The Chronicles of Blood and Fire (HP Fanfic)

The night air buzzed with whispers and owls overhead as the first-year students stepped off the boats and onto the rocky shore before the towering silhouette of Hogwarts Castle. Caelum stood silent, a small figure in a dark hooded robe that swayed gently in the night breeze. His sharp eyes scanned the battlements above, aglow with torchlight. The lake lapped behind them, silent and deep.

"Firs' years! This way!" came the booming voice.

Caelum looked up to see a massive man holding a lantern, his wild beard and beetle-black eyes giving him the look of a mountain come alive. Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper, loomed above them like a friendly giant.

"Come on, keep up! Mind yer feet, the steps are slippery!"

The group followed him into the castle. Despite himself, Caelum felt a faint tremor of anticipation in his chest. Not excitement. Something quieter. Like standing at the edge of something large.

…

The Great Hall

Torchlight reflected off the long, enchanted ceiling—an open sky glittering with stars. Caelum's eyes adjusted quickly, avoiding the direct light. Candles floated above the four long tables filled with students. At the far end stood the staff table, with Albus Dumbledore seated at the center like a weathered king. The old man's eyes briefly met his. Not with judgment—but recognition.

The Sorting Hat sat on a stool before them. One by one, names were called, and students stepped forward to sit beneath it. The hat would pause, then call out its decision to cheers from each House.

When "Caelum Sanguine" was called, the hall grew noticeably quieter—especially now as he walked forward with his hood lowered, revealing his pale features and unnerving eyes.

He stepped forward, calm despite the weight of a thousand stares. The hat was lowered over his head, and the voice whispered in his ear.

"Curious... very curious indeed. Power. Fire. So much fire... But where to place you? You are no follower, and yet you watch from the shadows. You do not crave power, yet you gather it anyway. Hmm... Slytherin would make something fierce of you..."

"Then make it Slytherin," Caelum thought back, clear and cold. "Let it be done."

"As you wish."

"Slytherin!" the Hat bellowed.

Polite claps rang out as Caelum moved toward the Slytherin table. A few students stared longer than others. He kept his eyes low, face unreadable, hands in his robes.

…

After the Feast

Once dinner faded and the hall returned to its echoing silence, Dumbledore led the students in the strange, jumbled Hogwarts School Song. Caelum only mouthed along. His voice felt caught in his throat.

Slytherin Prefects then led them through winding stone corridors, down into the dungeons. The air grew cooler. Caelum felt more at home.

A blank wall opened with the password: "Salazar." The common room was half-submerged under the lake—dimly lit, elegant, green-toned. It smelled of stone, old parchment, and secrets.

They were then split into dormitories. Caelum was placed with Evran Thorne and Bastian Flint—one thin and quiet, the other broad and loud. It was... not unpleasant.

…

The Dormitory

Their room was tucked behind an arched doorway, furnished with three four-post beds, deep green curtains, and a single high window showing only black water outside.

Bastian flopped onto his bed with a groan. "Well. Not dead. That's a good start."

Evran raised an eyebrow while arranging his books with precision. "You expected to be?"

"Slytherin's reputation," Bastian muttered. "Dad said I'd get hexed before dessert. Thought someone might throw a jinx over the pudding."

Caelum sat silently on his bed, hood still up. His eyes flicked between the two. The silence felt familiar. Not hostile.

"You didn't say much during Sorting," Evran remarked, glancing at him.

"Didn't feel like talking," Caelum replied softly.

Evran nodded. "Fair enough. Not everyone needs to fill the silence."

"I do," Bastian added cheerfully. "Filling silence is a survival tactic."

"You're a menace," Evran murmured, smirking slightly.

"I'm Caelum," he said finally, letting the name settle between them.

"We know," Bastian said, kicking off his boots. "You're famous. Or infamous. Depending on who you ask."

Evran didn't flinch at the name. "I read the file they released. I don't care about the Ministry's version of things."

Caelum blinked. "And your version?"

"I don't have one," Evran replied. "I prefer facts to rumors. If I ever need a version, I'll make my own."

They each turned to their beds. Caelum lay flat, staring at the ceiling. The room fell quiet, save for the soft rush of lake water above.

the silence felt shared, not imposed, and for tonight, his first night at Hogwarts, that was enough.