Chapter 1: Turning invisible
The wall torches cast flickering yellow shadows on the Hogwarts dungeons. Lara Moonbright, a transfer student from Durmstrang, stood at her workbench in the Potions classroom, her brow furrowed as she carefully added a crushed bezoar to a simmering cauldron. Despite her affinity for potions and Herbology, potions had a way of getting... unpredictable in her hands, which someone was all too eager to remind her of on a daily basis.
"Miss Moonbright," Professor Snape's voice drawled from behind her, startling her so much that she nearly dropped the entire jar of powdered bicorn horn into her brew. "If you insist on ruining yet another potion, please do so without causing an explosion this time".
"I'm sorry, Professor," Lara mumbled, her face flushed as she tightened her grip on the jar. "It won't happen again". Snape seemed to insist on reminding the other Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs of last week's blunder, where her brew exploded and covered the whole worktable in a type of expanding green foam. The ravenclaw students had taken to the blob, using their wand, engraved it with a face and mouth, and aptly named it: "bob the blob".
Snape's cold gaze lingered a moment before he swept away, his robes billowing like a dark cloud. Lara let out a shaky breath. She glanced over to where Padma Patil, a fifth year ravenclaw student, was working with her usual precision, her cauldron emitting the faintest wisp of lavender smoke. Across the room, Michael Corner and Terry Boot were whispering furiously about Quidditch strategies while their potion bubbled ominously, green and frothy.
Lara knew she had something to prove here. She was a Moonbright, after all—a family known in certain magical circles. But her nerves often got the better of her, especially under pressure. That pressure only mounted knowing that her older sister Charlie would judge her harshly if word of her failures reached home.
Today's assignment was deceptively simple: a Focus Draught. Lara's first attempt had turned neon pink. Her second attempt had exploded, showering her in a sticky, glittering paste. This third attempt... well, it was her last chance before the period ended, she took a deep shaky breath, trying to concentrate.
"Need some help?" a voice whispered. Lara turned to find Zacharias Smith smirking at her, leaning casually on the desk next to hers. "I heard you're good with potions, but so far all I've seen is amateur hour", his eyes squinted at hers. It was the first time he had started speaking to her, and Lara immediately wondered what was beneath his bullying facade.
She scowled, her hands started shaking slightly at the jab. "I don't need your help" she said curtly, trying to keep her voice even. "Suit yourself" he shrugged, still smirking, and sauntered off.
Biting her lip, Lara returned her focus to the cauldron. She added a few drops of moondew extract and stirred counterclockwise. The potion began to shimmer a silvery blue—exactly as described in the textbook. Relief flooded her as she ladled a sample into a vial, wanting to hand it to the potion teacher, eager to please him. Her fellow classmate, Hannah Abbott, who was working beside her, looked at it with awe, and perhaps a small wave of jealousy? Lara let out a half-apologetic shrug, as if she had done something wrong. "YOU SURE that you can hand that in?" Zacharaias said loudly from right behind her. Lara jumped up in shock, as if someone had punched her, and in a lunge around, her elbow knocking the entire concoction over, it dripped over her work table. No pleasing Snape today….
That evening, as she sat in the Hufflepuff common room—where she'd been sorted after her transfer—she couldn't help but feel a sense of failure. She spread out her Herbology notes on a round wooden table, a cozy fire crackling in the background, more studying seemed to be in order… to try and forget what happened to her today.
"You did well today," a soft voice said. Lara looked up to see Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff who shared several classes with her. Lara wondered why he was so nice, he must want something from her? He carried a stack of books and wore a warm smile. He was the prefect who had shown her around after her arrival at Hogwarts 2 weeks ago.
She remembered it all too well…. the disappointed look in her mother's eyes, the swirl of green flames, and the arrival in Dumbledore's office. On the silvery, shimmering desk beside him lay Karkaroff's letter, a damning explanation of her expulsion from Durmstrang, everything had gone very very wrong... She had barely dared to glance at the letter, as she sat there.
Dumbledore's gaze had looked at her sternly, but not unkindly as he had reminded her of the Hogwarts rules, and said that they would "sort" her in the office.
Lara had no idea what this all meant, as she looked down to her lap she notice that her hands were shaking, it had all gone very fast. She did as instructed and put the tattered old hat on her head, however, as the hat started speaking she heard its voice in her mind. "AAAAHH.. So this is why I have been woken up from my slumber", the hat spoke, its deep, booming voice resonating in her mind. Lara couldn't tell if it was irritated or intrigued. "let me seee…. ", as the hat spoke in her head, she felt memories rushing back to her, her friend Rikov, hugging her for the first time, Lara receiving her first button at Durmstrang, her brother and sister looking at her with pride, then the explosion, the green light…. It all flashed in front of her eyes, in a distant yet blurry way, as if it was painted.. "Yesss… I seee…" the hat muttered, "despite your fear you persevere, which is true bravery… you could do well in gryffindor".
