𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 | Harry James Potter x Reader

YR 3 ☆•°~'* 10

❈🌠➵9¾♌ ⚯ 🗲━━━━━★. *･｡ﾟ✧⁺

The following week at Hogwarts, Y/N noticed tighter security around the castle. They had even trained a pair of club-carrying Trolls to guard the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. Sir Cadogan had been sacked, and the portrait of the Fat Lady was restored. Y/N was grateful for this; she was getting sick of Sir Cadogan's boastful personality and his passwords changing every day. 

Meanwhile, Hermione was to be seen hanging around in the library far more than usual. One day, as Y/N was returning a book on Animagi to the library, she found her friend sitting at a table surrounded by three piles of books, taking notes and searching them frantically. 

'What are you doing?' said Y/N, looking over Hermione's shoulder at the book she was reading.

'Reading up on cases of marauding Hippogriffs,' said Hermione, flipping the pages.

'Hippogriffs... why?' asked Y/N, confused.

'Because Hagrid still needs help with Buckbeak's case!' shrilled Hermione.

'Oh, no! I completely forgot,' gasped Y/N. And she had indeed. She was so busy learning everything she could on Animagi and Metamorphmagi, not to mention her increasing pile of schoolwork, that Buckbeak's case was driven completely out of her mind.

She sat down next to Hermione and opened one of the books from the pile resolutely. 

'You don't have to do this alone, Hermione,' said Y/N, grabbing a self-inking quill and parchment. 'You should've asked me for help!'

'Yes, well, you seemed busy yourself,' said Hermione, grabbing another book.

That was true, but Y/N wasn't sure she would tell Hermione, or anyone for that matter, that she was trying to become an Animagus. It felt like something she had to do alone, and it would be highly embarrassing if she ended up being unsuccessful in her attempt.

And so they went through the many books Hermione had borrowed, taking notes of any useful cases that could be used to help Hagrid. As Y/N's arm ached from the amount she wrote, she thought about hexing Malfoy as soon as she crossed paths with him.

'Git,' she mumbled.

'Sorry?' said Hermione, looking slightly offended.

'Not you! That bloody spoiled blondie-'

Hermione smiled for the first time in days. Y/N grinned back and returned to her book.

They worked for a while, and the sun was setting quickly. Y/N was scribbling something down when she felt a pair of eyes on the back of her head. She looked up slowly and craned her neck around to find a tall, handsome, and charming brunette boy looking at her from behind a row of books.

He got up and walked over to Y/N and Hermione's table, and Y/N couldn't help the small, nervous butterflies that started fluttering around in her stomach.

'Hey, Y/L/N,' said Cedric Diggory, towering over her. Hermione whipped her head around so suddenly that her neck cricked. Her eyes widened when she saw Cedric and gave Y/N a look.

'Hi, Diggory,' Y/N replied with a smile. 'Er- did you want anything?'

'Yeah, I was wondering if I could borrow Cases of Marauding Beasts Across Europe?' Cedric asked kindly, flashing Y/N a smile. 'I was looking for it and noticed you had it-'

'Oh, yeah, of course!' said Y/N, slightly over-enthusiastic. She handed over the heavy tome to the Hufflepuff and he grinned at her.

'Thank you, I'll return it tomorrow, promise,' said Cedric. He gave Hermione a polite nod of acknowledgment and walked back to his table.