Snow began to fall steadily in the last days of December, blanketing the grounds of Hogwarts in white and freezing the edges of the lake like a half-ford mirror. Aurelian watched from one of the highest windows in a tower, his breath fogging the glass as he watched the carriages and students leave for Hogsade, bound for their family vacations.
Cedric was one of the first to seek him out to say goodbye.
"Are you sure you don't want to co with us?" he asked with a warm smile, his gloves half on and a scarf hanging from his neck. "Mom makes a spectacular chicken."
Aurelian shook his head calmly.
"I could use a little peace and quiet. I want to take advantage of the opportunity to study a few things and explore the castle when there aren't so many people around. Besides... I don't like to break with family traditions."
Cedric looked at him silently for a second, as if he wanted to say sothing else, but he just nodded.
"All right. But I'll send you sothing by owl," he assured him.
Shortly after, the Weasley twins appeared, each carrying a suitcase that seed to have a life of its own. Fred was carrying a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and George was dragging a Gryffindor scarf as if it had been given to him reluctantly.
"Are you going to miss us, oh great mysterious Slytherin?" Fred joked with feigned drama.
"Terribly," Aurelian joked with a subtle smile. "The castle without you will be... quiet."
"What a strange complint!" George laughed. "Well, save so of that calm for next term. If anyone bothers you, remind them that you have friends in Gryffindor. We won't tell them we're mischievous... yet."
Aurelian nodded, truly grateful, even though his words were always more restrained.
"Thanks, Fred. George. Take care at ho."
"You too, Snakelord," they said in unison, giving him a nickna that made them laugh.
He watched them walk away laughing, and for a mont, he felt a strange warmth in his chest. Hogwarts, unpredictable as it was, was giving him things he had never had before: real connections... Friends.
Now, with the hallways emptier than ever, the castle would be his for a few weeks.
His ti. His silence. His world.
The following days passed slowly and quietly. Without the constant bustle of hundreds of students, Hogwarts beca a more intimate, ancient place. The stairs seed less capricious, the paintings more willing to converse, and the sound of footsteps beca a comforting whisper.
Aurelian explored every corner. He strolled calmly through the torch-lit corridors, discovering forgotten portraits, dusty statues, and corridors that only seed to reveal themselves when the castle was silent. Occasionally, he practiced minor spells in the empty halls, adjusting his gestures, refining his magical intent with precision.
One afternoon, as he curiously examined an enchanted display case in the hallway, he heard a cheerful voice beside him.
"Ah, Mr. Gaunt! Do you also find this collection fascinating?"
It was Professor Flitwick, dressed in a Christmas-colored robe that slowly changed color. The little Charms teacher had a special sparkle in his eyes when it ca to magical curiosities.
"Yes, Professor. I was wondering why so of these display cases are enchanted to open only with certain nas."
Flitwick smiled proudly.
"A blood charm, one of the oldest! Although Hogwarts does not usually use such filters, these artifacts were donated by families very jealous of their history. So even respond only if the person who touches them has a lineage that goes back to their creators."
Aurelian listened attentively. There was sothing comforting about the professor's way of explaining things, as if each word were part of a symphony of knowledge.
"I suppose there are many things here that we still don't fully understand," Aurelian comnted, letting his hand brush against the glass without expecting a response.
"That's why we keep learning!" Flitwick exclaid cheerfully. "Never underestimate what a forgotten object can teach you, Mr. Gaunt. Sotis, those objects contain truths more enduring than books."
After bowing goodbye, Flitwick disappeared down another corridor, leaving him alone with his thoughts once more.
It was that sa night, while dining alone in the Great Hall adorned with floating candles, mistletoe branches, and charming decorations, that he noticed two other figures sharing his solitude.
Hestia and Flora.
The twins, as if connected by an invisible thread, sat down at the sa table, one on either side of Aurelian, without asking. Their faces reflected surprise, curiosity... perhaps sothing more. Sothing that Aurelian, even with his keen perception, could not quite decipher.
"We didn't know you were staying for the holidays too," said Flora, in a soft voice with a peculiar accent, as if each word were carefully asured.
"Most people don't," Aurelian replied calmly, looking at both of them. "But I suppose those of us who stay... share certain things."
"Things like what?" asked Hestia, her tone slightly higher, though just as calm.
"Cargo, I suppose," he replied without thinking too much about it. Then he added, "Do they always sit like that, on either side of soone?"
The two looked at each other and smiled, identically.
"Only with you."
Aurelian tilted his head. There was no judgnt in his gaze, but there was a spark of suspicion. Still, he said nothing more. They ate dinner in silence, and it was Flora who carefully placed a small twig wrapped in an illusionary snow spell in front of him.
"rry Christmas in advance, Aurelian," she said with a barely perceptible smile.
The young Gaunt looked at her for a few seconds. Then, with a serene gesture, he took the twig and tucked it inside his tunic.
"Thank you," he replied, allowing himself sothing unusual for him: a sincere smile.
Snow continued to fall on the grounds of Hogwarts like a persistent but silent spell. The mornings were cold, but the warmth in the castle corridors was enough to keep Aurelian from feeling the need to return to the mansion, even for a second. Especially when his days were being shared with such peculiar company.
