MJs Hogwarts Journal Chapter 24

Monday 11^th November

This morning, I poured myself a bowl of cornflakes as the owl post arrived. Squawking overhead, the birds flapped about, malting a few feathers amongst the room, as they came to land by those who had post. Jed’s small speckled bird perched on the edge of the juice jug and dropped an envelope down in front of me. “Good girl, Peg,” Jed beamed as he stroked his owl’s head. “Not even an inch within my food.” Looking down at the envelope my eyes widened.

“It’s for me?” I gasped. I stared down at the envelope, before looking at Jed.

“Well…” he said, staring back at me. “Open it.”

I knew by staring at the handwriting on the envelope that it was a letter from Viki. Tearing it open, I made sure that I read it all through first before revealing anything to Jed. Who knows what my sister could have written? She apologised for the late reply, but said that Dad was against sending a letter with an owl. He had tried to get her to take it to a Post Office, like everyone normal, but it was Mom who managed to convince him that the Post Office might frown at the address and think it were a little strange, so he agreed to let Viki use Peggy.

She said that she and Mom were ever so proud of me for learning so many new things and how happy they were that I’ve already made lots of new friends. Viki told me that she knew that Dad was secretly proud too – he just didn’t want to admit to the fact that his daughter was a witch. I guess I’m okay with that. It wasn’t like I was after a huge congratulations and open arms. I just wanted to let them know how I was doing.

There wasn’t much to what she wrote. Most of Viki’s letter was her saying how jealous she was that I get to be a witch and cast magic spells and fly on broomsticks, while she’s stuck at home, in boring school with ordinary English, Maths and Science SAT’s to study for. I don’t think she quite grasped how difficult life is over here, but I’m not complaining. I wouldn’t give it up for the world. It really was nice to hear from her though. I found myself smiling from ear to ear all morning. Even Professor Snape’s stone glare and constant demand for improvement could not shake my smile.

*

Jed got detention. I’m not surprised really. He, Goyle and Trevor tend to be the regular pranksters – especially around Professor McGonagall. Trevor had already set fire to his textbook as he pretended to sneeze, but it was Jed’s spout of water that shot from his wand as he tried to make it look like sleeping Goyle had wet himself that earned Jed an evening’s detention with the professor. “Mister Edwards, what are the policies about messing around with magic in the classroom?” Professor McGonagall demanded as she towered over him.

“Only practise the spells in the classroom?” Jed responded with a cheeky smile. The professor sighed at him.

“Detention, Mister Edwards, is no laughing matter,” she told him with her stern stare. “You too Mister Goyle,” she said as she hovered over Gregory. “Detention. My office, straight after dinner.”

*

“It wasn’t that bad,” said Jed as he returned to the Slytherin Common Room, with Goyle, at seven o’clock. After dinner I had joined Scarlett, Pansy and Blondie around the fireplace in the Common Room. The four of us had been talking, whilst we waited for Jed and Goyle to return. Sitting down on the sofa arm next to Scarlett, Jed said, “She only had us clean her office,” with a shrug.

“Wiv no magic,” Goyle grumbled, as he stood beside Pansy.

“It wasn’t too bad,” said Jed, as I looked over at him.

“Well try not to make a habit of it,” I warned him.

“Nah, it’s fine,” Jed said. “The Weasley twins get into trouble all the time an’ they’re still here. Besides, it’s not like I did anything bad.” Scarlet gave a little giggle. I rolled my eyes – she was encouraging him. But in all fairness, the prank was pretty funny. I know of a certain individual or two that I’d like to try that spell on. Not mentioning any names of course.

- Josie -

MJs Hogwarts Journal Chapter 23

Friday 8^th November

Professor Snape’s Potions class was brutal. He was going through everything that we need to know for our end-of-term assessment next month, but he spoke so fast. It was beyond impossible to follow through anything that that man said. I know that the only way through it will be to study everything, but who has time for that? We have Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Astronomy, History of Magic and Defence Against the Dark Arts work to contend with. We have so much homework it is unbelievable. If I end out studying everything for everything, I don’t think I’ll eat or sleep for the next six weeks.

Luckily for Jed and I, we have a little secret weapon when it comes to studying. We call it: Josie. It’s not like we’re cheating. We aren’t copying from her or anything like that… it’s just… she actually listens and pays attention in every single class. Now don’t get me wrong, I do concentrate and listen too, it’s just that Jed and the boys are so funny sometimes that I can’t help but watch them and then I zone out and daydream at the most crucial moments. It’s like someone just has to mention the word ‘test’ and my mind switches off. But Josie, she seems to be able to remember everything that the professors say and in what order to study what and when and, well, we need her. She keeps Jed and I on task and points us at what pages in our textbooks that we should be on. Okay, I’d have figured it out eventually, but that really helps. I think everyone should be friends with a Ravenclaw. They really should.

