With that, the tension seemed to loosen its grip on the Great Hall just a little, like a tight scarf finally being tugged open. Professors began moving again, voices lowering, hands guiding students toward makeshift sleeping arrangements. Long house tables were nudged aside with gentle magic, replaced by rows of cushions, mattresses, and thick blankets that smelled faintly of laundry soap and fireplace smoke.
Linus exhaled through his nose, something close to a quiet laugh escaping him. So this was how Hogwarts handled danger. Panic for five minutes, then sleep in the hall.
A house elf appeared at his elbow without warning, eyes enormous and earnest, holding out a mug nearly as big as its head. The cocoa inside was topped with a wobbling mountain of whipped cream.
"For the guest sir," the elf squeaked proudly.
Linus accepted it with a nod. "Thank you."
The elf bowed so hard it nearly toppled over, then vanished with a soft pop.
Linus took a sip. It was absurdly sweet. He frowned at it for half a second, then took another sip just to be sure. Yes. Definitely sweet. He decided he liked it anyway.
Nearby, Ron was already sprawled on a pile of cushions, using his robes as a blanket. "Best. Emergency. Ever," he declared around a mouthful of chocolate biscuit.
Hermione shot him a look. "Someone broke into the castle, Ron."
"Yes," Ron replied, unbothered. "But did you notice the pillows"
Harry sat cross legged beside them, staring up at the enchanted ceiling, which was slowly shifting into a calm night sky dusted with stars. "Do you think he is really still here"
Before hermoine could answer Linus cut in from behind them, "No, he left a long time ago"
Harry turned around to see the Durmstrang guest sitting beside Daphne Greengrass on the floor while drinking cocoa.
"He most likely left as soon as he didn't get into the common room." Linus added before giving the cup to Daphne.
She took a sip of it and gave he a look. "this is way to sweet."
"I know, some elf gave it to me" Linus chuckled at the face she had given him after drinking the cocoa.
The hours passed by and students had fallen asleep by now, everyone apart from Linus. He had been asked by Dumbledore to look over the hall while all teachers went to look through the castle once more.
He stood in the middle of the hall, walking slowly back and forward, he knew harry wasn't sleeping either but didn't say anything.
The next day came.
Hogwarts almost went back to its normal state, the students ate breakfast and went to classes. Linus joined in on some of the like potions and herbology. The so called potion master that everyone said was almost like a dictator wasn't that bad, sure he was stern and punished every small mistake, but that's part of learning from your mistakes.
During this day Linus also visited the other houses, Hufflepuff had a cozy atmosphere that made you warm and happy, Ravenclaw had this focused atmosphere but it was probably his favorite of them. Slytherin had a unique common room with a view of underneath the black lake, but it felt way too much like a cellar and Linus preferred the Durmstrang common room over this.
As evening fell upon Hogwarts, the once busy corridors became quiet and students shifted to focus on homework for the next lessons.
Linus stood in the common room with the little lions while he explained some basic potion knowledge after he saw that they struggled greatly at it.
"Most of yours went lumpy today because you overheated it." Linus looked over at Ron. "Yours exploded because you stirred the wrong way" this got the chuckles from the Lions in attendance.
Hermoine had bombarded Linus with different questions about how to learn spells better and how she should think about problems. She knew that once he left she wouldn't get to ask these questions in a long time.
Harry had asked a lot of different questions. Not about school but the dementors and dangers of the world.
"Harry, you don't need to worry about the dangers if you learn here" But Linus paused, he had heard about the so called curse on the Defense against the dark arts teacher. "But it wouldn't do you bad to read extra about dangers and spells" he added.
Harry and Hermoine looked like two ghosts after hearing some of the explanations.
"But sadly our time together is coming to an end." Linus said as he stood up from his seat."
Hermoine looked up at him. "Are you going back now?" she then looked outside and saw it was dark.
Linus nodded in return, "I cant keep my studies on hold much longer, my teachers will curse me if I do." He looked to the group sitting on the floor. "We will se each other again. and Harry… learn to be feared not a coward." With those final words he walked out of the common room and walked the halls of Hogwarts. But he had one more stop to make.
He made his way downward into the depths of the castle. The Slytherin common room. He stepped inside to find most of them discussing something, most of the students were in attendance it looked like. He spotted daphne and her sister sitting on a couch.
They were discussing something about the Gryffindor's, Linus didn't pay attention to it and just looked at daphne who returned the same attention.
Daphne's sister, Hestia was special in many ways. But the main thing was her curse. A family bound curse also known as a blood curse. Linus who has trained with curses could see it by just looking at it, but he had kept quiet about it. many had tried to remove it, and her parents were always trying to find ways to cure it. without removing it she wouldn't live long.
After the students had finished their meeting. Linus walked towards daphne who was still sitting on the couch, some of her friends were sitting around her.
