Gossip about the ransfer girl spread through Hogwarts within just a few days.

  First, there were whispers about her strange at and way of speaking, followed by talk of her light-hearted and joking attitude, which fit right in with the prank-loving twins. Then came the rumours about her poor css performance – her homework riddled with red ink, especially her Potions assigs. There was even a story cirg that she had cried, “He’s not my idol anymore,” after Professor Sore into her work; everyone was shocked that she’d ever sidered the gloomy bat her idol. But the test gossip?

  “She’s got a crush on Cedric, our third-year senior.”

  “...What?” Scarlet blinked, momentarily thrown.

  Amelia, thinking the i ginger-haired girl – who had no i in school romance - didn’t uand, repeated her words with more fir. “Alexis Everhart, the Ameri fashionista, has a crush on Cedric. She’s trying her best to be his girlfriend, writing him love letters and even posing love songs.”

  “Her songs aren’t bad,” Maya chimed in, “but her writing is awful – grammar mistakes, spelling errors, and her handwriting is a disaster.”

  “...How do you know all that?” Scarlet asked, both dumbfounded and intrigued.

  “She asked for help with her love letters after Cedric rejected the first one,” Maya expined, gesturing animatedly. "Apparently, our reading club was happy to lend a hand. Cedric returned her letter with correarked in red ink. You imagine how much red there was. She looked like she was about to cry whe it back, and Cedric seemed just as unfortable. Puy, probably the first time he’s had to rejeeone who’s only known him for a few days.”

  “She’s a bold one,” Amelia remarked, sounding impressed. “I’m starting to respect her.”

  “And she has good taste,” Maya added. “Cedric’s such a nice boy. Everybody likes him. He’s like the charming prince from a fairy tale.”

  Scarlet recalled her own enters with Cedric – always helpful, always friendly – and nodded. “He’s definitely a good senior. I wouldn’t be surprised if he became a prefect.”

  There was a knock at the door. It was Hannah with a message. “Scarlet, Potter and Weasley are looking for you. They’re still in the Great Hall.”

  “Thanks.” Scarlet replied, w what this was about. Whe up with Harry and Ron, they hurriedly dragged her to a er where no one could overhear. Harry, looking both anxious aed, whispered, “I found a mirror! I see my parents in it!”

  “But I didn’t see his parents,” Ron cut in. “I saw myself as Head boy, holding the Quidditch Cup. I was Quidditch Captain! Do you think it shows the future?”

  “What’s so iing about that? My parents are what matters!” Harry hissed. “I’m going back to the mirror tonight.”

  “Mate, seriously?” Ron shook his head. “I’ve got a bad feeling about it. Don’t go. Scarlet will tell you the same.”

  “Scarlet.” Harry turo her, lookiant but hopeful. “You’re with me, right?”

  Scarlet thought for a moment. “From what you’ve described, it sounds like the mirror shows you whatever you desire the most.”

  Both the boys stared at her, clearly fused.

  She tio expin, “It means that it doesn’t show the truth, just an imagined reality – something you deeply wish for. For example, a girl who’s insecure about her appearance might see herself as the most beautiful person in the world.”

  She turo Ron. “So, Ron, if you want to be Quidditch Captain and Head Boy, you’d better start w hard to make that dream e true.”

  Then, she looked at Harry, who seemed defted. “Harry, I know how much you want to see your parents, to have a plete family. You look into the mirror, but don’t get lost in that feeling, alright? It’s a beautiful illusion, so beautiful that it pull you in. The more you visit the mirror, the deeper you’ll sink into that illusion - and you might lose yourself in it.”

  “I-I-but...” Harry stammered. He knew Scarlet was right. She was always right and gave the best advice, but...those were his parents.

  “How about this,” Scarlet sighed. “I’ll go with you tonight, and this will be your st time. Tomorrow, I’ll report the mirror to Professor Dumbledore or Professor Sprout, and they’ll make sure it’s kept somewhere safe – somewhere no one access. Does that sound okay?”

  Harry, lookied but uanding, nodded, “Alright. I’ll meet you here.”

  “No, meet me in my training room,” Scarlet instructed. “Fred and Gee know where it is. Ask them t you, or they tell you the way. I’ll be waiting there.”

  “Okay.”

