morals

ii

The first year Ravenclaw silently strode to her favorite class on her schedule; defense against the dark arts. Although she wasn't super invested in listening to professor Quirrel, the subject intrigued her curiously vividly. Plus, she had class with Gemma, Luna, and Draco. She scurried into the class and sat in her regular seat which was next to Draco and behind Gemma and a third-year Hufflepuff she had befriended in the passing months.
"You found out why there's a third year in first-year defense?" Olive muttered to the white-haired boy beside her.
"Professor Quiver says it's an extra class but I think he's just bloody dumb."
"Malfoy." The girl slightly shoved her friend, causing the slightest chuckle to escape his small lips.
He shrugged, a smirk still playing on his lips as Olive rolled her eyes and shot her gaze back to the professor, stifling a short chuckle at her friend's comment. Confusion struck her smile as the professor's eyes caught hers; an odd, partially malicious look being shot at the young girl. Something nobody expected from the timid professor. As her other classmates worked on the flipendo jinx they had just learned, Draco looked up from his textbook and saw Olive's uncomfortable gaze that landed on the professor. His eyes burned into the professor until the timid man's eyes flicked over to the first-year Slytherin and then back down onto his desk. A sudden thump on their table caused Draco and the two Hufflepuff in front of the duo to look behind them in worry. Olive's hand was tightly wrapped around her wrist as she winced in pain. Her friends swarmed around her in fear as the entirety of her arm burned, her bolt scar feeling as if on fire.
"C-c-class dism-missed!" The professor stuttered out, storming out of his classroom before students had time to get up and leave.
Confused students grasped onto their books and scurried out of the class, leaving the concerned trio circled the young blonde. Luna realized the urgency of her cousin, something she didn't see much, which is why she walked over to the trio. The wary Ravenclaw had the older Hufflepuff wrapping her arm, blood dribbling down from her scar.
"What happened Ollie?"
A slight gasp escaped her lips, "Luna! The bolt chose Quirrel."
The two boys looked at one another bewildered as the trio of girls grew wide-eyed and scanned the room for the professor.
"Quirrel? Are you sure?"
"Positive Gem."
"Ollie. We need to know where he's going at night."
Everyone gaped at Luna. Her long bushy hair springing around as she trailed in front of everyone like the moment was all a dream.
"We need to get you to Madam Pomfrey." The male Hufflepuff spoke.
"No, she needs to go to Dumbledore. That's where I always bring her." Luna retorted, a smile still bright on her face.
"Luna's right. Dumbledore understands." The young blonde paused, "Thank you by the way. For the bandages. It was very kind."
"No problem. I know when my help is needed."
"What's your name again?"
"Diggory. Cedric Diggory."
"Well thanks again Diggory." A grin plastered on her face as Luna grasped onto her hand, leading her to the old headmaster's office.
The trio trudged into the headmaster's office. His face expressed no surprise, no confusion, and no anger for the sudden break-in. Instead, he broke the girl's silence immediately, staring into her piercing green eyes until she broke.
"Dumbledore. It burns when I'm around Quirrel."
Olive Baker was no ordinary Ravenclaw. She wholeheartedly embodied the wittiness and knowledge of the house; almost too perfectly. So when she came running into Dumbledore's office with bandages around her bolt scar she shared with another first year, the duo knew the meaning of the pain. Olive, sadly, wouldn't know the intense risk her scar showed until it was too late.
"I'll have Severus look in on it."
"Professor Snape? He was the first one to make my scar burn!" She retorted.
"Miss. Baker I understand but I know where his intentions lie. He is willing to help for your benefit."
She nodded hesitantly, the trio getting comfortable in the plush chairs in the headmaster's office.
"It brings back anxiety doesn't it?" Gemma whispered as her best friend sat down next to her.
Her friend's face upturned into a sad smile before nodding slightly and looking down at her bandaged wrist. A quiet creak made three pairs of eyes look over to the door. Marietta Edgecombe stood timidly in the doorway.
"You guys weren't at dinner. Draco told me you'd be here Ollie."
Olive looked into Marietta's electric blue eyes. They held fear and worry, yet softened slightly as she met the gaze of her closest Ravenclaw friends. Luna was the first to get up, wandering over to the ginger and firmly grasping onto her hand. She was never one for affection, so this surprised everyone. Including Dumbledore. As her hand slowly fell from her grasp, she spun around, cheerfully making her way to dinner. Gemma placed a soft hand over her best friend before following the odd blonde out of the office. Once the two girls disappeared, Olive jumped up, running over to her ginger friend and engulfing her in a restricting hug.
"I'm sorry I never meant to scare you."
Marietta stayed silent. A smile played at her lips as she held her friend tighter until ultimately letting go. She turned on her heel and began to lead her friend out of the office. Olive followed before pausing for a moment.
"Thank you again, headmaster."
"You're always welcome miss Baker."
A warm smile appeared on her face as she followed her friend out of the office and down to the great hall where a very worried Draco was next to his cousin, asking her millions of questions. Luna only laughed before pointing towards the door where the girl in question stood. A loud breath escaped his lips when she sat down.
"Bloody hell you've been in there for hours! I've been worried!"
"Draco Malfoy actually worried? That's a first." The green-eyed girl joked, "Only joking. It was an hour at most Malfoy no need to freak."
His worried face morphed into one of sarcastic annoyance. He shoved her slightly as a chuckle escaped his toothy grin. The Slytherin boy stayed at the Ravenclaw table until dinner had concluded and first years were being sent back to their dormitories. Luna, Marietta, and Olive followed quickly behind their prefect, Penelope Clearwater, as they entered the royal blue common room. After months of living there, Olive still had the same reaction to her commons as she did the first day. The circular room held bookcases and silk blue couches. White marble lined the floor, bronze tables and a large blue divan carefully sat on top. Blue and bronze banners hung above the arched windows that looked out onto Olive's favorite place: the quidditch pitch. Some nights when she was unable to sleep, the young girl would sit by the windows and imagine herself playing on that very quidditch pitch. She trotted over to a small chair and looked outside. The wind whistled as her eyes trained on Oliver wood on the pitch with his new seeker, Harry Potter. She was jealous of the first year seeker, longing to be on the team of blue and bronze. She was shaken out of her trance by none other than Luna herself.
"Come Ollie. You look exhausted. We should get some rest."
A yawn fell from her mouth as she nodded. Marietta and Cho were already fast asleep by the time the two blondes made it into their room but neither of them seemed to mind. The girls changed out of their robes before finding themselves in their beds, already half asleep.
"Is your wrist alright Ollie?" Luna whispered.
Olive sat up slightly before nodding, "Goodnight Luna."
The blonde reciprocated her goodnight before the two laid back down, allowing their tiredness to engulf them.

