𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐖 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐔𝐒 𝐇𝐔𝐅𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐏𝐔𝐅𝐅 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐘. Just like last year, the Weasleys were selling 'RAVENCLAW'S TOP SEEKER' shirts — with a better picture of Raya, of course. They added more options as well, including crop tops — which the two of them rocked — and sweatshirts, and sweatpants.
They wanted to add underpants, but that was where Raya drew the line.
It was cold outside, but it wasn't snowing at least. Raya flew over the players easily, embracing the cold nipping her skin. It energized her more than playing in the heat ever did.
Roger and Raya had worked on a few new training drills, which were definitely paying off. Their chasers were flying fast, doing different moves to outsmart Hufflepuff. Umayza and Tyler — the Beaters — had been doing lots of strength and aim drills, which were paying off this match.
"And Avery makes another great save!" Lee cheered in the microphone. "Avery — the Chaser — has got the ball — Avery to Roger — Roger to Avery — he's passed it to Chris — who just avoided getting his head knocked off by a Bludger. Phew."
Raya watched Umayza go after the Bludger, knocking it into one of the Hufflepuff Chasers.
She could hear Elias shouting something from the crowd.
"And Chris to Roger — back to Chris — who shoots... he scores!" Lee's voice echoed through the crowds.
The cheers from Ravenclaw fans drowned out the Hufflepuff groans.
She turned her broom around, flying a little higher to embrace the cold. Something gold fluttered across the field.
Raya smirked, keeping one eye on Cedric — who was on the other side of the field — as she kicked off, zipping towards the Snitch. Her Nimbus 2001 caught up to the small ball easily. All she had to do was wrap her fingers around it.
"And Raya's got the Snitch!" Lee cheered. "RAVENCLAW WINS! THE UNDEFEATED CHAMPIONS OF LAST YEAR HAVE GOTTEN OFF TO A GREAT START!"
Raya laughed to herself as she landed on the ground, immediately surrounded by her friends hugging her and cheering. Professor Flitwick — wearing a 'RAVENCLAW'S TOP SEEKER' crop top was seen cheering from the teachers booth.
Raya was still grinning as sat in the library hours later, working on a Care of Magical Creatures assignment.
Professor Silvanus Kettleburn was a cheerful old man. He only had an arm and half a leg left (he'd lost the rest of his limbs while dealing with these creatures), but he never seemed to mind that. Often, he made jokes about it.
Raya flipped through her copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
"Did any of you get the Hippogriff's most dangerous characteristic?" Cedric asked, flipping through the textbook.
Raya pointed to a passage on one of the pages, "They're proud creatures. They get offended easily, so you've got to be careful when you approach one."
"Thanks," he scribbled it down.
They made small talk, sharing candy and answers. At one point, Raya saw Cho and Cedric holding hands.
She grinned triumphantly in Thomas' direction.
After nearly an hour, Raya shut her textbook, massaging her wrist. Professor Kettleburn didn't give written assignments often, but when he did — boy, they were long.
Her and her friends made their way back to the Ravenclaw tower, wishing Cedric goodnight as he headed over to the Hufflepuff common room. It was down the hall from the kitchens, and quite hard to get into if you weren't a Hufflepuff.
Raya settled down in front of the fireplace, clicking her tongue for Loki to come settle in her lap. Her friends gathered on the couches and the floor, stretching out.
"Are you guys staying for winter break again?" Cierra asked.
Raya shook her head, "Nah. My mom's gonna come visit, so I've got to go home. I don't want any of you guys opening your Christmas presents until Christmas day, got it?"
"Yes ma'am," Thomas saluted.
Raya threw a tinfoil ball at him, causing Loki to chase after it.
"I'm going home too," Thomas said. "Mom wants to know more about what's happening at Hogwarts. Apparently, another kid's been petrified."
"Yeah," Cho agreed. "Cedric told me it was some second year Hufflepuff. The rest of his house mates are convinced the heir is Harry Potter and they're all a little terrified of him."
