Raven's Journal

[Raven Silverflame]

Raven's journal is magically locked. You can open it as far as the first page, but then you have to write a password on the first page before you can turn all the pages. She didn't charm it herself; she purchased it that way. If you write down the wrong password, the book won't open, and a drawing of you will appear on the back page.

[Raven Silverflame]

(Handwriting is a little shaky, with some ink blots in places, as if it was written on a surface that was not flat with poor lighting)

September 1, 2009

I found my old journal yesterday while I was unpacking. It was buried underneath a pile of old clothes that I never wore while they were new. Hand-me-downs from Ava. Not counting the fact that I'm currently two inches taller than her, she has some horribly bright colored clothes that I would never wear. Ever. I sat down on my bed and flipped through my old journal and I realized something very, very important.

I was a very disturbed 11 to 12-year-old. That journal still has free pages, but I decided I didn't want to be reminded of my insanity while filling out new pages about my fifth year (yes, I'm a fifth year now), so I went and bought a new journal while at Diagon Alley. Hopefully, when I'm 20 and I look back on this, I won't cringe and want to blast it into little tiny pieces.

I'm writing from my dormitory now. It's the middle of the night, so I have to write by wandlight. So...excuse any stray ink drops, this is a little difficult, and--oh...just got some ink on my pillow. No matter, my sheets are green anyway, same color as the ink. Today was as uneventful as the first day of school could possibly be. I got on the train at Platform 9 3/4, finished the book I was working on during the trip and arrived at Hogwarts. Then, I said hello to my old friends, the thestrals. Of course, I was still the only one in my carriage who could see them, lucky me. After that, to the Great Hall for the feast and the Sorting. Some new Slytherins came in, and I cheered accordingly. The prefects took them up to the common room while I went ahead and settled down in my usual bed. Once again, I managed to slip by unnoticed, except for the usual "how was your summer?" bits.

I actually missed my old four-poster bed. I can still see the marks from where I was practicing the incendio spell in my room. As you can see, I wasn't a very bright 11-year-old either. I don't know if I'll miss my House. I love my House, yes, but I could do without my Housemates. Some of them, anyway.

Well, anyway, OWL year. Brendan hasn't stopped reminding me about this. I'm taking all my usual classes--Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Potions, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy. Hopefully I pass my OWLs on all of them. If I get seven NEWTs OWLs, I won't be reminded about how all my siblings were more academically talented than me. Damn Ravenclaws.

So...I suppose that's it. Not much to report. I have three more years of keeping my head above water in Slytherin House, let's hope this isn't the year that I sink.

Raven

[Raven Silverflame]

September 10, 2009

I submitted my name for Quidditch tryouts today. I've been thinking about trying out since third year. I decided now was as good a time as any to get to work on it. I'm trying out for Chaser. It's the position I'm best at, in my opinion. Faye will be happy. She played Keeper for Ravenclaw way back when.

Speaking of Brendan, Ava, and Faye, I sent them all letters today. Yes, they sent me letters already, even though it hasn't even been a week. OWL year. I knew that they would pressure me. Even Faye might not be so happy if I start taking up Quidditch in this "oh-so-important" year, not that it bothered her.

Raven

September 12, 2009

It's the second Saturday of term and what better way to spend it than doing homework at the library (sarcasm). Today, it was Ancient Runes homework. I enjoy Ancient Runes, The mental exercise is rather nice for a change, although the practical classes and Potions are still my favorites. As I was in the library, I ran into a Gryffindor sixth year named Aaron Andrews who seemed to be having a hard time with his paper on Amortentia (typical Gryffindor). I gave him advice on how to start the paper off and somehow ended up sitting at his table.

There was a puff there too, trying to help him. She was a third year, but she seemed really insistent about the fact that it made a difference that she was fourteen. Her name was Millicent Clearwater, but she likes to be called Milli, so Milli it is. She was reading a book about Quidditch. I think it was Beating the Bludgers. A good book, from what I've heard. Faye had a copy of it in her drawer (I swear, the girl eats, drinks and breathes Quidditch). Aaron seemed like a typical Beater--big, tough, and a little on the dull side. Even he confessed that he'd only read Quidditch books. Still, I had fun taunting him about Slytherin beating Gryffindor in the Quidditch Cup (really, a foregone conclusion, we all know it's going to happen).

