The mood on the Hogwarts Express never quite recovered.
After the Dementor incident, the energy among students faded into tense whispers and guarded glances. Prefects roamed the corridors, checking for lingering symptoms or misplaced wands, and a few compartments still buzzed with talk of Cael and the silver cat Patronus that had saved half the train.
Nearly an hour later, the train slowed as it pulled into Hogsmeade Station, rain pelting the carriages in cold, stinging sheets. Students pulled on cloaks and hoods as they disembarked, boots squelching in the muddy path.
First-years were gathered by Hagrid, who bellowed his usual call for "Firs'-years, this way!" while holding up a lantern that glowed feebly in the mist. The older students made their way to the castle in enchanted carriages that creaked forward, pulled by invisible beasts Cael could not see—but could certainly feel.
Cael rode with Lee Jordan and the Weasley twins, sitting quietly as the wheels bumped over the wet earth. When the castle finally loomed into view, half-shrouded in storm clouds and moonlight, Cael spotted a half-circle of Dementors stationed at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, unmoving but undeniable.
"Still watching," Cael muttered under his breath.
The moment they stepped out of the carriage and onto the stone steps, he could feel eyes on him—students nudging each other, whispering behind hands.
"That's him—he cast the Patronus!"
"Did you see it? It was a cat!"
"Drove them off like it was nothing…"
He ignored it all and made his way into the Great Hall, dripping wet and faintly annoyed. Taking his place at the Gryffindor table, he was quickly joined by Fred, George, and Lee, and shortly after by Harry and Ron.
Harry slid into the seat across from him. Cael glanced around.
"Where's Hermione?"
"She's with Professor McGonagall," Harry replied. "Something about her electives."
Cael arched a brow and smirked knowingly. "Ah… the thing."
Harry blinked. "What thing?"
Just then, Hermione arrived, cheeks flushed and slightly breathless. She dropped into the seat beside Ron.
Cael leaned in with a playful glint in his eye. "So… did you get it?"
"Shut it," Hermione whispered fiercely. "Not here."
Cael chuckled, leaning back with a satisfied grin.
As he glanced across the hall, his eyes met someone else's—Cassandra , seated at the Slytherin table, glaring directly at him. Cael gave a small wave and a disarming smile. She turned her face away with a huff.
What did I do this time? he wondered, half amused, half exasperated.
Before he could ponder it, a hush fell across the hall as Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat at the staff table, his expression grave beneath his half-moon glasses.
"Welcome," he said, his voice carrying easily through the chamber. "Welcome, one and all, to another year at Hogwarts. I must begin by acknowledging the troubling events beyond our walls. As you are aware, a dangerous criminal—Sirius Black—has escaped Azkaban."
A wave of murmurs passed through the room. Dumbledore raised a hand.
"In response, the Ministry of Magic has insisted upon a number of… precautions. Chief among them: the presence of Dementors stationed at the school's borders."
Displeasure rippled visibly among the students.
"I urge you all to avoid contact with them. They are not to be trifled with, nor tested. If you must go outside the castle walls, do so in groups and with caution. That is all."
He gave a nod to Professor McGonagall. "Please proceed with the Sorting."
Professor McGonagall stepped forward, parchment in hand, and the doors to the Hall creaked open once more. A line of nervous-looking first-years filed in, huddling together as they approached the Sorting Hat perched on its stool.
McGonagall began to call names, and one by one, students were Sorted into their houses—until a name brought the hall to a sudden, curious silence.
"Astoria Greengrass."
A pale, delicate-looking girl stepped forward, her features marked by a faint sickliness, but her movements graceful. She sat down without fuss, and the Sorting Hat barely touched her hair before shouting:
"SLYTHERIN!"
The Slytherin table clapped politely as she made her way to sit beside her sister, Daphne Greengrass.
More names followed, but the real shock came when Professor McGonagall read the next one aloud:
"Lyra Potter."
A collective gasp swept the room.
Dozens of eyes turned to Harry, who stiffened. Murmurs erupted at every table.
"Potter? Like Harry Potter?"
"His sister?!"
"She must be a Gryffindor. The Potters always were."
Cael leaned forward slightly. The girl walking toward the Sorting Hat had black hair, black eyes, and a stoic expression that seemed untouched by the attention. There was something oddly regal about the way she moved.
"So," Cael whispered to himself. "That's Harry's sister."
At the Gryffindor table, Ron leaned toward Harry and muttered, "Merlin , mate… your sister's… kind of gorgeous."
Harry gave him a sharp look. "She's my sister, Ron."
"What? It's a compliment!"
Across the room, Draco Malfoy was watching Lyra like a cat watching a songbird, grinning slyly. Then he turned to stare at Harry, eyes glittering. A new target had clearly presented itself.
Ron shook his head. "Doesn't matter. She'll be in Gryffindor. Has to be."
But the Sorting Hat did not speak quickly.
Minutes ticked by. Students leaned forward, eyes locked on the small girl and the wrinkled old hat murmuring softly against her ears. Even Dumbledore sat straighter in his chair.
And then—
"SLYTHERIN!"
The word rang out like a thunderclap.
Silence fell across the hall.
Even the usual clapping from the Slytherin table stalled for a heartbeat.
Harry's hand gripped the edge of the table, his jaw clenched. Ron gawked.
"What?! That's impossible!"
"Mr. Weasley," McGonagall snapped sharply. He shrank in his seat.
Lyra stepped down from the stool, her face unreadable. Her eyes flicked to Harry's—who looked away. Her mouth twitched, hurt flashing for a brief second before she turned and made her way to the Slytherin table.
Cael watched as Cassandra stood to greet her, placing a hand on her shoulder and leading her to sit beside Astoria Greengrass.
No one clapped.
Until Cael elbowed Fred and George and whispered, "Clap."
The twins glanced at each other, then started clapping—loudly and boldly. Slowly, the rest of the hall followed, the applause awkward but building.
At the staff table, Snape looked as though he'd just swallowed a lemon. On the other end, Dumbledore gave a slow, measured nod and resumed the Sorting.
When all the first-years were seated, and the golden plates shimmered with food, Cael turned to Harry.
"You alright?" he asked.
Harry didn't answer.
Cael studied him a moment longer. Looks like things between those two aren't exactly sibling goals.
Once the feast ended, Dumbledore stood once more.
"Before you head off to bed, a few announcements. As many of you know, last year, our Care of Magical Creatures professor retired. This year, I am pleased to welcome his replacement—Rubeus Hagrid."
Applause broke out, with several loud whoops from Gryffindor.
"And," Dumbledore continued, "your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor: Remus Lupin."
More applause followed, along with curious glances and whispers about the quiet, ragged-looking man now seated beside Professor Flitwick.
Dumbledore raised a hand again.
"I will repeat one final time: Do not approach the Dementors. They are not under Hogwarts authority, and I cannot protect you from their methods. Always move in pairs. Preferably in groups. That is all."
With a clap of his hands, the golden banners shimmered and the Hall began to empty. Students poured out toward their dormitories.
Cael stayed seated for a moment longer, watching as the Slytherins left, Lyra among them, eyes forward, back straight.