"It doesn't make sense, though," Thomas argued. "He's the heir of Slytherin, but he's in Gryffindor. And why would he petrify a ghost?"
"A ghost?" Cierra asked. "What do you mean?"
"Nearly Headless Nick was petrified too," Raya explained to her, pulling the Snitch she stole from last year's final game from outta nowhere. "Honestly, everyone was fangirling over him last year. I don't know how they changed their minds so easily."
"I heard he's a Parseltongue," Meredith added. "Nesta told me she went to the Dueling Club, and Harry was there. Him and that Draco Malfoy kid were facing off, when Draco let a snake loose. That's when Harry said something to it in Parseltongue. Some say he was probably egging the snake on to attack."
"Did the snake attack?" Elias asked. "Honestly, it seems easy to believe that he could be the heir of Slytherin. But it's almost too easy."
Raya felt a pang of guilt. It was easy to forget Elias was Muggleborn — that he was technically being hunted by whatever was petrifying the others. This definitely wasn't easy for him to talk about.
"It's getting late guys," Raya said, getting up and calling Loki to her. She pocketed her Snitch, "I'm gonna head up to bed."
"Yeah, me too," Thomas said, following her.
Slowly, but surely, her friends made their way up to their dorms, ready to retire for the night.
Elias sent her a grateful smile.
The Chamber of Secrets seemed to have invigorated Raya's nightmares.
She dreamed of journals and fangs, bright lights and strange noises. One nightmare gave way to the next.
Suddenly, everything went still.
A chill crawled up Raya's bones as she stood at the edge of an abyss. Voices taunted her, urging her to come closer. To feel the power.
She tried stepping back, but her feet were glued.
A cold voice laughed. All Raya could tell was that it was coming from the pit.
"Little Raya Newbrooke," it scoffed at her last name. "What a lovely thing you've grown into. The star of your house, the smartest from your cabin, and you're even dating one of the most popular boys at camp. You've come a long way. I'm sure your father would be proud."
Raya had no idea why, but it felt like the voice was mocking her.
"What do you want from me?" she asked. "Why the Hades do you keep coming back to my nightmares?"
"Isn't it obvious?" the voice asked.
"Clearly not," Raya scoffed.
"Such hostility," the voice tsked. "I am here for your help. I will help you, if you help me in return."
"What could we help each other with?" she asked, not even sure if she wanted to know.
"You'll find out soon enough," the voice said to her. "For now, consider this a gift from me. Something to show you that you can trust me." The voice darkened, "I don't give gifts often, so don't expect more until you're willing to help. I don't know how much your brain will comprehend, but it'll all be clear soon enough."
"What do you mean?"
The voice laughed instead of answering.
Raya felt the world spin as she fell down... down... down. She landed in a dark old house, everything blurry.
Memories flew by her, but like the voice told her, her brain wasn't able to comprehend them very well.
Two kids ran around, chasing each other, building forts, living their childhood. She saw colored liquids — potions, perhaps — and antique bottles. Silverware that looked like it belonged to the Middle Ages was being set across the table.
Raya heard voices from all around. Names and commands and horrible jokes.
Everything blurred together.
A picture of a team. A poster for some old Muggle band. A Golden Snitch. A cat who purred as he sat in a teenager's lap. A broomstick. A trunk. An empty pack of Fizzing Whizbees. She saw a bowl, one that looked different than the old ones from before.
Raya wasn't sure what any of it even meant.
But somehow... the voice knew what it was talking about.
These partial memories, the hidden voices, they called out to her. They filled her with a sense of belonging so strong, her bones ached. She tried to reach out, to grab something.
She grabbed the wrong memory.
Her lungs instantly constricted. She couldn't breathe. Her vision blurred with tears, tears that didn't even belong to herself. A voice — or multiple voices — squeaked near her. She couldn't even tell what they were saying.
She had no idea where she was, except that she wasn't in her own body.
Whoever's body she was in opened their mouth, only to choke and sputter, unable to form words. She felt her hand wave someone off, even though it was agony to move in the slightest.