Linus approached Daphne and stood before her.
"Are you leaving tonight?" she asked, there was a hint of sadness in her voice
Linus looked into her eyes before he spoke. "I am, but I wanted to come see you before and give you something."
Daphne looked surprised but glad at the same time.
He held out his hand, and in his hand, magic started forming. And soon ice started forming in his hand.
People around stated looking and going closer.
The ice swirled around in his hand and a shape started taking place. Soon enough a beautiful rose made from ice had formed. The flower in his hand was light blue and almost emitting a light on its own. Ice particles came from it made it look like it was snowing on it.
Daphne looked at it with a smile and something more. "For me?" she asked with a soft voice. Her eyes reflected the blue from the rose and made her eyes shine even more. Those emerald green eyes.
Linus placed the rose in her palms. "It is for you." He said as he looked into her eyes. " the ice rose didn't feel cold, it made a cool refreshing feeling course inside your body, looking at it made you relax. "It will never melt, only if you want it to" he added
She looked at the rose before looking into his eyes. "Thank you so much…" she was about to say more but stopped as she noticed there were more people around us. "Once you are back at Durmstrang, promise to write to me" she said.
"I will, and who knows. Maybe we will see each other very soon" he added. The moment between them was disturbed by someone closing a door too hard, and suddenly they remembered that there were people around.
Daphne stood. For a second, she hesitated, then leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. It was light and warm and very real, a sharp contrast to the cool magic still lingering in the air.
"For luck," she said, cheeks pink again.
With this he turned and existed the common room, behind his he could hear the girls started talking about the rose with daphne.
Linus did not hurry as he left the Slytherin common room.
The corridors were quieter now, wrapped in that late evening stillness Hogwarts seemed to save just for moments like this. Torches burned low along the stone walls, their light softer than before, casting long shadows that moved lazily as he passed. Somewhere far above, a stair shifted with a familiar groan, and a portrait whispered to another before settling back into sleep.
He lifted a hand to his cheek without thinking, fingers brushing the spot where Daphne's kiss still lingered. It was faint, already fading, but the warmth of it stayed with him in a way no spell ever could.
Linus made his way to the headmasters office.
Inside professor Macgonagull and Dumbledore were waiting.
"so tell me Mr. Gray. have you found what you were looking for during your visit to our school?" he asked genially. He was asking if I had thought about transferring or not.
Linus was still plenty unsure, there were some pros and cons.
"I think I will need to think a lot about my decision." Linus said while looking at the headmaster who nodded. "But I must say, your students are… different."
This got a chuckle from both professors.
Dumbledore's chuckle was soft and genuine, the kind that settled into the room like a warm blanket rather than filling it with noise. Professor McGonagall allowed herself a small smile as well, though she tried to hide it behind her usual composed posture.
"They do tend to leave an impression," McGonagall said, folding her hands neatly in front of her. "Whether they mean to or not."
Dumbledore stood up from his seat. "I think you will fit here well, but I also think Durmstrang is where you feel at home." He stood by the window now, looking out over the quiet castle. "You need not decide now, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find us."
After a small talk and some formalities. Linus used the fireplace floo powder to return to the headmasters office.
The headmaster didn't say a word and just waved Linus to leave.
The corridors of Durmstrang were silent, lit by steady flames that did not flicker or soften. Linus walked them slowly, boots echoing faintly against the stone. It all felt familiar. Safe, in its own way. Yet something tugged at him, a gentle pull he had not felt before. This felt right.
Upon entering his Common room he was bombarded by his classmates who wanted to know all about the mysterious school an everything about it.
"Is it true they eat under the night sky?"
"does the stairs move by themselves.?"
The questions kept on coming before it finally calmed down. He now sat by the fireplace around his friend, they were talking about the students of Hogwarts.
"so what, the boy who lived didn't seem that powerful?" Niko asked while he was sitting upside down for some reason.
Linus shook his head. "He seemed rather weak and fragile."
The group thought about it for a moment but decided to let the matter go, he had only been there for two days so could have been misunderstanding.
The fire crackled softly in front of them, steady and reliable, casting warm light across familiar faces and worn stone. Someone had dragged a low table closer, cluttered now with half empty mugs and a forgotten deck of enchanted cards that shuffled themselves lazily when no one was looking.
"are you going to transfer?" Sigrun asked, this got the attention from everyone.
Linus thought about it, he was very unsure. And with a sigh he said. "I don't know"
The group went quiet, they felt disappointed maybe or worried about him leaving the school. They were his friends Afterall.
"sounds like someone got warm and fuzzy over there." Armin said in a mocking voice.
Linus shot him a glare, "Wanna find out if I went soft?"
The rest laughed at Armin who now tried to backtrack his words, he knew damn well he wasn't winning against that.
The night was filled with everything but sleep but school life returned the next day with duels and potion making. Life entered its normal pace.