Perks of Hogwarts

Raven looked around at the newly appeared food and gasped. The food was piled high across the tables. He gaped. For the six hundred or so people in the hall there as a ridiculous amount of food prepared. On the streets he could have survive on that amount of food for over a year. Whilst Raven was still looking around gaping everyone else was eating apparently not at all surprised at the sheer volume of food for them all. And it appeared it was free. Raven hadn't had a free meal in more years than he could count. And never a meal like this one was. It was a huge feast. Raven began piling his plate with more things than he could count, more than he could even name. This was a definite perk of Hogwarts he decided as he began to rudely guzzle down some pork sausages with all his manners of a street rat. The little girl beside him began chuckling at him whilst the other students moved away apparently appalled at his lack of manners.

'Hungry?' asked the girl.

'Starvin',' agreed Raven.

'Sally-Anne and your Harry Potter,' the girl said.

'Raven,' Raven corrected.

'Huh?' Sally-Anne looked confused.

'T'is wha' known as,' Raven shrugged.

'Oh a nickname,' Sally-Anne smiled and the continued to eat.

When eaten as much food as they could of the main course the plates disappeared. Raven was simply horrified that they could be so wasteful. Raven was now seeing the way the other side of lived. He looked around at the ghosts his eyes meeting with the twins and Lee who grinned at him. When he turned back around the deserts had already appeared. He gaped. Raven had rarely got any sort of treat. And certainly nothing like the dishes and dishes of sweets and puddings that were laid out on the table before them. Beside him Sally-Anne already had a mound of ice cream she was happily eating. Raven pulled a slice of tart towards him and hesitantly ate a bit. Raven smiled and finally understood why people liked the puddings so much. McGonagall and Dumbledore seemed deep in conversation. The greasy haired professor and the teacher in the bright purple turban were talking to each other. When the hook nosed teacher stared at him he clapped a hand to his head.

'Are you okay?' asked Sally-Anne.

'Fine,' lied Raven with a smile.

Raven had never felt pain like that before. But he let it drop well used to be being in pain of one sort of another. But usually scars didn't bother him too much. But he had seen the professor's look. If there was one thing Raven knew it was how to read people. And he knew the man didn't like him. But it was more than that there seemed to be an edge of jealously. Why a man would be jealous of an illiterate street rat Raven didn't know. And there was a bit lonely bitterness that for some reason was directed at Raven. Raven had a feeling that the man was using his own pain to fuel a deep burning anger. But he had a strange feeling off of the turban wearing teacher. He didn't trust the man at all. He didn't know why but Raven was never one to go against his own instincts; those were what had kept him alive on the long years on the street. Soon the deserts had disappeared as well much to Raven's disgust. Didn't these people know the meaning of waste? And the old man whom Raven presumed was the Headmaster, Dumbledore, stood up once again.

'Ahern - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well,' Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins. Raven smirked he knew that they would be like that. He wasn't going to follow the rules no matter what the old man said, 'I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year; the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death.'

Raven frowned into the uneasy silence. He knew straight away knowing that this was no casual remark. Raven unlike the majority of the year had known death from a young age. He'd lived with the constant ever present fear of starving often not getting nearly enough food. Then there was the fact that the winters could be horrific. British summers weren't brilliant when the heavens opened up to a downpour. And then there were the gangs and other thieves he'd learned long ago that if you wanted to survive you couldn't do that by being a nice little boy. Raven didn't know the danger but he knew enough about real life to know it was no idle threat. He looked into the Headmaster's bright blue eyes which flickered over to him. Then he looked to the other teachers. They knew what it was. Raven realised this. But what this was the street urchin was unclear of. Then he looked around at the students. There were those who seemed disbelieving and uncaring. Then there were those who looked excited at the possibility of an adventure (mainly those on the twins' table). And Percy Weasley just looked indignant. Then there were those who looked scared of the unknown threat. Dumbledore pulled out his wand and two strings of gold coiled to make squiggles that Raven could only presume were words but couldn't tell for sure.

'Everyone pick their favourite tune,' Dumbledore said.

'Fuck that,' Raven muttered in a carrying voice not caring when everyone looked at him and Dumbledore's twinkle dimmed.

'Raven,' hissed Sally-Anne from beside him.

'And off we go,' Dumbledore instructed as the whole hall but one sneering child burst into song with the twins the last two to finish the song.

'Ah, music,' smiled the headmaster, 'a magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot.'

