The war is history.
The legends are written.
Now it’s your time.
Beyond the portraits and Prefect rounds… beyond the curfews and enchanted staircases… there is a version of Hogwarts built not for children, but for the witches and wizards who have more to become.
This is not the Hogwarts you grew up with.
This is Hogwarts University — a modern campus built within the castle walls, where students train for the future they choose.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Here, robes are still worn — but so is ambition.
Some come to master rare branches of magic.
Some come chasing glory, love, rebellion, or revenge.
Some don’t know why they’re here at all — only that the halls still call their name.
You’ll find them scribbling spells on café napkins in the Astronomy Tower.
Dueling in the courtyards.
Interning at St. Mungo’s, the Prophet, or the Department of Mysteries.
Falling in love by accident. Or on purpose. Or against their better judgment.
And you?
Maybe you’re the curse-breaker in training.
The next magizoologist.
The girl who wants to run the world.
The boy trying to outrun his name.
The heir of a story not yet told.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
There’s room for all of it here.
So unpack your trunk.
The quills are sharp.
The firewhiskey is strong.
And your next chapter begins now.
✦ Welcome to Hogwarts University — where the magic doesn’t end at seventeen.
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Summary: You watch Draco fall in love with someone else.
Pairings: Draco Malfoy x fem!Reader (friends with benefits)
Word Count: 3.5kish
Warnings: Swearing, angst, SMUT(18+), implied past sexual experiences, fingers fucking (!!), dumb idiots in love, anything else? Let me know!!
A/N: My first Draco fic!!! Writing this fic was slowly a 1k fic then quickly became over 3k!! Eeeekkk!! I love this. Hope you do as well!!!! I also got this idea by listening to “Heather” by Conan Gray!
All mistakes are my own. Please do not repost or translate my fics on any other side nor this one.
I appreciate any likes, reblogs, messages, and interactions.
Part 2 | Part 3 | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist
You walk, no run, into potions class as you stumble into your seat next to your best friend as you apologize quietly to professor Slughorn whom only hums in response as he continues to explain what potion is assigned for the day. You zone out his voice as you set down your books and proceeded to adjust your skirt down as you feel eyes on your thighs, like always, and you try not to look at those pretty grey eyes. You pull your robes over your legs.
You let out a sigh as you tug on the sleeves of your sweater as you peer at your best friend who is already starting to mix ingredients together which you notice include one ashwinder egg, three rose thorns, some peppermint, a powered moonstone, and quite a bit of pearl dust.
You rack your brain for what potion this was as you were fairly good in potions class. Maybe even a bit exceptional.
Your best friend smiles down at you, his pearly whites showing, as you watch him mix the ingredients.
“Like what you see?”
You blush slightly as you roll your eyes at him, “Shut it, Draco.”
He smirks as a blue-green tinted spiraling steam starts coming out of the cauldron.
You sniff as you tense up when you realize what potion this is.
You sniff as you tense up when you realize what potion this is.
“Amortentia,” you whisper as Draco nods at you as he leans in to smell the potion.
You close your eyes as you inhale the sweet scent of fresh cut apples with hints of cinnamon and vanilla, pine trees in the fall, and whiffs of sweet red wine on Christmas Eve.
All which is what Draco smells like to you.
You stiffen up as you peer open your eyes, scared that he noticed you leaning more into him, and watch as he smiles with his eyes closed as he sniffs the air.
Your scared to even ask him what he smells. You know it your gut that he’s not smelling you and it kills you.
You slowly let your eyes wonder to your other classmates as they all gush to each other about what they are smelling. You see Hermione explaining what she smells and notice how she also tenses up when she reveals the scents. Nobody else notices.
Draco opens his eyes and he quietly snickers to himself as if he is laughing at his own inside joke.
“What do you smell?” You ask quickly before you regret it. You grip your wrist in each hand as you lean into him once again.
He bites his lip and smiles, “I smell fresh lilies, lavender, and a hint of some type of fruit. I can’t place it.”
Your heart drops as you realize that’s not what you smell like as you try to keep your face neutral.
You bet that’s what Heather Umbridge smells like.
You peer over Draco’s shoulder slightly to try to catch a glimpse of her.
There she is.
She’s laughing and swatting her friends hand away as she pushes her jet black hair away from her pale face.
