[pre-story]The start of a new commission series, thanks to a very persistent anonymous commissioner! This story's been in the works since 2016, when they first asked about commissioning me, but I've been booked solid every time it's come up, until just a couple weeks ago. I'm definitely looking forward to writing out the rest of what we've got planned! I hope it was worth the wait, and I hope you all enjoy![/pre-story]
Harry Potter and the Serpent of Gryffindor, Ch. 1, P. 1
“Harry! Your turn!” Hermione called as she walked back into the clearing with the tent, holding a bag of her toiletries in one hand while the other was on her head, holding the towel wrapped around her still-damp hair in place. It had been too long since she’d last had the chance to get clean, they had to stay moving, after all, and not every campsite had a stream suitable for a proper wash nearby. She would have loved a proper shower with hot water and everything, but after what felt like months of wandering the forest, she was at least starting to get used to washing up in cold streams. It was better than just staying dirty, at least.
Suddenly, Hermione paused, just a few feet from the tent. The tent remained silent, there was no answer from Harry. “Harry?” She called again, but there was still no answer. That was… odd. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach. For a moment, she wondered if she might be overthinking it, but then shook her head. It’s not paranoia if someone’s actually out to get you. She untwisted the towel on her head and tucked it under her arm, before using her now-free hand to grab for her wand as she silently reviewed her defense against the dark arts lessons in her mind. Slowly, she crept forward, as silent as possible, using her wand to lift the tent flap out of the way as she ducked under it and peered into the impossibly spacious interior of the magical tent.
