Illusory § Order of the Phoenix

IV. THE NOT-SO-GOLDEN TRIO

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Although Sirius left him in front of his new room, Antares hadn't stepped inside yet. He hadn't even opened the door. Instead, he wandered back down to the other halls to accustom himself to his new hostel. The Advanced Guard had left to retrieve The Boy Who Lived an hour ago, leaving the house mostly empty. It didn't stop the whole of Grimmauld Place from buzzing in anticipation of its expected guest.

He had talked to Lupin once, only to ask about Sirius' mental health and awkwardly apologize on behalf of Snape for outing the lycan during Antares' 6th year.

As he reached the top of the stairs on the third floor, Antares heard a distinct cracking sound behind him. Turning around, he greeted the two very identical heads of red hair. "Fred, George. I see you two passed your Apparition exams."

"You've been holding out on us, Kelly," Fred scolded.

"Didn't even bother to tell us that it was this much fun," George shook his head with disapproval.

"Oh, Merlin," Antares rolled his eyes. "If you were so eager, why didn't you ask Vita? Or, I don't know, your brothers?"

While Antares was at Hogwarts, he couldn't say that he was particularly close with the Weasley twins, even less so with their older brother Percy, who happened to graduate in the same year. Antares did, however, he much of their pranks and antics through fellow Slytherin, Vita Macmillan.

Vita was another pure-blood, like a handful in Slytherin house, and a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. She is the elder sister to Hufflepuff Ernest Macmillan and a self-proclaimed "disco queen," despite Hogwarts not having one. She delighted in making herself known in every house and was a stark supporter of mischief and mayhem.

Fred leaned on the bannister next to the stairs. "Mum gave Bill and Charlie strict orders not to encourage our bad behaviour. But that's the thing..." he trailed.

"We don't really need encouraging, do we?" George grinned. "As for good ol' Vita, she didn't pass her exam until after you both left Hogwarts."

"How unfortunate for you," Antares hummed. He ran a hand through his hair. "Do me a favour? Try not to wreak havoc on this year. The ministry is likely to send an official to spy on us all, and I don't know how much influence I still have in Slytherin."

"Sure you do!" Fred laughed as he patted him on the shoulder. "You'll have Cassius Warrington to back you."

"And I'm sure Slytherin would rather listen to anyone other than Malfoy," George smirked. "You-Know-Who has returned, and you're not there to keep the peace."

Antares sighed as he braced himself on the wall to his left. The ashy wallpaper made a dull contrast to his dark attire. During his years at Hogwarts, Antares, Vita, and a few older students, were known as unofficial guardians of Slytherin house. People that commanded respect due to social status and helped maintain order within the common room when things got hectic. He remembered in his 5th year when the Chamber of Secrets opened, and the Heir of Slytherin put the whole school on edge. It wasn't a secret that Slytherin house was disliked by most, but the tension skyrocketed that year. It came to a point where it wasn't safe to walk the halls alone, especially for the younger years. Malfoy didn't help the situation, constantly ranting about how "those Mudbloods deserved it."