No, she thought. She had no idea what was happening, but she knew it felt wrong.
For the briefest moment, she could feel the person's emotions. Sadness, grief, regret. Whoever it was, they were filled with so much hurt, Raya didn't ever think they would be happy.
Raya gasped as she sat up.
She looked around, taking a second to remember she was back in Hogwarts. She could breathe, she could see, she could hear. She tried to remember the memory, but the more she tried, the harder it became. Was the person just choking on something they ate? Or were they actually dying?
Not knowing who the person was at all made it much harder.
A few minutes later, she sat on the roof of the Ravenclaw tower, tossing her Golden Snitch from hand to hand.
She stared at the moon, only half a moon tonight. Like always, it gave her a little bit of comfort.
Raya didn't talk to her aunt today. Instead, she passed the Snitch from hand to hand as stared at the night sky.
The air was cold, snow covering parts of the roof. Raya embraced the frosty weather, needed it to ground herself after that horrible dream.
She wished she could apparate to Luke. She didn't even want to talk about what happened, just wanted someone there. Someone to sit with her, to hold her.
The worst part of it was that she believed the voice. For some reason, those memories should belong to her. They should be a part of her life. But they were cut out.
She clutched the Snitch in her hand. Someone had to know the truth of her past. Where she came from. Someone had to have given her up, dropped her off to the orphanage.
She only wished she knew who.
Raya slipped a Newbrooke jersey over her head.
She was back home for Christmas break, getting ready for her father's Quidditch match. Like every Christmas morning, she had been up since six in the morning, unwrapping presents and giving presents. She forced both of her parents awake, dragging them downstairs.
After nearly two hours of gift giving and gift receiving, Raya and her parents made sugar cookies. They did so every time her mother and father got together. After nearly destroying the kitchen, and almost giving Rosie the house elf three heart attacks, they managed to make about twenty sugar cookies.
"Are you ready yet?" Raya's mother called from downstairs.
There was always one Quidditch game on Christmas day, the honor usually being given to the most anticipated match of the whole season. This year, it was given to the Tutshill Tornados and Ballycastle Bats.
Raya straightened up her father's jersey, fixed her face paint, and petted Loki before heading downstairs.
Loki wasn't amazing with crowds, and even though they were in a box, Raya wasn't sure how much he'd like it. He got along well with Rosie at least.
"I'm ready!" she announced, jumping off the stairs.
"Finally," her mother said, also dressed in a Newbrooke jersey. "Now if only your father would get down on time, we can leave!"
Raya laughed as her dad rushed down the stairs, straightening his collar.
The Quidditch match was going to be broadcasted all around the continent. Which meant, for once, her dad had to dress nicely. Cameras were going to be on him the second he arrived at the stadium until after the moment he left.
"Okay, we're good," he said to them. "Floo? Portkey? What are we looking at for today?"
"Portkey," Raya answered. "Amora said her dad's arranged one to the game. It should be leaving soon, so we better hurry if we wanna catch it."
"Alright, alright," Alphanso said. "Let's go."
Raya and her parents left Newbrooke Manor, bidding Rosie the house elf good bye. They walked down the street, passing the statue of James and Lily Potter holding a baby Harry. The residents of Godric's Hollow had pitched the idea of a memorial statue, and they got permission to build it. They passed the Potter's family house, which was nothing more than a ruin now. In the spring and summer, plants would sprout all around, giving it almost a beautiful look. But in the winter, surrounded by snow, there was a different kind of beauty to it. Almost dangerous.
Raya realized that if Harry Potter had grown up in Godric's Hollow, the two of them probably would've been childhood friends.
"Dad?" she turned to Alphanso, who pocketed a snowball immediately. "You knew James Potter, right? Were you guys friends?"
Raya's dad smiled fondly, "He was younger than me by five years or so. The two of us grew up near each other, much like you and Harry would've during the year. We were friends, definitely. But nowhere near as close as the rest of of Marauders."
"Marauders?" Raya repeated. "What? Wait, the three friends, right?"
