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CHAPTER THREE - 🍂 ୧ it was . . .
actually autumn ও🦌

THROUGHOUT THEIR THIRD YEAR AT HOGWARTS, James Potter was aware of Autumn Rivers, having noticed her in their shared Care of Magical Creatures class. However, he had never actually spoken to her until they reached the lesson with the hippogriffs, which acted as the catalyst for their conversation.

James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew were all standing together in their Care of Magical Creatures class, with Remus Lupin absent due to the night of the full moon. The three Gryffindor boys were acting quite arrogantly, their overconfidence leading them to underestimate the hippogriff they were being asked to interact with.

The majority of the students in the class adopted a cautious approach, carefully maintaining a distance from the hippogriff and concentrating intently on the lesson. They were all intent on avoiding any harm that could come from the powerful magical creature, so they remained on the side of caution and restraint.

Raven and Autumn were both positioned in distinguishable locales in the class, with their separate interests determining where each one had chosen to stand. Raven, who excelled in Herbology, decided to keep her distance from the hippogriff, refraining from participating in the activities involving risk. Autumn, meanwhile, chose to stand at the front of the class, prepared to engage with the large magical creature without hesitation.

As the professor was delivering instructions on hippogriffs, a solitary student indicated a desire to volunteer. Unfortunately, before Autumn Rivers could raise her hand and offer to volunteer, Sirius and Peter pushed James to the front, effectively volunteering him. This act resulted in Autumn frowning in slight irritation, being forced aside as James was shoved forward. She restrained her annoyance for the time being.

James proceeded ahead, radiating confidence and swagger, unheeding the professor's warnings and having interpreted them incorrectly. He approached the hippogriff with a carefree demeanor, sporting a smile as he glanced back at his friends and classmates.

Autumn, positioned towards the front of the class, had been closely watching James' behavior and his actions as he advanced towards the hippogriff. She was paying attention to the beast's reaction, noticing its growing irritation.

James was on the verge of getting far too close to the hippogriff, who was just about to lash out in James' direction when Autumn swiftly dashed forward and tugged at his robes with the intent to pull him back to safety. The duo ultimately ended up losing their footing and ended up on the ground together, with James falling on top of Autumn as they both stumbled onto the grass.

Autumn was convinced that she had heard a crack in her wrist, making her acutely aware that she had suffered an injury. The pain coursed through her like fire, leaving her with a sinking feeling.

When the gravity of the danger he had just placed himself in sunk in, James instinctively withdrew from the hippogriff. He then turned his focus on Autumn, who was clutching her wrist and wincing in pain. The reddening of her fist made it abundantly clear that she had indeed sustained an injury, very likely caused by James as he had fallen on top of her.

The professor promptly instructed them to head to the infirmary, assuming that they would require medical attention following the occurrence. James was deprived of the opportunity to offer an apology before the duo was sent away to receive treatment.

ames followed behind Autumn as they made their way to the infirmary. His mind was a whirlwind of guilt and remorse. He struggled to find the words to express his apology, unsure of how to handle the situation. But he was also mindful that he owed her a debt of gratitude, since she had saved him from serious harm from the hippogriff. He felt an overwhelming sense of culpability but was deeply thankful that Autumn had stepped in to come to his aid.

As they continued their walk to the infirmary, Autumn observed James' breathing becoming increasingly unstable. She recognized his condition as a panic attack, a form of anxiety attack, It was an episode that tended to be relatively brief in nature. She wondered whether Wizarding families were familiar with the term and its meaning. Indeed, they had access to calming draughts, but Autumn was uncertain if the Wizarding world had given the occurrence a distinct name.

She extended her hand with the intention of calming him down, but James unintentionally pushed it away, as he was struggling to understand what was happening.

As Autumn watched James' condition worsen, her concern deepened. She recognized that he was a proud person, which would make him unwilling to reveal his vulnerability to others. She was certain that if anyone saw him in such a state, he would be humiliated, which might discourage him from seeking help in the future, isolating him from his emotions. Despite her efforts to console him, her attempts proved ineffective. Out of desperation, she resorted to using her wand to place him in a state of sleep.

Autumn was acutely aware of the potential emotional impact that witnessing someone experiencing a panic attack could have upon her, as someone who had dealt with the condition in the past. Seeing another person suffering from such an episode could serve as a trigger for her, which is why she was reluctant to take the risk of trying to soothe him. With this in mind, she concluded that it would be safer to have him in a controlled environment within the infirmary rather than out in the open where he could be humiliated or judged for his condition.

She wielded her wand and magically levitated James discreetly down the hallway, leading him toward the infirmary.

Upon arriving at the infirmary in Hogwarts, Autumn promptly sought out Madam Pomfrey, the matron who had tended to numerous ill and injured students over the years. Autumn explained the situation to Madam Pomfrey, who listened patiently while also offering to treat her injured wrist.