Milli's also trying out for her House team, for Chaser. It should be interesting if I meet them on the pitch, not that it would matter much to me. They aren't my friends, so I don't have to worry about stomping them into the ground. At best, maybe I could consider Aaron a friendly rival. Maybe. Eventually, but not today. As for Milli, she's not too bad. She really is a typical puff, though, friendly, helpful, and the little friend of all the world. She did seem a little cautious when I started talking to them, but, hey, those looks are normal when you walk around Hogwarts in the green and silver, and I can't blame them. I wouldn't trust anyone as far as I could throw them, but you have to be extra careful around members of my House.

Anyway, that's the only interesting thing that happened to me today. It was an interesting conversation. I have to admit that I actually enjoyed it. Both of them are pureblood, I believe, so it's not like I would get into too much trouble for socializing outside my House.

Personally, prejudice like that is stupid. Magic is magic regardless of bloodline. As long as you have magic, it doesn't matter where you came from. Muggle-borns aren't Muggles, so I don't understand what all the fuss is about, but that's just me. Brendan's best friend in Hogwarts was Muggle-born.

That's enough for now. I'll write again when I feel like it.

Raven

[Raven Silverflame]

September 14, 2009

I am never, ever, EVER going to try and save a puff again. Today was a mix of humiliating, aggravating, and just a little thought-provoking, but more of the first two. I was going up to the Astronomy Tower with a book, because I thought "Hey, no one's going up to the Astronomy Tower today, it'll be nice and quiet!". Logical, right? Well, apparently the logic in that is flawed, because I just got up the stairs when I heard someone screaming for help in two different languages. So, I did what any person with a heart would do. I helped.

Yeah, right *sarcasm*. If by helping, you mean I jumped onto the railing to grab the falling puff by the hand without thinking about how to pull myself up, yeah, I "helped" him really well. Long story short, I kept trying to summon my broom, but guess what? Gravity is fun *more sarcasm*. While I was waiting for the God-forsaken broom to get there, I was slipping. Well, you know me, I'm not exactly Samson. So, I shouted for help.

Guess what happened next? Gryffindork to the rescue. That's just bloody fantastic, isn't it? So, the Gryffindork pulled me and the idiot puff up onto the Astronomy Tower, and...it gets better...THAT'S when my broom arrived. Stupid bloody broomstick. Anyway, we were just sitting down and having a nice friendly chat when a Ravenclaw shows up, and apparently Mr. Gryffindork extraordinaire decides now is the perfect time to reveal a conspiracy about abused house-elves and how they plan to free them, and all other things that could get us expelled. I know. The guy's a freaking genius, isn't he?

In the first place, house elves don't want to be saved. They like work. Sure, it's twisted and all, but that's the way they roll, so you see why I'm a little skeptical about helping them out. I told Gryffindork the Amazing that I was going to think about it, but I think I'm going to decline. In the second place, that really isn't a perfect time to discuss something like this. I mean, come on. I'm not as bad as some of them, but I'm still a snake, aren't I? If I were anyone else, Headmistress Harmony would have their heads by now.

Guess what happens next? The ingrate puff doesn't like the idea, and makes his displeasure known. Loudly. So, the Gryffindork tells him not to tell a teacher and guess what the puff did (keep in mind, this guy's about 5'2" and kinda wimpy looking)?!? He threatens the Gryffindork with a potion in his drink. Stupid git. The Gryffindork punches him in the stomach for that, and I don't think that puff could get back up. Lovely, isn't it?

So, I tried to intervene, bring them both to a teacher and probably score some points for Slytherin along the way, but then Simba over there decides that I owe him a life debt and I have to keep my mouth shut. And the amazing glass-boned badger decides he doesn't need help getting to the hospital wing, so who am I to argue? I grabbed my broom and left. I don't think we'll be working together in the near future, on anything.

