A young girl boarded the Hogwarts Express, dragging her trunk along behind,
suddenly she felt about half of the weight from the trunk leave, looking
back she saw a blondish white haired boy with cold gray eyes, "What do you
want Malfoy?" she sighed.
"Just to see what our favorite bird girl is up to." he smirked. "and to help her with her trunk."
"Figures that you Malfoys will show up just when you're NOT needed" she growled, walking out of the compartment. She'd return later and ride there…but she knew he'd be down with his little buddies Crabbe and Goyle…with a sigh she turned and looked out the window to see a boy with messy hair struggling with his trunk…a red haired boy, obviously a Weasley, came over to help. Then she noticed that they were trying to get it into the compartment with her trunk…poking her head out the window she called, "You need help?" and walked out to assist them. "I'm Raven Stryke by the way…I'm new here too. My mom's a muggle and my dad's a Squib…they were really glad when I got into Hogwarts." That was only a fraction of the truth of course.
"I'm George Weasley, and that dunce over there is my twin, Fred. That's our youngest brother, Ron, over there and over there…" he was pointing to each as he spoke, "Is our mom, our only sister Ginny, and one of our older brothers, Percy."
She smiled…already she liked George…she turned to the boy with messy hair as he said, "I'm Harry Potter." Stiffening, she smiled and shook his hand.
"Glad to finally meet you Mr. Potter. I hope I get into Gryffindor…what about you?"
Harry stayed quiet and Raven knew better than to press the subject…she looked out the window at George, who had left before hearing who Harry was, and saw that he was with most of his family. She knew that there were two other older boys in the Weasley family, Charlie and Bill…according to records that she had looked through, Charlie was working in Romania with dragons and Bill worked in Gringotts in Egypt. She watched as the youngest Weasley boy…Ron wasn't it? Came in and asked to sit in the compartment…Harry said ok and she held her tongue…staring out the window and spacing out…when the lunchlady came by she stood up and got a few sweets, then she started staring out the window again…jolting slightly when the compartment door slid open And the voice she knew all too well already filled the air.
"Is it True? They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you isn't it?"
"Yes" she heard Harry respond as she turned slowly to face the door of the compartment.
"Oh this is Goyle and this is Crabbe." Malfoy sneered, "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
Raven turned at a cough-like snicker and looked over at Ron, hiding a smile herself, "Think my name's funny do you? No need to ask you who you are. My father told me all of the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they know what to do with." He turned back to Harry with a self-satisfied smirk. "You'll soon find that some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to be making friends of the wrong sort. I can help you there."
He held out his hand to shake Harry's but Raven smirked when Harry didn't take it, "I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thank you." He said coolly.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter" he drawled slowly, "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go down the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."
Both Harry and Ron stood up, "Say that again" Ron challenged. Blushing as brightly as his hair was red.
~This should be interesting~ Raven thought with a small grin.
"Oh you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.
"No actually Malfoy, I am" Raven intervened, standing up, "And if you don't get your greasy haired, pig eyed, Mudblooded, Snot Face out of here RIGHT NOW! You'll be having problems that AINT fixable by magic do you understand me?!"
Malfoy paled some more, if that was possible, and snarled something under his breath as he, Crabbe, and Goyle left the compartment.
(A/N: ok enough with the train ride…everything else conspires like usual until the sorting…)
Raven smiled when the hat cried out "GRYFFINDOR!" For Harry…it was so obvious that he was going to be in that house…what other house could he possibly be in?
Finally it was Raven's turn, "Stryke, Raven!" Called out Professor McGonagall.
Raven walked down to the stool and Professor McGonagall put the sorting hat on her head. She heard it start muttering to itself in her ear, "You'd be great in Slytherin or Gryffindor my dear…much bravery I sense in you…even stood up to the great lord Voldemort I see…but he beat you into it…Slytherin is where he wants you…but no…I sense an inner courage…an inner strength that you will one day find…but you're ambitious as well…better make it…GRYFFINDOR!!!"
Raven saw Malfoy look up at her and frown…she felt her blood run cold and her eyes moved to the table of Professors where Professor Quirril sat, he caught her eye and frowned, Raven watched as he shifted in his seat and his lips moved…then he nodded. Standing up, she walked to the Gryffindor table and sat by Harry.
