"To move forward in our story, I'd like to ask you to open your book to page 478," Professor Binns announced in his usual monotone manner. His ghost hovered over the class as if he was never really present.

Willow reached for her history book and searched for the indicated page before laying it on the desk in front of her. Dust particles danced in the sunlight streaming through the large windows, making time feel slower in the classroom.

"Willow," Sebastian whispered from her right, nudging her lightly. "I forgot my book in my room. Can I read with you?"

She nodded and slid the book to the middle of the desk. Even though Sebastian was an avid reader, she knew his interest in the pages of this old book was limited - especially in Professor Binns' class. She could hardly blame him; almost any lesson seemed more exciting than one from the old Binns. Willow suspected that Binns' monotony wasn't just a result of his ghostly existence but rather a fundamental part of his personality. She pitied the students who had to endure him when he was still alive.

Bored, Willow let her gaze drift around the classroom while the professor continued his monologue. She and Sebastian sat at one of the back desks, surrounded by the typical sounds of a school lesson: the scratching of quills on parchment and the occasional whisper of students.

Sebastian's best friend, Ominis, sat in front of them next to Poppy, a small Hufflepuff girl. In front of them loomed the professor's ancient desk and an even older chalkboard hanging on the wall. Behind the desk was a heavy wooden door, which Willow guessed led to Binns' personal room, where all his untold stories must be hidden.

Through the large stained-glass windows on the right, Willow could see the snow covering the green lawns outside the school. It was late January, and the thin branches of the tall trees bent under the weight of the thick snow. She would have much preferred to be outside rather than trapped in this monotonous class.

Lost in thought, her gaze fell back on Sebastian. His hair fell messily over his forehead, a remnant of his slight curls. Willow wasn't sure if he wore it that way on purpose or if it was simply due to his natural laziness in keeping it neat.

Back then, two and a half years ago, when she first arrived at Hogwarts, he had introduced himself to her in a duel. "Time for your Hogwarts welcome," he had said. Willow still remembered how she had triumphed over him in that duel. "That felt like dueling an expert," he had said afterward. "I'm Sebastian Sallow, by the way."

Sebastian was considered the best duelist in the school, and even though he lost, he took his defeat surprisingly well. At first, Willow thought he was arrogant, but she soon realized he was just confident. Sometimes, she had to admit, he had too much of it. But his charm made sure she didn't mind. Ominis, on the other hand, the blind student, was very direct and honest, something Willow appreciated about him.

In their first year, they had experienced a lot together. Sebastian's twin sister, Anne, had fallen seriously ill due to a curse. They had tried everything to find a cure. But during their search, Sebastian had been tempted to turn to dark magic. Only thanks to Willow and Ominis had he managed to pull back in time. Now, they carried a dark secret that no one could ever know.

Despite all their efforts, they hadn't been able to help Anne. At the end of their fifth year, she had left without telling anyone where she was going. She had only left a farewell note. Sebastian was deeply hurt by her decision, but he also understood her need to go. The years they had spent together were marked by both pain and joy.

Willow watched as Sebastian furrowed his brows and wrinkled his nose slightly. This expression made his freckles dance, which brought a smile to her face. She had always had a soft spot for him, but over time, that feeling had transformed into a deep friendship. She was sure Sebastian knew about her feelings and that sometimes, with small gestures, he would tease her to throw her off balance.

Against her better judgment, Sebastian looked up and met her eyes directly. Willow snapped out of her trance, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear before hastily looking back at the slightly yellowed pages of the book. She felt her cheeks heat up and cursed herself inwardly. Damn it, it's just Sebastian!

Sebastian chuckled softly as he noticed her embarrassment. "Nice to see you've rejoined us mentally," he said with a grin.

"Oh, yeah? What did I miss that was so important?" she retorted, knowing full well that Sebastian had paid just as little attention to the old professor as she had.

"Uh, very important historical events. For instance, I took the initiative to turn the page in your book because you were off in another world again," he said, grinning proudly.

"A truly historic event would be you remembering to bring your own books for once."

"A 'thank you' would've sufficed," he mumbled.

"You'll get a thank you when our plan this afternoon actually works," Willow said, nervously fidgeting with her red-and-gold tie.

"It will. I promise. Garreth is helping us brew, so it has to work. For Anne." His voice broke at the last two words, and Willow's heart clenched painfully.

