Harry Potter: House Magus

[POV SWITCH: Colin Farrow – First-Year Slytherin]

Sharing a dorm with Richard Magus is like living next to a storm that never makes a sound. You can feel it, this quiet energy around him, but you never know when or where it'll strike.

From the first week, I knew he wasn't like the rest of us. Most first-years fumble. They get lost, break rules unintentionally, or try too hard to impress. Richard? He just… was. He didn't need to shout to be noticed. People notice him anyway.

At first, I thought he'd be the cold, distant type, the kind who looks down on everyone. But he's not. He helps, subtly, like it's no big deal. During classes, he'd point out where I was holding my wand wrong, or nudge me toward a better way to stir a potion. He never made me feel stupid for not knowing. That's rare in Slytherin.

I've seen how he talks to people. Calm. Careful. It's as if he's pulling strings without anyone realising it. The older students give him side glances; they don't know what to make of him. Even Orion Black watches him like he's a puzzle worth solving.

My Mum says I should stick by him, and that it's good to make connections with smart people. My Dad thinks the same.

He's become my closest friend, though he doesn't say it outright. 

He has a unique pet, a two-headed bird. I don't know what type of creature it is, nor does Mum. Richard kept it in the dorm for most of the year. I don't know where he found it, but that thing is fucking noisy.

I'm looking forward to the summer; hopefully, we can all arrange a time to meet up.

[POV SWITCH: Arjun Kapoor – First-Year Slytherin]

Hogwarts.

I didn't know what to make of it; it's known to be the best in the world, according to my Father. My Mother would have some disagreements, but I think that's just personal bias. Hogwarts definitely has the most extensive Library in the world.

But with my Mother, who's Indian, and my Father, who's English, I really had my pick of either of the schools. And it just so happened that my Father's friend had a child the same age as me, Malcolm. So it was decided that I would go to Hogwarts because I'd have a friend there.

But I didn't know I'd meet a unique individual like Richard Magus.

I don't hand out respect easily, not even to upper years, but he earned mine without asking for it. From the start, he carried himself like someone who knew where every step would land. No hesitation, no wasted moves.

The thing about Richard is that he doesn't brag. Doesn't need to. He just does. When we brew potions, his cauldron's perfect. When we duel, his spells hit exactly where they're supposed to. And when you're struggling, he notices before you even ask for help. He gives you the answer without giving it away. Makes you feel like you figured it out yourself.

We've practised together a lot. He's sharp, reads movements, and predicts where you'll go before you go there. Training with him is like fighting a mirror that already knows your next move. And yet, he shares what he knows. That's rare for a Slytherin and for a Wizard in general.

What really gets me is how he thinks. I often talk to my grandfather on my Dad's side about strategy; he's an old Auror and taught me to plan three steps ahead. Richard? He's planning ten. You can see it in his eyes when he's quiet, he's not spacing out, he's thinking about many things in his head.

The older Slytherins act tough, but they don't scare him. I've seen them back down after just a look from him. And me? I'd follow him anywhere, not because he demands it, but because I have a feeling. If I follow him, I feel like I can accomplish anything. He's become one of my closest friends.

Next year, whatever Richard's aiming for, I'll be there. Not just to watch. To stand with him.

[POV SWITCH: Elliot Vance – First-Year Slytherin]

Richard is… strange.

I'm not like the others in our dorm. Malcolm's loud, Colin's always joking, and Arjun, well, he's confident in a way I'll never be. Me? I like to stay quiet, watch. That's why I noticed it first, the way Richard sees everything.

When we first met, I thought he was cold. He barely spoke, just nodded when I introduced myself. But over time, I realised he doesn't waste words. When he talks, you listen, because his words are never empty.

He helped me with my wandwork once. I was messing up a simple levitation spell, and instead of laughing, he just said, "You're rushing. Slow down. Focus on the rise, not the push." I did, and the feather floated. He just said "good job," and that's all I needed.

People whisper about him a lot, including older students and professors. They think he's hiding something. That he's got a powerful family in the background, maybe he is, but I don't care. What I know is he treats me like I matter, even when I'm the quietest one in the room.

My Mum and Dad are low-level employees in the Ministry, and they tried to help me get more confident, but it was nothing compared to a "good job" from Richard.

