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CHAPTER FIVE - 🍂 ୧ how they . . .
all met ও🦌

ALTHOUGH THE PRANK WAR between the Gryffindors and the Ravenclaw-Slytherin trio was a major topic of discussion among the students, they were taken aback by the friendly interactions they witnessed between the two factions when the Prank War wasn't involved. Despite their rivalry in pranks, the two groups unexpectedly maintained closeness and even got along surprisingly well when the pranks paused.

In preparation for the upcoming OWL exams, both groups sought out the library for some serious studying. Their individual House leaders kept a watchful eye on them, aiming for stellar results. Surprisingly, they were mostly free of detentions due to their pranks not resulting in any major disruptions. Despite the minimal amount of reprimands they received from teachers or staff members, their respective Heads of House encouraged them to study further in a bid to support their academic success.

The large group somehow found themselves grouped according to their academic needs.

Autumn, along with James, was engrossed in studying Transfiguration, with the former providing guidance and assistance during their study session.

Raven and Sirius were studying Herbology together, with the latter supporting the former.

Peter and Remus formed another group, with Remus receiving help for several subjects. Elliot also joined in, assisting Remus with his own classes, given his previous absences.

As Autumn patiently expounded Transfiguration lessons to James, she noticed his concentration slipping as he sneakily glanced in the direction of Raven and Elliot.

James then turned back to Autumn, his attention now fully on her, and inquired, "Hey, Rivers, do you mind if I ask you something?"

Autumn took note of James's divided attention and recognized that he was no longer fully absorbing the information she was providing.

She retracted her hand, which had been highlighting a point in his book, and observed, "Well, it's evident that you can't handle any more." James made a face but chose not to start an argument.

She then posed a question, inquiring about the nature of his query, seeking to address any issues he may be experiencing. "So, what is it you wish to ask?"

James seemed to carefully consider his next words, placing his quill on his pursed lips as he reflected. He then directed his inquiry to the source of their friendship, asking, "I was wondering how the three of you first came to know each other."

Rather than answering James' question, Autumn pivoted to ask him her own, "How did you and the guys first meet?"

As she noted his facial expression and the fact that his quill had fallen from his lips, she continued with her thought, "I asked first." He rolled his eyes as he returned his quill to the table.

She then decided to share a straightforward response since it wasn't a secret. "Since it's not exactly a secret, I might as well just tell you."

Autumn began to recount the story of how their trio first formed, starting with a meeting between her and Raven.

As she heard her name mentioned, Raven, who was studying alongside Sirius, took notice and shifted her attention to the table where Autumn and James were seated. Sirius, Raven's partner during the study session, also glanced over at the two, curious about their conversation.

Autumn began to continue her tale, delving deeper into the first meeting among the three students. She started by explaining the origins of her friendship with Raven, one that dated back to their childhood days. The encounter took place in a muggle school, a detail that Autumn had to clarify because she had discovered that most children within the wizarding community were homeschooled.

Raven had recently moved to the town and found herself in a situation where she encountered Autumn being bullied by a group of boys. Raven chose to interfere, and as a result, the two girls struck up a friendship with each other. This friendship soon evolved into a lifelong bond.

Autumn continued to explain how the situation had turned out to be beneficial for both of them because of their shared magical abilities, which was quite uncommon among the muggles living in the same area.

Autumn went on to expand on the idea, pointing out, "It was fortunate that we both turned out to be magical. It wasn't very common to come across two individuals with the same magical sensitivity in the same town, especially considering we were from a small town, in fact."

Raven then chipped in, adding her own perspective and memories. She explained that her parents had observed objects moving around without a logical explanation when she was a young child, indicating her magical abilities in their early stages.

Raven proceeded to explain how her parents had initially dismissed what they had witnessed, not considering the possibility of her being the cause.

She confessed, "Well, my parents had observed certain objects move when I was young, but they never really assumed that I was behind it."

Autumn added more details about her own discovery of her magical talents, contrasting them with those of her friend. She revealed that her own magic had manifested later in life, emerging only when she was in close proximity to another magic-sensitive individual, and in this case, it was Raven herself.

Autumn further explained that Dumbledore had perceived the close proximity between the two girls as the catalyst that stirred her innate magical abilities, and subsequently, her magical capacities bloomed.

Autumn proceeded with her detailed explanation, describing the exact moment when the two girls first unraveled their magical powers.

She elaborated on how they had been deeply immersed in a heated exchange of words, leading to an intense surge of emotions that ultimately resulted in their magical abilities coming to fruition. It was during this moment that Raven inadvertently flung Autumn across the room.