Raven and Sally-Anne who he got on with not badly, along with the other Slytherin first years followed two of the Slytherin prefects even if the Raven hated having to rely on somebody else for once in his life. The tall blonde female prefect dressed in her rich, dark green hooded robes who had introduced herself with a smile as Gemma Farley. The male prefect was a dark sullen looking older boy who hadn't spoke one word but Gemma rolled her eyes at the other seventh year and told them that his name was Taran Cosby. They had quickly split from the other houses and Raven noticed they were heading down to what appeared to be the dungeons deep under the castle. Raven shivered he hated being locked inside even during the coldest winters. Being locked in a dungeon was basically the same as being in prison which despite the way in which he lived he had managed to avoid. He hoped it wouldn't be the Dursleys all over again where he slept in a fucking cupboard. Raven noticed that the portraits moved and talked. Raven thought this was unusual but it was magic and no weirder than ghosts or anything. They at last came to a stop by a large stone tablet set into the wall.

'Salazar,' Gemma said and the tablet slid easily across as the children made there way into the common room. 'This is the way into the Slytherin Dungeons boys would you follow Taran and girls with me.'

'Caito, Crabbe, Gainnes, Goyle, and Nott the first dorm. Malfoy, O'Connel, Potter, Runcorn, Zabini the second,' the sullen fifth year said shortly before stomping off.

Raven entered the second dorm with the other five boys he was sleeping with nobody spoke to him as they went to their beds all five which had dark green coverings and sheets. The room had candles floating as lights which blew out when the five were in bed. The other four boys had their cases already in Raven knew which bed was his by the fact it was the only one without a case on it. Raven placed his bag on the end of the bed right beside his pillow in case anyone stole it. Then nervously he sat on the edge of the bed. He couldn't remember ever sleeping on a bed it made him nervous. It was softer than anything he'd felt before. It was so unlike the Dursleys' mattress and the hard floors which Raven was used to sleeping on. He drew the covers up over him. But found himself unable to fall asleep. It was too damn hot and comfortable. He had to take his coat off; which was something which normally at night (even in the summer) would be fucking suicidal. Raven looked up at the dark green hangings feeling slightly claustrophobic and resigned himself to a restless night's sleep. And true he tossed and he turned knowing he'd never fit in here.

Raven woke early in the morning as Raven usually did; used as he was to getting up with the crows. But today feeling un-rested and grumpy because of the fact he had slept awfully. He picked up his bag and walked to the door which didn't lead to the Common Room. He looked around at the tiled room with the row of large showers. He looked at them nervously. He remembered the "showers" his aunt had given him as a child. Nervously Raven looked at them again. This was why he didn't want to do this. He hated anything like this. He just wasn't good in this sort of situation give him a street fight any day and he'd know what to do. He heard someone walk in behind him and spun around with a hand on a knife in his pocket. But it was just one of the other boys; the black boy with the dark eyes who just smirked at him and began undressing for the shower. Raven still did not move to go into the shower. The black boy smirked at him again.

'It's not going to bite,' the black boy smirked at him whilst a spray of water and steam hit off the eleven year old's body.

Not wanting to look like a coward Raven too stripped down. He looked at his body encrusted with dirt and blood compared to the other boy's body which had seemed spotless before he got into the shower. Raven took a tentative step under the showerhead and yelped as he was hit by a warm blast of water. The black boy smirked and laughed at him. But he stopped as soon as Raven turned his icy green eyes on him gulping. It was Raven's turn to smirk. He'd definitely give these sissy mummy's boys who'd been sheltered from the real world their whole lives a run for there money. Literally he could have there money out from under them as quick as blinking. As the water washed the dirt and grime gathered from six years on the street off his body you were able to see the sheer mass of scars that littered his body. Some of which Raven had forgotten. There were new bruises and cuts. And old scars like the ones his dear uncle had given to him with his belts and canes and whatever else he could get his hands on.

'Dear Merlin what in the name of Mordred, Morgana and Slytherin happened to you, Potter?' Blaise was opening gaping at his house mate.

Raven turned hard eyes on Blaise causing the boy to shudder, 'life that's what happened just life.'

Harry Potter had evidently had enough of washing his filthy body because he got out of the shower. Blaise had personally preferred when he had been covered in dirt and grime. The young Zabini wondered if there was a place on his body not hurt. There was his famous scar on his forehead. Then there was what appeared to be belt buckles on his backside that appeared almost as old as the scar. Then there were various knife wounds littered across his arms and legs and torso. Up his right leg was where he had appeared to somehow snag himself on barbed wire. Blaise had never seen so many cuts. And before his father had died in his duty as an Auror which the boy had known had been a set up when his mother had got bored with the man who had father her only accident as he had always been referred. Blaise was under no pretence that these were accidents. And the way Potter had looked at him those jade eyes alive with a fire and pain older than anyone he had ever seen before. Blaise shuddered having the feeling he wouldn't want to get on the boy's bad side. Too bad that Draco, Vince and Greg already appeared to be on his bad side.

Okay so that's another chapter done and we have Raven's interactions with two of his house mates. Please review.