To Autumn's concern, there was no medical term for panic attacks within the Wizarding World, which instead relied on calming draughts or spells to address the episodes.

Autumn did not aim to forcefully change the current approach to resolving the issue, but she harbored the hope of making a difference for those who desired an alternative to potions or spells.

The realization that she had a deep-seated desire to create an impact in this domain spurred her to pursue the knowledge necessary to fulfill her aspirations. Her intentions were driven by a sincere passion, leading her to seek out the information required to turn her ambitions into reality.

Despite not being obligated to stay with him, Autumn remained at James' bedside in the infirmary, watching over him as he continued to slumber. Several hours had passed, and various students had come and gone, seeking treatment for a range of ailments. Even Raven and Elliot had stopped by to check on her, but they were promptly asked to leave after it was determined that there were no additional injuries.

James' friends arrived as well, prompting Autumn to reprimand Sirius and Peter for their actions. The pair listened intently, now understanding the seriousness of the situation.

Autumn remained seated beside James' bed, keeping a watchful eye on him as he slept. She observed the small movements he made, such as his nose scrunching and his eyebrows twitching. When she reached out to hold his hand, he stopped stirring and became still in his sleep.

Remus was admitted to the infirmary at the same time as James and hid himself behind a curtain, peering out from a small opening. He had a clear view of the entire situation as it unfolded.

Autumn's soft humming created a calming atmosphere around James, which contrasted sharply with the stress and chaos of the situation that had left him in the infirmary. Remus remained concealed behind the curtain, quietly observing the scene with great interest.

As James began to regain consciousness, his vision was still blurry, and the effects of the sleep spell that Autumn had cast were still lingering in his system. He spoke up, mistaking her for someone else who looked similar.

"Ah, it's you, Evans," he mumbled, his voice slightly muffled due to his groggy condition.

Autumn was momentarily taken aback when James mistook her for Lily Evans, the girl he had a longstanding and intense crush on. In order to avoid the situation from becoming more awkward, she tried to play along, tucking her hair in such a way that her brown eyes were concealed, and attempting to mimic Lily's higher-pitched voice, which differed greatly from her usual, more solemn tone. The pressure and uncertainty of the situation caused her to struggle to come up with any viable alternatives.

She kindly instructed James to go back to sleep, and he promptly obeyed, laying back down and falling back into a deep slumber.

Autumn watched the scene unfold with careful attention, still playing the role of Lily. Once the task was completed, she let out a deep sigh, loud enough for Remus to hear.

Remus observed her exit from the infirmary and could not help but feel a pang of sympathy and regret. His gaze followed her as she left, and his thoughts remained on her even after she had gone.

DESPITE SOME TIME HAVING PASSED since the incident in which James had experienced a panic attack, the effects it had on his subconscious were evident. He remained convinced that Lily Evans had visited him in the infirmary, despite her vehement denial. This created a discrepancy in James' recollection.

Meanwhile, Remus observed the situation unfold, noticing that Autumn seemed to be greatly distressed by James' conflicting memory.

Autumn was stuck in a difficult situation, as James held a strong belief that it had been Lily who visited him in the infirmary, leaving her without any alternative but to maintain the current status quo. Despite not having any romantic feelings for James, the Ravenclaw still felt a sense of hurt, which arose from being continuously mistaken for someone else.

As she went about her daily routine, Autumn encountered Sirius, who was engaged in conversation with James, Peter, and Remus. Unfortunately, the same mistake occurred again, as he referred to her as "Evans." Her annoyance and frustration peaked as the error continued to happen, even though

The comment made by Sirius that "For a second, I thought she was Evans" only served to worsen Autumn's irritation.

James laughed, "Don't be ridiculous—she doesn't have her beautiful green eyes."

Autumn's eyes began to well up after overhearing James's description of Lily's beautiful green eyes. Despite her current state of upset, she managed to keep any audible response at bay, uncertain of how to react appropriately.

James chuckled, having sensed her current emotional state. He was utterly oblivious to the hurt that Autumn was feeling, assuming that she would simply brush off his comment.

Autumn felt the overwhelming urge to cry as she was again being compared to Lily Evans by a fellow classmate, a situation that had left her deeply troubled. With great difficulty, she managed to maintain her composure, determined to refrain from shedding any more tears in front of others.

Her eyes began to fill with tears, and she felt her breathing become shallower as she fought to keep herself composed. Though she remained silent on the outside, her true emotions ran deep beneath the surface, far beyond what James had anticipated.

Remus shut his eyes as he became aware of Autumn's quickened footsteps, indicative of her leaving the group abruptly. He reached out to smack both James and Sirius on the back of their heads, leaving the two boys bewildered. The Gryffindor kept his tongue in check, refraining from saying anything that could further complicate the already dire situation.

Remus silently remarked, "It was actually Autumn," as he left the group following Autumn's departure. Whether his words reached James's ears or not remained unclear, as he had departed before his words could be fully processed.