Ominis joined their conversation now. Despite their whispered tones, he had heard them. His heightened hearing, a gift of his blindness, allowed him to pick up on even the quietest conversations. "The moment you mentioned Garreth, I started doubting the plan's success," he remarked dryly.

Willow stifled a laugh, which came out as a snort. Sebastian pressed his lips together, and before the situation could escalate and cost them house points, they were dismissed for the break. The rest of the school day flew by, the dull lessons quickly forgotten.

—

The afternoon had arrived, and with it, the time to execute their plan. To keep everything secret, Willow had led her friends to the Room of Requirement. An outsider would probably have expelled them all from Hogwarts if they knew what they were up to, and none of them could afford that with only six months left until graduation.

They stood gathered around the large brewing table in the middle of the room, which Willow had used during her fifth year to catch up on the previous four. Around them were herbology and potion-making stations, with supplies waiting to be used. Willow knew she could never have enough combat plants or potions.

Standing around the large brewing table were Poppy, Ominis, Natty, Garreth, Sebastian, and Willow herself. Except for Garreth, they had all faced the most dangerous adventures together, and it was good they weren't just a trio this time, in case the plan went wrong.

Garreth Weasley had joined the plan because of his supposed knack for potion-making. His concoctions were often creative, but they usually ended in explosions and chaos. Yet he never gave up, even when it cost them many house points. Both Willow and Natty had tried to convince him to stick to potion instructions, but Garreth found that too boring.

Ominis had been right earlier - having Garreth on board didn't exactly inspire confidence.

Sebastian was right - their plan couldn't afford to fail. Too much depended on it, not least the life of Sebastian's beloved twin sister.

A few weeks ago, they had arranged to meet in the Undercroft, a hidden room in Hogwarts known only to Ominis, Sebastian, and Willow. They had begun speculating about the possibility of parallel universes, initially with laughter, but then with serious doubts. After all, magic existed - wands, flying brooms, and extraordinary magical creatures. Willow knew that in the Muggle world, all of this was considered mere fairy tales.

So they started researching and combing through the library, going from tome to tome. And they actually found something: a ritual that promised to locate certain people in other realities. It was an opportunity they couldn't pass up.

They wanted to find Victor Rookwood - the man who had cursed Anne with that terrible, unknown spell. He was the only one who knew exactly what kind of curse it was, and thus the only one who knew how to lift it.

In their fifth year, Willow had had many encounters with Rookwood. He had wanted to get rid of her, even attempting to kidnap her to overpower her. In their final battle, Willow had no choice but to eliminate Victor Rookwood. Only later did they realize they could have obtained information from him. Sebastian had been furious with her at first but eventually understood that for Willow, it had been a matter of life and death.

Life's irony didn't end there: Willow had discovered that Rookwood was actually related to her. Yes, they shared the same last name, but at first, Willow hadn't connected the dots. Now, she despised her surname and knew that she owed it all to the person she had personally killed. The images of that moment still haunted her.

Now it was time to turn their last hope into reality. If they could open a portal to an alternate reality, she, Sebastian, and Ominis would go through it to find Rookwood. They had all memorized the spell to return.

It was clear to them that an answer wouldn't guarantee Anne's return. But Sebastian was willing to do whatever it took to get closer to that possibility. Ominis and Willow couldn't risk losing Sebastian to dark magic again, so they decided to try together.

Willow and Sebastian were just going through their supplies when Natty and Poppy joined them.

"Seriously? You're letting me, the blind one, brew the potion? You know I'm terrible at Potions!" protested Ominis, who could feel his friends moving away from the cauldron.

Poppy and Natty exchanged a glance, after which Natty went back to Garreth and the blind wizard. "Garreth definitely has everything under control," she said, strolling over to them.

"Hmph, I wouldn't bet on that," Ominis replied, prompting an indignant noise from Garreth.

"Relax, Ominis. You have an ear for making sure Garreth doesn't do anything stupid. In the meantime, we'll make sure you've packed everything you need," said Sebastian.

"Fine by me. But if this goes wrong, I don't want to be held responsible."

"Great. Willow, do you have everything?"

The Gryffindor student nodded.
"Yes, I think so. According to the list, I should have everything packed, but we can go through it again if you'd like. Poppy, would you be so kind as to read the list while Sebastian and I check everything?"

