Raven | 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 01

Alexandra Starling always thought of Hogwarts as her real home and looked at it as a chance to get away from her life. So when the first of September arrived, she couldn't be happier to start her fifth year at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Pushing around her trolley, Alexandra eagerly walked through the King's Cross station, accompanied by her old nursemaid, Edna.

Edna was a half-elf. She was a short and chubby woman, always wearing an apron and bonnet no matter where she went. As far as Alexandra could remember, Edna was in her life and was the one who raised her up and took care of her as a child.

"It's okay, Mamma," said Alexandra, smiling down at Edna as they reached the barrier between platform 9 and 10. "I can take it from here."

    "Oh no, Miss Starling," Edna shook her head at Alexandra urgently. "I'm under strict orders from your grandfather to see you board the train, safe and sound."

"Yes, of course," Alexandra sighed, adding under her breath, "as always."

She then gripped onto her trolley firmly, running toward the brick wall with Edna following her right behind. And seconds later, she found herself in platform 9 3/4.

A smile was formed on Alexandra's lips while she looked around, seeing familiar faces. Although it soon faded as she watched the parents kiss and hug their children goodbye. And for a moment, it made her wonder what it would've felt like to have her own parents around.

She couldn't even remember them, having lost them to the Dragon Pox disease when she was merely a baby. And after that, her grandfather took her in.

      "Well, I guess this is goodbye, Miss Starling," said Edna, smiling up at her through teary eyes.

       "Yeah," she nodded and then bent down, bringing her nursemaid into a warm hug. Alexandra tried to hold back her tears, knowing that crying would make their farewell even harder than it already was. "Goodbye, Mamma."

      And with one last wave at the elfish woman, Alexandra got on the Hogwarts Express, still fighting back the tears. Edna was the closest thing she had to a mother, making it almost unbearable to leave her each time.

       With that, Alexandra then walked down the train's corridor, throwing quick glances inside the compartments to see if she could find an empty one.

      But she came to a halt when someone whistled behind her, calling out, "Oi, Alex!"

     She smiled at the familiar voice and turned around, seeing a blond boy walking toward her with a handsome grin playing at the edge of his lips.

        "Hey, Mike," she said, going forward and bringing her best friend into a hug. "How was your summer?"

      "Not bad," said Mike, pulling away. "I saw you at the station, but thought that perhaps I should wait to get on the train before greeting you."

      "Wise choice," said Alexandra as the two made their way down the corridor. "I love Edna, but her elfish side is bound to my grandfather. If she saw you, she has no choice but to report to him about how I'm hanging around with a Muggleborn." She rolled her eyes at that. "You know how Grandpa can get about these stuff..."

      "I never really understood why he's so prejudice about all this," said Mike earnestly. "Maybe he'll be cool with it if you talk about it?"

      "Yeah, right," she said, scoffing. "Just like how he was so cool with it when I was sorted into Ravenclaw."

      "I kinda wish that he was there at the sorting ceremony," Mike started with a grin. "The shock on his face would've been priceless."

"Yeah," said Alexandra, giggling.

The truth was, her grandfather had raised Alexandra to believe that she was the perfect fit for Slytherin house. Even at some point, she was sure of this as well. But on the day of the sorting ceremony, the hat had shouted 'Ravenclaw' before it had even touched her head.

Other than fearing her grandfather's reaction to the news, she was disappointed herself at first too. But after spending four years in Ravenclaw, she came to realize that this was where she truly belonged.

Just then, Alexandra and Mike had to step aside as two girls were walking in the opposite direction from the other end of the corridor, one of them having blonde hair and the other a lavender color.

Mike glanced behind his shoulder, watching the girl pass them with a sheepish smile on his face. "She changed her hair color again... it used to be blue."

Alexandra shook her head at him with a knowing smile as they finally got into an empty compartment and sat down. "You clearly like that girl. Why don't you just go talk to her?"

"It's not that I like her, no, no," Mike shook his head dramatically. "It's the fact that she's hot, my dear Miss Starling. Besides, I can't just go and talk to her. She's one year older than us and on the opposing Quidditch team."

"Nah," Alexandra grinned, "you're just scared that her brother would beat you up."

   "What? Pfft, no." Mike scoffed.

  "Are you scared that she would beat you up?"

Mike gulped in horror. "Yes. Happy?"

Alexandra smiled at him cheekily and nodded. "Very."

  "Anyway, speaking of Quidditch," Micheal started with a smug face, trying to change the embarrassing subject. "Guess who is Ravenclaw's new Captain?"

"If the answer isn't you, then this is a this a terrible guessing game."

"It is me!"

"I know, stupid," Alexandra laughed, shaking her head at him. "Congratulations. I knew you'd make it."

"That's it? Just a simple congratulations? Hmph!" said Micheal moodily, folding his arms in a childish manner and looking away.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic."

"At least one of us has to be! Otherwise, where would be the fun in life?"

"Well, what did you expect me to do to congratulate you?" Alexandra raised a brow at him. "Shower you with kisses and hugs?"

"Exactly," said Mike, winking at her.

But she didn't even bother answering him, and so took a book out of her bag and opened it, trying to ignore Mike to the best of her abilities.

"Come now, Starling," he said with a grin. "I know you want me."

"For the hundredth time, I don't."

"You're just in denial."

"And you're just full of yourself."

Mike gasped dramatically, looking highly offended. "How dare you!?" She only chuckled, going back to reading her book.

Alexandra enjoyed everything going as ordinary; she liked going to Hogwarts as always, talking to the same people, doing the same things, and going to bed at the end of the day with a clear mind.

And as she sat there, all she could hope for was another ordinary and peaceful year.

But little did she know that her life was going to change for good.