The Room of Requirement shimmered with golden lights, transformed by Mia's friends into a cozy, enchanted party lounge. Her sixteenth birthday bash was in full swing — music pulsed, butterbeer flowed freely, and somewhere along the way, someone had smuggled in firewhisky. Mia wasn't a rulebreaker by nature. But tonight, wrapped in the thrill of turning sixteen and surrounded by friends, she'd let herself sip a glass. Then another. And another.
By midnight, she was flushed, laughing too loud at a joke Marcus told her, swaying gently on her feet.
"I think I'm… a little tipsy," she admitted, giggling.
Marcus gave her a sheepish grin. "Maybe sit down for a bit, Mia."
But before she could answer, a deafening crack echoed through the castle halls. The music stuttered to a stop.
And then the screams began.
Mia blinked, trying to clear her head. The walls around the Room of Requirement rippled — the magic faltering under pressure.
From outside, a voice boomed in a harsh, guttural tone. "Bring us Granger. Or we burn the castle to ash."
Mia's stomach dropped. The blood in her veins turned to ice.
Death Eaters.
And they wanted her mother.
The doors slammed open with a blast of cursed wind. Masked figures in black swept into the room, spells firing in every direction.
Students shrieked, diving for cover. Marcus grabbed Mia's arm. "Mia! Run!"
Her legs felt like lead, her head spinning from the alcohol — but adrenaline cut through the haze.
She turned, yanking Marcus behind an overturned table. "We have to get to Mum. They're after her."
"You're not thinking straight!" he hissed. "You're—"
But Mia had already pulled her wand. The same wand her parents had gifted her on her eleventh birthday.
She met Marcus's eyes, deadly serious. "I'm thinking exactly straight enough."
Somewhere in the castle, alarms rang out. The Order was here. Teachers. Aurors.
And Hermione.
Hermione burst into the corridor outside the Room of Requirement, her hair flying, Draco right beside her. She felt the magic in the air — dark, suffocating.
"She's in there," Hermione gasped, fear clawing at her chest.
Draco gripped her arm. "We go together. They want you — that means they'll expect you first."
Hermione nodded once. They pushed through the doors.
Inside, chaos raged. Stunning spells lit up the room. Mia was crouched low beside Marcus, shielding two first-years behind her. Her wand trembled slightly — but her spellwork was precise, disarming one Death Eater mid-curse.
Hermione's heart clenched with fierce pride… and terror.
"Mia!" she shouted.
Mia turned — just in time to see a masked figure raise his wand directly at Hermione.
"Avada—"
Draco moved faster than Hermione had ever seen. His shield charm snapped up, deflecting the curse inches from her heart. He fired a Stunner that sent the attacker crashing across the floor.
"Mia, get down!" Hermione shouted, firing hexes in rapid succession. She and Draco fought back to back, a seamless rhythm born of years standing together.
Mia scrambled toward them, but a Death Eater lunged at her from the side —
Marcus threw himself in front of her, taking the stunning spell full in the chest. He collapsed, unconscious.
"Marcus!" Mia screamed, turning toward him.
But that split second of distraction was enough.
A masked figure grabbed her by the arm, wrenching her upright. "Got her!" he snarled.
Mia twisted violently, slamming her elbow into his face. He howled, but held tight.
Then —
"Let. Her. Go."
Hermione's voice rang like a whipcrack.
The Death Eater spun just as a silent, vicious curse from Hermione's wand sent him flying backwards. He hit the wall with a sickening crunch.
Mia fell to the floor, gasping.
Hermione dropped beside her, hands trembling as she pulled her daughter into her arms. "It's okay — I've got you."
Draco swept his wand in a protective circle around them, blasting back the remaining attackers. Reinforcements poured in behind him — Aurors, professors, even older students rallying to the fight.
Within moments, the Death Eaters were subdued, disarmed, bound by glowing ropes.
But Hermione barely noticed. All she could see was her daughter's pale face, the faint tremor in her limbs.
"Mum…" Mia whispered, eyes glistening. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I was drinking… I wasn't ready—"
Hermione pulled her close, her voice fierce but gentle. "You fought. You protected your friends. And you're safe. That's all that matters."
Draco knelt beside them, wrapping both Hermione and Mia in his arms. "You're strong, sunshine. Stronger than they'll ever know."
Later, as dawn broke over the castle, the aftermath settled in.
The attack had failed. No students were seriously hurt. Marcus would make a full recovery. The Death Eaters had been captured.
But something had changed.
Mia sat curled on the sofa in their quarters, wrapped in a blanket, a steaming mug of tea in her hands. Hermione sat beside her, Draco on the other side, their presence grounding her.
"I was stupid," Mia whispered hoarsely. "I thought… it was just a party. I wasn't ready."
Hermione reached over, brushing a tear from her daughter's cheek. "None of us are ever ready for something like that. But you didn't freeze. You stood up. You protected people."
Draco squeezed her shoulder gently. "You didn't fail, Mia. You showed exactly what makes you a Gryffindor. And exactly what makes you ours."
Mia swallowed hard. "They wanted you, Mum. What if next time—"
Hermione shook her head firmly. "Next time, we'll stand together. Like we always do."
Mia looked between them, finally allowing herself a small, fragile smile. "Together."
And in that quiet moment, wrapped in her parents' arms, she realized something more powerful than any curse or dark mark — family wasn't just who you were born to. It was who you stood with when everything else fell apart.