The sun was setting behind the Hogwarts castle, casting long shadows across the grounds as students began to filter out of their classrooms, eager to end the day. The air was crisp, and a gentle breeze rustled the trees that bordered the Forbidden Forest. Evan walked with Clara and Leo toward the Ravenclaw Tower, their conversation light and carefree, as they discussed their latest Charms lesson.
“I’m telling you, I’m going to be the first student to levitate a full-sized broom,” Leo boasted, grinning broadly. “Flitwick said no one’s done it, but I’ve got the touch.”
Clara rolled her eyes with a smile. “That’s because it’s not possible in first year, Leo. I’d be happy if I could just keep my feather floating for more than ten seconds.”
Evan laughed along with them, but his mind was elsewhere. The relic, the strange visions, and the creeping sense that something much bigger than school awaited him weighed heavily on his thoughts. The relic, still hidden deep in his trunk, had begun to glow more frequently over the past few days. Every time he touched it, a surge of energy ran through him—powerful and unsettling. He hadn’t told anyone about it. Not Clara, not Leo. Not even about the strange yellow Camaro that had been following him since he arrived.
A distant voice broke his thoughts. He glanced over his shoulder, expecting to see Professor Flitwick or another student, but instead, he caught sight of a figure—a familiar yellow and black figure—motioning to him from the edge of the forest.
It was Bumblebee.
Evan froze for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest. Why was Bumblebee here now? What did he want? He hadn’t seen him since the night of the attack, and ever since then, he had tried to push the idea of giant robots out of his mind and focus on his new life at Hogwarts.
Leo nudged him. “You okay, mate? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Clara frowned slightly, glancing at Evan with concern. “Yeah, you’ve been a bit off lately. Everything alright?”
Evan forced a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just—forgot something in class. I’ll catch up with you guys later, okay?”
Leo raised an eyebrow. “You sure? We can come with you.”
“No, no. It’s fine. I’ll be quick,” Evan said, already backing away toward the direction of the forest.
Clara looked like she wanted to press further, but she held back. “Alright, we’ll see you back in the common room.”
With a nod, Evan hurried toward the Forbidden Forest, his pulse quickening with each step. The air grew colder as he approached the treeline, and he glanced around to make sure no one was watching before slipping into the shadows of the forest.
The moment he stepped into the clearing, Bumblebee shifted from his car form into his towering, mechanical self. The transformation was fast and seamless, but it still left Evan in awe. The Autobot stood over twenty feet tall, his yellow armor gleaming faintly in the dim light filtering through the trees. His blue optics focused on Evan, a mixture of concern and urgency in them.
For a long moment, Evan just stared, trying to wrap his head around what was happening. Magic, wizards, Hogwarts—he could accept that. But a giant alien robot? It felt like too much, like something out of one of the wild stories Leo liked to tell.
Bumblebee knelt down slightly, his voice coming through the radio-like modulation in short bursts. “Evan… you need… to listen.”
Evan blinked, taking a step back. His breath caught in his throat as the weight of the moment pressed down on him. He had a thousand questions, none of which made sense in his head. “W-What are you doing here? Why are you following me?”
Bumblebee’s optics flickered as he scanned the area, making sure they weren’t being overheard. “You… are in danger. The relic… is the key.”
“The relic?” Evan’s hand instinctively went to his pocket, though the object wasn’t there. It was back in his trunk, hidden under his robes. “What do you mean? It’s just a weird… thing. I don’t even know what it does.”
Bumblebee straightened slightly, the ground beneath him shifting with the weight of his movements. “The relic… holds power. The Decepticons… are searching for it. They’ve… infiltrated this world.”
Evan’s heart pounded in his chest. Decepticons. He’d heard the term before in his dreams, the metallic beings warring with each other in the visions the relic had shown him. But what did that have to do with him? With Hogwarts?
“I’m just a kid,” Evan said, his voice shaking. “I don’t understand. Why me? Why is this relic important?”
Bumblebee lowered his head, his voice soft but insistent. “The relic… can stop them. You are… its keeper. They will come… for you.”
Evan’s head spun as the words sank in. The Decepticons. Coming for him. For the relic. He thought back to the strange figure he had seen on the night Bumblebee saved him—the dark-hooded figure that had attacked. Was that one of them?
