The weeks slowly passed. Rana was among the top of her classes, including Ancient Runes. The only class she continued to struggle in was Potions. Every evening, she could be found flying on the pitch, experimenting with several maneuvers. Breaks, she could often be found sitting by the lake with James or one of her friends. James and company also had made quite a reputation of themselves-what with them constantly causing trouble. James often joked with Rana that he was trying to break the record of having the most detentions in Hogwarts. Between him, Sirius, and Peeves, Hogwarts was never dull. Rana was walking silently though the halls one chilly December afternoon when she was victim to Peeves again.
"Oh lookie! Ickle Firstie!" Peeves cackled and bombarded her with water balloons. Rana grumbled and made a dash for it.
"Keyed Balance," she breathed and ran through the portrait.
"Rana?" Jeremiah asked.
"Peeves," she said simply. He nodded as Rana took a seat next to him, opening her Transfiguration textbook. It would soon be time to head home for the holidays and Rana couldn't wait. She missed her parents. Rana was spending the last week of Christmas, however, at James'.
"Ready for the holidays, Rana?"
Rana smiled. "Of course."
"You're going to James', aren't you?"
"Just the second half." She smiled.
"Well, I know you'll have a good time."
"Thanks, Jeremiah." She looked up as Reina came bouncing down the stairs. Her face was livid. Rana sighed, preparing for one of Reina's temper attacks. She had a horrible temper.
"That… that prat!" she yelled.
"Reina?"
"Sirius Black just doesn't know when enough is enough. One of these days I am going to show him a thing or two!"
Rana's eyes widened. She pitied Sirius. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of Reina's temper. "Reina, what did he do now?"
"That prat took my bag and turned it into Devil's Snare!" she growled. "Honestly, it's enough he acts up in class. I'm all for having fun, but that was not alright!"
Rana looked at Jeremiah and then back to Reina, shaking her head. Sirius had gone just a bit too far. "And on top of that," Reina continued, " he seems to think I like him! I'm not another girl. I know what will become of him-an arrogant jerk who thinks he's God's gift to women." She growled, storming off to the library, where she could calm down.
"I would not want to be Sirius right now," Rana muttered quietly.
Jeremiah laughed. "No, not at all."
They slowly got up and put their books away. Rana looked outside. "I'd love to fly."
"In this weather!"
"There's something about flying against the wind chill that's just exhilarating."
Jeremiah nodded. "I get you." He paused. "Adriana did well in her first game, didn't she?"
Rana nodded. "Adriana is an excellent Beater."
"It's funny-it's her first year on the team, but next year she would have been on the team the longest. Everyone else is graduating."
"That is funny. Have you thought about trying out?"
"Probably Beater. And you? I bet you could play any position."
Rana blushed. "Probably Chaser. I thought about Seeker, but Kameko would like to try for Seeker and I can easily enough play both positions. At any rate, we have to wait till next year."
Jeremiah nodded and stretched a bit. Kameko came bounding down the stairs, followed by Isadora. Arya happened to be in the library as usual.
"I'm beat!" It had been a stressful few days with end-of-the-term exams.
Michael looked at his watch. "How about getting down to the Great Hall for Dinner?"
Rana smiled. "Agreed." She bounded out of the portrait followed by her friends before sitting down at the Ravenclaw Table. The Hall was slowly filling up. Rana waved cheerily to James before turning around. James smiled. Suddenly there was a loud bang ad the goblets on the teacher's table had suddenly disappeared. Slytherins were suddenly wearing red and gold robes and were tap dancing. The Great Hall cracked up into laughter. Rana giggled, turning to James. James winked at her.
"POTTER! BLACK!" McGonagall roared. "Detention."
"Yes, Professor." They snickered.
Rana smiled and continued to eat.
Before anyone knew it, Christmas holidays arrived. All of Rana's friends had chosen to go home, though there were a few Ravenclaws who were staying at Hogwarts over break. She sat idly, waiting for the carriages, waiting.
