The old Thornwood Manor loomed like a half-forgotten memory on the edge of Kai's mind—a towering mass of stone and silver ivy, its walls imbued with ancient wards that hummed beneath his fingertips as he brushed them absently. Here, history was not just recorded but lived, whispered in the hush of footfalls down corridors that had seen more than a thousand years of wizarding history. Every flickering torch seemed to throw light upon the Thornwoods' triumphs—and their failures.
Kai Thornwood knew both well enough.
He stood in the center of the family library, the sigils above the hearth glowing faintly in the dim afternoon light. Dust motes danced in the air, caught in golden shafts that fell through tall, arched windows. Bookshelves stretched to impossible heights, filled with tomes on subjects both wondrous and dangerous—"Bloodpacts and Family Wards: A Treatise" next to "Magicks Most Ancient and Most Foul."
"Kai," came a voice—low, sonorous, and marked by years of experience masking a cold, calculating mind.
His father.
Jacob Thornwood entered, robes trimmed in emerald, his family crest glinting at the breast. His gray eyes studied Kai with the same precision as a cursebreaker dismantling an ancient ward.
"It's time."
Kai's hand curled tighter around the letter he had read no less than twenty times in the past week. The Hogwarts crest shone in red wax, still pristine despite his anxious fidgeting. It didn't make the decision any easier.
"Do I have to be Gryffindor?" Kai asked quietly. He wasn't sure what answer he wanted. His mother's blood, Potter though it was, had birthed in him the stubbornness of a lion. But the Thornwoods had never been Gryffindors.
Never.
Jacob tilted his head. "You will be what you are. The Sorting Hat does not err."
His mother's voice echoed over his father's: "Be brave, Kai. Whatever happens, remember who you are."
He didn't know who that was yet.
But he would find out.
---
Hogwarts Express - September 1st, 1890
The scarlet engine billowed steam into the clear sky, its whistle sharp and urgent. Kai found himself on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, standing alongside his parents. His mother's grip lingered longer than his father's stiff nod, her emerald-green robes reminiscent of the house she had abandoned for love.
Jacob did not speak farewell. He simply nodded once and disappeared into the crowd.
Kai climbed aboard.
He passed carriages of laughing students, some in tailored robes emblazoned with their family crests, others with wide eyes and secondhand trunks. Already, whispered greetings rose in his wake.
"Is that him?"
"Thornwood… you know, that Thornwood family."
"I heard they have their own seats on the Wizengamot…"
He found an empty compartment at the end of the train, slid inside, and pressed his head against the glass. But solitude was not to be his.
The door slid open.
"Mind if we join you?"
A boy with unruly curls and soot-smudged hands grinned. His robes were askew, wand tucked behind one ear. Beside him, a girl with sharp gray eyes and an armful of books frowned in disapproval.
"I'm Henry Aldcroft," the boy said, dropping onto the seat without waiting for permission. "And this is Francesca Greaves. She'll hex me for sitting here without an invitation."
"You're exaggerating," Francesca said primly, though her lips twitched. "Mostly."
Kai felt something loosen in his chest. "Kai Thornwood."
Henry's eyebrows shot up. "The Thornwoods? Blimey. Didn't think you lot spoke to common folk."
Francesca elbowed him in the ribs. "Ignore him. He hasn't read a proper book on etiquette in his life."
Henry grinned, unfazed. "Reckon we'll all be in Gryffindor. Brave, stupid, or both."
Kai smiled. "I suppose we'll find out."
---
Hogwarts - The Great Hall
Candlelight drifted above their heads as if caught in an eternal Updraft Charm. The ceiling reflected the cloud-dappled sky outside, moonlight weaving silver through the enchanted stone.
The Sorting Hat's song was grander than Kai expected, full of warnings about choosing paths wisely and the strength in unity.
But when it was lowered onto his head, he heard only one voice.
"Ah… difficult. Very difficult."
Kai felt the Hat's presence probe, light but sure.
"Bravery enough for Gryffindor… yes… cunning for Slytherin… plenty of wit for Ravenclaw, but your heart… your heart yearns to fight for others. A Gryffindor then, if you are sure."
Kai thought of his mother. Of his father's cold gaze. Of what he wanted to be.
"Gryffindor."
The Hat's brim split into a grin. "Very well."
"GRYFFINDOR!" it called.
Applause thundered through the hall. Henry whooped, and Francesca clapped politely.
Kai slipped the Hat off and made his way to the Gryffindor table, where space was made for him.
At the High Table, a stern-eyed witch in emerald robes met his gaze. Professor Matilda Weasley, Transfiguration Mistress, nodded approvingly.
But someone else was watching.
A man in dark gray robes with a silver brooch—the symbol of the Department of Mysteries—stood near Headmaster Black. His eyes, dark and unfathomable, rested on Kai for a fraction too long.
---
Later That Night - Gryffindor Tower
The common room blazed with warmth and chatter. Henry had already set off three different Exploding Snap decks, and Francesca was arguing about the properties of Rune Charms.
Kai stood at the window.
Below, the Black Lake gleamed in the moonlight, and beyond it, the Forbidden Forest whispered promises of secrets untold.
He felt it then.
A tug.
A pulse of ancient magic that thrummed in his veins and answered an unseen call.
Kai Thornwood's story was just beginning.
And something was coming.
Something dark.
Something old.