Harry Potter : Cael Vale’s journey to Hogwarts

Late Night — Greenhouse Three

The castle grounds were silent, except for the faint hoot of an owl cutting across the still night. The moon was hanging low, casting pale blue light across the greenhouses. Most students were tucked away in their dormitories, but Cael had other plans.

Wrapped in his cloak, he crept across the dewy grass, heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and nerves. His hand closed around his wand as he reached the locked door of Greenhouse Three.

"Alright, nice and easy…" he muttered to himself, glancing around.

With a practiced flick, he whispered,

"Alohomora."

The lock clicked softly, and the heavy wooden door creaked open, releasing a wave of warm, humid air thick with the scent of soil, moss, and something sharper — earthy, bitter, magical.

Cael breathed deeply and said " Huh The smell of mother nature "

Cael slipped inside, quietly shutting the door behind him.

Rows of magical plants stretched out before him. Some glowed faintly, others curled and quivered at the edges. The occasional faint snap or rustle echoed through the greenhouse as enchanted vines shifted in their pots.

Mandrake leaf, Mandrake leaf, Mandrake leaf,he reminded himself. Just one… no messing this up.

His eyes scanned the benches until he spotted them near the back — rows of small Mandrakes, their pale green leaves trembling softly under the glow of enchanted lamps. They were still young, thankfully. Young enough that pulling a single leaf wouldn't trigger a full magical tantrum.

Cael crouched low, carefully plucking one leaf and tucking it into his pocket. First step of the Animagus ritual — done.

"Cael?"

The voice made him nearly jump out of his skin.

Spinning around, his heart thudded as Cassandra Vole stepped into view, hands on her hips, brow raised, eyes sharp as ever. Her Golden curls framed her face, and her expression was a perfect mix of suspicion and curiosity.

"What… exactly… are you doing here at night this late ?" she asked, voice low but pointed.

Cael cleared his throat, straightening up like nothing was wrong.

"Oh, hey Cass… Just, uh… checking out the plants and what about you, what are you doing here? ."

Cassandra blinked at him, unimpressed.

"Checking out the plants? You? , and I am tending to the plants I planted , of course with the permission of the professor."

"Yeah right." Cael tried to sound casual, shoving his hands into his pockets. "They're… fascinating. I've recently developed a passion for Herbology."

Her eyes narrowed, arms crossing over her chest as she took a slow step closer.

"Cael. You barely stay awake in Herbology. Last week, you called Devil's Snare 'that grumpy salad' — and now, suddenly, you're passionate about magical plants?"

Cael winced slightly. "That… may have been an exaggeration."

"Obviously," she shot back, glancing at the benches behind him. "So, want to try again? What are you really doing?"

He shrugged, attempting to sidestep the conversation.

"Look, it's not a big deal, I was just—"

"If you don't tell me," Cassandra interrupted sweetly, raising her voice a notch, "I'll yell for Professor Sprout and mention you're in here stealing, which I'm sure will go over brilliantly."

Cael sighed, shoulders slumping.

"You wouldn't…"

Cassandra's smirk widened.

"Try me."

They stared each other down for a moment before Cael groaned, running a hand through his hair.

"Alright, alright. But you have to promise not to freak out."

"Freak out? Me?" Cassandra arched an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth twitching. "Please, I've gone completely numb to your pranks by now. You really think I'd freak out over this?"

Cael pulled the Mandrake leaf from his pocket, holding it up between them.

"I'm… doing the Animagus ritual," he admitted quietly. "That's what I needed the leaf for."

Cassandra's mouth parted slightly, surprise flickering across her face.

"You're… serious? You're actually going to try becoming an Animagus?"

"Yeah."

"You do realize how insanely difficult that is? Not to mention dangerous?" Her voice dropped lower, but the concern was real now, less teasing.

Cael's lips curled into a crooked grin.

"Dangerous? Sure. But it's worth it."

She stared at him for a beat, clearly debating whether to hex him or help him.

"Cael… people have ended up half-transformed permanently from messing that ritual up. You could wind up with wings sticking out of your head, or fur in places it shouldn't be."

"I've done my research," Cael argued, though the slight hesitation in his tone betrayed him.

Cassandra crossed her arms again, eyes narrowing.

"Have you? Because I know you — you probably skimmed a banned book for fifteen minutes and now you think you're ready to take on forbidden magic."

"Okay, I skimmed for at least an hour, thank you very much," Cael shot back defensively, though a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Cassandra groaned softly, rubbing her temples.

"You're impossible…"

He took a step toward the door, tossing her a grin over his shoulder.

"Maybe. But at least I'm interesting."

She shook her head, following him toward the exit.

"Interesting is one word. Suicidal is another."

Cael slipped out into the night, Mandrake leaf secured, confidence buzzing in his chest.

"Relax, Cass. When I pull this off, you'll be impressed."

"Or visiting you in the hospital wing," she muttered under her breath, but her lips quirked with a reluctant smile as she trailed after him into the cool night air.