𝙎𝙋𝙀𝙇𝙇𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙆𝙎 !!! (Modern Hogwarts)

. 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚

    PROLOGUE - July 25, 2019

   THE NIGHT WAS YOUNG and the city was now clear of people shopping on the streets, only leaving drunken men stumbling to their empty homes with no one to welcome them back.

    The fairy lights on the rims of the shops flickered then went out as a dark silhouette of a man peered into the street from a shady alleyway. He saw that the street was clear and stepped out, halfway in the street light, halfway hidden in the darkness. He took out a stained box of matches, lit one, and gently held it up to his cigarette. He took a long drag and let a cloud of gray mist out from his lips. After a violent coughing fit, he threw the cigarette onto the ground and squashed it. He slowly looked both ways and nervously stepped out into the vacant street.

    "What do you want?" A voice called from the abyss. He jerked his head back towards the dark alley. A tall, skinny man sat in an old, overstuffed leather armchair that was meant to be thrown out. Their pale white skin nearly shone in the darkness, but the rest of their features were concealed under a black hoodie. He cautiously stepped towards the cucullate individual, hiding in the dark spots so that he would not give himself away. As he got closer, he could see two more figures standing behind the covered man in the chair. One had dark skin and even darker hair. He held a dark and light wooden wand in one hand and a stained dagger in the other. To his right was a shorter woman with olive skin, indistinguishable hair due to the hood covering it, and glimmering blue eyes. She held nothing.

    "I said, what do you want?" The cloaked personage repeated, this time more forceful. "I have a job for you." He replied. They seemed to hesitate for a moment but finally answered. "What's the pay?" The man on the side demanded. "I've got fourteen knuts, nineteen sickles, and twelve galleons," he replied, grabbing a small burlap sack from his pocket. "Hah! That's barely enough to get you a box of Ton-Tongue Toffees!" The woman laughed. "Please, it's all I could muster! Just give me a chance!" "What's the job?" The figure in the chair cut in.

   "I want revenge." The man uttered. "When I was accepted into Hogwarts thirteen years ago, the sorting hat placed me in Slytherin. This wouldn't have been an issue, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm a muggle-born. I only told this to my best friend, Bill, but he eventually let it slip. The news spread like wildfire; almost every other student in my house knew about it and made fun of me for it. They bullied me, taunted me, and tortured me, and it went on and on. It got to the point where I requested to drop out, and the school agreed.

    "Hogwarts has put me through so much pain, sorrow, and stress, and I don't want anyone else to experience that." The obscured person seemed to hesitate for a moment but then took off her hood, revealing herself. Now her features were even more distinguishable; her long, curly red hair and pallid skin seemed to glow even brighter now. "I understand. That's the same reason I dropped out; I was bullied and tormented too much because of the way I looked. Even though you are only offering pocket change, I will accept it." She stepped forward, looked him straight in the eye, and held out her hand. "Oh, and I'm Emma, Emma Atkinson." The man looked at her hand for a moment but quickly shook it. "William Jade, and you?" He looked at the two other men. "Benjamin Dyer" the man on the side replied. William looked toward the last member, in the chair. He took off his hood to reveal his striking black hair and green eyes. "Percival Blaker"