You see as her blue eyes keep looking over at you and Draco. Your heart breaks even more as you think about how she’s probably smelling the same scent as you.
“Is she looking at me?” Draco asks you in a whisper as you met his eyes. He has a smile on his face.
You can’t lie to him.
You nod and try to give him your best smile.
“She’s never going to go for me when she notices that you’re wearing my sweater,” he says jokingly as he gently tugs on your sleeve.
Your eyes go wide as you look down at your sweater which is in fact his.
Bloody hell.
“I’m sorry,” you whisper as you wish class could end already as you try to avoid his eyes. You know he’s joking, but what if he isn’t?
“It’s the first thing I saw after I showered this morning,” you explain as you face him again and he just rolls his eyes at you.
“I’m joking, love. It’s no problem for me, you know that. It looks better on you either way,” he says shrugging as if it’s no big deal.
But you know it is.
This is your favorite sweater and you know some part of you put it on because you want to make your claim at Draco. Even though in public, you don’t have any right to claim him.
But in some ways... you do.
You have parts of him that nobody else will ever have.
You have his first kiss, his first touch, his first time…
His first moans…
You slightly jump out of your thoughts as professor Slughorn announces class is over as he waves his wand in the air to make all the potions evaporate.
“Can’t have anybody using this,” he jokingly says with his signature chuckle and smile to his students.
You stay sitting as everybody shuffles out of the classroom as Heather walks in front of you and Draco.
You watch Draco as he watches her with hearts in his eyes. He’s mesmerized by her as he smiles dumbly to himself.
You wish he felt that way about you.
She’s a sight and everybody knows it.
She walks in her Slytherin colored robes. It looks as if she’s walking on air. You feel jealousy rush in your veins and you hate the way it makes you feel.
You feel like dying as you look at her and back at Draco.
Was this thing between you guys finally going to end? All the late night kisses and the tangled limbs under emerald green sheets?
All the secret touches?
Your heart was already breaking as you thought about what you’d be losing.
Draco stands up as he waits for you to follow.
You gather your books tightly against your chest as you try to calm your racing heart and anxious mind.
Professor Slughorn leaves the room as he bids you both a goodbye.
It’s only you and Draco left. He stands tall in front of you as he looks at you while he fixes his own robes.
“What?” You ask nervously.
“Don’t what me, Y/N. What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing’s wrong with me,” you reply as you start walking out of the classroom and he stops you with his hand on your forearm.
“Are you sure?”
You nod as you look up at him and he lets go of your forearm. He’s still watching your every move carefully and you know his mind must be racing. But he won’t question you any further. He knows you.
“I’ll see you at lunch?”
You nod and close your eyes as you see him leaning down. Your breathing hitches as he gets closer and you wonder if he can hear your heart beating rapidly in your chest.
You feel his soft lips in your cheek as you try not to let your emotions take over.
He rubs your cheek and winks at you once you open your eyes again.
“Are we still on for tonight?”
You know what he means as his hands sneak underneath your robes and itch their way underneath your skirt. You melt into him as he wraps one arm around your waist. He pulls you closer to his body and you set your free hand on his chest.
He inches his hand near your core as you try to suppress yourself. You’ve always been this way to his touch. Always caving.
Always wanting him.
Only him.
His fingers teasingly touch your panties and you know you’re already wet for him.
“Already?” He asks as you feel himself hardening up against you. You nod as he pushes you towards the wall, away from the door, and wandering eyes.
“Always,” you whisper to him as you feel his mouth collide with yours. Your eyes flutter shut as you let his scent intoxicate you. You moan into his mouth while you drop your books to wrap your arms around his neck as he hikes up your leg to feel you more.
His scent blocks out all your other senses as his lips move against yours in an already synchronized rhythm. His kisses always made you feel fuzzy and warm all together. You feel yourself getting wetter as he continues to touch you teasingly over your panties.
You start feeling antsy as you try to rub yourself against his fingers to get more from him. He chuckles into your mouth as he bites your bottom lip.
“Always so inpatient,” he whispers at you as he pulls you closer to him and starts to kiss your neck. You gasp at the feeling as you lean your head back and shut your eyes to let yourself revel in the pleasure.
You bite down on your bottom lip to hold in the moans when you feel his fingers shove your panties aside and slip in between your folds. You grip onto him as he continues to pump his fingers into you as you feel his hidden cock rubbing onto your leg.
