Raven | 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 57

The letter was slightly shaking in her trembling hands. Her grandfather was finally going to tell her everything about her parents, who had been murdered years ago, though Alexandra was told that they had died of Dragon Pox. She had been lied to her whole life. But it was finally time for the truth.

     Although what had caught her more off guard was that her grandfather had warned her in the letter, saying that she was in grave danger.

     Alexandra couldn't possibly think of anything that was so horrible that could put her in danger, when Mr. Starling himself was probably one of Lord Voldemort's oldest and most faithful followers.

Now that she came to think of it, her grandfather had been acting rather odd the last time she'd seen him, on the day she was supposed to return back to Hogwarts.

He kept mentioning that she was going to turn seventeen soon... that she was becoming of age... he seemed troubles by this, and yet Alexandra still had no idea what he meant by it. What was so horrible about becoming of age?

Quickly, Alexandra folded the letter and placed it in her trunk, her heart beating fast and her mind racing with the many possibilities.

***

With the next week commencing, the end of yet another school year came and the students boarded the Hogwarts' express and took their seats in the compartments, so the train could take them back home.

Alexandra wanted nothing more than to talk with Mike about all that had been happening lately; from her feelings toward Regulus, to her thoughts on Rowena Ravenclaw and at last the letter she had recently received from her grandfather.

But seeing as this was probably the very last hours she was spending with her best friend, possibly for a very long time, she didn't want to mess with his thoughts and trouble him with her own problems.

Mike has enough on his mind already, with the danger that him and his family are facing, Alexandra thought to herself, trying to shake the matter off her head.

In the hours they spent together on the train, they bought as many sweets from the Trolley Lady as possible, eating and talking with no worries, just like their first years at Hogwarts, pretending like the war didn't exist and acting as if they were just two eleven-year-olds.

"You know, I had a little crush on you in our first year," Mike finally blurted out, causing Alexandra to nearly choke on her Cauldron Cake.

"What?" Alexandra exclaimed in disbelief, staring at him with wide eyes. "Are you serious?"

"Why is it so hard to believe?" He smirked down at her, reaching out for a liquorice wands. "Come now, Starling. You and both know that you had always been in love with me."

"I — ugh, for the hundredth time, no!" Alexandra laughed, shaking her head frantically.

Mike let out a long sigh. "You're still in denial."

"And you're still too full of yourself," Alexandra joked, suppressing a smile.

"True." Mike grinned, grabbing the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans box. "Do you reckon there are any of these in Switzerland?"

"Dunno." She shrugged. "Why?"

"Because if this is gonna be the last I'm gonna have one of these for a long time..." he gulped nervously, "maybe it's finally time for me to try that weird-looking grey one. I've always been too scared of it."

***

Even though the grey bean turned out to be black pepper and Mike spat it out in disgust, they still ended up having a wonderful time with the whole compartment to themselves.

But at last to both their dismay, the train slowly came to a stop in King's Cross station and they had to get off with their trunks.

"So... I guess is goodbye," said Mike as they stood in platform 9 3/4. "I-I think it would be best if we don't write to each other for some while..."

"Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, it's the smart thing to do, otherwise they might be able to track you and your family down." Alexandra nodded in understanding.

Both of them stood there awkwardly, letting the silence fill the space between them as they were even avoiding each other's glances. None of them knew that saying goodbye could be this hard, for parting ways was even harder.

So without saying a single word, Alexandra brought him into a hug, holding him tight as she closed her eyes. "I'll miss you, Mikey."

"I'll miss you too, Alex," he whispered against her embrace.

But not bearing to say another word, Mike gave her a weak smile before leaving with his parents who were awaiting him on the Muggle side of King's Cross station.

There was an ache in Alexandra's heart that she could not possibly shake away. She had known Mike ever since she was eleven and had loved him as a brother. But now he was gone, and she had no idea when she was going to see him again. She didn't even know how long this war was going to last.

So with yet another sigh, Alexandra held on tight to her trolley and pushed it through the wall, exiting platform 9 3/4. Alexandra looked all over the crowd as she passed the barrier, but to her confusion, she couldn't find Edna anywhere.

With a confused frown, Alexandra checked her watch. Edna was usually one of the first to show up and always stood in the front to greet Alexandra. But now she was nowhere to be found.

As the minutes passed by and the sky wore on a much darker and chilling color, Alexandra's worry started to grow even more when Edna failed to show up, even now that almost a whole hour had passed.

Once the hour was over, Alexandra knew that she couldn't take it anymore. So carrying her trunk out of the train station, she walked into a deserted alleyway nearby and raised her wand arm, summoning the Knight Bus. She had used that bus before and therefor was familiar with it.

     Finally being of age, Alexandra could now legally use magic and Disapparate, but she still hadn't passed her Apparation test.

The next moment, a loud BANG erupted the place and the large purple bus appeared right before her, as if out of thin air. Alexandra got on, instructing the driver to get her to the Starling Mansion. And so with another loud BANG, they were gone.

There were no stars to light up the sky that night, not even the lustre of the moon could break through the impervious mask. The eerie darkness of that evening could never escape her memories as Alexandra payed the bus driver and got off in front of the gates to their yard, carrying her trunk.

Alexandra's heart was beating so loudly that she could practically hear it pumping mercilessly against her chest. As she stood before the entrance to their house, she saw that no light was illuminating from inside.

She wanted to be positive and bring excuses as to why Edna hadn't showed up and why their house looked like no soul had lived in it for the last decade. Maybe her grandfather had asked Edna to accompany him on a journey, and that they had forgotten that Alexandra's train would arrive today.

     But just then, she suddenly yelped and turned around in shock when she heard a hoarse caw. Looking over, she saw a black raven sitting on a tree branch above her, staring down at her intently.

     "Corvus?" Alexandra said breathlessly, feeling horrified.

Gulping, Alexandra shook her head and walked toward the mansion. Although once she opened the door to the house with her heart throbbing painfully, her whole body froze when she started hearing the sound of whimpering and sobbing coming from the hall inside.

"Mamma!?" Alexandra shouted, leaving her trunk at the door and running inside. "Mamma!?"

But the moment she entered the hall, Alexandra screamed and clapped a hand to her mouth when she saw Edna sitting on the floor, crying over her grandfather's motionless body.