Grey was up an hour before everyone else on the morning of his first day. He hoped to keep up the illusion that his room was just a broom closet to the first years for as long as possible.
The common room was bright and still, despite the continuing rainfall outside. Checking his bag, he settled himself on one of the cushioned window seats and grabbed his potions textbook. Grey knew this year would be the toughest yet, especially with the upcoming OWLs. Dwelling too much on it would only make it harder though. Grey knew that.
So, he waited patiently for the time to come to go down to breakfast. Over the hour, students began to emerge, starting with an anxious gaggle of first years, too nervous to pay him any mind. After them, came a gentle mix of other Ravenclaws, some dragging their feet, some bright-eyed, clutching piles of books all talking or checking notes.
Grey watched them all, pretending to read his potions textbook. When some of them began to exit, he took it as his cue to head down to breakfast. His steps were lost in the sound of many others but he kept his head down.
Once in the hall, he took his usual seat at the end of the Ravenclaw table, pouring a bowl of Cherri-Owls and waiting for the arrival of his friend.
A smile broke across his face when Richard seated himself opposite him. His friend looked tired but cheerful as he grabbed a few slices of toast. They ate in silence for a minute as the post arrived and timetables were passed around. When they received theirs, both boys laid them on the table and leaned over to compare.
"We still have almost everything together, although you have Arithmancy while I have ancient runes," Grey observed, marking the class with a black cross. This was the symbol they used when they had to undertake something without the other.
Richard nodded sullenly, marking his own timetable.
"Where'd you go yesterday?" The Slytherin boy asked casually, not looking up from his timetable.
Grey paused in surprise at the sudden question.
"Oh, just the hospital wing - I had another headache."
Richard's eyes darted upwards to meet his and the corner of his mouth quirked upwards.
"Good!" He exclaimed a little too loudly.
A few sixth years shot them an odd look. Richard grimaced but lowered his voice.
"Did it help?"
"Sort of, honestly it was weird, Sullivan -"
But Grey was cut short by someone tapping on his shoulder. Turning, it took him a moment to recognize the culprit until he realized it was the Hufflepuff boy from the previous evening.
"May I sit with you?"
Grey blinked in surprise and Richard almost choked on his pumpkin juice. No one ever paid the two any mind. After he'd gotten over his initial shock, Grey quickly moved his bag off the seat next to him, shoving it beneath the table. The Hufflepuff sat down and Grey actually had a chance to observe him in the daylight.
He was about the same height as Grey, but much more stocky. His pale face was covered in freckles and he had a shock of unruly ginger hair that almost obscured his brown eyes. Peaking out of his robes was a small string with what looked like an acorn attached to it. Richard raised an eyebrow at him.
"Sorry if it's a bit forward," He began in a rushed ramble, "But I recognized you from last night, and well, you were really nice and I don't have any friends -"
It was Grey's turn to almost choke on his drink.
"And I saw you sitting here and well, I thought instead of sitting alone, I could actually try and make a friend for once so I came over and now I'm here."
He finished his rant with a hopeful smile at the two boys. Richard glanced at Grey, a small smile knitted across his lips. He nodded so Grey turned to the younger boy.
"Well you're braver than me," He chuckled, trying to make his usually sullen face as friendly as possible. "I'm Grey and he's Richard. We're fifth year. You?"
The Hufflepuff's whole body seemed to relax in his seat. His shoulders slumped and his face broke into a wider grin.
"I'm Derric, third year." He exclaimed.
Grey nodded, passing him a plate. He had looked younger in the darkness of the carriage he thought to himself.
"What lesson do you have first?" Derric asked, loading his plate with toast.
Richard glanced at his timetable.
"Transfiguration." He mumbled, still watching the newcomer carefully.
"I have potions," Derric garbled through a mouthful of toast, "I'm dreading it. I'm hopeless and Prendergast always picks on me."
Grey nodded sympathetically.
"Yeah, he's a beast." He mused.
"We tend to study in the library after class, you're welcome to join us. We could help?" Richard added.
A pang of gratitude flared in Grey's chest at his friend's words. Derric on the other hand looked like he might cry with joy at the offer.
"I'd love to!" He beamed.
Both boys couldn't help but return the smile, it was infectious.
Just then, the bell rang to signify the end of breakfast. Derric lept to his feet and grabbed his things.
"See you in the library then!" He called excitedly as he began to hurry from the hall.
