NOW, DEAR READER, I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE ON TO THE PRESENT. Just for a while.

I know what's going to happen.

You know what's going to happen.

Liesel Pendragon is not included in that circle.

Regulus Black is not included in that circle.

Neither is Dorian Tott.

Or Xander Solasta.

I come faster than you think I come.

I'm sorry.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS:

THE WAR—DEATH—A LOT OF DEATHS—

THE CHOSEN ONE—UNEXPECTED LOVE—SOULS AWAKE—THE DARK LORD

NO ONE WAS READY FOR DEATH. It pounced on you like a lion attacking its gazelle, and when it did, the gazelle is helpless, not matter how much they didn't want to accept it.

HERE'S A FACT:

YOU ARE GOING TO DIE.

It doesn't matter how you died.

If you died in the hands of the Inferi, the corpses tearing your heart apart.

If you died with the pure enchantment of, "Avada Kedavra."

If you died telling your lover, "I loved you—and you killed me."

If you almost died, the tears streaming down your cheeks as you kissed his lifeless lips.

If you died leaving your son.

If you died from the disease that took over you.

They all died.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

WE HAVE THOSE DAYS WHERE YOU FEEL EMPTY, SOULLESS AND THE SKY IS PITCH BLACK, with no stars, which would harrow your heart because you would deliberately look outside just to find an appalling scorpion or a dashing hunter that gleamed in the night sky. Instead, you just sit outside and darkgaze instead.

Regulus, one of the brightest stars in the galaxy, was dimmed.

By his family.

Friends.

Previous lovers.

Present lovers.

The girl he doesn't know.

Death Eaters.

His brother.

"Not you," said the same sarcastic voice, belonging to Liesel Pendragon.

He turned around and sighed. "Can you leave?"

She set her tea down, and crossed her arms, the Hufflepuff hat falling over her face, causing Regulus not to take the girl seriously. "No, because you're being stupid and stressing over shit. Are all Slytherins depressing?"

"Actually, yes, we are, because we're all emos that can't choose between right and wrong," he chortled, Liesel had a look of pure belief on her face.

She walked over, and looked over the Astronomy Tower, slowly sipping the mint tea, before turning back to him. "I don't know you well, but Hufflepuffs have a way with emotions. They just think we're good for finding, which is not true at all since I cannot find your good intentions," she said, her lips curling at the ends.

He scoffed. "I have plenty of good intentions, you know. I would save a kitten."

"Only kittens?" she asked, smirking. "What about puppies?"

"Eh," he said, pausing to think about it. "They can die."

She almost sloshed her tea on herself from the theatrical performance that involved her gasping in shock and checking him for a fever. "WHAT?!"

❝SUCH A HUFFLEPUFF. ❞

❝ SUCH A SLYTHERIN. ❞

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

DORIAN COUGHED AS HE SAW ESTELLE, her hands covering something gold and shiny.

He felt like a Niffler at the moment, wanting to touch the shiny object, and keeping it for himself.

"What is it?" he asked. "You have to tell me; you know because you gave me a dumb hint."

"Be patient, Dorian-da-Great," smirking, she unfolded her pale fingers, only to reveal a lamp.

Boys can be idiotic at times.

He gave her a quizzical look, reversing his eyes from her to the lamp. "What about it?"

Half way through rubbing the lamp, she looked at him like he was the stupidest person in the world. "Have you ever heard of genies?"

He shook his head no, and she smiled at him, wondering what he would think about genies.

NOT ALL WIZARDS KNOW THE REAL MAGICAL THINGS IN LIFE.

HAPPINESS—GENIES—LOVE—FOOD—COLOURS

Estelle rubbed the lamp three times, and Dorian closed his eyes from the rays of light, brighter than the sun.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a girl with purples robes and a golden headdress, sculpting her olive skin and her sardonic smile, with her arms crossed and looking awfully fatigued.

Estelle glared at the genie before turning to the dumbstruck Slytherin, saying quite crossly, "That's Rachana the genie."