"Eh.Rana!" James grinned, running up to her, followed by Remus. Sirius had elected to stay at Hogwarts. His family hated him since he was sorted into Gryffindor and while James offered to let Sirius stay over, Sirius decided he could have fun by staying at Hogwarts. Maybe he'd be able to beat James' record of detention.
Rana smiled. "Hi, Remus," she said softly and broke into a huge grin when she turned her attention to James. "James!"
James grinned and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into a hug. Rana giggled. Many girls looked on in jealousy at Rana. They wanted James to hug them. People who didn't know James and Rana could easily enough assume they were together. Of course, Remus knew that James had a teeny crush on his childlike friend-not that James would admit it. It would be years before James would finally admit how he felt for Rana, but by that point, it would be much stronger.
The carriages arrived, pulled by Thestrals. She looked at them oddly.
"James? Those horses look odd."
"Horses? Rana, I don't see any horses. Are you sure you are feeling ok?" he asked in concern.
Rana furrowed her eyebrows. "You don't see them?"
James shook his head and pulled Rana into the carriage. Little did Rana know she could see them and James couldn't because they were only visible to one who had seen death and Rana had seen death when she escaped from India at the young age of 10. Students slowly piled out of the carriages as they approached the train. James extended a hand and helped Rana down. Remus raised his eyebrows, but slowly followed. Rana waved to her friends before boarding the train and stepping into a compartment with James and Remus. It was a long ride to King's Cross. Remus, Rana, and James passed the time, playing Exploding Snap and just chatting.
"So, Rana. How is Ancient Runes?"
Rana smiled. "It's great! I love it! It's my favorite class next to Charms."
James raised his eyes in amusement. "More than Flying?" he teased
Rana laughed. "Oh don't be silly. Nothing beats flying, but since I can't take flying, I can't count it." She laughed. She paused. "You should join me in the evening sometime, James. It's nice."
"Maybe I will!"
Rana smiled and looked out the window, rubbing her eyes, sleepily. She slowly drifted off. James looked at Rana, her head laying against the window, her eyes closed. He gently, pulled her, laying her head against his shoulder so she could be more comfortable and talked to Remus in a quiet voice.
The train slowly came to a hault. Jamea gently shook Rana. "Rani, we're here." Rana slowly woke up, rubbed her eyes and stood up. She slowly followed Remus and James out of the compartment. Remus gave Rana a quick hug.
"I'll see you after the holidays, Rana." He smiled, waved to James and ran over to his parents. Rana looked around for her parents.
"There they are, Rana." James grinned, pulling her along. Aditi and Sahan were standing in a corner, talking to Richard and Cheyenne Potter.
"Hi there little one." Cheyenne Potter pulled Rana into a hug and then did the same to her own son.
Rana giggled before running to her parents.
"Mummy! Daddy!" Sahan lifted Rana up in the air, catching her as she came back down, giggling. He gently put her on the ground. Aditi placed a gentle kiss on Rana's head. Rana turned her attention to James.
"James will come get you in a week, little one." Cheyenne smiled.
Rana grinned. She couldn't wait. James smiled, hugging Rana. "I'll see you in a week, Rana." Rana nodded. James kissed her cheek before Aditi took Rana's hand, leading her to the Ministry car.
The week went by quickly. She thrilled in playing Quidditch with her dad, hearing her mum reading to her at night, and playing with Shaina. It was one Saturday morning, Rana immersed in her books, when James tumbled out of the fireplace.
"Rana, James is here!" Sahan called. Aditi helped James up as Rana came bouncing down the stairs, her hair flowing behind her. Sahan smiled and levitated Rana's trunk, situated at the top of the stairs, down the steps. Rana, afterall, was not allowed to use magic out of Hogwarts.
"Ready Rana?"
She nodded. Sahan placed a feather-light weight on Rana's trunk.
"You first, Rana."