Lara's heart pounded loudly in her chest as she looked at the wooden floor in Dumbledore's office, her hands still trembling in fear. "You also possess a thirst for knowledge and a spark of creativity," the hat continued thoughtfully. "Qualities that would make you a fine Ravenclaw. And… your great-grandmother thrived in Slytherin, didn't she?". It paused, its voice tinged with both challenge and consideration. The hat had groaned with difficulty, as it was forced to make an impossible decision: "but considering what you will need to do," and Lara saw a much older version of herself, standing strong. "You will need the values of…", it paused… "HUFFLEPUFF!". The hat shouted this last word as if it still needed to tower over the voices of hundreds of students and not complete silence in a largely empty office. Nearly all the portraits behind the headmaster clapped in appreciation, except a portrait with the name of Phineas Nigellus, who shook his head "a shame for the Moonbright family".
Dumbledore stepped forward, his eyes twinkling slightly, as if he had seen everything that had happened in Lara's head, he quickly plucked the hat off Lara's head, and put it back on his shelf. "Best if Dolorus doesn't take note of this" he had muttered to himself, whilst waving his wand, a phoenix patronus appeared and flew off…
Lara had never seen or even read about such an object and she couldn't hold back her interest as she asked "Was that an extended mind magic charm?" she asked, "of course I know that this would also require an extension field, to read the wearers thoughts, fears and ambitions… but how would one do that without the diminished effects due to the extension?" she wondered out loud, looking at the headmaster. He chuckled slightly and nodded appreciatively at her musings "Excellent observations" he said, "but Miss Moonbright, we do not teach Mind magic at Hogwarts for a reason" he reminded her carefully. "And rightfully so, can you imagine if the type of knowledge that created this hat fell into the wrong hands?". Lara didn't have long to think about that, and indeed, before she could fully process what had happened, a stout, cheerful witch bustled into the office. "Ah, there you are! I'm Professor Sprout," she said warmly. "Come along, dear, we'll get you settled".
She had led Lara to her office, where two Hufflepuff prefects, Justin and Hannah, were waiting with welcoming smiles. They were tasked with showing Lara around and ensuring she understood the school's rules. As they guided her through the bustling castle halls, the weight of her mother's disapproval and the memory of Karkaroff's letter began to ease, replaced by a flicker of hope that perhaps, just perhaps, she could start anew.
"Thanks," she said, smiling back at Ernie, shaking the memory of her arrival away. "But I still have an awful lot to learn…" she trailed off, the curriculum was very different than at Durmstrangs.
"Don't we all?" He said promptly as he sat down across from her. "But if you ever want to practice Potions or Herbology, I'd be happy to help". He opened his book bag, and continued; "I am rather good at herbologic properties myself" he continued promptly, complimenting himself without a second thought.
Lara liked that in him, more people should not be ashamed to be able to confidently say what they were good at, she certainly was not not one… of these people. He took a giant, heavy book out of his bag and slammed on the table, "Really?" Lara responded with surprise at his offer of help.
"Yes. And I know what it's like to feel like you have something to prove. Sometimes, you just need someone to believe in you." Lara's cheeks warmed. She thought of Rikov, her old mentor back at Durmstrang, and how he'd always believed in her, even when she doubted herself.
Maybe, just maybe, she could find that same support here. They spend the rest of the night studying at the crackling fire in relative silence. This friendship that was brewing, meant a lot to her, though the other Hufflepuff girls in her house were kind, and mostly welcoming -everyone except Megan Jones, a fellow 5th year hufflepuff with dark raven hair, who was jealous of the attention Lara received when she first arrived-, it was simply impossible to be integrated in the house within 2 weeks, when the others had taken already 5 years to grow together.
So, she simply opted for her survival instinct that got her through her first 3 years at Durmstrangs, becoming the quiet girl in the corner of the common room who always had her nose in her books, it hadn't taken long for people to leave her alone, thinking that she was the quiet sort.
She had enjoyed the calming effects of her newfound invisibility, until one night, when she was abruptly woken up by the chill of her sheets being yanked from her shoulders, the next second a silencing spell was placed upon her trapping the startled cry in her throat. Panic clawed at her as she looked at the two figures looming above her, their silhouettes dark against the faint glow of moonlight.
"Get up," one of them hissed. A girl with wild, unkempt brown hair and an urgent look in her eyes. "Now. Before the other puffs wake up."
Lara's heart raced as she obeyed, her fingers fumbling for her shoes in the dark. She didn't dare question them—not yet. She tugged on her brown boots, her pink-striped pajamas felt absurdly childish beneath the yellow Hufflepuff jumper she threw on. Her hands trembled as she followed them down the stairs past the common room door and into the cold, stone corridors of the castle. Lara wondered whether this was some type of hufflepuff initiation, and didn't find it remotely funny.
"Silencio riverte" the other black haired girl whispered, while pointing her wand at Lara's mouth. She found her voice—or what little courage she could muster. "What is this?" she demanded, her words clipped and sharp despite the fear pounding in her chest.
The brown-haired girl on her right didn't break stride. Her grip on Lara's elbow tightened, pushing her to keep walking, her tone icy and commanding as they weaved further in the underground passages of Hogwarts. "Shut it. Just follow."
They led her deeper into the castle, each step dragging her further from safety. The flickering torches cast long, eerie shadows as they descended the spiraling staircase toward the dungeons. Lara's breath quickened. She noticed the dark-haired girl's sleeve as it brushed against her arm—an emerald serpent glinting in the torchlight. Slytherin.
Her stomach churned. This couldn't be anything good.