“Just like that, baby.” He whispers into your ear as he starts to increase his pace.
“So tight and wet for me,” he says as he sucks on the free skin underneath your robe. You can hear how wet you are as his fingers move inside of you and it only furthers your pleasure.
He continues with his fast speed as he starts to curl his fingers inside of you and you clench onto them. You feel yourself becoming a panting mess as he continues to lick and kiss your neck.
“Draco,” you moan out as you feel yourself getting closer to your release as he starts speeding up both rhythms.
His fingers inside of you go faster and he starts rubbing himself harder against you. Your bodies are both so in synch with each other, as always, and your stomach starts feeling tighter as you both reach for one another’s lips.
You reach down with one of your arms to feel his hardened length and he moans into your mouth when you come in contact with him.
It sends both of you closer to your release as you both start rubbing against each other. His fingers touching your most sensitive area, he muffles out your moans with his mouth, your hand intertwines into his hair, you pull and you see his eyes go back.
You feel his thumb start to rub against your clit and that’s what drives you to your pleasure point. You clench onto his fingers as his thumb rubs against you and you move your hand fast against him.
You bite down on his lip as you cry out in pleasure as you both release against one another. Draco moans into your mouth in pain and sweet pleasure. Your body is shaking to its core as you settle into your release as you let go of his lips, but he pulls you back in with his hand on your neck as he licks into your mouth with force and you melt into him.
You felt numb as he slowly sets your leg down after he pulls his fingers out of you. He watches you as he pulls himself away from your lips. He bites his lip as he pulls his hand in front of both of you.
Your mouth is still agape as you try to slow your panting down as he licks his fingers off. Licking off you.
“Taste so good,” he moans as he gives you a quick kiss.
You bite your lips as your hand is still on his hard cock. You feel the wet spot on his trousers and praise yourself for making him cum like this.
You both come down from your high. You fix yourself up as he adjust his robes to cover his trousers and you snicker to yourself as he shakes his head.
“The things you make me do, Y/N.”
“Do you think anybody heard us?” You ask with a giggle as Draco bends down to pick up your book and hands them back to you.
“I doubt it. This classroom is empty for the next two sessions. But I don’t care if anybody did either way,” he winks at you and you blush at his words.
“I’m glad we have a free period after potions,” you say to him as you both start walking out into the empty hallways.
“Yeah, but now I have class with Heather.”
You feel your heart tug in pain as you look up at him as you both continue to walk. He’s smiling to himself as you feel yourself consumed in hurt.
How can he make you finish like that in empty classroom and then go on to think about Heather? Does he think about her when his fingers are in you??
Your heart breaks silently as you feel tears prick the corner of your eyes.
“Bye, Draco.” You say quickly as you turn into the first corner you see and run into the girls lavatory without letting him say another word to you.
You rush into the farthest stall and fall onto the floor as you clutch onto your books while tears stream down your face.
You gasp in a breathe as you wipe your tears away.
You knew this thing with Draco was never going to last, but it should have never been started in the first place.
It all started back in fifth year when you were both complaining about not having any experience when it came to the opposite sex, but not wanting to be with anybody from school.
No other boy caught your interest other than Draco and Draco found every other girl repulsive.
You already had feelings for Draco back then and you felt as if this was going to be your chance. If you somehow convinced him to be friends with benefits then maybe, just maybe, he’d fall in love with you too.
So thus that’s how you dumbly told Draco that you guys could be friends with benefits, secretly, and experience everything together first so it wouldn’t be weird and awkward to do these things with someone else.
Draco surprisingly agreed with no hesitation and it’s been that way ever since.
Fifth year was when he first kissed you underneath a peach tree at the courtyard in between classes when you two were alone. You both blushed and giggled together after. Fifth year was all about that. It was all learning how to kiss one another and finding the best way to do it.
Sixth year was learning how to do more than kissing. It was more about what to do after kissing. It’s when you both spoke about what else to do and experimented with letting his hands go underneath your skirt and yours above his trousers. It’s when he first made you finish over your panties and he ended up finishing in his trousers. You remember you both couldn’t stop laughing after and during.
It was closer to the end of sixth year when you let him go underneath your panties and you went underneath his boxers. You remember the way you were on his lap, his fingers inside of you, his cock in your hand, and how you both released at the same time that night for the first time.
It was euphoric and wonderful. It was something new for the both of you. You remember the moans he let out that night.