•••

It was another sleepless night for Olive Baker. All students had returned to Hogwarts over a week ago after the holidays. Ever since leaving her home, her need for sleep began to disappear as vivid nightmares tore through her dreams. With no hope of falling to sleep that night, the young Ravenclaw snuck out of the tower and made her way to the library. Although there were books in her common room, the thrill of sneaking out even if it was only to study created excitement in her bland life. Her quiet footsteps were the only sound in the silent library. It was way past midnight, so she expected the professors to not be roaming in search of students and instead of sleeping like normal people. Yet who is she to judge when she's the one losing sleep and sneaking out to study. She was now fully invested in a purple book from off the shelves about defense against the dark arts. So invested that she didn't notice Harry Potter wandering into the restricted section. So invested that she ran fully into him. A loud gasp escaped her lips as her eyes shot up, meeting a matching pair that sparkled green even in the darkness. The duo stayed silent, staring at one another until Olive shook out of her gaze.
"Blimey sorry. I didn't expect anyone else to be roaming. Hence why I hadn't been paying much attention to my surroundings." She softly giggled, her face reddened at the embarrassment of running into the golden boy, "I should probably go now."
"Don't be sorry. I was dazed out a bit myself." He smiled, searching for her green eyes once more, "Baker right?"
She nodded, "Potter. Pleasure officially meeting you. Especially without Draco trotting around."
"You too Baker." He smiled, slowly turning away from the blonde and making his way to his first destination.
The book was placed back on the shelf while she grasped for another. She stood on her tiptoes attempting to grab a book she had her eyes set on for weeks, yet this was stopped by a loud yelling noise. The noise caused her to jump, multiple books falling from the shelves. Then, the voice of Mr. Filch himself erupted into the library.
"Who's there."
Anxiety filled her veins. She flicked her wand to quickly put all the books back before eyeing where Harry had disappeared to. Movement in the restricted sectioned answered that quickly. Looking for clearance, she bolted into the small section and grabbed onto the sleeve of his jumper, pulling him into a hidden nook. He let out a large gasp, prompting Olive to smack her hand over his mouth before any more noise could be produced. At the sight of the small hand, he turned around. Realizing it was the blonde Ravenclaw brought relief until Filch's voice boomed once more, this time being much closer to the duo.
"I know you're in there. You can't hide."
"Potter we can't get out." She spoke.
Her voice was now being muffled by his soft hand overtop her lips. As the caretaker's footsteps got closer, Harry removed his hand from Olive's mouth and threw a cloak over the two of them.
"Excuse my language but what the hell is this supposed to do?"
"It's an invisibility cloak. He can't see us." The boy whispered.
She silently nodded and followed closely behind him. Sure enough, Filch walked right past the two in search of the culprit. Harry looked at the shorter blonde and widened his eyes, a grin on his lips. She quickly returned the smile before he started running out of the library. Her short legs struggled to keep up, so she linked onto his arm and pulled herself closer to him to stay unsighted. Mutters came from the end of the corridor and of course, being with Harry Potter, they had to investigate. Just as Dumbledore promised, Snape had Quirrel pinned against a wall, urging him for answers.
"Harry I think we should go while they're distracted."
The long-haired professor must've heard her because he became silent and stared straight at the two first years. Both Harry and Olive covered the other's mouth and slowly walked backward as the professor reached for anything solid. Once his attention was back on Quirrel, Olive grabbed Harry's wrist and pulled him into the first door she saw. They threw off the cloak and investigated the room, pointing out the obvious ginormous mirror in the middle. The curious boy walked in front of it, admiring whatever it was he saw.
"What do you see Potter?"
"My parents."
There it was again. Her nightmare, but this time she wasn't sleeping. Her father stood over a familiar redhead, his wand pointed at her neck. Tears fell from her face as she protected her baby. The next thing she knew, a green light protruded through the scene. The scene was clear. Lily Potter-her mother's best friend-laid dead with no other than her own father standing over top of the body. She swiftly shuffled to the door, opening it with a loud grunt.
"You alright?"
"Yeah." She breathed, "Just getting tired. Think it's time to go back to the tower."
"Here. Let me walk you back."
She aggressively shook her head, "It's alright. Thank you again. For hiding me back there. I would've been killed by Filch."
"Anytime Baker."
The duo exchanged smiles before she ran out of the room, leaving Harry with the reflection of his parents standing behind him.