The Raven's Call

Growing Closer

After flying practice, I decided to use my free period to study. I grabbed my books and headed to the library, but it seemed like everyone else had the same idea— the place was packed. I sighed softly, turning on my heel, and made my way towards The Great Hall. The tables were far less crowded, with only a few students scattered about. I found an empty spot at one of the tables, spreading out my books, some parchment, and a quill. I opened up Astronomy: A New Universe and began studying for my Astronomy lesson that evening.

I sat in silence for around fifteen minutes, the quiet of the hall surrounding me, until two familiar voices interrupted the stillness. Ron's brothers, Fred and George, plopped down beside me, one on each side.

"Yo, Atticus, right?" one asked, his grin unmistakable.

"You're Cedric's little brother, right?" the other followed up.

I slowly closed my book, giving them both a look. "Yes and yes..."

"I'm Fred Weasley," the one on my left introduced.

"And I'm George," the one on the right added.

"No offense, but... what do you want from me?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

The twins chuckled, sharing a look before Fred spoke up. "We just wanted to know how you two are related."

"Yeah, you know... 'cause you and he look nothing alike," George added.

I sighed lightly. "Oh... well, I'm adopted," I told them.

Both twins nodded, clearly intrigued. I continued, "My real parents are Muggles. When I was four, I accidentally set fire to the living room rug during a tantrum." I said with a small smile, but the mood shifted when I spoke next. "My mother called me the Anti-Christ and immediately shoved me in the car, then dropped me off at an orphanage. At least that's what I was told... I don't really remember it." I trailed off, realizing who I had just told that to.

"I'm sorry... I don't know why I just told you that." My voice was quiet, feeling a bit vulnerable. The Weasley Twins, without missing a beat, rubbed my back in comfort. "We just have one of those personalities," they said in unison.

I managed a smile as they comforted me, and for a moment, the tension melted. But something caught George's eye, so I turned my head to follow his gaze. It was Asteria Malfoy, but she looked... different. Her hair, normally platinum blonde, was now half black. The hall seemed to fill with murmurs as she and I locked eyes.

I waved to her, and to my surprise, I saw Alex appear behind her. I beckoned them over, feeling a little strange but wanting the group to join me. George, out of the corner of my eye, seemed to have a slight blush on his cheeks. I couldn't help but smile a little at the unexpected turn of events.

Asteria and Alex sat opposite me, and now that we were face-to-face, I couldn't help but take in their features, which I hadn't really paid much attention to before.

Asteria was striking—long, straight hair that cascaded down to her waist, not a hair out of place. Her pale skin had a natural blush to her cheeks, and her lips, a pale pink, formed a subtle pout. Her eyes, light blue to the point of almost being grey, were captivating. She was slender but not too thin, with a face so perfect it could have belonged in a portrait, except for a beauty mark just above her collar, on her neck.

Alex, on the other hand, had a square jawline that made him look older than he was, even though we were about the same age. His skin was almost as pale as Asteria's, and his hair was shorter than mine, black with white tips. His heterochromia caught my eye, his right eye green and his left one blue. He was definitely in shape, with a physique that showed off well-defined muscles. His voice carried a Scottish twang, just like his Aunt's.

"What happened to your hair?" Alex asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. "It's barely been half an hour, and you dyed it already? Or did someone teach you a spell to do that?" Asteria looked down at her hair, a flash of surprise crossing her face. "Oh, crap!" She muttered before looking up again. "Well, this is the real me. This is my natural hair color, and I hate it so much that I always change it. I'm a Metamorphmagus," she explained, clearly embarrassed. "I think it's cute," George spoke up, looking a little flustered. "Yeah, it suits you!" I added with a smile, noticing Fred passing a Galleon to George behind me, just like George had done earlier.

Alex looked confused. "Uh... I might feel stupid asking this, but... what's a Metamorphmagus?"

"A Metamorphmagus is a witch or wizard who can change their appearance at will, without the need for a wand, spell, or potion," I explained. "It's not something you can learn—it's just something you're born with."

As I was talking, I felt something crawl onto my lap. It was a little too heavy to be Bandit, so I glanced down, only to smile. "Hello, who are you?" I asked the small tabby cat that had decided to make itself comfortable on me. "Sora! What are you doing over there?" Alex said with a giggle.

I gently picked up the cat and placed it on the table. "I believe this is yours," I said with a chuckle. Alex reached over, picked the cat up, and placed it in his lap.

Asteria then mentioned that her cousin was also a Metamorphmagus, which made me curious about how it ran in their family. "So, Asteria, did Draco give you much trouble?" Alex asked, clearly curious. "I gave him trouble, don't worry. I handled it," she replied with a small, confident smile. "I really hope the message got through, though, or I got a month of detentions for nothing." Alex laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. I chuckled too, but then froze when I realized what he said. "Wait, a whole month? What do you have to do?"

"It's nothing major, just cleaning the library for a month," he shrugged. "I'd love to get a peek into the restricted section, though. It's not all bad." He laughed again, but then added with a wince, "Although, Filch will be keeping a close eye on me while I'm in there."

The twins and Asteria grew quiet, their mischievous grins spreading across their faces. "What are you three planning?" I asked, suspicion creeping in. "Do you want to tell them?" Fred asked, glancing at Asteria. "Why not?" Asteria grinned back. "Well, we were planning on pranking Filch  with a sleeping draught somehow. Why not use Alex's detention to our advantage? We'll give Filch the potion to make him fall asleep so Alex can sneak into the restricted section and 'borrow' some books without permission. I'm sure there are some spells or pranks in there you'd love to learn about!"

The twins shared a look—the kind that said they were already hatching a plan.