The summer before seventh year, you spent two weeks at the Malfoy manor and that’s when you learned how to make him cum with your mouth and you with his. The feeling was indescribable.
It was also the summer where you lost your virginity to Draco Malfoy. You remember how you both fumbled into the bed on your last night there before you went back home. You remember him asking you repeatedly if you were sure about this.
You remember how he opened you up with his fingers first, slowly and easily, how wet you became and how slowly he entered you the first time. You remember the pain that came at first, how you cried, but then how amazing it felt after.
You remember he never stopped kissing you.
How amazing it felt when he increased his speed inside of you, how you both moved in rhythm, the moans and sounds you both made, the way he moaned out your name and left bruises against your skin, and the way he looked at you when you both finished together again.
That’s how it always was with you two. Always together. Every. Single. Time.
You remember that’s when you realized you were in love with him.
That’s why you had fooled yourself into believe that just maybe he was falling in love with you too.
But then you left back home the next day and when you started seventh year, on the Hogwarts express, Draco told you about how he met Heather Umbridge.
He met Heather Umbridge because of his mother. His mother was friends with Heather’s and she was transferring here from the school of gifted witches. It was some other magic school in the mountains apparently. They had decided to send Heather to Hogwarts after her father got a job with the ministry.
You hated her ever since you heard her name come out of Draco’s mouth. You saw the way his eyes lit up when he said her name and you saw the way he looked at her.
But you still couldn’t end things with him. You knew there were times where they both flirted with each other, but nothing ever came from it. You weren’t sure if it was Heathers hesitation or Draco’s. You doubted it was his.
Now it was nearing Thanksgiving, you and Draco were still doing what you always did and now there was sex involved.
You managed to make it into his bed every night without fail. Draco had managed to gain the title of head boy of Slytherin this year and he got to have this whole gigantic room to himself.
He snuck you in nightly. You wondered how you had managed to fall more in love with him each day and somehow he never did?
You wipe your tears away as you think about everything. You sniffle as you feel so stupid to ever think Draco Malfoy would ever fall in love with you.
All you were to him was somebody to warm his bed every night.
Or at least that’s what you believed.
***
Draco watches you run away from him and wonders if he should run after you.
He doesn’t.
He walks to the courtyard and stands underneath his favorite peach tree, the same peach tree where he kissed you one night back in fifth year.
He remembers how nervous he was back then and how he wondered if you would kiss him back that night.
You did and he laughed at how nervous he was after. You both did.
He sits on the bench under the tree and places his hand on the cold stone, where you always sit, and wonders if maybe one day you would see him the way he sees you.
He didn’t want to keep up this facade that he wanted Heather Umbridge, he felt repulsed just thinking about maybe wanting someone else, someone other than you.
After he met Heather, he felt it would be a good plan to make it seem as if he was interested in someone else. He wanted to see if he could make you jealous.
He wanted to make you jealous because he was in love with you.
He didn’t think you felt the same way.
That’s why he lied about what he smelled in the cauldron earlier during potions class.
He said he smelled lilies and lavender because he knew that’s what Heather smelled like because he caught a whiff of her shampoo one day when she sat next to him in lunch. He hated lilies and lavender.
He didn’t even see you react to what he said and it made his heart deflate.
He wonders what you had smelled because you looked so tense and sad about whatever it was. He wonders about what scent engulfed you and he felt jealousy in the pit of his stomach.
He wants to tell you what he smelled. He wants to yell it at you. He wants you to know what engulfed his senses and made him want to get on his knees for it.
He had smelled you.
You smelled like a warm Christmas night. You smelled like fresh baked caramel cookies with a warm vanilla candle on, you smelled like a new bottle of your favorite red wine that would stain your lips after a couple drinks, you smelled like everything he loved all put into one.
You smelled like love to Draco Malfoy.
He sighs as he plays with his fingers as he notices students filling the hallway, once again, and he knows it’s time for his next class.
He lets himself think a little bit more. He thinks maybe it’s time to move on from you.
So… I might not find a suitable place to include this small snippet in my story, so I figured... why not just post it here?
Sherlock played Quidditch purely because he was out of boredom.
