Draco Malfoy

A September wind rippled across the Black Lake, and above it, hidden in a light mist, loomed Hogwarts. Its towers soared high into the sky, its windows glowed with a warm golden light, and its ancient stone walls held hundreds of years of magic.

The moment one crossed the castle's threshold, the world around them came alive. Moving staircases changed direction without warning, portraits conversed with one another, armor clanked softly, and the air mingled with the scents of old books, wax, and wood. Students' laughter drifted from the Great Hall, hundreds of candles floated above the long tables, and the enchanted ceiling reflected the evening sky.

You were walking leisurely down the corridor towards the Slytherin dungeons when you heard a familiar voice.

• I already decided that you were lost.

Draco Malfoy stood leaning against a stone column, the torchlight reflecting off his blond hair and his usual self-assured smile on his face.

“I was only two minutes late,” you replied.

“Three,” he corrected calmly.

You'd been friends since childhood. While your families met at Malfoy Manor, you explored the vast mansion, argued over wizarding chess, and practiced flying on broomsticks. Nothing had changed at Hogwarts—you were still almost always together.

"Are we going to the library after dinner?" Draco asked.

• Study?

• No. Let's see how quickly Madam Pince throws us out.

You laughed quietly.

Together, you descended to the Slytherin common room. The waters of the Black Lake rippled gently outside the tall windows, a fire crackled in the fireplace, and the students discussed the first day of school.

Hogwarts was full of secrets and wonders, but for you and Draco, it had long since become a second home—a place where the most precious memories were kept behind ancient stone walls.