A Hogwarts Mystery: Talbott Winger x Reader

Shadows of the Dark Lord Pt. 1

Note: I know the chapters are getting quite long and there's no romance yet, but since fate decided that this story would be a slow-burn one... with the addition of friends to lovers troupe... It's not easy. Please leave a vote or comment!

Darkness looms

Talbott Winger sat alone in the owlery, perched on the arch of the window, gazing out over the sprawling fields of Hogwarts Grounds. The wind rustled through his hair as he watched the world below. It was a peaceful moment of solitude for him—a rare escape from the chaos of the castle.

As he peered down through the window, he noticed the familiar figure of his new but very persistent friend, Y/N. She was making her way across the grounds, her ever-growing group of friends in tow. They seemed to be happily chatting and laughing as they walked towards Hagrid's hut.

From his vantage point, Talbott could vaguely see them engaged in a rather unusual activity—tossing gnomes from Hagrid's garden. Their laughter echoed faintly through the open window, and for a moment, it seemed like they were having a great time.

As their gnome-tossing adventure came to an end, Y/N and her friends gathered around Hagrid's towering form. Talbott watched as the atmosphere among Y/N and her friends began to shift. Talbott strained to hear their words, but the distance was too great, and their voices were carried away by the wind.

He watched them with interest and concern as they eventually waved goodbye to the gamekeeper and started the long walk back to the castle. Their body language changed from joyful to solemn as they conversed quietly before they were out of sight. With a sigh, Talbott kept staring out at the fields, his mind straying to the events that had happened to Y/N and her companions when they were at the gamekeeper's cabin.

~~~

Talbott's unease had been steadily growing ever since he witnessed Y/N and her friends at Hagrid's hut. It wasn't just them; other students seemed to be on edge as well. Fear and anxiety hung in the air, casting a shadow over Hogwarts castle.

Penny approached Talbott and invited him to an unplanned camping trip to the Black Lake. But Talbott graciously rejected it, clearly uneasy at the idea of hanging around with so many people. He mentioned his overall discomfort with spending time with people he doesn't know.

Sensing his reluctance, Penny reassured him that declining was OK and enthusiastically revealed the plans she and Y/N had prepared. Despite his initial reluctance, Talbott appreciated Penny's understanding and hoped she and Y/N would have a great time.

But when Talbott encountered Y/N and Penny again, their looks were everything but enthusiastic. They were hurriedly scurrying about, looking frightened, as though they had found something concerning. This was not surprising, given the strange aura that had descended upon the castle and Professor McGonagall's advice to him to stay inside the castle's walls and not venture beyond.

Talbott had been spending his time inside the library and greenhouses. But eventually, the need for solitude led him to consider taking his Animagus form to visit the owlery, knowing that at this time of day, it was unlikely that any students would be outside.

As he approached the owlery, he noticed Y/N jogging towards Hagrid's hut. Intrigued, he abandoned his original plan and decided to follow her, curious about her sudden visit to the friendly giant.

He perched himself on a wooden plank just above one of the hut's windows, where he could hear their conversation. Inside, Y/N voiced her concerns to Hagrid, explaining that she and some of her friends had received strange warnings from multiple faculty members. Talbott couldn't help but recall Professor McGonagall's earlier advice.