Raven | 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 56

The image was stuck in her head for days. Each time she closed her eyes, each time she wanted to go to sleep, Alexandra would see the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw in the common room, flashing right before her eyes.

On Christmas eve, when Edna had taken the blue dress out of the old wooden chest, she had told Alexandra that the gown had been passed down through generations, protected by a powerful charm to never lose its beauty.

Alexandra had put the dress on and sat before the mirror, putting her grandmother's tiara on. And at that moment, as she had been looking back at her reflection, she felt like it all looked very familiar.

Later on that night at the Christmas Ball in the Malfoy Manor, everyone kept staring at her, and Alexandra couldn't put her finger on anything that was wrong with her. But she was surprised when Lucius Malfoy had mocked her for wearing a 'costume'.

Alexandra had no idea what he was talking about, but she did now. The statue had been in the Ravenclaw common room all those years and Rowena wore it beautifully. Though the reason it took Alexandra so long to realize it was that the statue was colorless and made of stone.

The answer was right before her eyes, and yet there were pieces of it missing. For a second, it crossed her mind that maybe this was the exact dress, that perhaps it was passed down through generations, beginning from Rowena Ravenclaw.

But how could it have been? Rowena only had one child throughout her life, and that was Helena Ravenclaw, and Helena had died young and was unmarried.

Although all the thoughts kept bursting into Alexandra's mind all at the same time. She remembered what Helena had told her the last time they had spoken.

That day, Alexandra had asked the ghost of the Grey Lady about how people stayed behind in the mortal world as ghosts, after dying. Helena had looked rather tense at those words, but she bad answered Alexandra anyway...

"Some are scared to move on. Some carry guilt so heavy that they are unable to find peace. And some others... they just have unfinished business left on earth; things they need to look after."

What if Helena had an unfinished business? What if there was someone she had to look after? Perhaps a baby?

But that didn't make sense. Because even if she had a baby, why would she want to run away? What happened to the baby after Helena had died? Was it even possible?

All these questions were driving Alexandra insane, and yet she couldn't pack up the courage and ask Helena. Something was holding her back. It was the doubts she was having.

Doubtful, because Alexandra knew that her grandfather was a proud man, always boasting about how they came from Pureblood families. If they had truly been a descendent of Rowena Ravenclaw — one of the most powerful witches of history — he wouldn't want to keep this quiet.

But then again, Marcellus Starling had always been a secretive and mysterious man. Maybe this was just yet another secret he had been keeping all these years.

***

With the Quidditch games finally being over, Mike now had much more free time on his hands and therefore Alexandra hardly ever left his side, so they could spend their last weeks of Hogwarts together.

They would usually go up to the library to study for their examinations which were closer to them than ever, but they enjoyed the time spent together either way. Because with the happiness of their victory in Quidditch still lingering, Mike seemed much more relieved and was almost back to his normal self.

Although there was no denying that Mike was anxious for his family's well-being and safety on a daily basis, but Alexandra tried to be there for him and talk to him each time he started to remotely get worried.

     Throughout those weeks, the sixth year students had Apparation lessons once a week in the Great Hall and in the end gave their test in Hogsmeade. Although between her friends, Alexandra still hadn't come of age and so had to wait until summer to give her test.

     But as the rest of the year commenced as before, they all made their way through the examinations. It was the last week of their stay at Hogwarts before another year would come to an end. But that day, it was also Alexandra's seventeenth birthday.

     Stretching snd yawning, Alexandra got out of bed and got ready, walking down to the common room. But she jumped out of her skin when someone hopped on her way from behind the wall, shouting, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

"Mike!" Alexandra laughed, her hand over her fast-beating heart. "You scared me."

"Oh, come here." Mike chuckled, bringing her into a hug. "So how does it feel like to be seventeen?"

"Not much, but my heart's beating faster than it used to before," Alexandra said teasingly, giving him a knowing look.

"Yes, that comes with old age," he said with a dramatic sigh, making her giggle. "Here, I've got you a little something."

He then pulled out a little box from inside his Hogwarts robe's pocket, handing it to her. With her smile spreading across her face, Alexandra thanked him and opened it up, but her eyebrows were raised when she saw what was inside.

It was a white shirt with the words 'I love Mike' written on it, but there was a charm on it that made the words move on their spot a little.

"Sorry," Mike smiled goofily, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "I was kinda low on budget this year. We're saving up all we have for the moving."

But before he could say anything else, Alexandra moved forward in a quick motion and brought him into a tight hug as she laughed, whispering, "I love it."

***

Alexandra's birthday was just like any other year. She never saw her birthday as an especial occasion, but Mike surely was on the mood to make silly jokes and make her laugh. And she wasn't really expecting a gift from Regulus, obviously because he didn't even know it was her birthday to begin with.

After saying goodnight to Mike later on that evening, Alexandra walked back to her dorm to get some sleep. But that night proved that her birthday this year was in fact not like her other ones.

     "Hey, Starling," said one of the girls in her dorm, catching Alexandra by surprise the moment she entered the room. "An owl came here early by and I opened the window for it to come in. It brought a letter for you." The girl then pointed at a white enveloping laying on Alexandra's nightstand.

     "Oh, right... thanks." Alexandra smiled at her roommate before walking toward her bed and picking up the envelope, opening it.

     At first she thought that Edna had sent it like she always did on her birthdays. But once Alexandra took out the letter, she was caught off guard when she realized that it was from her grandfather.

     Alexandra,
     You are in grave danger. I'll tell you everything once you get home. No more lies or secrecy. That's a promise. I'll tell you everything you ought to know about your parent. Keep safe, and be careful.