Lottie Laurent | Ravenclaw | First Year

Charlotte Eliza Laurent was born on a warm, cloudy day in July 2013. She was the second-born child to her witch mother Chelsea and Muggle father Andy. Her family loved her very much and from the second she was brought home to meet her sister, Olivia, they were inseparable. Her sister was only two years older than Lottie. Olivia dotted Lottie as if she were a living doll. Ten months after the birth of Lottie, the final sister was born into the family. Lottie and her new little sister, Katie, were very close. The two looked like twins and acted like it. The three sisters would remain very close. The Laurent family lived in the town of Crawley. Her mother was a stay-at-home mother with all three girls, and their father worked in the family’s small bookstore downtown. The family was very happy and they would spend each night sitting around the dinner table playing board games or talking about their day until bedtime.
Lottie and her sisters would attend the primary school in Crawley. Lottie and Katie were in the same class and the two were like peas in a pod. Katie would do all the talking, while Lottie played quietly in the back, only ever talking to her sister if she needed something. The teachers often tried to tell Chelsea and Andy that it may be helpful to move the sisters to different classes, but they always said that it was fine for the sisters to be together and that Lottie would grow out of her shyness when she was ready.
The three sisters would still hang out at recess and outside of school. When Olivia reached the age where most girls become too old for dolls she stopped dotting on Lottie and Katie as much, but the three remained close. Having a mother who was a witch, a Hufflepuff Alumni to be specific, there were always the chances that the Laurent girls would also become witches. Chelsea and Andy had agreed that when they had children Chelsea would stop using magic around those children. They had also agreed that they would tell their children about magic like any muggle would, through fairy tales. Since Andy didn’t have a drop of wizard blood in him, he had never experienced the magic world, so his stories were just regular muggle stores. But Chelsea always peppered her tales with tidbits of stories from her youth, stories from her own experiences. Should any of their children show magical capabilities, it would be Chelsea’s job to tell the child about what was happening, but only enough to help take the edge off the nerves. Both parents feared the girls would talk about the wizarding world if they learned about it too young or knew too much and cause trouble.
On the first day of year 5, Lottie walked into her classroom as quietly as possible. She chose a seat in the furthest corner away from the teacher and the loud group of students. She sat with her bag on the desk and her face hidden behind it. Katie had been put in a different class from her, and this would be the first time in her life that she wouldn’t be able to have her sister speak for her. She was still pouting about it, and even though she had promised her mother she would try to have a good time, she was only focusing on the fact that she was alone.
As more students wandered in and took their seats, Lottie tried to be as hidden as possible and avoided eye contact with anyone and everyone. When the bell rang the teacher introduced himself and asked each student to say their name for attendance. As each student said their name, Lottie got more and more nervous, what if she messed up? What if she said her name weirdly? What if the class laughed?? When it became her turn, Lottie’s whole face went a deep red and her mouth got all dry.
‘What's your name, dear?” the teacher asked. Lottie figured it had to be pretty obvious, she was the only one who hadn’t said her name. She looked at the teacher and opened her mouth to speak. Instead of words, a loud gurgling sound came out. The entire class burst out laughing. Lottie’s face when even redder and all she could think was ‘Make it stop! Oh please make it stop!’ All of a sudden everyone was quiet. Lottie looked up and all the students were looking around super confused. It seemed like no one could make a sound! Lottie got up and ran from the classroom, confused and scared.