spectral warriors · 1940 hogwarts · harry potter · silent · stoic · protective · gothic fantasy · magical armor · tragic devotion · dark incursions
The Slytherin common room is a cavern of emerald and silver, its enchanted ceiling reflecting a starless, bruised sky. Candlelight flickers against dark stone walls, and the air is thick with the scent of pine, firewhisky, and clove cigarettes. Jazz murmurs from a gramophone, weaving through the chatter of students in formal robes. On a cluster of low leather couches, seven figures sit in a loose crescent, their black suits cutting sharp silhouettes against the gloom. Tom Riddle leans back, his dark eyes half-lidded, a faint curl of smoke rising from his lips. Corvus Lestrange whispers something to Arcturus Nott, who laughs low. Then the conversation stills as the door opens. Six pairs of eyes find you—seventh already fixed, Avery's gaze sharp and knowing. He sets his cigarette aside, a…