Carina McGonagall is named after the constellation containing the second brightest star in the sky - and it just so happens one Sirius Black is named after the brightest. They've always had an interesting relationship throughout the years - pranks...
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2nd September 1976
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
The first night back at Hogwarts flew by. The carriages were uneventful, and Carina could still see the Thestrals much to her dismay. The strange thing was she couldn't tell if anyone else could as well, no one's face gave it away. It made her.... suspicious.
Out of the new year group of two hundred and sixty seven first years, only forty one were Ravenclaw. That had to have been one of the lowest averages of all time, thought Carina. Strangely low.
Things were normal, just slightly.... off, so far. Things made sense just not together, like a jigsaw with crooked parts and one or two gaps. The picture still looked vaguely right, just a little wonky, off centre. Perhaps it was just Carina herself. She had found herself slowly drifting from things she loved, becoming disillusioned. Sirius had noticed, trying to convince her to read a little on the train or have a look at the new potion recipe he had found. If she was honest with herself, she appreciated him caring, but Carina would truly have preferred it if he didn't. She would never, could never, tell him that though.
It was the second of September now. A day Carina had been waiting for. She had obtained some money via... magical means and purchased tickets to the Edinburgh Queen concert for that night. Hidden in the bottom of her trunk was an outfit perfect to help her blend in with the flare pants wearing, insanely colourful and slightly mad style of the Muggles of 1976.
Carina wasn't fully convinced that none of the members of Queen were wizards - they certainly performed like they were. It was going to be amazing, Carina could feel it. She had prepared plenty of magic to make herself concert ready; a charm to make sure her make-up didn't run off, a small potion to keep her cool in the crowd, a hex for anyone near her to keep them out of her personal space, as, while she wouldn't admit to it, Carina was exceedingly claustrophobic in large crowds. And boy, was this concert going to be packed.
The day's lessons flew by. Potions felt like almost nothing happened in the whole hour that they had had - except maybe Slughorn obsessing over Lily's potions and her "expertise" and Snape's smug, ass-licking grin the whole time. It took most of Carina's self restraint not to just go over and slap that dumb smirk from his stupid face.
While she used to have some respect for the boy, he had lost all of it after the Mudblood incident and his behaviour afterwards. He had no right to even pay attention so closely to what Lily was doing, let alone take credit for it with his hideous, leering grin at her. He was hanging out with Malfoys, Mulicbers, Averys and the Slytherin section of the House of Black. He didn't get to be proud of Lily. Not that there was much to be proud of in this situation. Despite the fact both Carina's, Luke Greengrass's and several other Ravenclaws' were far better technically executed than Lily's, Slughorn still chose to praise her, every single damn time? Damn the Slug Club and damn favouritism. Another thing to add to Carina's list of things to work on - overcoming jealousy.
It seemed as though she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and when she opened them, three lessons had shot by. Transfiguration was a blur, Astronomy was just copying up some planetary cycles - as it was a day lesson not a night one so no practical work - and Arithmancy took her little energy after four years of studying it.
The growing noises of students chattering as the Ravenclaws made their way to the Great Hall made Carina jittery. As soon as she sat down, her knee was bouncing up and down rapidly and wildly in anticipation. She had heard whispers of a few others sneaking out for the concert; mainly older students, one of two fourth years but mainly fifth and above. They had all had similar ideas on how to spell themselves out of the castle but none of them knew the most amazing, best and probably the easiest plan to get out of Hogwarts that Sirius and Carina had devised together, with a little help from the other boys, obviously. It was almost too easy - use James' invisibility cloak (with permission obviously) and then get the train from the nearest Muggle village to Edinburgh. It would only take half an hour or so, with a few.... magical encouragements.
That was where other plans failed. Relying on being able to get from Hogsmeade itself to Edinburgh - using trains, buses, magic or whatever - without getting caught? Impossible. Carina guaranteed it.
At least one teacher would know the concert was on and be patrolling and the residents of Hogsmeade always knew a student when they saw one. It would mainly be halfbloods and muggleborns sneaking out most likely - Purebloods going to see a muggle band? In the current climate in the wizarding world? Unlikely. Not that there would be none attempting to go. Carina supposed they would likely be easier to spot without their knowledge of muggle culture or fashions so they looked more convincing. The Purebloods tended to be just a bit out of touch. Someone had mentioned Nola potentially going and that made Carina's stomach coil. She had not spoken to the other girl since the incident in Diagon Alley and Carina had been artfully eluding her and abandoning her whenever she was cornered. When it came to getting out of sticky situations, Carina had become a pro.
Whatever was to happen though, Carina refused to let it ruin her night.
It was going to be brilliant; she could barely eat with the idea of it swirling around her mind. Pandora had to gently push her back to reality as she zoned out, roast potato still skewered on her fork as she stared vacantly off into the distance, picturing how the stage, the lights, the sound and how it would all feel. Music was a type of magic, and magic was all about feeling, sensing, relying on intuition. Some parts of which Carina was good at. Others... Not so much.
But she was excited. Seconds ticked into minutes, which ticked into hours as she impatiently waited, ready to jump up and leave. Ready to have fun and act like a teenager again after all of the stress and hardships over summer. And Carina wanted nothing more than to just spend some quality time with her boyfriend. It was going to be amazing.
