Being a passerby in HP female protagonist fanfiction

“My dad said that when I join the Quidditch team in second grade, he will buy me a Nimbus 2001.”

"Isn't Nimbus 2000 the only one available right now?"

"Ha, you don't understand, this is information that only Malfoy could find out. Nimbus 2001 will be on sale in a while, and I'll definitely be the first person in the whole school to get one."

"That's not necessarily true, Gaunt is also on the Quidditch team..."

"Of course I know that... but right now she only has the Nimbus 2000. Once I get the more powerful Nimbus 2001, I'll definitely be no worse than her..."

A smug-looking guy with slicked-back hair was chatting about Quidditch with another frivolous and bored person. A new Quidditch match was about to begin, and the students at Hogwarts were talking about it a lot.

—How boring.

Theodore sat alone in a corner of the Slytherin common room, his expression indifferent, his eyes fixed on the book in his hands.

The Slytherin common room is located by the Black Lake and is perpetually damp and cold. The fire in the fireplace cannot warm the common room, and most Slytherin students have long been accustomed to its chill.

Malfoy and Zabini were already used to Nott's solitary nature, so they didn't force him into the conversation. The group of Slytherins who were on good terms sat together and chatted casually.

Pure-blood families have their own social circles.

Nott, Malfoy, and Zabini have known each other since childhood. In order to maintain friendly relations, the younger generation of the pure-blood family needs to interact with each other. Within the scope of not provoking each other, they will maintain a peaceful state and form a small circle that no one can interfere with.

"I heard from others that you've been making some kind of call with a Hufflepuff lately, Malfoy?"

Blaise asked casually.

“You mean that one…” Draco paused for a moment, looked around, and only answered after making sure Willotte wasn’t there, “The Hufflepuff who’s really close to Gaunt, the one named Claire.”

Blaise looked up, seemingly showing some interest.

"What are you going to do?"

"It's just a greeting, why pay so much attention? What use is a Hufflepuff half-blood? If it weren't for..." Draco chuckled, not finishing his sentence.

Clearly, he didn't want to continue the conversation.

However, this level of revelation was enough for Blaise to guess what Draco wanted to do. He was probably trying to find out about Gaunt, and he might even be thwarted. Gaunt was not someone to be trifled with.

“I advise someone not to make trouble for themselves. It seems like Gaunt really likes that Hufflepuff. What if he gets noticed by accident…” Blaise shook his head.

Willott Gaunt's relationship with that Hufflepuff was no secret in Slytherin. Most Slytherins scoffed at her behavior, but dared not say anything openly because of her reputation and power.

"I'm not afraid of her." Draco's stubbornness remained as strong as ever, but Blaise saw it clearly: Draco was the one among them who was most afraid of Gaunt.

“Heh…” Blaise didn’t speak again, but let out a light hum.

Watching Draco act recklessly isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's a good opportunity to test Gauntlet, since it's not a matter of me doing it myself anyway.

A casual chat passed by.

"Let's go." Blaise and Draco prepared to return to their dorm to rest. "Nott, are you going back?"

"I'll read for a while longer," Theodore said calmly.

It was late, and soon Theodore was the only one left in the lounge.

In the corner of the sofa, Theodore stared blankly at the words on the book, but his mind was racing uncontrollably, and his fingers unconsciously rubbed the pages lightly.

Claire.

They just mentioned Claire.

……

Theodore first met Claire on the Hogwarts Express.

The station was bustling with people, but Theodore's expression was not good.

His father's words still echoed in Theodore's ears. He forced himself to remain calm until he was far away from old Nott and boarded the train, at which point he regained his calm and indifferent demeanor.

His mind remained clear, but his stomach still felt like it was burning. Once he boarded the train, he automatically ignored the discomfort in his body.

He certainly didn't mind associating with children from pure-blood families, but he really hated dealing with idiots. Among the many pure-blood Slytherins who were married off by incest, even Malfoy wasn't the dumbest, which speaks volumes about his character.

Theodore, Draco, and Blaise had originally planned to share a carriage. On their way to the carriage, Draco heard that Harry Potter was on the train, and immediately set off to find him.

Theodore and Blaise were observing quietly from a short distance away.

