Ravenna felt like an inferius when she made her way to tutor class the next morning. A mindless puppet, moving only because the strings attached to her limbs made it so.

Bloody potion.

It was the first one she'd taken since the start of the school year. For years the teachers had made her drink her potion every week. But she was seventeen now, an adult by wizarding law, so they trusted her to do the right thing. Obviously she'd immediately cut back to once every three or four weeks. But after what happened with Dankworth the day before... She couldn't take any chances.

Ravenna failed to suppress a yawn as she walked into the history classroom and took her seat next to Dan, grumbling a quick "Morning". She saw him looking at her from the corner of her eye, but she hoped they could drop their argument from yesterday. At least for now. Ella and Willem's chatting at the desks in front of her was like background murmur, attempting to lull her to sleep. Her eyelids felt heavy.

"Good morning, class!"

Her eyes shot open when Professor Trindine entered the room, dumping several rolls of scrolls on her desk. She sat up straight, rubbing her hands over her face.

"Are you alright?" Dan whispered.

"Knackered," she muttered back, watching Trindine search her drawers for a piece of chalk.

"Had your potion last night?"

She nodded miserably.

"Don't worry." He nudged her side softly. "It'll pass."

"Alright, listen up, everyone," said Trindine, evidently giving up on her search for chalk. "Yesterday was a tough day for all of us. But please don't be disheartened. Focus on developing your magic. Things will sort themselves out in the end."

Ezra scoffed, but it went ignored as Ella put her hand up.

"Yes, Miss Rook?"

"What's going to happen now?" Her voice was soft. Scared. "If we can't graduate... Will the school even stay open?"

Ravenna's heart skipped a beat, the adrenaline finally waking her up properly. They wouldn't close Morgan le Fay, would they?

Professor Trindine raised her hands comfortingly. "We will stay open as long as we can, Miss Rook, don't you worry about that."

As long as we can? What does that mean? Ravenna didn't find that very comforting at all. Morgan le Fay was her home. If the school closed and she was without employment, what would happen to her? There'd be no place left to go.

"Headmistress Slughorn is talking to the Ministry, and even to Hogwarts. We're doing everything we can to get Mr Dankworth's decision reverted. Let us worry about that. It's important that you all do your part to make sure it won't all be for nothing." She smiled encouragingly and wrung her hands together. "We've got to look forward. Let's all focus on practising our spells and studying our theory to make sure we're ready when we get our exams back, shall we?"

Ezra scoffed again, louder now. "What's the point?" he exclaimed. "What's the point in looking forward and thinking of the future, when we clearly don't have one?"

Professor Trindine's face fell. Her eyes widened, making them look even bigger behind her round glasses.

"Ezra is right," Ravenna blurted out. The truth, having nibbled at her for a long time, burrowed its way under her skin, like a gnome digging its way underground. As long as people think Morgan le Fay students are inferior, they won't let us in. They won't let us have a life among them. "The wizarding world is pushing us out. Talking with the Ministry again and again obviously isn't helping."

Her eyes drifted to Willem, who sat staring down at his hands digging into the desk. We need a change, she knew. A real one. I have to do it... I have to go and meet Alois.

"Finally, someone who hasn't completely lost the plot," Ezra muttered. He looked over his shoulder appreciatively. "Too bad you cost us our exams," he added quietly.

"Ezra!" Ella punched his arm hard. "Don't be such a twat!"

"Ouch! Merlin, woman, I'm just takin' the mickey."

Ravenna didn't look up from her desk. It might've only been a joke to him, but he was right. It was all her fault, no matter what Ella said. I'll make it right. Ezra's remark only strengthened her decision to meet Alois. Dan would hate it, but this was important. He'd understand. Hopefully.

Professor Trindine sighed and sat down, taking her glasses off. Her eyes suddenly looked too small for her head, as she squinted at them. "I understand that this is painful. Perhaps looking forward is not the way to go for everyone. Perhaps taking things day by day is a better strategy for now. But I urge you not to give up hope quite yet. We are not giving up. We truly hope you won't either. We will do whatever is necessary to make sure we get our right for exams back."

"Whatever is necessary?" Ella squeaked.

Ravenna's heart stopped when the younger girl peered over her shoulder, right at her.

"You won't kick Ravenna out, will you? It really wasn't her fault, you know!"

Her cheeks flushed at Ella's kind words, but she couldn't bring herself to look up at their teacher, while she awaited her answer with baited breath. Her fingers curled around the edge of her seat.

What do I do if they kick me out?

Where do I even go?

I'll have to spend the rest of my life locked up in my room at home...

"Of course not!" said Professor Trindine. "Everyone knows this wasn't your doing, Miss Inkwood. Please don't feel responsible. Don't you worry, we will find another way to fix this. We will not turn our back on our students."

She nodded, blinking away tears of relief as the heavy stone in her stomach crumbled. "Thanks, Professor."

