The cold November breeze swept through the stadium stands, carrying with it the damp scent of grass and the expectant murmur of hundreds of students. The second week of the month brought the first big match of the season: Slytherin versus Hufflepuff.
Aurelian sat in one of the highest stands, wrapped in his winter cloak. Beside him, as always, were Hestia and Flora, both wrapped in green and silver scarves that fluttered in the wind. Neither seemed to be paying much attention to the game.
Almost everyone on the Slytherin team was riding a Noxum.
From a distance, he recognized them by the perfect curve of the handle, the subtle glow of the acceleration runes, and of course, the silver emblem that only he and a few others knew how to fully interpret. It was his work. His surname flew over Hogwarts at that moment, swift and deadly.
The difference was clear. The Slytherin players' movements were more fluid, their turns tighter, their ascents faster. The Hufflepuffs, though fighting with determination, seemed to be swimming against the current.
Down below, Cedric Diggory led his team with tenacity. His own Noxum responded to every command with surgical precision, but it couldn't compensate for Slytherin's numerical advantage. The broom gave him wings, yes, but facing an entire sky dominated by the same technology was another story.
"They're using their brooms as if they were extensions of their bodies," Flora murmured.
"As they should," Aurelian replied, without looking away.
Hestia smiled.
The referee's whistle cut through the air, calling a foul against a Slytherin beater. Boos and cheers mingled.
Aurelian leaned back slightly in his seat, enjoying the scene. It didn't matter who won today. The real victory had been decided before the first quaffle was thrown.
The wind had picked up toward the end of the game, cooling the air and forcing the players to work harder at their stability spells. The stands roared with every quick move, every precise pass, and every clash of beaters.
Slytherin maintained control of the scoreboard with a crushing lead. The Noxum made their chasers look like lightning bolts: fast, calculating, and always a second quicker than their rivals. The quaffle rarely left their possession for more than a few seconds.
Cedric Diggory, however, was not giving up. Ever since the referee had released the Golden Snitch, his eyes had followed it as if it were a second heartbeat in his chest. Hufflepuff needed much more than catching it to win, but he was not willing to let Slytherin take everything.
"He's seen it," said Hestia, noticing how Cedric was leaning forward on his Noxum.
Aurelian did not respond. He just watched.
A golden flash crossed in front of everyone. Cedric turned precisely, diving between two beaters who tried to block him. The air whistled around the broom, which responded as if reading his thoughts.
The Slytherin Seeker, a seventh-year boy with sharp reflexes, had also spotted the Snitch's glow. Both converged on the same spot, accelerating to the limit.
For a moment, they looked like twin shadows chasing the same trophy.
Then Cedric made a perfect feint to the left, forcing his rival to lose a fraction of a second. It was enough.
His hand closed around the golden sphere.
The stadium erupted in applause and cheers, even from some areas of Slytherin who recognized the skill of the move.
But the scoreboard didn't lie.
Slytherin 310 – Hufflepuff 180.
Cedric descended with the Snitch held high, receiving pats on the back and shouts of encouragement from his teammates. The smile on his face was sincere, but there was a hint of frustration in his eyes.
Aurelian followed him with his gaze as the young man crossed the field.
"He won the battle... but not the war," he murmured, clapping his hands.
"So the only one who truly won today was you," said Flora, resting her head on his shoulder.
Hestia added in a soft but firm tone:
"Because in the end, what everyone will remember is not who won... but what broom they were flying on."
Aurelian didn't respond. He didn't need to. The roar of the stands and the sky filled with Noxum brooms spoke for him.
The Slytherin common room was bustling with life that night. Conversations and laughter mingled with the soft echo of water lapping against the green windows overlooking the lake. The fire crackled in the fireplace, casting golden sparks onto the dark leather sofas and polished wooden tables.
Aurelian was at one of those tables, near the windows, engrossed in a game of magical chess against Hestia and Flora. He played with the black pieces; they played with the white ones, moving with a coordination that seemed telepathic. The atmosphere between them was calm, isolated from the hustle and bustle of the common room.
"Knight to F4," said Flora, moving the piece with a delicate touch.
"Interesting," replied Aurelian, advancing his rook. "But it's a mistake."
Hestia smiled sidelong, as if challenged.
"We'll see..."
That's when forced laughter and loud footsteps broke the atmosphere. A group of fifth- and sixth-year students entered as if they owned the place. Their robes fluttered arrogantly, and their eyes went straight to the table where Aurelian was sitting.
The one in front, a tall guy with broad shoulders, spoke in a deep voice:
"Well, well... if it isn't little Prince Gaunt himself. The child prodigy of brooms."
Another, a dark-haired man with a crooked smile, leaned forward:
"What's up, Gaunt? Did you come here to show off your toys? Or just to remind us that you're too special to get your hands dirty?"
A blonde girl in sixth grade laughed mockingly:
"Look at him... playing chess with those weirdos. It must be exhausting pretending they're interesting."