Grey and Richard took their time gathering their things, still smiling to themselves. On their way out of the hall, Richard caught hold of Grey's arm. The Ravenclaw peered imploringly at him.
"We protect him with our lives," Richard stated seriously.
Grey chuckled at his statement.
"Absolutely."
Richard beamed and patted him on the back as they continued to their first class.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Transfiguration passed without issue however, Grey couldn't fail to notice the frequent glances Dumbledore sent his way. Thankfully, Richard was too absorbed by vanishing spells to notice but he did secretly wish that his friend would try to continue the half-finished conversation from before. It was a foolish thought though, and Grey knew it.
The day seemed to amble by quite quickly. There was no sign of Derric at lunch to which the two boys expressed their disappointment and every lesson so far had begun with a lecture about the upcoming OWLs. But the knowledge of their evening library study put both disappointments to rest.
Double Charms was eventful, to say the least, however. To begin with, Professor Elks had, with a mischievous grin, told them they would not be allowed to leave his classroom until all the furniture was hovering against the ceiling but, they were not allowed to speak during the exercise. What followed was a chaotic display of flying tables and aggressive chairs as the class attempted non-verbal magic for the first time. By the time the bell rang for the end of class, two windows were broken and a Gryffindor girl had been sent to the hospital wing for not being able to stop floating.
Grey and Richard left the class with grins on their faces. Professor Elks' teaching style was the reason that it was their favorite class.
Later that evening, Grey had deposited his bag back in his dorm and made his way to the library. For the first day, he already had a staggering amount of homework. The castle felt cold, but the rain outside had finally ceased and beams from a glorious sunset were illuminating the corridors as orange as Peeves' robes. Most students were enjoying various downtime activities so Grey wasn't bothered en route to the library. It was mostly empty when he arrived aside from a couple of students. He spotted Richard already seated in a corner with Derric. The two were leaning over a large book that Grey recognized to be a potions textbook. Hurridly he made his way over, grabbing a Defense against the dark arts volume and a fresh roll of parchment.
"Hi, Grey!" Derric whispered with a small wave, "Good day?"
"Not bad." Grey shrugged. "How was Prendergast?"
An anxious expression passed over Derric's face.
"Not good. But Richard's helping me with the homework." He beamed at the Slytherin.
Grey nodded and caught Richard's eyes when Derric wasn't looking. He seemed happy enough. Since they met, Grey was led by Richard's subtle emotions. He'd learnt to recognize the smallest change in his demeanor so he knew that right now he was perfectly content.
Watching the two for a while longer, his attention was caught by the sound of hushed laughter. With a glance out of the corner of his eye, he spied a familiar group of boys opposite them, constantly pointing and then whispering to themselves. Grey clenched his fist. He purposely positioned his chair so his back hid the trio. Leaning on his book, he began scrawling his essay.
"Hey, Grey? You like Quidditch?"
About half an hour had passed and Grey looked up at Derric.
"It's alright, I prefer watching to playing." He remarked quietly, "Yourself?"
Derric looked thoughtful for a moment.
"I suppose I like watching it more than playing. My dad's a seeker for the Chudley Cannons."
"That's impressive." Grey noted, "So you're Atlas Diggorys, son?"
Derric nodded proudly.
"I'd love to be a seeker," Richard murmured wistfully, resting his cheek in his hand.
Grey noticed him chewing on his lip absentmindedly and sighed to himself. Seeker or just playing quidditch had been a dream of Richard's since before they were friends.
"Why don't you try out for the team?" Derric asked.
Richard glanced at his hands.
"Wouldn't matter, they won't let me play."
The Hufflepuff boy frowned, his forehead creased in confusion.
"How come?" He continued.
Richard grimaced.
"Because I'm muggleborn." He answered after a long pause.
But his words did nothing to the confusion on Derric's face. Grey tried to give his friend a sympathetic smile but Richard was avoiding both their eyes.
"I don't understand," Derric mumbled, looking round at Grey.
With a sigh, Grey moved closer so no one could overhear.
"Most of the Slytherins, including those on the team are blood prejudice. It's stupid but enough for them to be pricks about who they let play."
The younger boy clenched his fists and grabbed his quill again. Moving his book in front of him, he exhaled sharply through his nostrils. Grey knew he would have found out sooner or later but he did feel slightly guilty for changing the mood. It was important he knew though.
"Well, it's their loss," Derric grumbled over his book.