The redhead friend added that she had fortunately managed to prevent an impact against the wall by channeling her own magical abilities during the incident. Afterwards, the boys voiced their inquiries, curious about the specific actions that Raven had taken.

Autumn continued to go into further detail about the developments that had unfolded after they both discovered their magic talents.

She explained how, initially, they decided to keep their newfound abilities a secret from their parents, but later found themselves compelled to disclose it as certain circumstances arose.

In addition, she mentioned how Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall stepped in to notify their parents, as well as provide an explanation behind their acceptance into Hogwarts.

Autumn then went on to highlight how Raven's parents had played a pivotal role in supporting her during the process of informing her own parents about the situation.

They successfully alleviated the confusion that had arisen from their parents' initial responses, eventually leading them to understand the situation on a comprehensive level and ultimately resulting in the acceptance of both of the students by their families.

"Mum was the main one doing everything," Raven recalled. She recalled how her mother had taken the lead in informing their parents about the situation, and how she had meticulously compiled a comprehensive list of reasons to emphasize the favorable aspects of the turn of events for both of them.

Once they had successfully gained their parents' acceptance regarding their magic abilities and their school life, they redirected their attention to the impending studies and learning they would undertake at Hogwarts.

As they were traveling to school via the train ride, they happened upon Elliot, who was being smothered by his two older sisters, who were both in their final year. During the Sorting process, Raven and Autumn were both assigned to the Ravenclaw House, while Elliot was sorted into Slytherin, in accordance with his own wishes.

Fulfilling his request, Elliot, still grinning at the other two, also cast a glance toward his sisters, who were already seated at the table of the house in question.

Sirius, intrigued by the conversation, asked about the reasons behind Elliot's decision to choose Slytherin as his desired house, rather than opting to join the house of his familial affiliations.

Elliot replied, asserting that the genuine justification for his decision lay in his desire to defy his family by doing the exact opposite of their intentions. "My family was enraged, but since two of my closest companions were already in Ravenclaw, they had no choice what I chose."

Elliot explained that his family's anger eventually yielded to acceptance, as he also had close friends who were already part of the Ravenclaw House.

Autumn then proceeded to disclose that she and Elliot did not become close friends initially until a specific incident occurred in the hallway.

She started to elaborate on the details, stating, "It wasn't until..." but suddenly stopped mid-story, evidently struggling to describe the exact event that led to the strengthening of their friendship.

Raven took over the narrative, adding further context to the incident that had halted Autumn's explanation. She underscored that both she and Autumn were muggle-borns, therefore they had no knowledge of how the magical world perceived their kind.

There was a clear moment of mutual understanding shared among the four men present. In spite of this, none of them attempted to intervene or disrupt the flow of the explanation.

"Raven and Autumn were cornered by a bunch of Pureblood Supremacists, and they..." Elliot then interjected to provide the specifics of the particular incident that had left both girls reluctant to explain. He didn't go into great detail about the events that had unfolded during that encounter.

Elliot simply gestured with a wave of his hand, suggesting that he was unable to express the details in words.

Autumn then expounded upon the mental process that took place during the incident. She confessed that both her and Raven had been completely ignorant of the situation at first.

She revealed that they were utterly clueless about the prevailing attitudes held by the Pureblood supremacists towards muggle-borns.

Autumn further explained that they had learned about the various mentalities prevailing around them through interactions with their peers at the school.

Raven provided more details about the encounter by elaborating on what Elliot had done to save them. She mentioned how he had sent the Pureblood supremacists to the hospital, which served as evidence of his determination to defend both his friends.

"It should be noted that Eli neglected to mention that he sent them to the hospital," Raven smirked playfully, divulging what their companion had done to protect them.

"Furthermore," Autumn added to Raven's statements, "it's important to understand that they couldn't help but flinch whenever they caught sight of him."

The boys all turned their attention towards the Slytherin, who was clearly proud of himself in regard to the past events. Remus shook his head in disappointment, saying, "Is that why Rivers and Summers dismissed our request for you to teach us Defense Against the Dark Arts so promptly?"

Elliot agreed with Remus' statement, causing the girls to almost turn a ghostly color. They understood how intimidating he was during their DADA classes and were grateful that they did not share any classes related to the subject with students from Slytherin.

The friendship between the trio was defined by their initial encounter and the subsequent developments that led to their growing closeness.

The foundation of their friendship was laid in Elliot's bravery during the interaction with the Pureblood supremacists, and their bond further strengthened as time went on.

Elliot played a crucial role in bringing Raven and Autumn closer together. His actions enabled the muggle-borns to better understand the prevailing sentiments that surrounded their status in the wizarding world.