⚯͛
The real question
'Maybe I'm out of my mind.'
~Joyce Byers
⚯͛
1st November 1994
The morning after the champion selection was chosen, Raven got up early. The sun had only just begun to show, sparkling like diamonds off the Black Lake where the boat swayed calmingly. Raven hadn't slept the night prior, not the impending doom she was awaiting now she knew she was a champion, had been prying on her mind, but the swaying of the Durmstrang boat as it rocked on the Lake, Raven figured that she wouldn't be getting much sleep in the year to come.
The Scottish air was cold, a nipping breeze brushing through the air, causing Raven to tighten her fur cloak further around her, as she continued to track up the steep hill towards the Hogwarts Castle. Although the air inside the castle was far warmer than the icy morning breeze outside of its walls, Raven kept her cloak wrapped tight around her body as she silently walked through the castle halls.
Located on the first floor was the Libary, stacked with hundreds of thousands of ancient books, Raven let out a sigh of relief as she saw the door was wide open. Inside the silence was deafening, the old Librarian Madam Irma Prince nodded acknowledgingly at the small girl Raven gave her a small smile back.
Raven walked over to the first isle she came across, the words of Bratamus Crouch running through her mind, "The first task is designed to test your daring." Raven's first thought was to begin to scan each of the many books for defense spells she could use to protect herself, but then, how can you learn how to protect yourself if you don't know what it is you're facing?
In the end, Raven sat herself down on one of many of the tables scattered around the giant library, opening her battered school bag and pulling out of her many pieces of work, "Ancient Runes," Raven muttered to herself, picking up her textbook.
Her quill scratched against the parchment, writing in answers that Raven had accepted were most likely wrong, as Raven wrote in the answer 'defence' by 'ehwaz' as she heard someone make a discomfort groan from behind her. The girl was loaded with books, with brown bushy hair, "That's actually wrong," The girl mumbled, putting down ger books on the table beside her, "You're mixing it up with 'eihwaz', 'ehwaz' actually means partnership."
Raven looked at the girl gratefully, "Oh, thanks." She said, using her quill to scribble out the previous answer and writing 'partnership' in its place.
"You're Raven Howendale, right?" The girl asked, pointing out another one of Raven's incorrect answers, "The girl who has put into the tournament?"
Raven gulped noticeably, her hand beginning to shake again, "Yeah," Raven then looked down, unsurely, "You don't....you don't believe I put my name in, do you?"
The girl furrowed her eyebrows, "I don't - I don't think so, I mean I don't really know you, but why would you want to put your name in?"
Raven nodded her head thankfully, "You seem to be about the only one that doesn't blame me."
"That's not true, people were talking after your name came out; they where some people that think you did it, but most didn't." The girl said. Then, after a moment of silence, continued talking, "I'm Hermione, by the way; Hermione Granger."
"Nice to meet you." Raven said, smiling slightly, "I take it you're from Hogwarts?"
Hermione nodded excitedly, "I've heard all about all of the foreign Wizarding Schools, though! Is it true what they say about Durmstrang?" Hermione then proceeded to lower her voice slightly, "That they - y'know - emphasize in the Dark Arts?"
Raven looked down, giving up in the questions for her Ancient Runes, "I don't think so, I mean; it's the only wizarding school I've ever been too, so it's hard for me to judge."
"How do you speak such fluent English, then?" Hermione asked, picking up the girl's abandoned quill and correcting one of her many wrong answers.
"I was born here, both my parents where British, but - when they died, my uncle moved out of the country," Hermione looked at the girl in shock, not knowing that her parents had died, "I guess it was too much for him after everything happened, so we ended up in Bulgaria and never looked back since."
"Oh I'm so sorry," Hermione rambled, holing her petite hands up to her mouth, "I didn't know you're parents where dead-"
Raven shook her head, a playful smile threatening to take over her face, "No, it's fine, honestly, I don't even remember them," Then the girls smile dropped, into a frown, "Actually, my uncle told me a few weeks ago that my mother was already dead when I was born, so I never got to meet her at all."
Hermione gasped, "That's horrible! Merlin, I feel so horrible for bringing it up now!"
Raven sat up straighter, smiling sincerely at the girl, "It's okay, honestly." She nodded, "You can't miss something you can't even remember."
⚯͛
Raven walked down to breakfast, rather nervous a few hours later, Hermione Jean Granger by her side. The majority of the Durmstrang students had been asleep by the time Raven and Viktor got back to the ship, and whilst she knew Viktor didn't blame her - she had no idea what the reactions would be of Neveah or any of the other students for that matter.
"See you later," Raven wished off the bushy-haired girl, as the two entered the Great Hall, Hermione approaching the Gryffindor table whilst Raven headed towards the Slytherin.
"Bye." Hermione wished off, smiling at the girl as she approached her friends at the red and gold table, only to be bombarded with questions from her friends of why she was hanging out with you, and for the bushy-haired girl to wack a ginger boy on the back of the head when he said Raven had cheated to get into the competition.
Raven gulped and headed towards the green table, sitting down beside Neveah, who looked up as she felt a presence beside her, "Raven! Where have you been," She shouted, dragging her friend to sit down beside her, "We need to discuss how you're going to beat my brother in this tournament!"
Viktor looked up offended, "I can clearly see the sisterly love," Neveah stuck out her tongue at her brother, "Seriously, the love is just radiation off you."
"Wait," Raven butted in their sibling squabbles, "You don't think I put my name in?"
Neveah laughed, almost as though she found Raven's suggestion hilarious, "Of course not!" She snorted, "You're probably;y the wasn't likely person in this entire hall to do such a thing; cause, like it or not, you're shit at magic."
Raven sighed a breath of relief, "I thought you might've thought that; maybe I'm out of my mind," Raven admitted honestly, causing Neveah to snort once more.
⚯͛
Began Writing 10/07/20 23:09
Published 11/07/20 18:22
So I've entered a competition, which is exciting! Linked in my 'contests' reading list.