So, the three of us were in the library today after classes, just like everyone else in our Year. We managed to get one of the square four-seater tables and shoved all of our stuff on the fourth chair – the three of us had learnt that this was the best way to keep ourselves to ourselves.

Josie had just had Potions last, so she had gone through the tortuous ramblings of Snape like the rest of us had. “I don’t think that Professor Snape’s that bad,” Josie had declared upon hearing Jed groan about this morning’s class. “Sure, the work’s hard, but he’s not a bad teacher.”

“Is she for real?” Jed laughed, jabbing a thumb in Josie’s direction. “I thought Snape was only nice to Slytherins?”

“He is,” Josie added with a shrug. “I just don’t think he’s as bad as people say… even if Potions is really hard.” Jed scoffed at this.

“He probably just said you were brilliant ‘cause you’re the only one who got the answers right,” he laughed. Jed didn’t seem to think that anything could be difficult for a Ravenclaw –I have to admit, I often though the same. He wafted a hand at her and shook his head, before going back to writing. I watched the corners of Josie’s eyes well up as she clenched her fists. I wanted to say something, but I knew that I couldn’t. Jed would only moan that I was taking sides, and this was weak compared to some of the insults they hurtled at one another.

With Jed and Josie writing away, I thought back to what Josie had said: “Snape’s not a bad teacher…” I know how Jed took it – he thought Josie liked Professor Snape as a person, but I think I get what she means now. Sure, he may be strict and kind of grumpy most of the time, but you actually learn stuff from him. He has a good way of teaching is, I think, what Josie was trying to get across. He’s better than Goonie Ghosty Professor Binns anyway, even if he didn’t favour Slytherin.

As I was about to ask Josie if I had understood what she meant about Professor Snape, she got up and wandered over to one of the cases of books. It was only the first bookcase from our table, but she disappeared from sight around the other side. This is going to make a lot more sense of I just draw what this part of the library looks like:

There we go. Okay, so my drawing skills aren’t the greatest, but now I don’t feel as though I need to describe the whole thing and I’m less likely to get confused or forget what I mean.

I watched after Josie as she left to find a book. Staring at the spot where I last saw her, I expected her to pop straight back out again, but she didn’t. Instead, I saw Blondie make his way over from the other side of the library and down the same aisle that Josie did. When she didn’t reappear, I leant forwards over the desk. Squinting my eyes, I tried as hard as I could to listen for their voices. No luck. All I could hear was the rambling of older students on the tables behind. They were so loud. Jeez, didn’t they know this was a library? I wanted to shush them, but I knew this would only earn me cold and harsh glares. Biting my bottom lip, I clawed my nails into my palms. ‘He has to be up to something,’ I told myself. ‘He just has to.’

I pressed my fists down onto the table and was about to push myself up from my chair when Josie appeared from around the corner of the bookshelf. Her cheeks bright pink, a smile stretched across her face as she made her way back to our table with a book in her arms and slid into her seat. Blondie followed her out and brushed a hand against the back of his head as he went back to his table.

Folding my arms across the table, I leant forwards with wide eyes and asked Josie, “Are you okay?” Without looking over at me she nodded and curled a piece of fallen hair behind her ear. “Josie… tell me. What happened?” I whispered, sounding a little more demanding than I wanted to.

“Nothing,” she said looking over at me with blushing cheeks. Biting her bottom lip, Josie looked over towards Blondie’s table and smiled. He looked up from his book and glanced in her direction. Josie’s eyes fell immediately to her book and I noticed a smirk spread across Blondie’s face.

“That’s it,” it muttered tapping Jed’s arm. “Blondie’s up to something.” Dropping his quill, Jed lifted his head. Glancing over at Malfoy, Jed gave a shrug.

“How can ya tell?” he whispered.

“I dunno… I just can.”

I gave the boys a hard stare on the other side of the room. If a stare could burn a hole through someone’s brain, then mine could. Ever since that moment on the train ride here I knew that he was up to something, but what? Public humiliation seems to be the name of Malfoy’s game and I refuse to let that happen to Josie. Even if it takes me all year, I will confront him.

Josie leant forwards over her work obstructing my view. My back tingled as I shuddered. My vision blurred. I pinched my eyes shut and I shook my head. I guess I had got a little carried away. “Come on José. What happened?”

“Nothing,” she insisted, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink. “Nothing happened.” I took another glance over at Malfoy and his mimickers. Josie must have seen my glare, because she sighed, “Fine,” and swiped a piece of loose parchment from her notebook. Dipping her quill into a different pot of ink (from the one that she had been using to write her essay) she began scribbling away on the piece of paper. I watched her write for some time. Eventually she looked up and glanced around, before sliding the piece of paper towards me. “I told you,” she whispered. “Nothing happened.” She looked from me to the piece of paper that she had just slid across the table and prodded her head towards it. As I took it from the table, Josie appeared to lose interest and went straight back to her work.

