The Raven is Eternal ch3

There was something unsettling about the weather. Lois Lynn was walking home from work at the Ministry of Magic. It was cloudy. Cloudy weather during the summer? She glanced up at the sky.

Lois stared for several moments, earning her some insults from passing Muggles. At least she mastered the art of dressing like them, unlike Perkins.

Everything looked normal: puffy gray clouds, a darker rain cloud here and there. A fast moving black streak; at first, Lois thought nothing of it. Then she heard a blood curdling scream.

At that instant, pure instinct took over. She sprinted in the direction of the scream. A park! She heard another scream. The first one sounded female. This one sounded male.

As Lois approached the center of the park, she saw the source of the noise: a wizard in a dark cloak and a young couple.

"Time for you to die Cullen!" rasped the cloaked wizard. "Avada Kedavra!"

A flash of green light illuminated the area. Lois had been out of range and her stunning spell missed.

"Edward!" the woman screamed. She began to cower. "Don't kill me!"

"Don't worry little lady, you'll be joining your dear Edward in a few moments!" The cloaked wizard cackled and raised his wand. "Avada-"

He was cut off by a well aimed silencing charm cast by Lois. He sent a jet of green light at her.

Crap! He can use non-verbal spells! Lois thought to herself. Protego! She thought as he sent another curse towards the still cowering woman.

Though he still couldn't speak, he sent yet another Killing Curse straight at her, which missed by an inch. I have to end this now! All thought of nonverbal spells escaped Lois. "STUPEFY!" she bellowed. It hit him square in the chest.

Panting, she called over to the woman. "Let me deal with this guy!" She pointed her wand at his limp body. "Incarcerous." She conjured ropes out of thin air, which bound themselves around the unconscious wizard. She conjured a fairly large trunk and levitated him into it. Then she conjured a second trunk and levitated the body of Edward into it.

"Would you mind rolling one?" asked Lois.

The woman nodded.

As they walked along the street back towards the Ministry, the woman revealed herself to be the younger sister of Mafalda Hopkirk. Her name was Joanne. The man that had been killed, she also said, was her fiancé. Edward had proposed to her in the park. That was when they were ambushed.

* * *

Valentine stood in the entrance hall with all the other first years. Like many of then, she'd never been in such a magnificent castle before. She stood near a red headed boy with a smudge of dirt on his nose and Harry.

Well, he's here, so I might as well talk to him… she thought.

Valentine leaned forward and tapped Harry on his shoulder. "Hello Harry."

He turned around. Harry gasped. "Valentine?!"

She nodded.

"Who-"

"Me."

"What-"

"School."

"Where-"

"Hogwarts."

"When-"

"In a few minutes."

"Why-"

"Because we're magical."

Harry's mouth hung open. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked incredulously.

"My mum and dad told me not to."

Harry gave her a big hug. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

"Well you did."

A boy with white blond hair tapped Harry's shoulder. "So it's true then! What they said on the train! Harry Potter is here at Hogwarts!"

Murmurs arose from the other students.

"This is Crabbe and Goyle," he said, gesturing to the boys behind him. They looked formidable. "And I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

He stopped as he heard a snicker from the red headed boy. He glared at him. "Think my name's funny do you? I see no need to ask yours." He glanced up and down the boy's robes. "Red hair, and hand-me-down robes?" He sneered. "You must be a Weasley!" Malfoy turned back to Harry. "You'll soon see that some wizard families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go and make friends with the wrong sort." He held out his hand. "I believe I can help you there."

Valentine slapped his hand away. "I think he can tell the wrong sort for himself! Shove off!" She glared at him.

"Oh look Potter! You've got yourself a girlfriend!"

She slapped him hard in the face. "You son of a banshee!"

"Ghoul-groper!" yelled Malfoy back at her.

"Dungeon-dweller!" Valentine yelled back at him.

"Filthy little mudblood!" Malfoy yelled at her again.

She slapped him again, but this time with tears in her eyes.

"Don't call her that!" yelled the boy with red hair.

"And why shouldn't I?" Malfoy sneered back at him. When he didn't reply, Malfoy turned back around.