He didn't join the Ravenclaw team until his fifth year; before that, he had absolutely no interest in Quidditch or the House Cup. Upon arriving at Hogwarts, the only things that captured his attention were exploring the castle’s secret passages and solving the hidden puzzles and chambers that had stumped students before him. However, by his fifth year, he had become so familiar with the castle that he could navigate from Ravenclaw Tower to the Boathouse with his eyes closed, even during curfew. And that’s when he began to find the days in school increasingly dull.
It was a weekend when students were allowed to visit Hogsmeade. Half-forced by John, he ended up at The Three Broomsticks. As he stared absentmindedly at the overly sweet-looking foamy drink in front of him, a familiar voice, accompanied by a conversation, reached his ears.
Without turning around, he knew that the people who had just sat at the small round table behind him and John were Molly Hooper and her friend, Meena Quintus. Meanwhile, John’s attention was entirely focused on Sarah Sawyer, who had just ordered three butterbeers at the bar for herself and her two giggled classmates. Left with little choice, Sherlock found himself eavesdropping on the conversation at the table behind him.
"...You mean Duncan? He’s trying out for the Ravenclaw team?” Molly sounds surprised at the news.
"I know, right? It's ridiculous. That guy has no talent at all. I heard he's just doing it to show off..."
"What position is he trying for?"
"I guess it’s Seeker. The Seeker position has been open since Seth graduated last year."
"That's a shame."
"I didn't know you liked Quidditch, Molls," Meena teased.
“I just..." He heard Molly paused and sighed softly. "...I just think that being a Seeker, able to determine the outcome of the entire match in an instant at the very end, is really exciting... and kind of... hot?"
Sherlock didn't remember much of the conversation that followed (or he just deemed it unimportant and deleted it entirly from his Mind Palace).
Kind of... hot?
Molly Hooper thinks being a Seeker is kind of… HOT?
By the time Sherlock came to his senses, he was already in Ravenclaw team robes, sitting astride a broom, ready to take off.
Unsurprisingly, he caught the Snitch with ease.
The match hadn’t even lasted more than fifteen minutes before Sherlock ended it, leaving the crowd in shock
As he walked out of the locker room (he didn't even need to change; his robe was still completely dry), he just so happened to run into Molly, who was leaving the stands to return to the castle.
He feigned surprise, as if only just realizing that Molly had come to watch the match.
(When in fact, he had already spotted her in the crowd before the match even started.)
(When in fact, he had even calculated when the Snitch would fly closest to her, and managed to snatch the fluttering golden ball right in front of her stand.)
(The poor Gryffindor Seeker didn't even realize the match was over until the referee blew the whistle.)
"Hi, Sherlock."
Though still a bit unaccustomed, he really liked the sound of Molly calling him by his name.
He nodded, maintaining his usual indifferent demeanor.
"You came to watch the match?” He acted nonchalantly.
"Of course." Molly beamed. "You actually caught the Snitch right in front of where I was sitting. It would have been hard to miss!"
Sherlock didn't notice the faint smile on his lips, nor did he realize that his gaze hadn't left Molly's face.
His intense stare made Molly’s cheeks flush slightly.
"Well, anyway, congratulations." She nodded at him, looking like she was about to turn and leave.
"Molly."
Perhaps it was because he had just finished an intense Quidditch match, but Sherlock's hand moved before his brain could catch up. Molly's gaze fell on where he was holding her hand, those brown eyes widening slightly in surprise.
His sharp mind saved him at that moment.
"Here." He pulled the Snitch he had just caught from his pocket and shoved it into Molly's hand. "Professor Pritchard hasn't noticed that I took the Snitch yet."
Molly looked at the Snitch in her hand, then back up at Sherlock. "But..."
"It’s no use to me, so you might as well have it." He shrugged, as if it were no big deal.
Molly nodded, still slightly confused, but accepted the Snitch nonetheless.
“Next match,” Sherlock said, his hands in the pockets as he shifted slightly, “we’re up against Slytherin.”
Molly wrinkled her nose. "I don’t like their seeker, that guy, Flint.”
Sherlock smiled faintly. "Neither do I."
“You have to win the next one. Beat them fair and square.” Molly clenched her fists, her fierce expression making Sherlock chuckle.
"Of course," he nodded. "I absolutely will."
“Well then, good luck in the next game.”
Just when Sherlock thought she was leaving, Molly hesitated for a moment before turning back around.
Tilting her head slightly, she flashed him a cute smile.
“Hope next time I’ll get to enjoy watching you fly around looking all hot for much longer!”