"Hi Harry!" she said with a smile.
"Hey Raven," came the reply.
"Welcome to Griffyndor Raven!" George said, smiling at her. Raven smiled back and turned around as the Professor McGonagall shouted.
"Weasley, Ronald!" Ron walked up and the hat was set on his head…after about three seconds the hat roared.
"GRYFFINDOR!" Raven and Harry smiled and clapped as Ron moved to join them.
"Hey Ron! Congrats!" Raven smiled.
"Thanks. I don't think we've properly met though." Came the redhead's reply.
"Oh right! I'm Raven Stryke."
"I've heard of you! Your parents were Andy and Lori Stryke weren't they?" Raven nodded. "My dad was one of their closest friends."
"That's right," George spoke up beside her, "I believe I saw you when you were just a baby…course I wasn't nothing more than a little one myself."
"That's right," Fred agreed, "used to hold you we did, pretending to babysit for your mum and dad. How are they?"
"Ummm…they're fine, they give their regards." This seemed to appease the twins and they continued eating.
The year passed swiftly for Raven, her favorite classes by far were Transfiguration, Potions, and Charms. She didn't mind Herbology…but her skills rested in her three favorite classes. In Transfiguration…she was turning grains of sand into pencils before even the know-it-all Hermione Granger was transfiguring matches into needles. Potions…Snape couldn't find any way to fault her…and when she was done she duplicated her notes, did a simple handwriting spell, and passed them to poor Neville Longbottom who obviously needed help with his potions. Therefore he got his work done a lot sooner. And in Charms…she was lifting everyone and everything in the air with the floating charm before even Hermione was making a feather fly. She and Hermione were inseparable almost and it was a matter of royal anger for Ron and Harry that she was. When a troll got in at Halloween, however, the four became friends when Ron, Harry, and Raven all saved Hermione from a giant rock troll. Raven cursed under her breath at this… "HE" wouldn't be happy…which meant punishment for Raven. No matter. At the end of the year Raven had even more cause to curse the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher…failing to get the Sorcerer's stone…which meant that Raven was in for a LONG summer.
"Just to see what our favorite bird girl is up to." he smirked. "and to help her with her trunk."
"Figures that you Malfoys will show up just when you're NOT needed" she growled, walking out of the compartment. She'd return later and ride there…but she knew he'd be down with his little buddies Crabbe and Goyle…with a sigh she turned and looked out the window to see a boy with messy hair struggling with his trunk…a red haired boy, obviously a Weasley, came over to help. Then she noticed that they were trying to get it into the compartment with her trunk…poking her head out the window she called, "You need help?" and walked out to assist them. "I'm Raven Stryke by the way…I'm new here too. My mom's a muggle and my dad's a Squib…they were really glad when I got into Hogwarts." That was only a fraction of the truth of course.
"I'm George Weasley, and that dunce over there is my twin, Fred. That's our youngest brother, Ron, over there and over there…" he was pointing to each as he spoke, "Is our mom, our only sister Ginny, and one of our older brothers, Percy."
She smiled…already she liked George…she turned to the boy with messy hair as he said, "I'm Harry Potter." Stiffening, she smiled and shook his hand.
"Glad to finally meet you Mr. Potter. I hope I get into Gryffindor…what about you?"
Harry stayed quiet and Raven knew better than to press the subject…she looked out the window at George, who had left before hearing who Harry was, and saw that he was with most of his family. She knew that there were two other older boys in the Weasley family, Charlie and Bill…according to records that she had looked through, Charlie was working in Romania with dragons and Bill worked in Gringotts in Egypt. She watched as the youngest Weasley boy…Ron wasn't it? Came in and asked to sit in the compartment…Harry said ok and she held her tongue…staring out the window and spacing out…when the lunchlady came by she stood up and got a few sweets, then she started staring out the window again…jolting slightly when the compartment door slid open And the voice she knew all too well already filled the air.
"Is it True? They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you isn't it?"
"Yes" she heard Harry respond as she turned slowly to face the door of the compartment.
