Hope

Part 2

Running through the dense forest in a delicate dress, Raven's fancy hair trailing behind her, beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead. Startled and feeling a cramp form in her side, she glances over her shoulder and spots the little witch, sprinting after her with determination. Raven watches the little witch unsheathe her wand

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" The chilling words echo through the woods as the little witch points her wand with a wicked grin. Raven gasps, her breath catching in her throat as the green light of the killing curse strikes her directly in the chest. The impact sends a shockwave through her body, and she crumples to the forest floor, the once vibrant surroundings now shrouded in an eerie silence.

Raven's eyes fly open and she gasps at the realization that is was just a dream. She sits up to see Hermione looking at her with a worried expression, her face illuminated by a book light she was using. Raven's lips curled into an awkward smile before laying back down. She breaths heavily as she tries to ease back to sleep. 

Raven awoke to the soft morning sunlight filtering through her window, realizing she had unintentionally dozed off. Since it was Sunday, she opted for comfort, donning a pair of cozy sweatpants and a white tank top. The impending thought of Draco's upcoming party lingered in her mind, a source of both anticipation and unease.

That morning, Raven skipped breakfast and headed straight to the forest to find Wing Nut. After a few minutes of wandering, she heard Wing Nut in the distance. Racing to meet him at the edge of a cliff, she jumped onto his back and scooted up to his neck.

Together, they glided over the forest and flew across the lake. The morning breeze soothed Raven's skin as it caressed her cheeks. An hour and a half passed before she flew back to land, giving Wing Nut a quick kiss before returning to Hogwarts. Raven headed back to her dorm, where Hermione greeted her with a warm hug. Raven smiled and hugged her back. When she opened her eyes, she saw the little witch's figure again. Raven's breath hitched, and she squeezed Hermione slightly.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked. Raven shook her head, and the figure vanished. "Ye-yeah," Raven nodded, pulling away from Hermione, ignoring her worried look.

Raven plopped on her bed and cracked open the book she had taken from her home, "The Dark Arts: A Guide to Self-Protection." The book was enticing and had tons of new spells, including wandless spells. While wandering the Hogwarts corridors, searching for Hermione, the book slipped from her hand. Professor Snape, unsettlingly, caught it. Attempting to reclaim it, Raven was met with Snape's menacing glare.

"Where did you get this?" Snape inquired darkly.

"From my home," Raven replied, meeting his scrutiny with a raised brow.

"Why do you need this?" Snape's tone was demanding, bordering on interrogative."Light reading," Raven retorted, snatching the book back and leaving Snape scowling. Eventually, she found Hermione on a walk with Ron and Harry. "Hey, guys!" Raven ran up to them, and they greeted her with smiles. She walked with the trio, not really listening to what they were saying, just happy to be around them. It helped her take her mind off the things that worried her.

They walked to the Leaky Cauldron, where they got a booth. The four ordered butterbeer and spoke about what they were wearing to the party. Raven had mentioned bringing a black dress for a special occasion—maybe this was a good use for it. Raven was tucked into the corner of the booth, reading her book; "Umbrarum Velum: Shrouds the caster in an ethereal mist, making them harder to target and detect."

"Sounded like a good spell to know," Raven thought. She took a sip of her butterbeer and was instantly enticed, chugging the butterbeer like there was no tomorrow. When she finally set the mug down, the three were looking at her. Flustered, she wiped her upper lip and chuckled softly.

"Bloody hell, Raven, have you drunk anything in days?" Ron asked in a snarky tone. Hermione laughed along with Harry, who also started to work on their butterbeers. 

Raven had left earlier than the others and walked back to Hogwarts walking at a slow pace. As She strolled up through Hogsmeade the reflection in one of the stores windows she saw the witch, Bellatrix was it? Raven whirled around to see the witch. The shock knocked her off her feet as she stepped backwards and she landed right on her butt. Raven winced and the witch was gone... "The stress is really getting to me..." Raven thought, rubbing her temples. Raven stood up, and started walking to school when her vision went foggy and images fluttered into her mind.

Dancing amidst the vibrant gathering of Hogwarts students, Raven found solace in the rhythmic movements that allowed her to momentarily escape the burdens of stress. The atmosphere pulsated with enchantment as she twirled, losing herself in the music. She looked around for her friends however, as she surveyed the faces around her, a strange distortion clouded her perception, making it difficult to discern familiar visages. 

Abruptly, the enchanting dance floor transformed into an eerie forest. Raven's surroundings morphed, and the joyous celebration gave way to a nightmarish scenario. She found herself trembling and bleeding, her face pressed into the unforgiving dirt. The once-distorted faces now took form—Bellatrix and Lucius, two ominous figures from the wizarding world, loyal death eaters.

A chilling silence enveloped the forest, broken only by Bellatrix's malevolent laughter. Raven attempted to scream, but her voice remained trapped, unheard amidst the haunting echoes. Tears streamed down her cheeks, each drop feeling like molten fire against her flesh. A desperate plea escaped her lips, a rare vulnerability surfacing in her typically strong demeanor.

The forest nightmare intensified as Lucius seized Raven by her hair, ruthlessly slamming her head into the dirt. The vision blurred, and she found herself coughing up the earth she had involuntarily inhaled. The agony persisted as Raven begged for mercy, a plea she had never uttered before. "Your necklace, we need it" The witch's voice raspy and demanding, "The dark lord needs it" when raven shook her head, Bellatrix, reveling in cruelty, approached and stomped on Raven's head, further shattering her already fragile existence.

In the midst of this surreal torment, Raven screamed once more, the sound piercing through the nightmare. Everything blinked out, leaving her in a disorienting void. Alone and confused, she hesitantly called out, "Hello?" Her voice echoed in the empty room as she wandered through the desolate space. Raven looked around confused and scared. Then a small tornado of smoke revealed Bellatrix's and Lucius's figure. Before she screamed her eyes fluttered open, although this wasn't a dream she opened her eyes and she was on the side walk before drenched by water from rain that started to pour. Next to her Harry, Ron, and Hermione, holding her up and checking if she was okay.

"Oh Raven!" Hermione exclaimed giving Raven a big hug. raven shook her head in distraught. "What happened"

"We don't know, we found you like this" Hermione responded, wrapping her in Harry's jacket. She helped Raven up and walked her to Hogwarts. raven got dressed and sat with Hermione on the couch in the Gryffindor common room, soon she drifted off to sleep in Hermione's arms.