The castle was never truly silent. Even after curfew, Hogwarts hummed with secrets—ghosts drifting through the halls, portraits whispering in the darkness, and the restless energy of hundreds of young witches and wizards dreaming beneath ancient stone. For Sagar, the night was when the real magic happened.
He had grown bolder in his explorations, mapping hidden passages and testing the limits of the castle's enchantments. Tonight, he followed a hunch—a faint magical resonance he'd sensed near the third-floor corridor, the one strictly forbidden to students. He slipped from the Slytherin common room, his footsteps muffled by a charm, and moved through the shadows with practiced ease.
As he rounded a corner near the forbidden corridor, he heard hurried whispers and the unmistakable creak of a door being opened. Sagar paused, pressing himself into an alcove just as three familiar figures darted past: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Their faces were tense, eyes wide with excitement and fear.
Curiosity piqued, Sagar followed at a distance. He watched as Hermione scolded the boys for nearly getting them caught, while Ron muttered about Filch and his cat. Harry, ever the leader, pressed on, his lightning scar barely visible in the moonlight.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed behind them—Filch, the caretaker, was on the prowl. The trio panicked, ducking into a side passage that Sagar knew led to a dead end. He hesitated for only a moment before slipping in after them.
He found the trio huddled at the end of the corridor, panic rising as Filch's lantern bobbed closer. Sagar stepped from the shadows, startling them.
"Looking for a shortcut?" he whispered, a sly smile on his lips.
Harry's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"
"Same as you, I expect—exploring," Sagar replied. "But if you want to avoid detention, you'll need a better escape route."
Hermione, ever suspicious, eyed him warily. "Why should we trust you?"
Sagar leaned in, lowering his voice. "Because I know this castle better than Filch ever will. There's a hidden door behind that tapestry. If we move quickly, we can be back in our dorms before he even realizes we're gone."
For a heartbeat, the trio hesitated. Then, as Filch's footsteps grew louder, Harry nodded. Together, they slipped behind the tapestry. Sagar traced a rune on the stone, and the wall swung open, revealing a narrow spiral staircase. They climbed quickly, emerging in a deserted corridor near the library.
The danger passed, the tension eased. Ron let out a low whistle. "Blimey, that was close. Thanks, mate."
Hermione, still cautious, studied Sagar. "How did you know about that passage?"
Sagar shrugged. "I pay attention. Hogwarts is full of secrets if you know where to look."
Harry regarded him with a mix of curiosity and gratitude. "You're Sagar, right? From Slytherin?"
"That's me," Sagar said, offering a hand. "And you're Harry Potter."
They shook hands, a silent understanding passing between them. For all their differences, both were outsiders in their own way—marked by fate, watched by the world, and driven by questions no one else dared ask.
As they parted ways, Hermione lingered. "You're not like the other Slytherins," she said quietly.
Sagar smiled. "Neither are you like the other Gryffindors."
She blushed, then hurried after her friends.
Sagar watched them go, feeling the threads of a new alliance forming. He knew better than to trust too easily, but he also knew that Hogwarts' greatest adventures were rarely faced alone.
As he slipped back to the dungeons, Sagar's mind raced with possibilities. Tonight, he had crossed paths with legends in the making. The game was growing more interesting by the hour.