Making An Escape

[Lucinda Dalton]

Lucy stumbled in to the girl's bathroom, feeling absolutely terrible. The tears were making a constant stream down her face, something that wasn't quite usual for Lucy. "I want my mummy," she sobbed, slumping to the floor next to the sinks. "I truh-trusted her, I thought she was my friend," she added, sniffing. She only knew a couple of people inside these walls. Charlie and Landon, who she only saw in classes and only really ever said hello to in passing - why would they hang out with a stupid muggleborn who was supposed to be a Ravenclaw but clearly wasn't? Angus, who was suspicious after what that last Gossip Magazine had said, and Violet, who she never saw anyway because she was a fourth year Hufflepuff Prefect, whereas Lucy was only a first year Ravenclaw, and a terrible one at that. "I'm noh-not a Ravenclaw," she sobbed. "I'm too stupid!" she wailed, before putting her head in her hands and simply crying.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella had ceased laughing just enough to ram the rest of her breakfast into her gullet. She was soon regretting not grabbing a glass of pumpkin juice. Her throat now feeling dry and gritty, she took a detour to the girl's bathroom. It wasn't so far from the library anyway. Slipping through the door, she made way for the sink, turning on the faucet quickly. She brought her hands under the stream, cupping a reasonable amount of water through her dripping palms and bringing it to her lips. The water was lukewarm and left a bad taste in her mouth. At least she didn't feel like choking anymore. She grimaced as she glanced into the mirror.

The seventh year Ravenclaw turned slowly as the sound of someone crying reached her ears. How had she not noticed the girl? She was tiny- slumped against the wall and eyes red as they were, she definitely looked like she needed someone to talk to. Drying her hands off on her robes, she abandoned all reservations and approached the girl. Estrella was no Hufflepuff, but she didn't have a heart of ice either. Without warning she slumped against the wall fairly close to the girl, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She smiled lightly.

"Now sweetie, that just can't be true. The sorting hat wouldn't have put you in Ravenclaw if you didn't have the stuffing for it."

 

[Lucinda Dalton]

Lucy looked up in surprise at the sound of somebody's voice - and had to suppress a gasp as she saw who it was. Estrella Drage, seventh year Ravenclaw and Head Girl of Hogwarts New Zealand. "Oh," she muttered, wiping her teary eyes. Now this was plain embarassing. Lucy never cried, never, and the one time she did, the person who saw her had to be someone she had great respect for. "Oh, erm, I..." she began, trying to explain herself. "I don't usually cry," she quickly explained, giving a small, ironic laugh at this statement. She looked like an absolute crybaby at the moment. "Muh-maybe the Hat was wrong, I...I did something so stupid! Ah-and I c-can't even get any of my classwork right, I just...I..." she sobbed, trying to compose herself but failing. "I'm suh-sorry," she added, quickly.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella's shoulders rose and dipped and she listened to Lucy. With more warmth behind her smile than she would usually exhibit, she started, "It's okay. We all cry sometimes. Even me." Flashing her teeth at the first year, she brought her head of hair against the wall. She chuckled a bit. "I don't think the hat has ever been wrong. You've got seven years ahead of you," she commented, hoping that she was being a source of encouragement and not driving the girl even further into a hole. "I'm certain that there's a true Ravenclaw somewhere inside of you- even if you don't think she's come to the surface yet. Besides," her grin broadened, "I'm sure it can't have been that bad."

 

[Lucinda Dalton]

Wiping her eyes again, Lucy nodde. "Um, th-thanks." The flow of tears stopped, and Lucy was able to gather her thoughts. The older girl was right, she had seven years ahead of her. She was only twelve, after all. She should have been enjoying herself, not lamenting her lost future. How could someone decide their own future at eleven, anyway? Her own mother hadn't started education until she was about twenty, after all. Lucy had years ahead of her. Years she should enjoy, not time she should spend moping. Maybe the magic thing wouldn't be so bad. She liked flying and Quidditch, after all, and History of Magic was pretty fascinating. And what was to say wizards couldn't be lawyers, if that was what she really wanted? "Um, can I ask you a question?" Lucy began, shyly. "Um, have you ever felt like you couldn't do anything right...and couldn't fit in?" She paused for a second, before adding an extra question. "And is there such thing as wizard lawyers?"

 

[Estrella Drage]

Placing a stray wisp of hair behind her ear, Estrella listened to the young Ravenclaw. She remembered how overwhelming being a first year was, though she and her peers had had free reign of the school at that point. The older girl could even see a bit of herself in the younger. Feeling that she had done some bit of good- the girl was no longer crying, after all- Estrella turned to a face that had moments ago been tear-streaked. A smile flirted on her features as she opened her mouth to speak. "Multiple times," she nodded, reassuring the girl on her first set of questions. "Throughout all seven years, there're going to be bad days. Even bad months sometimes." Shifting where she sat, she continued, "Don't worry about that too much, though. Everything turns out completely fine in the long run." Hoping that her speech hadn't been too dreary, she chuckled a bit. "A lawyer, you say? I don't know for certain of any lawyers in the ministry. Though I know the ministry like I know how many stars are in the sky. There's a Department of Magical Law Enforcement- then there's the Wizengamot. Not sure what you have to do to be one of them, but they run trials and stuff. So you might just find something you like."

Holding out a slender hand to the girl, Estrella intoned, "I don't believe we've met. Estrella Drage."