She smiled and dropped some floo powder "Godric's Hollow." She disappeared in a puff of smoke and tumbled out of a fireplace. Cheyenne smiled and muffled her laugher as James suddenly toppled on top of her, her trunk falling a few inches away. James slowly got up, helping Rana stand.
"I'm going to show Rana her room, Mum." Mrs. Potter smiled and watched as James lifted Rana's trunk in one hand and dragged Rana up the stairs. He put the trunk down in the room.
"I'm just down the hall," James smiled.
Rana looked around. "Nice." She grinned.
James rubbed his neck "Er- I'll be downstairs when you're ready. He smiled and quietly left.
The week with James passed in a blur. Time seemed to pass quickly. Before anyone knew it, James and Rana found themselves back into the grind of classes. James and Rana had grown even closer. There wasn't anything Rana kept from James and vice-versa, well except for the small crush James seemed to have developed on his friend. James, Sirius, and even Amos seemed to growing into the most popular boys in school. Sirius had already taken this to his advantage and would often act like a "Ladies' Man" or in Reina's words, an arrogant prick acting all high and mighty. She wasn't fooled. Sure he was handsome, but so were Michael and Jeremiah and they didn't act like they were God's gift to women.
Reina silently walked away from her class one afternoon, about a week before the end-of year-exams when Sirius winked at her. Reina huffed and continued on her way, head held high in a rather proud manner.
"Well," Sirius muttered to Remus. "I do like a challenge!" Remus sighed, shaking his head. "Sirius, leave her alone. I'm going to the library."
"You're always in the library!"
"Someone has to be the practical one. Besides, face it Sirius, if it wasn't for my brains, you wouldn't pull off half your pranks."
"He has a good point," James chuckled.
"Yeah Yeah-Remus.. go to your books. James and I will go do some scheming."
"You go on Sirius. I'll see you at dinner." Sirius rolled his eyes and ran off towards the Gryffindor Tower. James furrowed his eyebrows, hearing Rana's voice.
"Bludgers, Malfoy! Don't you get it! I don't like you!"
"Of course you do. You're a beautiful pureblood. I'm a handsome rich pureblood…"
"And you're also a prat!" Rana retorted.
Malfoy growled when James turned the corner and cleared his throat. "Is there a problem here?"
"Potter! This doesn't concern you."
"I'm afraid where Rana is concerned it does. Now I suggest you leave." He held his wand in his hand, smirking.
Lucius Malfoy scowled and slunk away.
James pulled Rana into his arms. She had tears rolling down her face. "Are you ok, Rani?"
Rana slowly nodded her head. "You always find me…"
"What are best friends for?" He grinned, taking her hand, leading her down to dinner.
End-of-the-year exams soon passed. Students were hurriedly packing, getting ready for their summer holidays. Rana couldn't believe she had finished her first year. In that one year, she'd grown quite a bit. She'd grown into a really beautiful girl and developed a bit of spunk. She no longer was a girl who cried easily and she started to learn to argue back. Rana still wasn't really brave, but she was changing. James' crush on Rana started to fade, at least to his knowledge as he had convinced himself that Rana was such a close friend and he didn't want their friendship to be ruined. Unknown to him, he still did like her-he just didn't realize it any longer and wouldn't till his third year.
The day that students would head back home for holidays finally arrived. As soon as Rana's trunk was all packed, she ran down to the Common Room, waiting for her friends. The house elves would see to her trunk. Michael and Jeremiah were already waiting. Kameko soon bounded down the stairs.
"Ready?"
They nodded as they headed down to the Great Hall for the Final Feast.
Rana waved to James. He smiled. Normally, Rana may have skipped over, but today she was to sit with her own Table. She looked up at the ceiling, which was enchanted like the morning sky. The normal flags of mixed colors wore a shade of dark blue, the Ravenclaw insignia printed on it. A Gryffindor girl sat on James side, smirking at Rana. Rana wore a confused expression at her look, but shrugged it off, chatting with Jeremiah.
