Mariya Kozlovskaya

For the first eleven years of her life, Mariya was surrounded by whispers. Whispers from the adults at the orphanage, gossiping amongst themselves about the strange occurrences that seemed to follow her. Whispers from the other children as they wondered how she had somehow gotten herself up to the roof for the fifth time – no one had believed her when she’d claimed to have woken up there. Tales of candy appearing in previously empty pockets or of flowers that waved to her as she played in the expanse of grass behind the orphanage had been dismissed as imagination or outright lies. No one had ever believed the stories that she had told her, until the day a strange woman had shown up to speak with her. Expecting to be adopted, her disappointment had been mitigated with the news the woman brought. Not only did she have real, actual magic in her blood, but she also had a place at a school for wizards. After years of fruitless hoping, she had finally gotten her ultimate wish: a safe place away from the whispers. As soon as she had stepped foot in Hogwarts, she had thrown herself into her studies and clubs. Though the woman hadn’t said it outright, Mariya had been in the system long enough to know how everything worked. People only wanted the best and the brightest. If she faltered, or messed up with her studies, she would end right back up where she had started.