Laughter spread through the group.
"Although, of course," added another, a redhead with a scar on his cheek, "I suppose they come in handy. That way you have someone to warm your bed while you count your galleons."
"Or entertain you while you pretend to be someone important," interjected the first. "Because we all know what the Gaunts are like. In the end, they always end up in misery or Azkaban."
Aurelian still didn't look up. He was more focused on his game.
But then, the dark-haired man took a step forward and smiled maliciously:
"Honestly, I don't know what's worse, having to see them every day or imagining them. Two crazy obsessive women, a pair of broken dolls that no one would want even if they were given away for free. They're only with you because no one else would put up with them."
"bitches..." added the blonde girl. "Following the only idiot who threw them a bone."
"Maybe you have them because they let you do whatever you want to them, and they probably love it. Two desperate girls with no pride," finished the redhead with a laugh.
A heavy silence descended on the common room. The crackling of the fire seemed distant.
Aurelian looked up. His voice was so low that it forced everyone to fall silent to hear him.
"Say that again."
The redhead opened his mouth to utter another taunt, but he didn't have time.
Aurelian's wand appeared in his hand automatically. A vibration rippled through the air, charged with pure electricity. A blue burst shot out from the tip of the wand, splitting into ten perfect branches that struck each of the provocateurs.
The sound was deafening. The bodies shook with violent convulsions before falling to the ground with a thud. The smell of burning and singed hair filled the room.
Aurelian lowered his wand, his eyes fixed on the group.
"Listen carefully," he said, projecting his voice so that it echoed to every corner, "if anyone dares to insult me or Hestia and Flora again, I will make this seem like a mere act of mercy."
The warning hung in the air. No one moved.
The door to the common room burst open. Snape entered, his robe billowing behind him. His gaze swept across the scene: the students on the floor, the faint smoke in the air, and Aurelian standing with his wand in his hand.
"Gaunt. With me. Now," he said, his voice as cold as ice.
He turned to the rest of the students.
"Take these incompetents to the infirmary before they continue to take up space here."
Aurelian put away his wand and walked toward the exit without saying a word. The twins followed him, Hestia with her lips curved into a barely visible smile, Flora with a gleam in her eyes.
That night, everyone in Slytherin understood one thing: no one touched Aurelian Gaunt or the Carrows and lived to tell the tale.
The corridor leading to the guardian gargoyle was completely silent, except for the echo of Snape's footsteps. Aurelian followed him with a steady gait, flanked by Hestia and Flora, who refused to stay behind. Snape said nothing, but his frown was more eloquent than any reprimand.
When they arrived, the gargoyle slowly moved aside, and they climbed the spiral staircase to the headmaster's office.
The door opened, revealing Albus Dumbledore behind his desk, with Professor McGonagall at his side. Both looked up from the documents they were reviewing.
"Mr. Gaunt?" said Dumbledore, his voice calm. "Misses Carrow. Professor Snape, what are you doing here?"
Snape stepped forward.
"Headmaster, I found them in the common room after Gaunt left ten students" he glanced sideways at Aurelian "scorched. They are now being taken to the infirmary."
McGonagall frowned.
"Scorched? In the common room?"
"Electrical magic," explained Snape. "Effective... dangerous."
Dumbledore clasped his hands, observing the trio in front of him.
"Aurelian, would you care to explain why this happened?"
Aurelian held his gaze without hesitation.
"They messed with me. Normally, I wouldn't care. But then... they messed with them."
His tone changed, deeper, almost a growl.
"No one, absolutely no one, insults or hurts Hestia and Flora."
The twins lowered their heads, not to hide their shame, but to conceal the emotions they were feeling at that moment. Hestia squeezed Aurelian's arm tightly, Flora slid her hand until it was intertwined with his.
"They call us crazy, broken dolls," Flora murmured, her voice filled with rage. "They've done it before."
"Until Aurelian came along," Hestia added, her eyes moist but her voice firm. "He doesn't see us like the others do. And I..." Her voice broke a little. "I'm never going to leave him."
The silence grew thick. Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged a quick glance, and even Snape, in his indifference, seemed to be evaluating the girls differently.
Aurelian put his arm around both of their shoulders, pulling them a little closer to him.
"I'm no saint, headmaster. But I don't regret it, and I'll do it again if anyone messes with them."
Professor McGonagall took a deep breath.
"That's not the way, Mr. Gaunt, but I admit your action was justified."
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair.
"Aurelian... love and protection are great virtues, but uncontrolled anger can turn against you."
"I don't care," Aurelian interrupted coldly. "Only they matter to me."
The twins just lowered their heads again.
The headmaster sighed.
"Very well. For the attack, I must deduct 30 points from Slytherin and assign you a punishment. You will spend the next three weeks helping Mr. Filch with maintenance tasks."
Aurelian nodded without protest.
"All right, Headmaster."
Snape nodded slightly, indicating that it was time for them to leave. The twins were the last to leave, casting one last glance at Dumbledore.