Harry put his arm around Valentine's shoulders. "It's okay Val."

"Thank you Harry."

"It's nothing."

"I just didn't think you and him would make very good friends!" Valentine said quietly. "Besides, him and his whole family are a bunch of arrogant toe rags."

Everyone who heard laughed until a teacher with an aura of extreme authority walked in. Valentine thought that she was not a person to cross. She tapped a scroll of parchment in her hand. "We're ready for you now. Follow me."

The giant set of oak doors opened. The first years began to glance around the room in awe. All around the room, lit candles floated. Every other student in the room stared at them. As the first years passed, people whispered to their neighbors.

I swear, we weren't that small when we first came!

Oh please, you could walk between my legs and not touch my balls!

That's because you don't have any!

They look like little midgets!

That one with red hair looks cute.

So does the blond one.

It looked as if there was no ceiling, like the Great Hall opened up to the heavens. Valentine heard the girl with the bushy hair from the Hogwarts Express talking with another red headed girl.

They came to a stop at the front. The teacher that led them in began to speak, and she unrolled her scroll. "When I call your name, you will come forth. I will place the Sorting Hat on your head and you'll be sorted into your houses." She picked up the Sorting Hat. "Hannah Abbot!"

The girl with the red hair stepped forward and sat on the stool. The hat slid over her eyes. A moment's pause, then the hat yelled out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the right clapped and cheered.

"Susan Bones!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

She sat down next to Hannah Abbot at the Hufflepuff table.

"Terry Boot!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The second table from the left erupted in cheers.

"Lavender Brown!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Now it was the table on the far left that cheered.

"Millicent Bulstrode!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

The table on the far right clapped and cheered. Valentine thought that they all looked like an unpleasant lot. Valentine glanced around. She saw Percy and Annabeth bother give her an encouraging smile from their tables.

"Justin Finch-Fletchley!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Valentine was beginning to feel sick to her stomach. She and Diana clasped hands.

"Seamus Finnigan!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Hermione Granger!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Neville Longbottom!"

The hat took a few moments to decide with him. Finally it yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" and he ran to the table, still wearing the Sorting Hat amid gales of laughter. He ran back to Professor McGonagall and gave her the hat.

"Valentine Lynn!"

As Valentine walked over to the stool, she felt her stomach clench up again. Just before the hat slipped over her eyes, she saw Percy and Annabeth give her the thumbs up. "Hmm, this is difficult, isn't it?" The hat fell silent for a moment. "You've a fabulous mind, and a sense of responsibility. You're obviously talented too. Where shall I put you?"

Valentine thought her stomach was going to explode. Finally, the hat shouted "RAVENCLAW!" and she went to join her older sister at her table with her new classmates.

When Valentine sat down, she gave her sister a big hug. "That was absolutely terrifying!"

"It's ok Vally! At least you're with me!" Annabeth laughed. "Plus Percy owes me seven galleons!"

Valentine looked up at her. "You placed a bet? Wow!" she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

It sounded like she was going to say more, but Annabeth stopped her. "It's Harry's turn!"

They had talked all through the Sorting Hat's speech about Harry. They heard the hat say "Well if you're sure, better be…" shout "GRYFFINDOR!" and the Gryffindor table erupted in cheers.

There weren't that many people left now.

"Diana Tarr!"

"GYFFINDOR!"

"Dean Thomas!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Lisa Turpin!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Ronald Weasley!"

The Sorting Hat exclaimed as soon as touched his head. "HA! Another Weasley! I know just what to do with you! GRYFFINDOR!"

Ron's older brothers gave him a standing ovation and he looked relieved. At last the final child was called.

"Blaze Zabini!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Only then did Valentine realize how hungry she really was.

Albus Dumbledore got to his feet. He grinned down at them all as if he loved nothing more than to see his school sitting there. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Now, before we eat, I'd like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" He sat down. "Thank you."

Everybody clapped and cheered and food appeared on the platters in front of them. The rest of the feast was a blur. Valentine ate delicious food, and talked with her new classmates.

At last they went up to their dormitory.  Valentine fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *