The shrill whistle of the Hogwarts Express cut through the cold night air, announcing the train's arrival at Hogsmeade Station. A thick cloud of smoke enveloped the platform as the students, already dressed in their black robes, began to disembark from the carriages, filling the night with a gentle buzz of reunion and laughter.
Aurelian stepped off the train with his characteristic elegance. He paused for a moment on the platform, adjusting the cuffs of his robe, and turned his gaze toward one end of the station.
In the distance, the gigantic figure of Rubeus Hagrid held a lantern flickering in the darkness, shouting in his booming voice, "First-years! First-years over here!" A line of tiny children, shivering from the cold, made their way clumsily toward the half-giant, ready to cross the Black Lake in the traditional wooden boats.
The familiar weight of two presences made itself felt at his sides. Hestia gently rested her head on Aurelian's right shoulder, while Flora did exactly the same on his left. Both clung to his arms, silently watching the same scene.
Aurelian kept watching the children, feeling a touch of nostalgia at how quickly his time at Hogwarts had passed.
"Tell me something, girls," Aurelian murmured, without taking his eyes off the new students. "When you were that age and about to cross that lake for the first time, what did you want to achieve at Hogwarts? What was your biggest ambition for your first year?"
Hestia and Flora didn't even have to think about it. In perfect unison, they lifted their faces and planted a soft kiss on each of his cheeks.
"We just wanted to find the love of our lives," the girls replied at the same time, with sincerity and affection.
Aurelian felt his cheeks flush a deep red. Sometimes he didn't understand what the twins had seen in him to love him so deeply. At that point, it no longer mattered, since he loved them with the same intensity. With a slight blush on his cheeks, he wrapped both arms around them, pulling them into a strong, warm embrace that the girls happily returned.
"Aurelian! Girls! How was the trip?"
The friendly voice made them pull back a little. Walking toward them from the crowd, wearing his bright Hufflepuff robe and a dazzling smile, came Cedric Diggory.
Aurelian smiled back immediately and held out his hand. Cedric shook it firmly.
As he greeted the Hufflepuff prefect, a thought crossed Aurelian's mind. Seeing Cedric smile at him so calmly, he couldn't help but feel an immense, quiet satisfaction. He had altered the rules of this world. He had manipulated the Triwizard Tournament the previous year, and in doing so, he had saved his friend from the dark and tragic fate that had originally awaited him in that graveyard. Cedric was alive, and that was a victory Aurelian secretly treasured.
"Are you ready for your final year at Hogwarts, Cedric?" Aurelian asked, letting go of his hand.
Cedric let out a small sigh and scratched the back of his neck, looking toward the path leading to the carriages.
"To be honest, I think I'll miss coming back to this castle next year," Cedric confessed in a melancholy tone. "It's been seven incredible years. It's strange to think that after June, we won't be walking those halls anymore."
Before Aurelian could respond, Hestia and Flora stepped forward, linking their arms with their fiancé's once more.
"Well, we're immensely happy that this chapter is finally coming to an end," Flora declared, without a hint of nostalgia.
Cedric raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the coldness of the response.
"Oh, really? And why is that?"
Hestia looked at him as if he'd just asked the stupidest question in the world. She smiled broadly, pressing herself even closer to Aurelian.
"Because then we'll finally be able to get married, live together, and be Aurelian's wives," Hestia explained matter-of-factly. "And never again—for the rest of our lives and even in death—will we have to be separated from him. We'll be united for all eternity."
Cedric blinked slowly. He looked at the twins, whose obsessive and possessive nature was already known as a force of nature, then shifted his gaze to Aurelian. The Hufflepuff champion shared a silent but understanding glance with his friend—a mix of respect, amusement, and a touch of pity for the intense and chaotic life that awaited him after school.
"Sure… I understand perfectly," said Cedric, nodding half-heartedly and taking a step back with an amused smile. "Well, I'll leave you… alone. I'll see you in the Great Hall for the banquet. Bye."
As soon as Cedric disappeared into the crowd of students, the twins let out an impatient sigh and began dragging Aurelian by the arms toward the path.
"Come on, my love!" Flora urged. "We want to get a carriage all to ourselves before they fill up and we have to share."
Aurelian let himself be carried along by the strength of his fiancées. As they walked toward the carriages drawn by the skeletal, invisible Thestrals, the young lord let out a long, silent sigh.
He looked toward the imposing silhouette of Hogwarts Castle, illuminated by the moon and stars, and couldn't help but wonder what surprises his seventh and final year there had in store for him.
The Great Hall glowed in the light of thousands of candles on the ceiling, filled with the comforting aroma of food prepared by the house-elves and the cheerful murmur of the students.
From the head table, Albus Dumbledore watched the scene with a placid smile. The Headmaster was genuinely enjoying the festive atmosphere. However, his keen gaze caught an interesting detail to his right.
Horace Slughorn, who had been devouring his portion of roast pheasant, now had his fork halfway to his mouth. His slightly bulging eyes were fixed intently on a certain dark-haired boy with a calm smile sitting at the Slytherin table.
Albus widened his smile with a hint of complicity. He leaned slightly toward the Potions master.
"Tell me, Horace," Dumbledore whispered casually, "have you taken an interest in young Gaunt yet?"
Slughorn jumped, nearly spilling his wine. He turned his head toward Dumbledore, his somewhat plump face turning pale in the candlelight. Leaning as close as his belly would allow, he whispered to the Headmaster in a trembling voice.
"Albus... you never told me that the Gaunt boy would be the son of... of..." Horace couldn't finish the sentence. He swallowed hard, lowered his head, and turned his attention back to his food, stirring his vegetables with obvious nervousness.
Albus let out a soft chuckle that was lost amid the din of the dining hall.
"Oh, my good Horace. What would life be without a little mystery?" Dumbledore replied with a playful wink, returning to his own plate.
As the last desserts disappeared from the trays, the hubbub began to die down naturally. Albus Dumbledore stood up, the purple robes he had chosen for that evening billowing gracefully. With a simple wave of his hand, the Great Hall fell into absolute silence.
"Welcome!" Dumbledore's clear, magical voice echoed throughout every corner. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts. It brings me immense joy to see you all again, ready to fill these halls once more with your laughter, your magic, and your quest for knowledge."
Dumbledore smiled, letting his gaze wander over the four tables.
"Before we retire to our warm beds, I have some important announcements for this school year. As many of you may have already noticed…"
The Headmaster extended a hand toward one end of the teachers' table.
"Mr. Argus Filch is seated among the faculty today. And that is because, starting this year, Professor Filch will be teaching a brand-new subject to students in their fourth year and above: the class on Arcane Patterns."
A wave of respectful applause and a few enthusiastic whistles from the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables erupted in the Great Hall. Argus Filch, wearing tweed robes far more elegant than his usual attire, nodded stiffly but with undeniable pride in his eyes at the announcement.
When the applause died down, Dumbledore spoke again.
"Secondly, I must inform you that Professor Severus Snape will no longer be teaching Potions."
The reaction was almost immediate. Although no one dared to shout, a huge number of students (not to mention the vast majority, especially in Gryffindor and Hufflepuff) began to celebrate silently, exchanging relieved smiles and bumping fists beneath the tables. In his seat, Snape frowned deeply at the scene, his face taking on an expression even more sour than usual.
Dumbledore let them enjoy their fleeting victory for a couple of seconds before dropping the bombshell.
"This is because Professor Snape will now take on the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
The effect was devastating. Everyone who had been celebrating just a moment before now cowered in their seats, letting out sighs and accepting reality with resignation as they realized they hadn't escaped the terror of the dungeons—they'd merely moved up a floor. Dumbledore couldn't help but smile broadly, thoroughly amused by the dramatic reaction of his entire student body.
"And finally," concluded the Headmaster, pointing to the portly wizard beside him, "I am pleased to introduce the person who will now be teaching Potions. Professor Horace Slughorn, a former colleague who has kindly agreed to come out of retirement to teach the subject once more. A round of applause for him!"
Later that same night, when the castle had finally fallen silent, Horace Slughorn found himself in the safety of his new office.
He was wearing striped silk pajamas and a velvet robe. With heavy, lethargic movements, he prepared a cup of chamomile tea, trying to calm his nerves as he reviewed the overwhelming events of the past few weeks.
First, the news that had shaken the entire country: Tom Riddle, now known as Tom Gaunt, had become the new Minister of Magic, and Albus Dumbledore—supposedly the great defender of the light—had done absolutely nothing to stop him or halt his rise; he just stood there smiling while everyone applauded.
And then, the coup de grâce. He had agreed to come out of his well-deserved retirement and return to Hogwarts on the promise of meeting the brightest mind of the century, the famous Lord Gaunt, creator of the Arcane Patterns… only to discover that very night that this brilliant boy was none other than Tom's only biological son. The worst part was that all of this had ruined his appetite, and he'd had to leave his roast pheasant uneaten.
Horace sighed deeply. He sank heavily into his most comfortable wingback chair and took the steaming cup in his chubby hands. He took a sip of the hot tea, watching the fire crackle in the fireplace.
The whole world had definitely been turned upside down. The Dark Lords now ruled in broad daylight, the richest Lord in the country was just a teenager, and squibs were now professors.
"Oh, Horace…" thought Slughorn, closing his eyes wearily and regretfully. "You should have stayed in your little house, quiet and minding your own business."
---------------------------
I have a Patreon account. If you would like to support me, I would greatly appreciate it. You will be able to read up to 15 more chapters, listen to all chapters as audiobooks, and view images of the characters in the story for free. Thank you very much for reading my story :D
patreon.com/Daoistrg