what the world doesn't see | slytherins.

The Snake's Eyes | 15

[unedited.]

It was happening again. Raven was falling—falling through a bottomless pit and she couldn't stop. She had no wand on her to save her, nothing to protect her, nothing at all. It was just her in the dark.

Until a voice sounded.

They sounded nostalgic, like someone that Raven talked to when she was still attending primary school. It was too echoey for Raven to discern though. They were laughing—no, they were cackling. Raven closed her eyes as if that was going to get rid of the sound. But the laughter only continued to vibrate in her skull.

"Poor Raven! She doesn't have a dad."

"What happened to him?'

"He died!"

"I feel sorry for her."

"I don't. Rumour has it: she killed him."

"No! That just makes me feel even more sorry!"

"Feel sorry for yourself, Lacy. You've got both of your parents and they don't even sleep in the same bed anymore."

"You little—!"

They were suddenly cut short when another voice cut in. The time, they were much more familiar—and cruel. At least Raven found it even more cruel.

"Our first victim of the year: this... random Slytherin!"

"That slime will clear up in a day or two, don't you worry! Though seeing as you're a snotty little Slytherin, I doubt you'd want to change that color any time soon."

Raven could still feel the cold substance seeping through her hair and traveling down her back. She didn't go to class and spent the time working out how to undo the jinx. She figured it out pretty quickly but decided to save the embarrassment and stay out of class for the rest of the day.

While the first two dialogues had been pictureless, an image then began flashing in Raven's mind. An image of Hermione.

Hermione was smiling at Raven. This threw Raven off since she doesn't remember a time when the bushy-haired girl ever smiled at her. They mainly glared and scowled at each other. They were academic rivals after all, even if they worked together last year to figure out Slytherins's beast.

But the smile was beautiful and it was on Hermione. Raven found herself staring at the image for longer than anticipated.

And then Raven felt chills around her. Gooseflesh appeared along her arms and hairs rose on the back of her neck. The image flashed and Hermione's smile contorted into a scream (though there was no sound) while her eyes filled with fear. She stared at something behind Raven, but when Raven turned to look, there was no monster there.

"No..."

"This is what happens when you don't save people quick enough, Raven," Hermione said. "We end up like this. And so will you."

"No... Hermione, I was trying! I'm sorry I didn't get to you on time. I was trying and—"

"Raven..." Raven spun on her heel and came face-to-face with Colin. He had a broken expression on his face. "Why did you let me get Petrified? Why did you do that?"

"Because—Because you were—you—"

"Why couldn't you save me?"

"Because I—"

"Because you're weak. You're pathetic," said a new voice. A voice that Raven had heard once before: the 'Lulu' from the nightmare that occurred when the Dementor grabbed her. Raven tried to find where the voice was coming from, but he didn't seem to have a physical body. "You're as pathetic as your mother. She was anything but an honest woman. A liar, a thief, a cruel woman. You're exactly—like—her."