time... you're always fooling around or not paying attention—Then when it comes to the exams, you somehow receive high marks."

Eric poured cereal into his bowl. "People like that scare me."

         "Agreed." Valerie added, who hadn't chosen her breakfast yet, too busy reading her new class schedule. "Today's not that bad..." She said, running her finger down the Monday column. "We have a free period first, then we have Defence Against the Dark Arts with the new Professor and Potions right before lunch."

It was common knowledge that Snape was eager for the Dark Arts position, and he had now failed to get it for the fourth year running. Severus Snape had disliked all of the previous Dark Arts teachers: he made it incredibly obvious. Although, Harry had the distinct impression that Snape was avoiding Moody's eye, whether magical or normal. He noticed it when he went past Snape and Moody in the corridors earlier.

Hermione spoke, "For the first free period, I'm going to—"

"—The library." The four teenagers finished her sentence in unison.

"Val and I might hang out there too, actually," Eric exclaimed.

"Alright," Hermione answered. "Just please don't be loud..."

          "Relax..." Valerie placed some scrambled eggs onto her plate, a grin spreading across her face as she looked at Eric. "We won't cause any trouble." The shared look between them promised the exact opposite.

There was a sudden rustling noise above them: a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning mail. Instinctively, Harry looked up, but there was no sign of white among the mass of brown and grey. The owls circled the tables, searching for the people to whom their letters and packages were addressed. Draco Malfoy's eagle owl had landed on his shoulder, carrying what looked like his usual supply of sweets from his mother.

Valerie noticed her brother's frown. "No Hedwig?" She wondered.

Harry shook his head and returned to his porridge, trying to ignore the sinking feeling of disappointment in his stomach. Was it possible that something had happened to Hedwig, and that Sirius hadn't even got his letter?

"We have Divination tomorrow afternoon..." Ron groaned, staring down at his class schedule for the week.

          "You should have given it up like me, shouldn't you?" said Hermione briskly, buttering herself another piece of toast. "Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy."

Harry complained, "I will never understand how Valerie enjoys that subject." Divination was his least favourite subject, apart from Potions. Professor Trelawney kept predicting Harry's death, which he found extremely annoying. Meanwhile, Divination was one of his sister's favourite subjects.

        "I love Professor Trelawney, and overall I've always found Divination quite interesting..." Valerie continued, her brown eyes sparkling. "You know, she keeps predicting the fact that I'm some sort of powerful psychic?"

        "She's an old fraud, that's what she is," Eric exclaimed, shuddering. "I'm glad I won't be dealing with Divination this year."

Ron's eyebrows knit together out of curiosity. "You aren't taking Divination with Harry, Val, and I?"

Valerie chuckled, leaning into Eric. "He's taking the subject: Pastry and Culinary Arts instead," She stated with glee.

           "Oh dear...." Hermione began to worry as she heard Seamus Finnigan would also be taking that subject with Eric.

Harry grinned widely. "Seamus is taking that subject too!"

"Wait, he is??" Eric's smile grew wider, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He knew Seamus was known for exploding nearly anything by accident. He knew if he worked together with Seamus, they would cause a ton of chaos. And most likely, even blow up the entire classroom.

Ron laughed. "You two are definitely burning the whole kitchen down!"

As soon as breakfast had ended, the Golden Trio, including Eric and Valerie, made a beeline for the library. During the walk to their destination, Daphne Greengrass caught up with the group. Earlier that morning, she found out she was placed in Stream C, which didn't bother her at all, since she was aware that she barely received high marks in her exams and anyway, she didn't want to suffer the high expectations of being in the top classes.

Daphne handed out little white boxes of sweets to each of them, neatly tied with pink ribbons.

She called it a 'First day of 4th year present.'

          It wasn't out of the blue for Daphne to hand out random presents: it was actually quite common for her to randomly hand out presents to anyone, even if she didn't know them.

Hermione found the present a sweet gesture, although she warned the group that eating was not authorised in the library. The five of them entered the library and sat themselves at a circular table. They found themselves distracted by their mobile phones, while Hermione went away to search for books to read.

Eric ate one piece of chocolate from the box of sweets given by Daphne. He was about to unwrap his second piece of chocolate, however, someone screeched at him from across the room.

         "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" The librarian, Madam Pince, yelled at Eric unexpectedly, startling some students in the library.

The old woman was certainly ferocious.

Eric whispered, jumping to his feet. "Shit, I forgot—" Madam Pince was swooping down on them, her shriveled face contorted with rage. She then noticed the three other students beside Eric having the same box of sweets in front of them, placed on the table.

          "SWEETS IN THE LIBRARY?? GET OUT!!!" She screamed and whipped out her wand. She caused Ron's, Valerie's, Eric's, and Harry's books and bags to chase them out of the library: whacking them repeatedly over the head as they ran.

Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini, barely made it through the entrance hall when Miranda Lim, the Slytherin Chaser, joined them. Her dark hair, usually tied back in a tight ponytail for Quidditch, was loose, framing her sharp, dark eyes.

          "Absolutely ridiculous!" Miranda muttered, her voice laced with frustration. "No Quidditch this year. Because of that blasted Triwizard Tournament. As if anyone cares about some foreign wizards prancing around."

Lim, though a skilled player, was a half-blood.

A fact Draco usually found distasteful. But her talent on the pitch was undeniable, and even he had to admit, her frustration was understandable.

         "It's a waste," She continued, her voice rising slightly. "We were on track to crush Gryffindor. Now? Nothing."

Blaise, ever the peacemaker, offered a sympathetic smile.

However, before he could respond, a sudden, chaotic rustling sound echoed from down the corridor.

They all paused, their eyes widening.

In the distance, a blur of limbs and flying objects hurtled towards them.

          Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Eric Lewis, and, of course, Valerie Potter, were sprinting past them, their books and bags seemingly attacking them from behind.

The sight was absurd.

         Books were snapping at their heels, bags were swinging wildly, and they were all yelling in a mix of panic and frustration.

Blaise burst out laughing, a genuine, unrestrained sound that echoed through the hall.

Draco felt a chuckle rise in his own throat, a smirk spreading across his face.

His gaze, however, lingered for a fraction longer on Valerie as she dashed past, her black hair flying, a faint flush still on her cheeks. Potter, always causing trouble, he thought, but there was an unbidden flicker of something akin to amusement, even a hint of intrigue, in his grey eyes whenever Valerie was involved. She was... undeniably unique.

           "Classic Valerie, causing trouble," Miranda chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, I better go see what mess they've gotten themselves into this time." With a final, amused glance in their direction, she turned and headed after the chaotic quartet.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ♡ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

( entire chapter rewritten - june 21st 2025 ! )

HELLO BEAUTIFUL BEINGS

i had to add that gif of harry because i find it so funny 😭😭

i hope u have a wonderful day and i hope you enjoyed the very first chapter <3

to make it clear, my character eric lewis is gay !!

also, yes, i know sectioning students into streams isn't apart of the hogwarts universe, but i figured to create one because i needed to find a way to gather the main characters all in one class someway?

see u all next time !

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