The small student took the piece of parchment from Willow's hand with enthusiasm. "Of course! So, let's start with the most important thing: spare clothes?"

Both Willow and Sebastian confirmed with an agreeing sound. Sebastian simultaneously checked Ominis' bag and confirmed that it was packed too.

"Then you need various potions, especially the Mega-Power Potion, which you've clearly marked. A few books from the library, parchment, ink, your quills, your brooms, and last but not least, your wands, of course."

Relieved yet a bit excited, Willow realized she had thought of everything. She could have bet that Sebastian would forget something, but she was pleasantly surprised when he said that his and Ominis' bags were packed too. They had all placed their leather school bags under an untraceable expansion charm, so their luggage wouldn't be too heavy. Since Ominis didn't fly, they also didn't need a third broom. Willow had sewn loops onto the leather straps of their bags so they could easily carry their brooms on their backs.

"Willa?"

Willow snapped out of her nervous thoughts at the mention of her nickname. "Hm? Yes?" She turned to her little friend.

"Are you scared?"

The normally brave Gryffindor cast a sideways glance at her brown-haired companion. He must have noticed her nervousness too, as he gave her an encouraging smile.

"Scared? Never heard of it," she merely mumbled, knowing full well that it couldn't be further from the truth.

"You're a terrible liar, Willa," Garreth chimed in.

"You'd better make sure you don't mess up the potion," Willow replied somewhat snappily. "Sorry," she quickly added.

"It's okay, Willa. I'm used to it."

Willow recognized the ironic tone in Garreth's voice. She couldn't help but smile slightly, feeling infinitely grateful to him at that moment. She felt the tension in her slowly ease. After all, she wouldn't have to do this alone; traveling to another universe. Sebastian and Ominis would be by her side the whole time. She had nothing to fear.

She took several deep breaths, trying to stifle any lingering doubts. She was certain. She had her best friends with her and a strong connection to an ancient form of magic. Even in a dangerous situation, nothing would happen to her. The uncanny power of that special magic would ensure it. Gradually, she calmed down again. One last time, she stroked the deep scar in her left eyebrow, which strangely soothed her. It was ironic, considering how she had gotten it. But Willow didn't want to think about that right now.

"Sebastian, Willow, the potion is ready. Do you still remember the incantation?"

Willow exchanged a glance with Sebastian. Somehow it felt mutually final. There was no turning back now. She straightened her back. If she didn't feel confident, she at least wanted to look like she did. She slung the bag with the attached broom over her shoulder and nodded to Sebastian to signal that she was ready.

As Willow approached the cauldron, she felt a tingling in the air that electrified her skin. The air around her seemed to thicken, and the soft hissing of the cauldron grew in intensity, as if it was charging up the magical energy within it.

Garreth had already filled and cooled three vials before informing the others. Willow didn't think much of physical contact, but this time she made an exception. She briefly hugged each of her friends, including Ominis and Sebastian. Even if they would come along, it just felt right at that moment.

Ominis, Sebastian, and Willow each grabbed a phial.

"I hope it was worth the arguments," Ominis muttered before tipping the contents of his phial down his throat.

Willow didn't question his statement further and followed his example; Sebastian did the same. They raised their wands and began the ritual. After three repetitions, they heard a faint rustling. Holding her breath, Willow opened her eyes, which she had closed to concentrate.

"I can't believe it," she heard someone say, but the voice was so muffled in her ears that she couldn't tell who it belonged to.

But she could understand the reaction well. Suddenly, a bright light illuminated the room, and before their eyes, a shimmering curtain of energy began to form. It was as if the elements around them started to move, the colors dancing and swirling as the fabric of reality distorted. Willow held her breath as the portal slowly opened - a circular hole leading into the darkness of another universe. Sparks flew from the edges, and a soft, hypnotic rustling filled the room as the threshold between the worlds became visible. In that moment, Willow knew she was on the brink of an adventure she had never thought possible.

She knew they couldn't wait long; it was clearly stated in the old tome. So she moved toward it. She was sure it was all happening faster than she could perceive.

The closer she got to the portal, the more she could make out the strange sparks and the hissing.
"Guys, I think we need to hurry."
And so she stepped through the portal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And here it is, the first chapter! I am so excited to share this story internationally!
Feel free to let me know your thoughts.

2.694 Words