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That February morning began like any other. She woke up in Ravenclaw Tower, expecting nothing but regular classes. The sun was shining through the windows of the fifth-year girls’ bedrooms, which was unusual for a Scottish winter.
The girl smiled, rejoicing: just a little longer and spring would come. She got out of bed, went down to the tower’s bathrooms, tidied herself up, and looked at herself again. Her blond hair was neatly arranged with a spell. The girl decided that she wanted to add something interesting to her look today, so she tied her hair with a blue ribbon.
Today was the 14th of February and a feeling had recently arisen in her soul that she had not yet spoken out loud. Feelings for a boy who knew her secrets and shared his. Who was brave and reckless, and at the same time smart and clever. Feelings that were bigger and brighter than their friendship. She was ashamed of these feelings, hiding them and being afraid of losing friend.
Leaving her dormitory, she leisurely descended the steps of the Astronomy Tower, walked through the long corridors of Hogwarts, and entered the Great Hall. It was still too early, so only a small group of Hufflepuffs and a few Gryffindors were eating breakfast. There was no one at the Slytherin table.
The girl headed to her usual place at the Ravenclaw faculty table when she saw her favourite book on the wooden surface with a note attached to it.
“Hello! This is your secret admirer. I want to be your Valentine today and after, and there are five reasons for this. I have a small task for you today, I hope you don’t mind a little quest?”
“What?..” the girl said in surprise. She attached the ribbon to her hair and looked around. Seemed like no one cared or saw her.
Secret admirer? This was definitely some kind of joke. But here was her favorite book? And the quests that she loved so much. Curiosity was high, and a small dose of adrenaline had entered her blood. Well, even if it turned out to be a joke, she would try to enjoy the riddles.
Inside the book was a bookmark. The girl carefully opened the page, feeling a tremor in her fingertips. Several words were carefully circled on the page.
“Make, feel, because, time, you, good, detention... Detention?" It was obvious that the words were out of order. She took a blank sheet of parchment and a quill and inkwell from her bag, sat down in her seat, and wrote all the words in a column. She looked at the paper with the curiosity that was characteristic of her when it came to riddles and cyphers.
”So, because it’s the first one for sure. You, then verb—make. Make what? Detention, of course.” Very quickly the words formed into a sentence. “Because you make even detention feel like a good time.”
She smiled to herself, grabbed a sandwich from her plate, and headed for the place that was encrypted in the book.
The library was empty at this early hour. She walked through the first floor, noticing anything unusual. Whoever this secret admirer was, he knew all too well the girl’s thirst for mysteries. She went up to the second floor.
“Detention...” she muttered under her breath, trying to remember which shelves she had dusted the last time she had been punished for walking around the castle at night. “How could I forget?” She laughed softly, remembering the dust-covered History of Magic supplementary textbooks.
The girl walked through section after section to a far corner on the second floor, where no one usually went to study. On the table was a small package of her favourite Honeydukes sweets and another note.
“Reason 1. I used to hate this place. Too quiet, too dull. Then you started sitting across from me during my detention. Suddenly, I was hoping to get caught.”
And a little lower and in smaller font, “Go where the sky opens even when you’re indoors.”
The girl opened the candies and, putting one in her mouth, headed for the Astronomy classroom. Quickly climbing the stairs, the girl wondered who could arrange such a quest for her. She had few options. It should have been someone who knew her well. But she had so many friends that she was lost in thoughts and options.
Entering the classroom, she began to peer into the things that were there—old telescopes, night sky maps, compasses and other equipment. Nothing unusual or romantic. The girl climbed even higher and saw a familiar dark mop of hair, converging above the parchments.
“Amit? What are you doing here so early?” For a second, disappointment flashed in her voice. Amit, really?
“I’m finishing up my Transfiguration assignment. I watched a shooting star last night, I didn’t catch anything, and Weasley is already keeping an eye on me,” he looked nervous, but not as he should, waiting for a girl he likes.
“No, it’s not him,” she thought with relief. The girl turned away from her classmate and was about to leave when she saw something shiny on the old desk. She came closer and saw a brooch in the shape of a shining star, and next to it was another note.
“Reason 2. Because every time you look at the stars, I look at you. You think I come here for the view. I don’t. I come to watch how the stars reflect in your eyes.”
And again, a little lower and in a smaller font.
“Now find the place where even wild hearts feel gentle.” A warm robe and gloves laid nearby.
In a few minutes, the girl was leaving the castle, passing the flight training field. She was in a hurry to finish the quest before classes began, so she quickly approached the enclosures with magical creatures. Mooncalves and nifflers were just finishing their breakfast when the girl approached.
Caring for these creatures always brought her peace and satisfaction, so she quickly conjured up a few brushes and combed the fur of these little mischievous creatures. But where was the clue? She turned around and saw a note on the table next to the supplies.
“Reason 3. Because your kindness is your strongest magic. You handle dangerous creatures like they’re fragile. And somehow... you treat my heart the same way.”
And another clue for the next place. Her fingers lightly pinched the piece of paper.
“Follow the place where whispers are louder than shouts and snakes are the guards.”
She walked through the corridors, which were already filled with students hurrying to breakfast. She quickly passed them, saying hello to her friends along the way. Someone told her that she looked excited, someone wanted to ask about her Potions homework, but her curiosity won out. She was so close to the solution!
Suddenly she stopped. There were only two options in her head and now she was standing at a crossroads.
“And what next? What if I hesitate between two places?” She said to herself, not knowing where to go next. There was only one way to check, “Revelio!”
She saw one of the castle’s passages lightly shining with hundreds of golden stars. The girl smiled and understood where to move.
“Well, Valentine, now I have only two suggestions about you,” she said quietly.
And then, finally, the last steps and the familiar door. She whispered the password and, looking around, slipped inside the Undercroft. Cold walls with torches on them and nothing wrong inside. Whoever the boys had come up with all this, he had completely captivated her mind with these riddles.
On one of the columns, she saw a piece of paper.
“Reason 4. Because you trust me with your secrets. You never looked at me with fear when I showed you this place. Only curiosity... and trust. I don’t take that lightly.”
And the last clue. “Now you know who I am. If you would like, come to the last place. Where water listens better than people.”
“Very well, I’m going.”
She quickly walked through the castle corridors and back outside. Her heart was beating faster, and the smile never left her face as she descended the steps to the Black Lake. From above, she saw a boy on the dock with boats. He was walking nervously from side to side, holding something in his hand. But they were too far apart for her to see.
The girl descended slowly, as if deliberately delaying the moment. Before, she had been in a hurry because she was worried about being late for class, but now her worry had been replaced by something else.
It seemed to her that the beating of her heart could be heard in Hogsmeade. Doubts never left her. Maybe it was a joke after all? Maybe her friend decided to play a trick on her?
On the wall of the barn, she saw another note.
“Reason 5. Because wherever you are feels like home to me.”
She tore off the piece of paper and slowly walked around the house, touching the wood with her fingertips. The whisper of the waters of Black Lake calmed her pulse, and a pleasant warmth spread in her chest.
Sebastian stood directly in front of her, his cheeks and ears red with excitement, trying to gather all his confidence. Seeing her, the boy straightened up, as if gathering his courage. In his hand, he held a small bouquet.
“I could have written all of this on just one note.” He tried very hard to be confident, but his voice treacherously lost its firmness. “But you deserve a journey. So... will you be my Valentine?”