So...yeah. Long day. Really long day.

Raven

[Raven Silverflame]

January 5, 2010

Just finished penning out a letter to Faye, so I'm not really in the mood to write too much. To make matters worse, I'm in the Slytherin common room, which isn't the best place to write a journal entry that you don't want to be heard by the rest of the Hogwarts population. It's fairly empty now, so I might be able to get a few good paragraphs in.

My bag decided it would be a perfect idea to rip and spill everything that was in it all over the staircase today. That's right. All my things. The old textbook that I complained about last entry that Brendan had when he was in school that he passed down through Ava, and then through Faye, and now to me? That book landed on its spine and all the pages finally fell out. And my journal almost got lost, so all in all, it was not good.

Thankfully, I had help--a Gryffindor fourth year by the name of Tam Findlay. Apparently, he's the new Gryffindor Keeper. He's also half-blood. We talked for a while. He seemed tolerable, and he did help me out, which was good. He likes the Prides of Portree. I haven't really decided on a Quidditch team to cheer for, but I suppose I should. It's partly why I've written to Faye.

Well, hand cramping and someone's coming. I'll add something more later.

Raven

Note to self for later: Get some Quidditch practice in for next term's tryouts, and buy a new textbook.

Second note to self: Brendan wants me to sign up for Muggle Studies. Don't ask why, I don't know.

[Raven Silverflame]

January 26, 2010

I'd say that was a weird class, but "weird" doesn't do it justice. Let's just say that I'm writing in this journal because I can't sleep .Stupid vulture hats. I'd really really really like to break into his office, steal the damn thing and burn it. Publicly. Or at least cut it's head off so that it doesn't have to stare at me anymore. Although, knowing that professor, he'd wear it anyway.

And then I'd have to stare at a HEADLESS evil vulture.

No thanks.

I kept myself sane during that class by passing notes. Tam Findlay again, and Lucy Winkleman and some Ravenclaw kid I hadn't seen. The notes were civil, don't worry. I promised I'd be good, didn't I? Anyway, I'm going to try and get some more sleep. Let's see how well that works out.

Raven

January 30, 2010

Let's see, where to start? First of all, I'm playing in Intramural Quidditch. That isn't too surprising, It's not exactly a secret that I like the game. The surprising part is who I'm playing with. Remember Tam Findlay? I wrote about him three entries ago. He's our Keeper. I'm playing Chaser, which is, again no surprise. I'm best in that position. The other two players on our team are Ravenclaws--Lucy Winkleman and a third year named Andrew Lenski.

It seems like we've been getting along more and more since that day when we all passed notes to escape that professor's insanity. I didn't write about how I apologized to Lucy, did I? I did...although I'm not quite sure why I did it. At the time it felt like I just wanted to move on from my past. From all of it. From the things I said and did and said I was going to do. Does that make us friends? You tell me, because I don't think I've ever had a friend before. Not a real one, anyway, not in the sense that most people like to think of the word.

Well, apparently I'm invited to have s'mores with the rest of the Notable Passers. (Yes, that's the name of our team. It's a play on Note Passers. I didn't think it up, so don't ask me.) That should be interesting. And a first for me, to actually be invited to something. W0w...I just realized how completely pathetic that last sentence looks. It's not as if I couldn't have been invited to things if I wanted to be, but I wasn't exactly friendly.

If I hear one word about the Valentine's Dance, I'm going to scream. It doesn't help that everyone else in my dorm seems to want to talk about it, and who they're going with, and who they're trying to get to go with them. I'm not going. I have absolutely no interest in that asinine holiday. Besides, we all know what's going to happen. DRAMA. Where dances at this school are concerned...hell, when any social gathering at this school is concerned, it's inevitable.

Did you know there are bets on whether Demetrius or Cotter will snog someone they shouldn't first? And no, I didn't place one.

Raven