The Unexpected Sisterhood

The early morning sunlight spilled through the enchanted windows of the eighth-year common room, illuminating the remnants of a long night spent poring over books and theories. Hermione sat at the long table, her quill dancing furiously across a piece of parchment as she scribbled down ideas, her brow furrowed in concentration. Beside her sat Ginny, leaning back in her chair, her wand balanced precariously between her fingers as she absentmindedly twirled it. Across the room, Pansy stood by the fireplace, her arms crossed as she stared into the flames, a thoughtful frown tugging at her lips.

None of them had spoken about the events of the previous night—not since the glowing triquetra on their hands had faded into faint outlines. Yet, the memory of summoning Snape and the lingering magic in the air was impossible to ignore.

“We can’t keep ignoring this,” Hermione said suddenly, breaking the silence. Her voice was tight, almost defensive. “Our powers are becoming… erratic.”

“Erratic?” Pansy snorted, turning to face her. “Speak for yourself. I nearly blew up my breakfast this morning because I thought about moving the plate closer.”

Ginny smirked. “At least you didn’t freeze the entire teapot. Mum’s letters would’ve been endless.”

Hermione groaned, rubbing her temples. “This isn’t a joke. If we don’t figure out how to control these powers, someone’s going to notice. And with our luck, it won’t end well.”

The door to the common room creaked open before either Ginny or Pansy could reply. Harry, Ron, and Draco strolled in, their voices carrying as they debated the finer points of Quidditch tactics.

Draco’s gaze landed immediately on Hermione. His expression shifted to one of mild irritation, though his silver eyes betrayed his curiosity. “Granger, are you ever not buried in your books?”

Hermione didn’t bother looking up. “I could ask the same of you and your ego, Malfoy.”

Draco smirked, clearly unfazed, as he settled into one of the armchairs. Harry and Ron exchanged a glance before joining him, though it was Ron who broke the growing tension.

“You three have been acting weird all week,” he said bluntly, his gaze shifting between Hermione, Ginny, and Pansy. “What’s going on?”

Ginny shifted uncomfortably. “Weird? What do you mean?”

Ron rolled his eyes. “You froze a butterbeer mid-drink last night, Ginny. Don’t try to tell me it was nothing.”

Harry, seated beside her, leaned in. “He’s right. And it wasn’t just you. Pansy, didn’t I see you move that quill across the room without your wand?”

Pansy bristled, her sharp tone betraying her discomfort. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Potter.”

Ron frowned, clearly unconvinced. “Come off it. Something’s going on. Just tell us.”

“Fine,” Hermione said, cutting in before Ginny or Pansy could protest. She closed the Book of Shadows on the table, the thud drawing the boys’ attention. “We’ll tell you. But you need to keep this quiet. No one else can know.”

With a deep breath, Hermione launched into an explanation of their new powers, the spell they’d unwittingly cast from the Book of Shadows, and the strange, magical pull that had been changing them ever since.

By the time she finished, the room was silent. Ron’s jaw hung open, Draco looked faintly skeptical, and Harry’s brow furrowed as he processed the information.

“So… you’re saying you’re witches and some sort of magical protectors?” Harry asked slowly, his voice measured.

“That’s one way to put it,” Ginny said.

Ron shook his head. “And you didn’t think to tell us sooner?”

“We didn’t know what was happening,” Hermione said defensively. “And we’re still figuring it out. It’s not like there’s a guide for this sort of thing.”

Draco snorted. “Sounds like you’re in over your head, Granger. Not surprising, considering—”

“Not now, Malfoy,” Hermione snapped, though her voice lacked its usual bite.

~A Surge of Magic~

The rest of the day was marked by more instances of the girls’ powers flaring unexpectedly.

In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ginny had another premonition—this time of a student dropping their wand during a duel. Without thinking, she called out a warning, startling the class when her prediction came true mere seconds later.

During Charms, Pansy’s telekinesis went awry when she tried to summon her wand from across the room, sending an entire shelf of books crashing to the floor instead. Professor Flitwick gave her a sharp look, but Pansy managed to play it off as an accidental overuse of the Summoning Charm.