When Draco and Harry confronted each other, they were assessing whether Harry Potter was someone they could befriend. After discovering that Harry was trying his best to protect Ron Weasley, they decisively kicked Harry out of their circle of potential friends.

Reckless, impulsive, and unreasonable.

He was on good terms with Weasley.

The boy who supposedly survived, Harry Potter, will probably be sorted into Gryffindor.

Theodore analyzed the situation calmly.

"Stop! What are you doing?"

The door of the carriage next to them opened, and someone spoke up to stop them.

It's Willott Gaunt.

The heir of the Gaunt family is extremely dangerous and should not be approached.

This was Theodore's conclusion upon first meeting Willotte, and also the stern warning from his father, Nott the Elder.

Absolutely, absolutely do not antagonize the Gaunt family, and no matter what happens, do not let her notice.

Theodore listened silently, while old Nott's eyes gleamed with a strange light, a mixture of fear and doubt. He seemed to see another person through Gaunt, and he couldn't help but mutter some unknown words.

"Why...like that person..."

Like who?

Old Nott didn't continue, and Theodore didn't ask. The mystery remained unsolved. Many things don't need answers. He strictly followed Old Nott's instructions, not wanting to antagonize Gaunt, but never taking the initiative to befriend her either.

When Theodore saw Willotte Gaunt come out to quell the commotion, he lowered his eyes and stepped aside, preparing to return to his carriage and no longer pay attention to the farce.

The burning sensation in my stomach intensified, a sour feeling surged, and my head started to ache as well.

Malfoy and that Harry Potter are both idiots. He has absolutely no reason to put himself in the public eye for them or to be discovered by Willotte Gaunt.

"And since I'm not feeling well, it's best to leave quickly," Theodore frowned.

The aisle was full of people. Theodore remained silent, sidestepped around Willotte, and seemed to be churning in his mind. He walked behind Willotte.

Nearby were students watching the commotion. A few steps behind Willotte was a slightly shorter, dark-haired girl with an Asian-looking face. Theodore was blocked by her, and the acid in his stomach went straight to his brain. He impatiently said, "Please move aside."

"Excuse me." The girl quickly stepped aside, making room for Theodore to pass.

The thought that the tone of voice was a little strange flashed through Theodore's muddled mind.

Theodore continued forward, but suddenly someone pushed from behind, bumping into him and causing him to lean forward due to inertia, brushing against the shoulder of the dark-haired girl.

"I'm sorry, I apologize," the girl said softly, speaking very quickly.

Even though she was the one who was bumped, her upbringing and habits led her to apologize again. As soon as she said it, she probably realized it wasn't her fault, and hesitated before squeezing a small step to the side to make room for the boy who was about to pass.

Theodore paused almost imperceptibly.

This sound...

Aside from a slight annoyance at being bumped, the thought from before flashed through his mind again—the tone of voice was strange.

This wasn't important. Theodore could get away from the argument, away from Gaunt and those idiots, through the space the girl had cleared, and go back to his carriage to rest, or perhaps cast a spell to calm himself down.

However, driven by a tiny bit of curiosity—of course someone would glance at a stranger out of curiosity as they brushed past him—his peripheral vision caught sight of the black-haired girl.

Unexpectedly, she tilted her head, her gaze fixed on Theodore as he passed by. Her pure black eyes appeared deep under the train lights, but they lacked focus, which seemed inconsistent with her thin appearance. Her expression was one of strange calm and indifference, as if the hustle and bustle of the outside world had vanished in the gap of time.

Their gazes met, time seemed to slow down, and nothing seemed to happen, their eyes conveying no information, but—in that instant, Theodore couldn't feel his own breath.

So, is he sick? Theodore thought, his mind a little muddled.

In just a second, the girl turned her attention back to the argument between Draco and Harry ahead, and Theodore quickly turned and moved on as well. It wasn't until he was back in his carriage and seated that his thoughts returned to focus.

Perhaps he needs to cast a spell of clarity on himself.

Theodore thought.

A cool sensation hit his mind, and Theodore thought he should feel better, but in fact, even after Draco and Blaise returned, he still hadn't recovered. His mind was blank except for that strangely coincidental eye contact.

That's terrible.