The Hogwarts Five

6

Daniel had gotten himself lost around the castle. He knew that the Hufflepuff dorms were near the Slytherin ones but... that was about it. He sighed, thinking he had lost Rigel for the night and was prepared to wander around in search of the Hufflepuff dorms until-

"Oi." A voice came out of the darkness and out stepped a blonde boy who was around the same height as Daniel. "What's a Hufflepuff, as well as one of the new freaks, doing near the Slytherin dormitories?"

"So I am near the Slytherin dorms then." Daniel ignored the other boy's remarks about his friends, not wanting to waste his breath on someone who couldn't give the faintest shit about. "Have you seen Rigel Adzumi by any chance? Small, new, beautiful long black hair and brown eyes? Tan skin?"

"Can't say I have. You need to leave. You're not welcome here. I'm a prefect." The boy showed off his shiny badge that Daniel had no interest in.

"Daniel? What- what are you doing here?" Rigel came out from behind the painting, already in her nightwear, her black hair tied back into a high ponytail.

"I just wanted to apologise. I stepped out of line. I don't know what I was thinking, thinking that making fun of your sister would be funny. That wasn't right of me. I'm really sorry Rigel. I should've known better." Daniel walked past the now irritated blonde and bent down to be at equal eye level with Rigel.

"What are you? Deaf as well as stupid? I told you to leave."

"Shut up Malfoy." Rigel snapped. "Mind your own business you agonisingly annoying ferret."

Draco scoffed, held his head up high and strutted back into the Slytherin dorms. His ears tinged red with embarrassment after being insulted by a girl who was almost half his size. He attempted to hide the red that was spreading across his pale cheeks by keeping his head up. He wasn't exactly used to being undermined by a girl.

"Rigel," Daniel cupped her face. "Talk to me."

She looked into his eyes and sighed. "Just... I hate being separated from everyone. Why couldn't we all have a dorm room to ourselves? And Y/N; having to alternate between houses is going to be exhausting for them. What in Merlin's beard is Dumbledore thinking? Not only that, but our lives in danger because we're entangled with Potter and he claims that the dark lord is back! It's absurd! We're just kids!"

Daniel listened to her rant. Every word that came out of her mouth, he listened. He always did.

Meanwhile, another pair were about to head into the Gryffindor dorms. Y/N stood next to Romeo with goosebumps as their only other companions. Romeo glanced at their friend and gave a reassuring smile.

"We'll be alright." He said, moving his scruffy brown hair out of the way. He then turned to the painting of the fat lady and said the password. She obliged.

The two were hoping everyone had gone up to their rooms by now but they were mistaken - very mistaken. Everyone's attention immediately turned to them and the Gryffindor common room went dead silent. The rowdy Gryffindors; the loud, the obnoxious, the proud Gryffindors found themselves quietened in the presence of Y/N.

Y/N didn't know whether or not to be impressed with themselves or curl up in a ball and hope no one ever looked at them again. The stares varied from shock, admiration, impression and fear. The fear part was understandable but the stares felt unbearable. It was like every stare and gaze Y/N met was a bug crawling under their nails and into their skin to form another goosebump.

"Hey hey." Two very tall gingers made their way over to the two, Romeo now holding Y/N protectively in case anyone dared to do anything.

"Who-?"

"The Weasley twins." Romeo said. "My brother told me about them. They're in his year."

"Oh yeah, that's right." One of them said. "Good old Thomas. Dead serious bloke he is though, I'm telling ya."

"I'm Fred."

"And I'm George."

"But you can call us your knights in shining armour." They winked in sync at Y/N which did make them chuckle, but made Romeo throw up a little in his mouth.

Before anyone could get another word out - a bucket of green, gunky sewage came falling down onto Y/N's head. Their body froze in shock and the already quiet common room fell completely silent.

"Oh- right timing but wrong person." George muffled his laughter.

"You should consider joining the mermaids, L/N. You look identical." Fred smirked.

"Dude! What the hell?" Romeo glared at the twins who almost felt bad for laughing. Almost. "Come on darling, let's get you cleaned up."

Romeo informed the others of what had happened the previous night and Daniel's face burned red with anger. Y/N insisted that they were fine in order to calm the oldest down as Rigel, who usually calmed him down, was nowhere in sight.

"They didn't even apologise or anything. They just laughed at me." Y/N huffed, Lance patting their shoulder as a way of comforting them.

"Where's Rigel? We need to get them back for this." Lance said through gritted teeth.

"She's probably sleeping in. I'll go get her. I'll meet you guys in the courtyard. Make sure whatever you have planned is good, Lance." Daniel got up from his seat. "Oh, and also."

Lance looked at up at his friend.

"Don't forget to apologise to Rigel. What you said last night was really dick-ish of you." And so Daniel left.

Lance sighed. "I'll head to the library now and see what I can come up with. I have potions first thing anyway so I'll try to concoct something there if I get my work done in time."

"Ugh I have potions too." Romeo groaned.

"Yeah well good luck with that one boys. I have a history of magic." Y/N said, not looking forward to the boring lectures that awaited them.