“I don’t know how to stop them,” Evan whispered, fear creeping into his voice. “I’m just learning magic. I’m barely getting through my classes.”
Bumblebee paused, as if choosing his next words carefully. “You are… stronger than you think. Both worlds—magic and… ours—are connected.”
Evan took a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair. This was all too much. He had only just begun to adjust to the idea of being a wizard, and now he had to deal with this? Giant alien robots, world-threatening relics, Decepticons infiltrating the magical world—it was like some twisted fairy tale.
The silence stretched between them, the weight of the situation pressing down like a heavy fog. Bumblebee’s optics flickered again, as if sensing Evan’s turmoil.
“You are… not alone,” Bumblebee said softly. “There are others… who will help.”
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Evan nodded slowly, but his mind was still racing. He didn’t feel ready. He wasn’t ready. He was just Evan Holloway, the boy who couldn’t even turn a teapot into a mouse properly.
Before Evan could say anything else, Bumblebee straightened, scanning the forest again. His body tensed, as if he could sense something approaching.
“They are near,” Bumblebee said urgently. “I must… leave. Be… careful.”
Without waiting for a response, Bumblebee transformed back into the yellow Camaro in a seamless movement. The car revved its engine softly, a low, mechanical hum echoing in the clearing.
“Wait—what do I do now?” Evan called after him, his voice shaking with a mix of fear and frustration.
Bumblebee paused for a brief moment, then a soft voice echoed from the car’s radio, the words faint but clear: “Trust yourself.”
And just like that, Bumblebee sped off into the depths of the forest, leaving Evan standing alone in the darkening woods, the sounds of the night creeping back in around him.
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Evan returned to the Ravenclaw Tower after the encounter with Bumblebee, his mind still spinning. He had barely made sense of his newfound life as a wizard, and now there was the added weight of the relic and the looming threat of the Decepticons. The world outside of Hogwarts seemed impossibly far away, and yet the danger it posed had crept in, mingling with the magic.
The common room was quiet when Evan stepped inside. A few Ravenclaws were studying, heads buried in books, and the fire crackled softly in the hearth. He spotted Eamon Sinclair in the corner, surrounded by a group of pure-blooded Ravenclaws, casting smug looks in his direction. Eamon's arrogance had only intensified since the start of term, and Evan had grown used to the glances—disapproving, condescending, almost like they were waiting for him to slip up. In their eyes, Evan was still an outsider, a half-blood with no business excelling at magic.
Evan ignored them, sitting down in an armchair near the window, his gaze drifting out toward the Forbidden Forest in the distance. The conversation with Bumblebee replayed in his head. The relic is the key… the Decepticons have infiltrated this world… His fingers absently traced the faint outline of the relic through his pocket, as though its weight would give him answers.
He couldn’t stay in the common room for long. There was too much on his mind, and the weight of Eamon’s lingering gaze was unsettling. Evan stood abruptly, deciding to head out for a walk on the castle grounds. Perhaps some fresh air would help clear his thoughts.
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Later that evening, after wandering the grounds, Evan made his way to the Great Hall for dinner. The hall was buzzing with the familiar clatter of plates and the hum of conversation. The long tables were crowded with students from all houses, and as Evan approached the Ravenclaw table, he caught sight of Clara sitting over at the Hufflepuff table with her fellow housemates. She spotted him at the same moment and gave him a small wave.
Evan smiled and waved back. Clara had been a quiet but constant presence in his life since they met on the train. Though in different houses, they often found themselves talking between classes or sharing stories during mealtimes. As he moved past, Clara tilted her head toward an empty space next to her at the Hufflepuff table, signaling for him to join her.
He hesitated for a moment, wondering if it would be out of place for a Ravenclaw to sit with the Hufflepuffs, but then he decided it didn’t matter. The hall was lively enough that no one would notice.
As he sat down next to her, Clara gave him a curious look. “You’ve been disappearing a lot lately. Is everything okay?”
Evan tensed slightly, but forced a smile. “Yeah, I’ve just… had a lot on my mind.”