He's not loud like Malcolm, not flashy like some Gryffindor hero. He's steady, like a shadow you don't notice until you realise it's been protecting you the whole time.

Next year, I'm going to get better. Because with Richard around, you don't want to be the one who falls behind.

[POV SWITCH: Malcolm Greaves – First-Year Slytherin]

Richard Magus is the weirdest kid I've ever met, and I mean that in the best way.

When we first got to Hogwarts, I thought he was just another quiet type. You know, the kind who keeps to himself and reads too much. But nah, Richard's different. He's quiet, sure, but it's the kind of quiet that makes everyone else want to talk less. Like, you can feel he's thinking ten steps ahead while you're still tying your shoes.

He's not afraid of anyone, either. I'll admit it, I like to push buttons—mess around, see who snaps. Tried it on him once. He just looked at me. Not angry, not annoyed, just… looked. And suddenly I felt like I was naked under his eyes.

And when those older Slytherins tried to mess with that Ravenclaw lass? Merlin, I'll never forget that. He didn't yell, didn't even raise his voice. Just handled it, like he was swatting away flies.

Thing is, he doesn't act like he's above us. He helps when you need it. My potions were decent, thanks in part to having a shop run by my Dad, which helped in the beginning. But Richard helped, even when I thought first-year potions were going to be a breeze, fixed my mistakes with one quick comment: "Stir slower." Worked like magic, well, you know what I mean.

People say he's hiding something. Who isn't? But he's in my dorm, and he's on my side. That's enough for me.

Next year's gonna be wild. But with Magus around? Yeah, I like our odds.

[POV SWITCH: Martin Hale – First-Year Hufflepuff]

I'm not sure why Richard Magus even talks to me.

Most people barely notice me. I'm not brave like the Gryffindors, not clever enough to stand out in Ravenclaw, and even in Hufflepuff I'm… just there. When spells went wrong in the weeks leading up to Hogwarts, I froze. My parents tried to help, but I didn't know what to do; I'm just always so nervous.

But then Richard helped.

The first time he spoke to me, it was just, "You're holding your wand too tight." That's all he said. But when I loosened my grip, my charm actually worked. He nodded, like it was nothing, and walked away. For me, it wasn't nothing.

Every time I see him, I try to stand a little straighter. He always looks so calm, like he belongs everywhere. When he helped that Ravenclaw girl from those older Slytherins, I saw it; it wasn't that I was special. Richard was just like that.

I think that's why I look up to him so much. He's not just good at magic, he's good at being.

On the train back, he stopped by my carriage just to ask how I was doing. Me. Nobody does that. When he said, "You did well. Keep at it," it felt like the most important thing I'd ever heard.

Next year, I want to be braver. I want to be someone who deserves that kind of respect.

[POV SWITCH: Lisa Rose – First-Year Hufflepuff]

Everyone in Hufflepuff knows Richard Magus.

Not because he's loud or shows off, he doesn't. But because stories about him travel. They start small, like whispers about how he helped a Ravenclaw get a spell right, or how he stood up to some older Slytherins. Then they grew. By spring, people were saying he could outthink anyone in the school, even some professors.

I met him during our first flying lesson. I was terrible at it, my broom spun in circles, and I nearly fell off twice. Most people laughed. Richard didn't. He just walked over, calm as ever, and said, "Shift your weight, not your arms. Think of it as balance." I tried it, and suddenly I wasn't spinning anymore.

He didn't wait for thanks. He just gave a little nod and walked away. But I never forgot that.

He has this way of making you feel like you matter when he talks to you. Not in the way where someone's being nice just to be nice, but like he actually sees you, really sees you.

My family was shocked when the professor arrived, thinking the letter was just a prank; they even told some of our neighbours about it, but apparently, according to the professor, that would be sorted out by the Ministry.

Moving to the Wizarding World was a mysterious experience, and I'm glad I had the chance to meet Richard Magus.

Some of the older Hufflepuffs say we should be careful around him, that Slytherins always have an angle. But I don't care.

Because when those Slytherins cornered Caroline Davis and everyone else turned a blind eye, Richard didn't. He stopped them. That means something to me.

On the train, I saw him moving through the carriages, stopping to talk to people one by one. When he passed me, he smiled, just a little, and talked to me for a bit.

Richard Magus is on your side; you're lucky. And I hope, next year, I'll be one of the people he counts as a friend.

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