AERIS BLAKE
Rain splattered against the window of the Hogwarts Express as Aeris Blake pressed her forehead against the glass. The Scottish landscape blurred by in hues of grey and green, mist curling over hills like whispered secrets. Her fingers clenched around the leather strap of her trunk, knuckles pale, as if holding on to something tighter than just luggage.
Her heart pounded, but not from excitement. Fear? Maybe. Dread? Closer. She'd grown up hearing bedtime stories of Hogwarts—of bravery, battles, founders, and darkness—but never imagined she'd be part of one.
She was the girl no one noticed in the orphanage. The girl who spoke to snakes in the garden and had a scar on her shoulder shaped like a lightning bolt—not a jagged one like Harry Potter's, but one that twisted like a serpent.
Aeris had learned early that secrets kept you safe.
When the train screeched to a halt at Hogsmeade Station, she stepped out into the cold with the other first-years. She didn't shiver, though; the chill was familiar. A giant man called Hagrid ushered them toward the boats across the lake.
The castle loomed ahead, glowing gold against the stormy sky. It should've looked warm. To Aeris, it looked like a challenge.
She sat beside a girl with messy ginger curls and a wide grin. "Rose Weasley," the girl said, extending a hand. "You nervous too?"
Aeris forced a smile. "A bit."
"You'll be fine. The Hat always knows where to put people."
Aeris bit her tongue.
They stepped into the Great Hall. Candles floated in mid-air. The ceiling shimmered with thunderclouds. Four long tables. Four banners. Four destinies.
Professor Longbottom unrolled a scroll. "Aeris Blake."
The world fell silent.
She walked to the stool, sat, and the Sorting Hat dropped over her eyes.
"Hmmmm," the hat hummed in her ear. "Interesting... Very interesting. You have power, girl. Old power. Cunning. A thirst to prove yourself. You could do well in Slytherin."
Aeris said nothing.
"And yet... there's courage here. Fierce loyalty. A wildness I've not seen in years. Gryffindor could use someone like you."
Minutes passed. Whispers rose around the room.
"But blood speaks loudly, doesn't it?" the hat murmured. "Descendant of Salazar Slytherin... What are you hiding, child?"
"I don't know," Aeris whispered.
The hat chuckled. "Oh, but you will. Very well—better be... GRYFFINDOR!"
Gasps. Then applause.
But the hat had one more whisper as it left her head:
"You will be tested, Heir of the Serpent."
SCORPIUS MALFOY
Scorpius watched the girl sit at the Gryffindor table, confusion etched into every part of her expression. She didn't celebrate. Didn't smile. Just lowered her head like someone awaiting punishment.
He narrowed his eyes.
The name "Blake" didn't ring any bells. But the magic around her—it was... sharp. Ancient. Like a blade honed in darkness.
"Stop staring," said Albus Potter, nudging him. "That's your future Gryffindor rival, not your next obsession."
Scorpius ignored him.
Something wasn't right about Aeris Blake.
He remembered how the flames had flared green the moment she walked in. Only he and a few others had noticed. Green—like cursed fire. Like Slytherin.
"She should've been one of us," he muttered.
"Pardon?"
"Nothing."
Scorpius turned back to his plate, but his mind was already racing. Who was she? And why did it feel like his family's past had just walked into the castle wearing Gryffindor red?
ROSE WEASLEY
Rose chewed on a carrot stick as she watched Aeris pick at her food. No excitement. No first-year jitters. Just silence.
She leaned over. "You okay?"
Aeris nodded.
Rose wasn't convinced. "People don't usually take that long with the Hat. What did it say?"
Aeris glanced at her, eyes wide and unreadable. "It said I'd be tested."
Rose blinked. "That's... ominous."
Aeris looked back to her plate. "I've been tested my whole life."
Rose sat up straighter. She didn't know much about the girl yet, but something in her wanted to protect her. Like an instinct.
The night ended with prefects guiding them to their dorms. Rose noticed Aeris walking a few paces behind, always quiet, always watching.
They climbed into bed. Candles flickered out. The room went silent.
Then Rose heard it.
A hiss.
Soft. Slithering. Not quite human.
She sat up, heart pounding, but Aeris was already fast asleep.
Or pretending to be.