Hyacinth POV
The whispers hadn't stopped for days.
Everywhere I went, from the library stacks to the courtyard, I caught pieces of the same hushed story about the Basilisk, and the chamber. How the Governors had brought in goblins, Newt Scamander, and even my dad. My name always followed in the next breath, like a shadow I couldn't shake.
By the time breakfast rolled around on the third morning, I was sick of the staring. Hermione, Neville, and I slid into our usual seats at the Gryffindor table, but the buzz around the Hall only got louder when I sat down. Forks clattered against their plates, while heads turned and someone actually hissed "that's her" before their friend elbowed them to be quiet.
I pretended not to notice any of them and just reached for some toast.
That was when Draco Malfoy stood up from the Slytherin table.
He walked across the floor like it was a duel strip as every eye in the Hall followed him. He stopped right in front of me. His face wasn't sneering for once, though he did look like he was about to say something serious.
"My mother told me what you did," he said, his voice was low but steady. "She said you didn't want to be involved with the Basilisk, but you helped anyway. She told me that deserved respect. She also reminded me... that we're family, even if it's a very distant relation. Mother also reminded me that family sticks together." His eyes flickered sideways, as if repeating words he didn't want to admit he'd taken to heart. "She reminded me of the old Black family motto. L'amour familial est toujours pur."
The words hit harder than I expected. Dad had been repeating them like a life line ever since he rescued Uncle Regulus. So, for a moment all I could do was blink at Draco before he gave me a short sharp nod, as he turned on his heel and went back to his table. He did all this while ignoring the wide-eyed stares from his housemates.
Ron, of course, couldn't let it go.
"Honestly," he muttered, loud enough for everyone around us to hear. "You're always in the middle of it, aren't you? You couldn't just let the professors handle things, no, you had to jump in and..."
"Aw, look, Georgie," Fred cut in, leaning across the table.
"Our little Ronniekins is upset he didn't get to play with the big boys."
George smirked, tapping his fork against Ron's plate.
"Next time, maybe we'll let you hold the torch. Think you can manage that without dropping it?"
The whole table burst out laughing. Ron went scarlet and stuffed eggs in his mouth so he wouldn't have to answer his brothers question. Hermione simply gave me a look that screamed ignore him, and Neville just rolled his eyes.
But before I could even try to change the subject, a dreamy voice drifted over from behind us.
"The stars have been humming ever since the Chamber was opened," Luna Lovegood said as she floated down onto the bench. She plucked an apple from the bowl, her gaze distant but somehow warm. "They're happy you freed them from the shadow. I can't wait to see them up close with you."
I blinked, caught off guard by her way to accurate, but still incredibly vague comments. She didn't say anything else she only smiled serenely and bit into her apple like she hadn't just announced something monumental and also extremely confusing.
The Great Hall was still buzzing with laughter from the twins' teasing when the sudden scrape of a chair silenced everything. I turned just in time to see Professor Snape stiffen at the staff table, his hand clamping hard around his left arm.
His face twisted with a sharp hiss of pain, as he yanked his sleeve up... the Dark Mark burned black against his pale skin. The sight made my stomach flip, but before I could even blink, the mark began to warp, the edges crumbling like ash. Professor Snape's teeth clenched as the serpent-and-skull bled away into scar tissue, leaving nothing but a faint red welt behind.
Gasps rippled across the hall. Some students shrank back in terror, while others craned for a better look.
Professor Snape slammed his sleeve down again, but not before I caught the flicker in his eyes it was a mix of shock, relief, and something dangerously close to freedom.
The whispers erupted instantly mostly from the Slytherin table. The mark of Voldemort... gone.
I didn't eat another bite, I couldn't even if I wanted to.
That night, I slipped into the Room of Requirement to get some peace and quiet. But soon my books on the desk in front of me were forgotten, as my mirror pulsed faintly. When I lifted it, Dad's tired but steady face came into focus. Uncle Moony hovered behind him, looking just as worn.
"Princess," Dad said softly. "How's my girl?"
I tried for a smile when I said. "Surviving the gossip." Then my eyes narrowed. "But Dad... something happened at breakfast. Snape grabbed his arm, his left one and when he pulled up his sleeve, I swear it looked like something burned off. The mark on his arm just... disintegrated. Do you know what that could be about?"
His expression hardened, though his voice stayed even. "Lucius confirmed it too. His mark burned itself away the same moment the goblins cleansed the Gaunt family ring. The last shard is gone, Cinthy. Voldemort's tether is broken, he is officially nothing now. Not even a shadow of the Moldy ponce is left."
I sagged into the chair, my chest loosening for the first time in a long while. "So it's really over."
Dad nodded once, firmly before he went into detail about what happened. "The last Horcrux was in the Gaunt shack. Bill Weasley broke the wards and the goblins cleansed the ring. Smoothest raid we've had yet and now it's done."
I felt my lips twitch despite myself. "Bill Weasley, huh? Hermione's going to swoon once she hears about this."
That actually dragged a chuckle out of him. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Princess. We've still got work to do. But this part of the war is finished."
I held the mirror closer, whispering so it was just for him. "I love you, Dad."
His face softened instantly. "I love you too, Cinthy. More than anything."
The mirror dimmed, but the warmth of his words lingered, even as the whispers in the hall from that morning replayed in my head. Voldemort was truly gone.
And the stars... the stars were waiting.