  Later that night, when Scarlet went for her training, she found not only Harry there, but Fred, Gee, and Ron as well.

  “I get why Fred and Gee are here - this is their workshop as well,” Scarlet remarked, eyeing the two younger boys. “Harry’s here to meet me. But, Ron, what are you doing here? Don’t you have other things to do?”

  “Hey, it’s not fair that I’m the only o out!” Ron protested, his up defiantly.

  “So now Percy’s the o out, is he? And what about Hermione?” Scarlet rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

  “If Percy were here, then this would be the secret Weasley base - the ginger kingdom!” Fred decred with dramatic fir.

  “Midy, lurking in the shadows of the Hogwarts, secretly teaming up with the Weasleys to fight off the strong!” Gee chimed in, spinning an eborate tale. “Sounds like the plot for your book!”

  “No, I’m thinking of writing something cyberpunk now,” Scarlet replied, sighing.

  Harry giggled, while the Weasleys exged puzzled looks, not knowing what “cyberpunk” was or why it amused Harry.

  “Harry, Ron, take a seat,” Scarlet instructed as she began stretg her arms, walking toward the tre of the vast room. “Fred, Gee, grab your swords a ready.”

  “As you wish, midy,” the twins responded in unison.

  Ever sihe twins had bee her training partners - using their Quidditch skills to send Bludgers flying at her as part of her dodging practice – they had been eager for more challenges. One day, they each found a rge sword somewhere in the castle and asked her for sword training. Not just any swords, but greatswords that required two hands to wield properly.

  “Because swinging swords looks so cool!” they had excimed, stubbornly refusing to switch to the lighter one-handed longswords she’d suggested.

  Though their physical skills were det, they struggled to trol the massive greatswords. Usually, Scarlet went easy on them. But tonight, it was clear she had no iion of holding back.

  “On guard!” Scarlet shouted as she easily blocked Fred’s shaky ssh. “Grip the sword tight! Did you waste all your dinner?”

  Twisting her waist while keeping her feet pnted, she spun just in time to thrust her spear at Gee’s leg as he tried to sneak up from behind. “Footwork! Agility! Have you turned into a turtle siting off your broom?”

  “Use your waist!” she barked.

  “Stay grounded! Your lower body’s a mess!”

  “Block my thrust! If I were serious, you’d be dead by now.”

  Harry and Ron stood frozen, watg Scarlet thrash the twins with bnk expressions. In their eyes, Fred and Gee had always been the eic, physically fit Beaters of the Quidditch team – strong, agile, and seemingly unstoppable. Yet here was Scarlet, a quiet and wise girl a full foot shorter thawins, swinging a spear effortlessly and barking orders like a harsh coach. She domihe fight, leaving the twins no ce to gain the upper hand.

  After an hour of teag (or rather, beating), Scarlet finally withdrew her spear into a low wing stance, signalling that their session was over. Fred and Gee colpsed onto the flasping for air, drenched i as if they’d just swum across the Bck Lake.

  “Told you to start with the longswords,” Scarlet said, rolling her eyes. “You don’t have the muscle freatsword yet.”

  “We-we’re just training...” Fred gasped.

  “...to l-look cool, not...pnning to f-fight anyone...” Gee added between heavy breaths.

  “Shut up and focus on your breathing,” Scarlet said, cheg her pocket watch. “It’s about time. Ron, take care of your brothers. I’ll be quick. Harry, let’s go.”

  “Whe-where are you going?” Fred mao ask.

  “Just stay there and don’t give me a reason to knock you both unscious.”

  As Harry put on his invisibility cloak and Scarlet strode out in her battle gear, Ro beside his brng at them. “She’s joking about the unscious thing, right?”

  “No, sh-she's serious,” Fred panted, wing. “Oh, my leg...”

  “Oh, my shoulder...” Geroaned, equally in pain. “Ronny, be a good brother a us the yellow paste from the desk.”

  “Wow, you’re covered in bruises,” Ron said, amazed, watg them apply the yellow paste to their injuries. “Is she mad?”

  “No,” Fred muttered. “She’s just doing her best to stop us from following her.”

  “What?” Ron looked fused for a moment before the realisation hit him. “Oh, that’s why...”

  “Oh, little Ronniekins, you’re still su i boy,” Fred teased, though weakly.

  “Stop callihat!”