Grey heard Richard snort with amusement and he relaxed slightly.
The three boys continued studying for another hour or so, occasionally making quiet conversation. The new addition to their group was growing on Grey more and more. He hoped Richard shared the feeling. Derric was just such a perfect third member. He didn't talk much, like them but when he did the conversation was always eventful. Grey could tell he had a bit of a temper but was so passive that he'd never act on it. He was kind and way cleverer than he gave himself credit for. Above all, it was just nice to have another person with them. It felt comfortable.
They spent until about nine in the library. However as they were packing up, Grey felt something cold impact the back of his neck. Reaching back, his fingers came into contact with a wet wad of paper, just as loud laughter broke out behind them. He clenched his fists again.
Malfoy, Rookwood, and Macmillan, the trio from earlier, were also packing up and cackling in their direction. It took everything in him not to grab his wand.
"Watch it freaks, mudblood." Malfoy leered as they strutted past.
Grey dug his nails so deeply into his palms that he winced, causing the trio to laugh more. But he didn't move. Instead, he waited for them to leave, glaring. When they had, he continued stuffing his belongings more aggressively into his pockets.
Derric touched his shoulder tentatively.
"You good?"
Grey nodded stiffly.
"Ok, I'll see you two at breakfast." The Hufflepuff said with a small smile.
He left quickly. Grey exhaled through his nose.
"Last year you would have hexed them." Richard mused in a hushed tone.
"Maybe I'm just trying to not get detention." Grey shrugged, not meeting his friend's eyes.
He could feel his palms bleeding again.
"Well, either way, I don't care. I'm proud of you." Richard said, laying a warm hand on Grey's shoulder.
Grey's heart swelled slightly and he ventured to look at his friend.
"Thanks."
Richard's lip quirked upwards.
"See you tomorrow."
Grey stood alone in the library a moment longer, dwelling on Richard's words. He liked the feeling of his saying he was proud. In truth, he didn't know why he had not retaliated earlier. Maybe he did want to try and hold back a bit. He wouldn't want to scare off Derric.
Making his way back to the Ravenclaw tower, Grey's attention was caught by the pale moonlight in the corridors. It was a clear night. That meant stars. He quickened his steps, rushing up to the fifth-floor entrance. The worry of his dorm being revealed didn't even cross his mind as he hastened through the busy common room and into his little room.
Once he was inside, he locked his door and placed his wand safely on his bed. Carefully, he opened the window ensuring it was propped open so a sudden gust of wind wouldn't render it shut.
He took a deep breath and focused.
The cool night air rustled his hair and made the hair on his arm stand on end. Until it wasn't hair, it was feathers.
His beak clicked as he flapped in success around his small dorm. He'd done it! Now it was time to see Hogwarts properly. With only a moment's hesitation, he flew out of his open window.
Ecstasy.
Pure freedom.
This was living.
This was everything.
The breeze rippling beneath his feathers, the blanket of stars above him, and the sprawling castle beneath. Everything felt right and good. He pivoted mid-air, cresting round the astronomy tower as the moonlight shone upon his black feathers. The low croak of joy from his beak was echoed by the roosting ravens in the ramparts.
Grey could have cried with joy. He'd never felt so detached from his worries. With a deep arc, he dived downwards, pulling up in time to trail his claw on the rippling surface of the black lake. The cold air in his eyes barely bothered him. All that mattered in that moment was the stars. Nothing did them justice, but the soaring perspective of a raven came close.
He flew upwards towards the castle. Though he wished to stay there for hours, he knew his stamina for flight would need to be improved with practice. With effort, he came to perch upon a ledge outside a lit window. The courtyard below was overrun with twisting shadows so Grey took the chance to glance within the lit room. Being nosy had few consequences for a bird.
It took him a moment to realize, he was peering into Dumbledore's office. The transfiguration professor was sat at his desk, his back to the window. He was staring at an old photo but Grey couldn't quite make out the moving shapes. In the other hand, he seemed to be absentmindedly twirling a piece of jewelry of sorts between his fingers and it glistened in the candlelight. Grey felt strangely drawn to the silver trinket. Maybe it was the raven nature creeping through but somehow it felt strangely familiar.
But he didn't dwell on it. He felt strength enough to make his way back so with a swift flap he flew away from his perch. Arriving back through his window, he felt excitement at the prospect of flying again. With a rustle of feathers, he transformed back and climbed into bed, a grin plastered across his face.