He laughed, "Yup. James had three best friends, they were all in the same year at Gryffindor. Remus — he was a quiet guy with the attitude of a tired old man. There was Peter — a shy little kid who didn't speak much, but he was always excited for whatever pranks James pulled. And then there was Black."
Raya sensed the change in her father's tone immediately.
Everyone knew the story of Sirius Black. Born to The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, not many people were surprised he turned to You-Know-Who. He'd grown up a bit of a rebel, even being Sorted into Gryffindor. When he was kicked out of his house, he moved in with his best friend — James Potter.
The two were supposed to be inseparable. The Black family was one of You-Know-Who's greatest supporters, and not many people trusted Sirius Black because of that. So when he gave his supposed best friend's location to the Dark Lord, it only confirmed people's suspicion of his treachery.
Raya's dad didn't like talking about him. Nor did many other Wizards or Witches.
"Please tell me you didn't go around calling yourself a Marauder in your Wizard school," Raya's mom immediately changed the subject. "I think I might divorce you again if you did."
This made Alphanso laugh a bit, the three of them finally reaching the Phillips' house.
"Raya, you're here!" Amora ran over to give Raya a hug. "Just in time. The Portkey's leaving in two minutes. Everyone grab on."
They all took hold of the Portkey, a shoe. Soon enough, Raya felt a familiar lurch in her stomach, the world spinning before they all landed.
"Alright, it's a bit of a walk," Amora's dad said to them. "I assumed you didn't want the cameras on you right after travelling through a Portkey."
"You assume correct," Raya's dad laughed, patting down his outfit.
Raya and Amora made conversation about the different books they read recently, splitting up with Raya's dad once they reached the stadium.
"I'll see you after the game, Rye," he said to her, kissing her forehead. "Love you."
"Love you too," she smiled. "And good luck! Kick some Bats' booty!"
He laughed as he went over to the change room to get ready. Raya and her mother let Amora and her parents go up to their private box first. They followed after a few minutes, doing their best to avoid the cameras thrown in their face.
They reached their private box eventually, locking the door behind them.
Amora waved Raya over to the seats.
"This is so exciting," Amora grinned.
Raya laughed, "It's much more fun watching a game when you're not studying for O.W.L.s, huh?"
"Please don't remind me of that nightmare," she groaned.
The commentator's voice echoed through the stadium, announcing the entry of the teams. Raya and Amora cheered as the Tutshill Tornados flew into the stadium.
The Tornados were dressed in the light blue that they normally wore, while the Bats wore black robes with a scarlet bat in the center. Raya hated to admit their robes were pretty.
"AND LET THE GAME BEGIN!" The announcer's voice sounded as the whistle blew.
Immediately, the players began to fly around, passing to each other. Raya watched in awe as the Tutshill Beaters — or as she called them, uncle Roden and uncle Markus — used their bats to aim a Bludger right at the opposing chaser.
Her dad blocked two shots in a row, giving the ball off to Nicolas Coldsriff — who passed it to Maira Rogers, the only female on the team — who passed it back to Coldsriff. The three Chasers flew in a tight knit triangle formation, splitting up only when they reached the goal. Cas Dubois passed it to Maira — who passed it to Nicolas — back to Cas — who shoots — but there was no ball.
Raya cheered as Maira pulled the Quaffle out of nowhere, scoring a goal for the Tornados. The hidden pass tactic they used was one of their most successful.
An hour later, the Tutshill Tornados were leading 230 - 90. Out of the sixty three shots the bats attempted, Alphanso only let nine in. This was one of their best games of the season.
Raya watched as something gold and small zipped around somewhere above the field. It took another minute for Andre Gellerzo — the Tornado's Seeker — to spot the Snitch.
He took off on his Nimbus 2001, catching the Snitch before the Ballycastle Bats' Seeker managed to even spot it.
Raya cheered as the commentator's voice flooded the stadium.
"AND THE TUTSHILL TORNADOS HAVE WON ON CHRISTMAS DAY," he cheered.
It had been a fun Christmas.
REY WRITES!
thanks for reading!!
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