The Great War ⏤ Harry Potter

04 | something in the way

Magdalena is awake before dawn, grey light filtering through the expansive windows of Ravenclaw Tower, showering the common room in shimmering light. The night before classes was yet another night of restless sleep. Magdalena had tossed and turned in her bed, the crisp sheets rustling underneath her in time with the wind outside before she gave up at five in the morning, venturing into the common room.

Her mind had been in overdrive, the events of the feast last night not letting her rest. Her heart had been rattling against her ribcage at a thunderous pace that reverberated in her ears. The fear of another vision had squandered any chance of a restful sleep for the first day of classes ⏤ but, truthfully, classes are the last thing on her mind. Last year she had distracted herself from her visions by burying herself in revision for her O.W.L.s, tiring herself out that she collapsed into bed late into the night, head too heavy to panic about experiencing a vision.

Magdalena does not have that luxury this year; burying her head in the sand got her nowhere ⏤ it only ended up with a student dying at the hands of a dark wizard that the Ministry is happily lying to the population about his return.

Her eyelids are heavy as dawn breaks, golden light breaking over the horizon as the sun rises. The veil of darkness is pulled back as a new day begins. Magdalena feels anything but rejuvenated and a knot twists in the pit of her stomach at movement in the dormitories above.

Magdalena goes through the motions of her morning routine; she brushes her teeth, runs a brush through her hair and applies makeup to minimise the dark circles that rim her eyes. Her fingers nimbly knot her school tie, a splash of royal blue against a sea of black robes. She slips on her ring; a simple gold band that rests on her index finger. It was a gift from her mother, given to Magdalena on her first day at Hogwarts and had once been her's when she was a young girl. Now, it had been passed down to Magdalena; a link between mother and daughter. Magdalena never goes a day without wearing it.

Magdalena joins her friends at the Great Hall for breakfast. They sit at the Ravenclaw table, squeezed in the middle of the long table. Aimee has already poured herself a cup of coffee, steam emanating from the rim of the cup. Jade helps herself to some berries, eyeing the strawberries and blueberries eagerly.

Magdalena pours herself a cup of coffee and takes a sip, tastebuds flaring in protest at the bitterness that coats her tongue. She schools her expression into neutrality and takes another sip. Merlin knows she will need caffeine to stay awake in her classes after running on little sleep.

Aimee looks over Jade's head and frowns. "Lena, since when do you drink coffee?" She asks. Jade stops loading her plate with fruit and turns to look at Magdalena, eyebrows raised at the unusual sight of Magdalena with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Magdalena shrugs, "oh, you know," she begins airly, hoping she comes across casual and not like a person with something to hide, "I checked our timetable and we've got Defence this morning after Transfiguration and if Umbridge's speech was anything to go by yesterday, her class will be a snoozefest."

Aimee pulls a face of disgust, her eyebrows knitting together as she frowns. "Ugh, you're right." Aimee pours herself another cup of coffee.

"You can't just have coffee for breakfast, Aimee," Jade tells Aimee, giving her a reproachful look.

Aimee huffs and rolls his eyes. "Yes, mother," she says, her teasing tone gentling her words as she grabs a piece of toast and bites into it, much to Jade's approval.

Across the table their fellow dorm mates sit eating breakfast. Cho is seated in between Marietta and Pauline, pressed up against their sides like a shield blocking out the rest of the world. She is quiet, barely making a sound as she chews on little bites of toast, smiling weakly whenever Marietta or Pauline say something.