The next Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin match almost set the record for the longest game in Hogwarts history.
By the time Sherlock dismounted his broom, he could barely feel his legs.
“Six hours and fifty minutes… Were you trying to break some kind of record?” John quipped.
Molly chuckled, helping John support Sherlock as he struggled to stand on his own.
“Why did you deliberately avoid catching the Snitch?” She poked him gently. “Idiot.”
Sherlock stared at her blankly
It was at that moment he realized Molly Hooper might be the puzzle he could never solve.
Since Hogwarts had opened its doors to werewolves, many Hale children had apparently come through, wary and angry, refusing to socialize with the other students. And one by one, they’d been sorted into Slytherin, obviously, with the odd Ravenclaw to mix things up.
And then along came little Derek Hale, who’d barely gotten his ass on the stool before the hat was calling out Gryffindor.
Everyone thought it was funny, even now, when Derek was in his seventh year. Stiles, though, found it fascinating.
It helped, of course, that Derek was two years older and hotter than the sun.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
One of all-time the most popular and everyone's favorite AU idea is definitely "Hogwarts".
As for Elsa, she can be in various houses such as Ravenclaw or Slytherin or even in Beauxbatons Academy. Anna is more like for Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, but I hardly saw her in Beauxbatons with Elsa. I wonder why is that?
Anyway, this theme has become a great inspiration for my EVANESCENCE comic, #Elsanna in Hogwarts (there’s also #Cassunzel couple as well). I first published it in 2019. I’m still working on it and hopefully I can finish the series within next year(2024).
I got printed books version and digital version. Please DM if you'd like to order some.
polin!hogwarts au: ravenclaw penelope x hufflepuff colin.
Penelope hated yellow. Well, hate was a strong word but you probably would share the same sentiment if for the whole eleven years of your life involved the ugliest piece and garments of all yellow shade could exist. A big tacky yellow ribbon which adding nothing on her auburn locks, a bumblebee tights that earned mockery instead of flattery from her peers, a yellow dress with flowery print which more resembled your Nana's than suitable mode for your own age, and so on.
Penelope just couldn't find the same joy that her Mama been trying to introduce (or doctrine in this case) with the colour of yellow to her. Maybe yellow was a happy colour, but maybe just not on her.
Okay, I love Hogwarts AU, where the characters are still students and they combine saving the world and their personal growth with their studies, etc..
BUT JUST IMAGINE THEM AFTER SCHOOL IN SOME WORLD LIKE THE ONE IN BOOK 7
JUST IMAGINE NATHANIEL AS A DEATH EATER.
JUST IMAGINE BARTIMEUS AS AN AUROR.
I can already see a scene in which these two cross paths on some mission where one is actually supposed to kill the other.
But they just stare at each other for a while, absolutely shocked.
Bartimaeus abruptly stopped his movement before he could cast a spell.
And the magic wand in Nat's hand, despite how steadfast and calm he wants to seem, fluttered slightly.
Bart just stares at this man, a horrible murderer and criminal, so alien that he simply refuses to recognize him as the Slytherin idiot he has saved from expulsion or even death a thousand times. He recalls his high school years, that contempt mixed with a kind of understanding and love that Bartimaeus felt for this guy. Perhaps, if I want to cram my pairings everywhere as usual, they even had a not-so-long high school romance and to this day he doesn't understand how that could have happened.
And hell, yes, the kid was an arrogant, annoying, arrogant, ambitious fool with a lot of wrong thoughts and stereotypes in his head, but Bartimaeus believed, though he had never admitted it to himself until now, that something decent could come out of him. He could see those glimmers of trust, conscience, and even kindness in a way. After all, he was the only one who knew what Nathaniel saw in the Erised mirror (though Kitty knew, at the very least, that it wasn't how he got all the school awards). And the wizard wanted to preserve those qualities more than anyone else, for he was already losing people.
Now he'd lost Nathaniel Underwood, too. After all, he knew that if it had been anyone else, the killing spell would have hit the target for sure. For he had seen that the black mark on the boy's arm was no mere play of light in the illumination of the stars.
And, if Nathaniel wants to be called John Mandrake from now on, well, Bartimaeus will call him that.
(@bblueraven-and-animefandoms14 It's not quite writing, but I thought you would be interested in something like this, so I decided to tag you. If something is wrong, then I apologize 😔)