"Attention Students!" The noise immediately quieted down. "Congratulations on another year done. Before we start eating, we must reward the house cup! So, the points stand as follows:
In fourth place with 312 points-Hufflepuff
In third place with 360 points- Slytherin
In second place with 410 points-Gryffindor
And finally in first place with 450 points-Ravenclaw!
Congratulations Ravenclaw. You receive the House Cup!"
Cheers broke out from the Ravenclaw Table. Gryffindor may have taken the Quidditch Cup that year, but Ravenclaw took the House Cup. The Slytherin Table scowled. James looked over at Rana proudly, sending her a smile. Rana giggled. The girl next to James sent Rana a dark look, but Rana had missed it as she had turned back to her friends.
"She's so beautiful," Sirius muttered to James.
"And you will not touch her. I refuse to let you hurt her! You may be my friend Sirius, but Rana is really important to me."
"Yeah-you like her."
"I told you- She's a friend. Our friendship is too precious to date her even if she felt that way."
Remus shook his head. "Even so, James. Your bond is too strong. I don't see how it could be broken."
"Well, I won't risk it," he said simply.
"But James, she's beautiful! Think of how it would affect your reputation. You're already seen as one of the handsome bachelors. Imagine going out with one of the most beautiful girls."
James glared. "I will not take advantage of Rana like that and if you dare to even think of doing such a thing, you will be sorry. Friend or not, no one lays a hand on Rana."
Sirius raised his hand in surrender. "Ok..Ok James. Calm down. One would think you were more than friends with that attitude. Sheesh."
James was about to retort when Rana jumped up and ran out of the Great Hall, Jeremiah running after her laughing. She skipped outside, Jeremiah knocking her down to the ground when she suddenly stopped. Kameko, Arya, Reina, Isadora, and Michel had run after then and were unable to stop and they also toppled over, the 8 of them forming a big heap on the floor. Soon, this group of friends would become known as the crazy 8 because they were just that-hyper, insane, crazy, fiercely protective, and with an unbroken bond.
"Ow! Jeremiah, get off me."
"I would Rana, but Michael seems to be on top of me, as well as the other girls."
Rana groaned. Students watched the 8 students in amusement, a tangled mess on the floor.
"Insane," Emily Turpin, who also seemed to dislike Rana due to her relationship with James, muttered.
"What's going on out here?" McGonagall sighed, seeing the 8 of them on the floor. She shook her head in amusement. "You 8 again!" She quickly waved her wand, disentangling the 8 of them. Rana stood up, dusting off her robes.
"Erm-Thanks Professor?"
McGonagall just cracked a rare smile before briskly walking away.
The 8 of them slowly piled into the carriages. Rana looked warily at the Thestrals, but made no comment. Soon, the train was pulling away from the station on its way to King's Cross. They sat in two different compartments- Michael, Rana, Arya, and Kameko in one compartment while Jeremiah, Isadora, Adriana, and Reina sat in another. Everyone was chatting happily.
"Write me over the summer?"
"I promise."
Rana grinned as the train came to a halt and skipped out of the carriage, waving to her friends.
"Mummy! Daddy!" Rana squealed, running to her parents.
"Princess!" Sahan lifted her up, tossing her. Rana giggled in delight.
"How's my little princess?"
"Your princess is happy to be home!"
James smiled at Rana when he pulled himself out of his mother's embrace.
"Rani?"
Rana looked at James and grinning, ran to him. James hugged her warmly, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.
"See you soon?"
Rana nodded. "Don't you dare think you're going all summer without seeing me!"
"I wouldn't have it any other way." James grinned. "I'll see you soon."
"You better!" Rana laughed.
James smiled, intending on making plans to see Rana within the week before disappearing with his parents. Rana bounded into the car after her parents. Within moments, they pulled into their huge home. Rana was home at last till September.