Nothing happened? This parchment was full of ink. Purple ink at that too. If it was that full, something happened…

Nothing happened? For a smart girl she’s not very bright when it comes to realising that something suspicious is going on. I guess she just thinks the best of everyone. Well I’m sorry José, but there is nothing good about this guy.

I know that I probably shouldn’t have done, but after we were finished studying and Jed and I were alone in the Slytherin Common Room, I showed him Josie’s little passage. I needed a second opinion and Jed knows Blondie better than anybody. Leaning back on the sofa, Jed sniggered several times as his eyes travelled across the page, before handing the parchment back to me. “What’s so funny?” I demanded. “Don’t you think he’s up to something?”

“Up to something?” Jed laughed. “Are ya mad? The only thing Malfoy’s guilty of is showin’ off. Now José on the other hand…” he smirked and shook his head.

“What?” I exclaimed, a lot more loudly than perhaps I should have done. Several students from other Years turned around to see what was going on. Holding my breath, I tried not to look at them. “What’s so funny?” I hissed. Pinching his lips together, Jed was trying to hide a laugh. “Tell me.”

I felt my cheeks heat up. Jed wasn’t taking me seriously at all. This was super important. This, this… big headed, egotistic, pure-blood, hot-headed punk was up to something and Jed could do nothing but laugh. Clenching my fists, I gritted my teeth to stop myself from saying something that I knew I’d later regret.

“You’re a girl,” said Jed rather matter-of-factly. “And you really don’t know?” Trying to show my impatience, I sighed at him and shook my head. Jed laughed again. “I actually can’t believe it… but it’s obvious… and I’m a guy…” Spreading out my fingers, I rolled my wrists, gesturing to Jed to spit it out already. “Ignorin’ the purple ink and Josie’s swirly, girly handwriting… I think it’s safe to say she’s got a crush.”

“What?” I exclaimed feeling the pulse pounding through my ears. “On Malfoy?” I honestly felt a little sick saying that. “No way! It can’t be. She’d have told me. I-”

“Don’t ask for my advice if you’re not willin’ t’ take it,” said Jed. “But you know I’m right.” Realising that I was still frowning at him, my eyes darted to the piece of paper in my hands. “Read it again,” Jed said as he pushed himself to his feet. “Sleep on it. Then tell me what you think.”

“Where are you goin’?” I called out to him.

“Bed,” was all he replied with a wave and walked off.

Alone, I curled up by the fire and read through Josie’s piece again and again and again. Leaning against the side of the sofa arm, my eyes lowered a little as I gazed at the page. The letters began to swirl around as I stared. I pinched my eyes shut and groaned. Now I could see both. Reading it through again, I picked up on the little hints that Jed must have seen that I never noticed before. The way she smiled at him. The way she blushed when he spoke to her. And that giggle. No! It can’t be. It isn’t. Forcing my eyes to focus I read it through again. Josie’s shy. It’s just her nerves being around someone else. It’s obvious. She so doesn’t have a crush on Blondie. Stupid Jed for sticking that disgusting thought in my head. And he’s a guy, so what does he know? I know Josie and she’d tell me if she liked anyone… wouldn’t she? Grrr! Why am I over thinking this? I hate Jed. I ask for his opinion on Malfoy and I get a response about something he doesn’t know anything about. Well I’ll show him. I’m right and I know it. Malfoy’s up to something. Okay, it’s been two whole months and I still don’t know what it is yet, but it’s something. And when I find out, who will be coming to me for advice? – That’s right, Jed.

Owh gosh, does that even make sense? I’m so tired. I’ve been over thinking this for nearly an hour. I’m so glad that tomorrow’s Saturday, because I really couldn’t handle classes at 9am. I’m off to bed.

- Josie -

MJs Hogwarts Journal Chapter 22

Tuesday 5^th November

Okay, this is just a mega quick little entry just to say how amazing Bonfire Night was. There was another amazing feast. This time it was full of meaty soups, small pastries, a bean stew, sausage rolls and toffee covered apples. There was also this cake-like dessert called Parkin; it was kind of a really sticky, sweet oat-type cake – I think it had honey in it too. Whatever it was, it was nice. During the feast Professor Dumbledore pointed his wand up to the ceiling and muttered an incantation. Small, colourful sparks exploded in clusters throughout the ceiling’s sky. White, red, green, blue, yellow and purple sparks crashed and danced about above us. It was just like having our own firework display, but without the disgusting smoke. It was mesmerising. It’s a shame that it was over so quick though. I would love to be able to know how to make my own firework explosions someday. That would be a pretty cool party trick to learn.

- Josie -