Clara’s brow furrowed. “Is it school stuff? I know Transfiguration has been tough for all of us, but you seemed really distracted in Charms today.”
Before Evan could respond, Leo strode over from the Gryffindor table, holding a loaf of bread in one hand and a mischievous grin on his face. “Look who’s getting cozy with the Hufflepuffs!” Leo teased, plopping down on the bench across from them without a care in the world. “You’re not planning to abandon Ravenclaw, are you, Evan?”
Evan laughed despite the tension building inside him. Leo’s antics were a welcome distraction. “Don’t worry, Leo. Ravenclaw’s stuck with me.”
Leo winked. “Good. We can’t let Gryffindor have all the fun, now can we?”
Clara chuckled, shaking her head at Leo’s easy confidence. “You’re still determined to fly circles around the Quidditch team tomorrow, aren’t you?”
“Determined? More like destined!” Leo declared, tearing into the loaf of bread with dramatic flair. “Madam Hooch doesn’t know what’s coming.”
Evan smiled, enjoying their banter. But beneath the surface, he felt the weight of everything he wasn’t saying—the secrets about Bumblebee, the relic, the danger that followed him. Every time Leo or Clara brought up something mundane, like homework or flying lessons, Evan felt a pang of guilt for keeping them in the dark.
Clara, always perceptive, gave him a sidelong glance. “You’re not telling us something,” she said quietly, her voice barely audible over the din of the hall.
Evan hesitated, his mind racing for an explanation, but before he could speak, the noise in the Great Hall shifted. A group of students at the Slytherin table had started arguing, drawing attention from all corners of the hall. Evan used the distraction to stand up quickly, giving Clara an apologetic look.
“I’ll… explain later,” he mumbled, excusing himself before she could press him further.
As he made his way back toward the Ravenclaw table, his eyes landed on Eamon Sinclair again, who was glaring at him from across the hall. Eamon’s friends murmured something to him, but Evan could feel their collective disdain. To them, Evan’s very existence in Ravenclaw was a stain—his half-blood status something they would never fully accept.
Evan clenched his fists, trying to shake off the frustration. There were bigger things to worry about. He didn’t have time for house rivalries or pure-blood prejudices.
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Later that night, back in the quiet of his dorm room, Evan sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the relic he had retrieved from his trunk. The faint glow it emitted seemed stronger now, pulsing gently in his hand. He could almost feel the energy humming through it, like a current of magic and something more—something alien.
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. He quickly stowed the relic away under his pillow, heart racing. The door creaked open slightly, and one of his dorm mates, Quinn, poked his head in.
“Hey, Evan,” Quinn said cautiously. “You alright? You’ve been pretty quiet lately.”
Evan forced a smile. “Yeah, just a lot to think about.”
Quinn nodded, his eyes glancing around the room before resting on Evan. “If you need anything, let me know. Some of the guys in our year are starting to talk about how… different you’ve been acting.”
Evan’s heart sank slightly. He knew the rumors were bound to start. People in Ravenclaw, especially the pure-bloods like Eamon, were suspicious of anything that didn’t fit the mold. Being a half-blood was already enough to make him stand out, but now, with the relic and the added responsibility of Bumblebee’s warning, Evan felt like an outsider in more ways than one.
“Thanks, Quinn. I appreciate it,” Evan replied quietly.
Quinn gave him a reassuring nod before slipping back out of the room, leaving Evan alone with his thoughts once more.
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As Evan lay in bed that night, staring up at the canopy above him, the weight of everything he was carrying felt heavier than ever. The relic pulsed faintly under his pillow, a constant reminder of the responsibility that had been thrust upon him.
He knew he couldn’t keep this secret forever. Clara was already suspicious, and Leo was bound to notice eventually. But how could he possibly explain everything? Magic, giant robots, Decepticons—it all sounded insane, even to him.
But one thing was certain: something was coming. Something dangerous. And whether he was ready or not, Evan was in the middle of it.
He had to be ready. For his friends. For Hogwarts. And for the world that lay beyond it.
Tomorrow, he would face it all—flying lessons, schoolwork, and the shadow of the relic looming over him. But tonight, all he could do was brace himself for what was to come.
The storm was brewing, and Evan Holloway was at the heart of it.