And in Potions, Hermione froze the contents of her cauldron entirely when she panicked over an ingredient she’d misplaced. Draco, who had been partnered with her for the lesson, smirked. “Impressive. I didn’t think even you could ruin a potion that spectacularly.”

Hermione glared at him, muttering under her breath as she worked to reverse the damage.

~The First Demon Attack~

The first sign of trouble came later that afternoon. The air in the Great Hall seemed to grow colder, a sharp, biting chill that prickled at the skin. Hermione, Ginny, and Pansy were seated together, their laughter fading as they exchanged uneasy glances.

“Do you feel that?” Ginny whispered, leaning closer.

Pansy nodded, her sharp eyes scanning the room. “Something’s wrong.”

Before Hermione could respond, a deafening roar echoed through the hall. The students screamed as a dark, shadowy figure materialized in the center of the room. Its form was humanoid but twisted, its eyes glowing a sickly green as it surveyed the crowd.

“Charmed Ones…” it hissed, its voice a low, guttural growl.

Hermione’s blood ran cold.

The demon raised a clawed hand, hurling a ball of dark energy toward the girls. Ginny shoved Hermione out of the way just in time, the blast narrowly missing them.

“Run!” Hermione shouted, but Ginny stood her ground, her eyes narrowing as she extended a hand. Her vision blurred, and she saw the demon’s next move—a second attack aimed at Pansy.

“Pansy, duck!” Ginny cried.

Pansy moved just as the demon’s strike hit the wall behind her. Anger flared in her chest, and she threw out her hand, sending the demon flying backward with a surge of telekinetic energy.

Hermione joined them, her mind racing. The students had fled the hall, but the demon showed no sign of retreating. She raised her wand, intending to cast a Stunning Spell, but instead, her freezing power surged forward. The demon stopped mid-lunge, its movements suspended in time.

“We need to finish this!” Hermione shouted, her voice strained as she struggled to maintain the freeze.

Pansy and Ginny nodded, their combined efforts vanquishing the demon in a burst of light and shadow.

The room fell silent, the air heavy with residual magic.

“We need answers,” Hermione said finally, her voice shaking. “And we need them now.”

~After the Demon Attack~

The Great Hall was eerily silent as the girls stood amidst the aftermath of their battle. The cold air still lingered, heavy with residual magic. Though the demon had been vanquished, the tension in the room hadn’t dissipated. Hermione, Ginny, and Pansy exchanged uneasy glances, each trying to process what had just happened.

“We need to regroup,” Hermione said, her voice tight.

“And talk about how we’re suddenly demon magnets,” Pansy added, brushing dust from her robes with trembling hands.

Ginny nodded, her face pale but resolute. “Not here. Too many questions if someone comes back.”

“Room of Requirement,” Hermione suggested, already moving toward the doors.

The girls made their way through the corridors, their steps brisk and determined. They didn’t need to speak; the weight of what they’d just experienced was enough to keep them moving.

When they reached the Room of Requirement, Hermione paced in front of the blank wall, her thoughts focused. A door appeared moments later, and the three of them stepped inside. The room had transformed into a large, cozy space with plenty of seating, a roaring fireplace, and shelves of magical tomes lining the walls.

Moments later, the door creaked open, and Harry, Ron, and Draco entered, their faces full of confusion and concern.

“We saw the hall,” Harry said immediately, his gaze shifting between the three girls. “What the hell happened?”

“Was that a demon?” Ron asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

“What aren’t you telling us?” Draco demanded, his silver eyes narrowing.

Hermione turned to them, her expression serious. “We’ll explain, but first, we need to call someone who can help us. This is… bigger than we realized.”

~Summoning Snape in the Room of Requirement~

The girls gathered around the Book of Shadows on a table in the center of the room. Hermione flipped through the pages, finally landing on the spell to summon their White Lighter.

“What’s a White Lighter?” Harry asked, his tone skeptical.

“You’ll see,” Pansy said shortly, shooting him a warning look.

Ginny, Hermione, and Pansy placed their hands on the book and began reciting the incantation. The boys stepped back instinctively as the air grew heavy with magic. A golden glow filled the room, swirling around the trio before coalescing into a figure.