"Oh this is Goyle and this is Crabbe." Malfoy sneered, "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
Raven turned at a cough-like snicker and looked over at Ron, hiding a smile herself, "Think my name's funny do you? No need to ask you who you are. My father told me all of the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they know what to do with." He turned back to Harry with a self-satisfied smirk. "You'll soon find that some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to be making friends of the wrong sort. I can help you there."
He held out his hand to shake Harry's but Raven smirked when Harry didn't take it, "I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thank you." He said coolly.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter" he drawled slowly, "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go down the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."
Both Harry and Ron stood up, "Say that again" Ron challenged. Blushing as brightly as his hair was red.
~This should be interesting~ Raven thought with a small grin.
"Oh you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.
"No actually Malfoy, I am" Raven intervened, standing up, "And if you don't get your greasy haired, pig eyed, Mudblooded, Snot Face out of here RIGHT NOW! You'll be having problems that AINT fixable by magic do you understand me?!"
Malfoy paled some more, if that was possible, and snarled something under his breath as he, Crabbe, and Goyle left the compartment.
(A/N: ok enough with the train ride…everything else conspires like usual until the sorting…)
Raven smiled when the hat cried out "GRYFFINDOR!" For Harry…it was so obvious that he was going to be in that house…what other house could he possibly be in?
Finally it was Raven's turn, "Stryke, Raven!" Called out Professor McGonagall.
Raven walked down to the stool and Professor McGonagall put the sorting hat on her head. She heard it start muttering to itself in her ear, "You'd be great in Slytherin or Gryffindor my dear…much bravery I sense in you…even stood up to the great lord Voldemort I see…but he beat you into it…Slytherin is where he wants you…but no…I sense an inner courage…an inner strength that you will one day find…but you're ambitious as well…better make it…GRYFFINDOR!!!"
Raven saw Malfoy look up at her and frown…she felt her blood run cold and her eyes moved to the table of Professors where Professor Quirril sat, he caught her eye and frowned, Raven watched as he shifted in his seat and his lips moved…then he nodded. Standing up, she walked to the Gryffindor table and sat by Harry.
"Hi Harry!" she said with a smile.
"Hey Raven," came the reply.
"Welcome to Griffyndor Raven!" George said, smiling at her. Raven smiled back and turned around as the Professor McGonagall shouted.
"Weasley, Ronald!" Ron walked up and the hat was set on his head…after about three seconds the hat roared.
"GRYFFINDOR!" Raven and Harry smiled and clapped as Ron moved to join them.
"Hey Ron! Congrats!" Raven smiled.
"Thanks. I don't think we've properly met though." Came the redhead's reply.
"Oh right! I'm Raven Stryke."
"I've heard of you! Your parents were Andy and Lori Stryke weren't they?" Raven nodded. "My dad was one of their closest friends."
"That's right," George spoke up beside her, "I believe I saw you when you were just a baby…course I wasn't nothing more than a little one myself."
"That's right," Fred agreed, "used to hold you we did, pretending to babysit for your mum and dad. How are they?"
"Ummm…they're fine, they give their regards." This seemed to appease the twins and they continued eating.
The year passed swiftly for Raven, her favorite classes by far were Transfiguration, Potions, and Charms. She didn't mind Herbology…but her skills rested in her three favorite classes. In Transfiguration…she was turning grains of sand into pencils before even the know-it-all Hermione Granger was transfiguring matches into needles. Potions…Snape couldn't find any way to fault her…and when she was done she duplicated her notes, did a simple handwriting spell, and passed them to poor Neville Longbottom who obviously needed help with his potions. Therefore he got his work done a lot sooner. And in Charms…she was lifting everyone and everything in the air with the floating charm before even Hermione was making a feather fly. She and Hermione were inseparable almost and it was a matter of royal anger for Ron and Harry that she was. When a troll got in at Halloween, however, the four became friends when Ron, Harry, and Raven all saved Hermione from a giant rock troll. Raven cursed under her breath at this… "HE" wouldn't be happy…which meant punishment for Raven. No matter. At the end of the year Raven had even more cause to curse the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher…failing to get the Sorcerer's stone…which meant that Raven was in for a LONG summer.