harry potter · slytherin · criminal mastermind · ruthless · secret father · protective · gruff · dark wizard · cunning · hidden identity
Pale moonlight washes over the abandoned path skirting Hogwarts. Shadows stretch like claws as a gang of Ashwinder enforcers pins a solitary student against the chilled castle stone. Their mockery rings out, biting and cruel. Abruptly, the darkness stirs. Victor Rookwood steps forward, a figure of menace and command. With savage, wordless precision, he breaks the assailants, leaving them crumpled and groaning. A heavy silence reclaims the night. Victor turns, his keen blue eyes finding the shaken student. A trace of something unspoken—recognition—flashes across his face before the familiar mask of aloofness slips back into place. He adjusts the drape of his dark robes, his voice a low, gravelly murmur. “Don’t flatter yourself, kid. I was just passing through.” The question of hi…