As the glow faded, Severus Snape stood before them, his dark robes billowing slightly as though caught in an invisible breeze. His familiar scowl deepened as he took in the room and its occupants.

“Miss Granger,” he drawled, his voice as sharp as ever. “Miss Weasley. Miss Parkinson. I see you’ve once again summoned me for what I can only assume is another crisis of your own making.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

“Snape?” Ron sputtered, his face a mix of shock and disbelief.

“Professor Snape?” Harry added, taking a step forward as though he couldn’t trust his eyes.

Draco, on the other hand, looked pale and uncharacteristically stunned. “How…? You’re dead.”

Snape turned his glare on the boys, his lip curling in disdain. “Astute as ever, Mr. Malfoy. Yes, I am dead. And yet, thanks to these three, I now find myself burdened with the role of their White Lighter. A position, I assure you, I did not volunteer for.”

“You’re their White Lighter?” Ron asked, incredulous. “Of all people?”

“Why is it always you, Snape?” Harry muttered under his breath, earning a sharp look from the former professor.

“Enough!” Hermione snapped, her patience wearing thin. “We didn’t summon you to argue. We need answers, Professor. There was a demon in the Great Hall. It came for us.”

Snape’s expression darkened, and he crossed his arms. “Describe it.”

“It was shadowy, humanoid,” Ginny said quickly. “It called us the Charmed Ones before it attacked.”

“It was targeting us specifically,” Pansy added. “It knew exactly who we were.”

Snape was silent for a long moment, his dark eyes narrowing. Finally, he spoke. “Your awakening as the Charmed Ones has disrupted the balance of magical forces. The demons who serve the Underworld will seek to destroy you before you gain full control of your powers.”

“Fantastic,” Draco muttered. “So now we’re living in some ridiculous fairy tale where demons are real and targeting people we know?”

“Unlike most fairy tales, Mr. Malfoy,” Snape said icily, “this is very real. And very dangerous.”

“What exactly are we supposed to do about it?” Hermione demanded. “We barely managed to fight off one demon. How are we supposed to handle more?”

Snape’s gaze softened slightly—though his tone remained sharp. “You are the Charmed Ones, Miss Granger. The most powerful force for good in this world. You will learn to harness your abilities. And when the time comes, you will prevail.”

“That’s not exactly comforting,” Ginny muttered.

“Comfort was never my specialty,” Snape replied curtly.

Ron, who had been pacing, finally stopped and turned to the group. “So, what? They’re supposed to just… fight demons and hope for the best? What if they can’t handle it?”

“They’ll handle it,” Snape said firmly. “Because they must.”

~Arguments and Revelations~

The tension in the room reached a breaking point as the boys and girls began to argue.

“You should’ve told us about this sooner,” Harry said, his voice filled with frustration. “We could’ve helped you.”

“Helped us?” Pansy snapped. “What exactly would you have done, Potter? This isn’t your fight.”

“It is now!” Ron shot back. “You think we’re just going to stand by while demons come after you?”

Draco, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, finally spoke. “This is insane. The three of you can’t possibly handle this alone. Even with your powers, you’re not invincible.”

“We don’t have a choice,” Hermione said, her voice rising. “Do you think we wanted this? We’re trying to figure it out as we go.”

“And failing spectacularly,” Snape added, earning a glare from Hermione.

Ginny stepped between them, her eyes blazing. “Enough! We need to stop fighting and figure out what to do next. The demons won’t stop coming just because we’re arguing.”

For a moment, the room was silent, save for the crackling of the fireplace.

Snape sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “If you’re quite finished, I suggest you focus on training. Your powers are unpredictable because they are tied to your emotions and your natural magical abilities. Learn to control those, and you’ll find your Charmed abilities becoming far more stable.”

Hermione nodded reluctantly. “Where do we start?”

“With me,” Snape said simply. “As your White Lighter, it is my duty to guide and protect you. Though, I must say, I’m already regretting it.”

Pansy smirked despite herself. “Glad to see some things never change.”

Snape’s glare silenced her, but there was the faintest hint of a smirk on his lips as he began outlining their next steps.