The Carrow twins, Hestia and Flora, had beco a constant part of his routine. Although at first their appearances were sporadic, shrouded in a halo of mystery that they seed to project naturally, as the days passed they began to show themselves to be more open, almost... normal, at least as normal as two girls who spoke in sync, walked with identical steps, and had a tendency to appear just when Aurelian thought he was alone could seem.
But it didn't bother him. In fact, he enjoyed their company.
They spent their afternoons in the library, walking through the most forgotten corridors of the castle. On one occasion, they found an abandoned room with a broken mirror that reflected distorted images back at them. They spent hours laughing among reflections of worlds that did not exist.
During one of those walks through the snowy corridors of the first floor, Hestia asked him:
"Do you like being alone, Aurelian?"
He looked at her calmly and then looked at Flora, who was waiting for the answer with an attentive gaze.
"I like to have control over the space I inhabit. But that doesn't an I mind sharing it... with the right people."
The twins exchanged a quick glance, and for a mont Aurelian felt that strange intensity in their eyes again. As if he had said exactly what they wanted to hear.
Christmas Day arrived shrouded in a soft mist that covered the gardens. The Great Hall had been completely transford: magical trees decorated with floating orbs, Christmas elves, and musical enchantnts filled the atmosphere with festive warmth. The tables were overflowing with food: juicy turkeys, steaming cakes, gingerbread cookies that danced on their own before anyone ate them, and bowls of hot chocolate floating between the tables.
Aurelian sat next to the twins, Flora on his right and Hestia on his left. Although the dining hall was not even half full, the atmosphere was cozy. Flitwick flew above the tables decorating them with bright lights, while Professor Sprout enchanted the cutlery so that it served food automatically.
After the banquet, the students who remained at Hogwarts went up to their common rooms or gathered in empty halls to open gifts and share monts together.
Aurelian settled down by the fire in the common room with a book in his hands, and soon a small box wrapped in red paper floated toward him. He took it with a raised eyebrow. It had clumsy but enthusiastic handwriting:
"rry Christmas, Aurelian! -Fred & George"
When he opened it, he found a small chanical device that exploded in a small burst of snow and released a hand-knitted green and silver scarf. It had a not-so-subtle gold border.
"Perfect," he murmured with an amused smile.
Another package, this one smaller and more elegant, appeared with a faint jingle: it was from Cedric. It contained an enchanted quill and a note:
"I promised you that not all Hufflepuffs are predictable. See you soon, friend."
The twins didn't give him anything openly, but when he returned to his dormitory that night, he found a black box with no signature carefully placed on his bed. Inside was a collection of pages from old books with spells for tracking, magical concealnt, and stealth. So were extrely advanced. A single thought crossed his mind.
They knew. They knew exactly what would interest .
Aurelian lay staring at the ceiling for a few minutes before going to sleep. For the first ti in a long ti, he felt that his surroundings not only accepted him... but that he was beginning to be part of sothing.
_______
The Hogwarts Express released a cloud of steam as it pulled into Hogsade station. The sky was clear and the air was freezing, but the excitent of the students as they got off the train ward the scene. Carrying heavy trunks and cages filled with squeaking pets, the students began to file toward the enchanted carriages.
Aurelian watched from the edge of the path, wrapped in his winter cloak. His eyes scanned the bustle, alert to certain familiar voices.
"Aurelian!" a cheerful voice called out from the crowd.
Cedric Diggory pushed his way through a group of third-year students, his stride confident and his characteristic open smile on his face. Right behind him, Fred and George Weasley appeared, carrying a trunk between them... although it was clear that one of them was letting the other do most of the work.
"Did you survive without us?" Fred joked, raising an eyebrow.
"The castle was... quiet," Aurelian replied with a slight smile. "Silent, even."
George stepped forward, pulling a poorly wrapped package from his robe. "You missed our latest creation. Too bad. We almost blew up an entire boiler in Mom's kitchen."
"We still think it was a resounding success," Fred added solemnly.
Cedric shook his head, amused.
"And what did you do?" he asked as they walked toward the castle. "Did you discover another secret room or ta a dragon during the holidays?" Cedric joked.
Aurelian shook his head slightly.
"Nothing that spectacular. But I've been busy... learning and making friends."
At that mont, two female figures approached calmly from the carriage area. The Carrow twins, wrapped in perfectly buttoned green cloaks, walked elegantly. Their eyes imdiately sought out Aurelian.
"Hestia, Flora," said Aurelian, pausing to wait for them. "I'd like to introduce you to so friends of mine."
The two curtsied almost in unison, their eyes subtly scanning the new arrivals.
"A pleasure," they said in unison.
Cedric and the twins fell silent for a mont, sowhat surprised by the sisters' synchrony, although George soon broke the ice with a playful smile.
"What an elegant introduction! Do all Slytherins greet each other like that, or is it a special treatnt for Aurelian?"
"Only for those he considers important," replied Hestia, without taking her eyes off Aurelian.
Aurelian raised an eyebrow. They resud their march toward the castle, now as a larger group. Hogwarts awaited, enveloped in snow and magic.
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