Yet her consolation hadn't popped the balloon filled with guilt inside of her. Yes, Dankworth had been prejudiced. But if it wasn't for her attacking him, perhaps he would only have taken away the funding. Not the exams.

Ravenna spent the rest of the morning trying to catch Ella alone. An awkward "Thanks for earlier" was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to bring it up again in front of everyone. By the time the last lesson of the day rolled around, magical creatures with Professor Fauns, she promised herself she'd get Ella away from the others for a chat before dinner.

The subject was thestrals today. Big, horse-like creatures that were only visible to those who had seen death. It was a tough subject for Professor Fauns, because he couldn't see the creatures he was trying to teach them about. Instead, he gave a long lecture before sending them off to feed and groom their assigned thestral.

"Ravenna? I've lost him again." Dan searched around the clearing, but his eyes never landed on the thestral that stood right in front of him.

"He's right there," she chuckled, pointing.

He stuck his arm out, flinching when his hand hit the creature. "Found you. Thanks, Raven. Merlin, it feels like he's nothing but skin and bones. They can't be pretty, can they?"

They weren't exactly beautiful creatures, but they were striking in their own way. They looked a little like gaunt, almost starved horses with wings. Their hollow eyes shone silver like a werewolf's moon. They did not have hair; their skin felt leathery and coarse. But their crude and sinister appearance did not reflect their nature at all. These skittish creatures were just as afraid of humans as most humans were of them.

"Not really. They're very intelligent, though. They have a great memory, and did you know they can sense it when you're sad? They'll try and cheer you up by licking your face. It's a token of affection for them."

Dan leaned his head back, away from the thestral. "Gross."

She chuckled. "Try not to be sad in front of them."

"Ravenna?"

"Hey, Ella. What's up? Lost your thestral?" Being the only one of all of them who could see them, Ravenna kept having to lead the creatures back to her classmates.

"No, but I think Ezra did. Could you help him out, please?"

Her eyebrows raised. "Oh, er... Yeah, sure."

Behind Dan she spotted Ezra walking around the clearing with his arms out, like a zombie, looking for the thestral he couldn't see. She made her way over and lead the creature towards him. He whinnied as she patted its back.

"Thanks," said Ezra, when he could finally feel the leathery skin under his fingertips again. "I really hate this lesson. How are you supposed to groom them if you can't even see them?"

"Try whistling."

He shot her a distrustful glare. "Whistling?"

"Yeah. Thestrals are sensitive creatures, and they adore music. Whistle a tune and it might come to you."

Ezra hesitated, then took a big step back, looking straight through the thestral to the ground he knew it was supposed to stand on, he puckered his lips and whistled the latest Weird Sisters hit. The creature immediately perked its ears up.

"Is it working?"

"Yes, keep going."

He carried on and the thestral took a step forward. Then another, until it nudged its nose against Ezra's chest. He flinched, but patted the creature on its neck. "Hey, look at that. It actually worked."

"Course it did. I know my creatures." She grinned, before walking back towards her own thestral.

But she'd barely taken two steps when Ezra stopped her. "Look," he said, obviously struggling to find the right words. "I know we haven't exactly been on the best terms this year. Or... ever, I guess. But Ella is like a sister to me, and it's really important to her that we're all friends."

Confusion raised her eyebrows as she glanced at the girl, who was hugging her thestral's neck with a huge smile on her face. "It is? Why?"

"Blimey, I don't know!" said Ezra, throwing his hands up in frustration. "'Cause she's bonkers? Family is important to her, and she sees her classmates as like a second family. Besides, you know, her actual family are muggles. I don't think she can really talk to them about magic and the wizarding community, because they don't understand any of it."

"Oh." She almost laughed. It was so typical of Ella. Ravenna had never met such a happy, bubbly girl before. Most Morgan le Fay students had been through too much to still be so optimistic. But not Ella. Nothing would bring her down. She'd be glass-half-full even when the world burned around her. Ravenna could hear her now. "Well, at least it's nice and warm around here."

"Yeah," Ezra grunted. "Anyway, she can't stand the fact that you and I don't get along. She's been busting my balls about it for weeks."

"Oh." Ravenna patted the creature's neck awkwardly. So that was why Ella had asked her to help him.

"Yeah."

He crossed his arms, refusing to look at her. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, unsure of how to proceed. Did he expect her to say something? To... apologise, perhaps? She glanced helplessly at Ella and Dan, but they were both busy with their thestrals.

Before she could make a decision, Ezra shrugged. "So I figured, you know, we can just leave all that behind us, right? Like, whatever. All a bit silly anyway, innit? Big fuss over nothing, really."

She snorted. "Right," she said, smiling. "That sounds good."

"Right," he repeated. "Brilliant. I can tell Ella to get off my back, then."

Ravenna smiled, her footsteps feeling a bit lighter as she crossed the clearing to her thestral. Perhaps Ella was on to something. The guilt would never leave her entirely, but it was a lot easier to bear with good people around her.

Good people, who deserved so much better than what life was throwing them.