Saturday 21st December
Oh, thank goodness the
week is over. This has been the most exhausting two weeks of my entire life. It
has been our end-of-term assessments so that the teachers can find out how well
we are all doing and if any of us need extra help, or if some of us are just
lazy. I actually think that I did okay though. At least, I hope I did.
The
first big test we had was in Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall assigned us
a huge essay about the importance of pronunciation and precision with wrist
movement. We had to give examples too. Jed’s pig tail on his glass acted for an
excellent example of how easily a spell could go wrong. I thanked him, after
the test, and the two of us had a laugh over it. After the test, I convinced
him to show Josie what we were laughing about. Sitting her down in the Great
Hall Jed said to her, “José, you know how you’re always the one showing me new
spells?” With a smile poking up in the corner of her mouth, she nodded. “Well,
I’ve got something special to show you.” I sat myself down opposite Josie while
Jed went to fetch a glass. Placing the glass down between me and Josie, Jed
asked her, “Are you ready?” Again, she nodded. “Watch this… Mus-lee-oink-fus!”
Josie clapped her hands to her mouth as a curly tail twirled its way out from
the side of the glass.
“Jed,”
she giggled. “What happened?”
“I
invented a new spell,” he told her with a smile. “Have you ever wondered what
your glass would look like if it had a pig’s tail? Well wonder no more,” he
beamed. “For I have invented the spell that reveals all.” At this Jed held his
hands out towards the pig-tailed goblet. The three of us were in stitches
laughing.
The
next exam that we sat was History of Magic. This was the one that I was
dreading the most, but it actually wasn’t that bad. It was on Emeric the Evil and
Uric the Oddball. Thanks to Josie’s way of helping us remember Emeric is Evil
as both words begin with ‘E’ and Uric is the Oddball, because Uric is an odd
spelling, it so helped me (and Jed) to not mix the two up. I think I actually
stand a chance at passing that test.
Then
there was Defence Against the Dark Arts. A lot of that involved self-teaching
myself from ‘The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection’ by Quentin Trimble and a
couple of textbooks that Josie showed me. We had a practical too, where
Professor Quirrell called each of us into his office individually and we had to
use a defence spell to protect us, as he cast Stingktum Alosca. I managed to
get away with Protego, which is the shielding spell to use against dark charms.
It worked, because I didn’t get stung. I was a little too scared to try Everte
Statum or Petrificus
Totalus on a teacher though – it didn’t seem right.
Herbology
involved a sort of multiple-choice word and definition sort of quiz. Professor
Sprout gave us a sheet of paper with seven different types of plants names on
the left-hand side and their uses on the right hand side. I don’t think I did
too badly, although now I’m worried that I may have gotten Spiky Bushes and Spiky Prickly Plants mixed up. I’m sure
that Spiky Bushes are the ones that you can get rid of using a fire spell (like
Incendio), whereas to get rid of Spiky Prickly Plants you need to use the
severing charm, Diffindo (which we won’t learn until Second-Year). I think…
Part of me really wants to go and ask Josie, but I’m too scared, because if
I’ve gotten them mixed up, I’ll know straight away that I’ve failed.
In Charms, Professor Flitwick had us
writing an essay about the creation of charm spells and their properties. This
was really difficult. It’s kind of like the science bit, or the how stuff works
part. I’m hoping that I’ve done enough to pass anyway. Like in Professor
Quirrell’s class, we all had to line up outside of his office and he called us
all in one at a time. The spell that he wanted us to perform was Wingardium Leviosa,
which luckily, I can do. However, it
was a little more tricky than just saying the spell – he wanted us to control
the direction in which the feather travelled across the room. He had me loop it
around the metal beam that crossed the ceiling. I managed to do it though. It
was a little shaky, but I did it.
Luckily,
we didn’t have an assessment in Flying – although Madam Hooch has threatened us
that we will at the end of the academic year. I’m defiantly not looking forward
to that one. On the plus side, because of all of the exams, the bad weather and
with Christmas coming up, Flying has been postponed until part way through
January. That’s like a month without Flying – whoopee. There also isn’t an exam
for Astronomy, but Professor Sinistra has already told us that our end-of-year
grade is based upon a huge portfolio of work, as well as an exam, so it’s a
good job that I’ve been doing my homework.
The
last exam was Potions. Like most of the other exams, this one too was divided
into the theory and the practical. First Professor Snape had us write an essay
explaining how to make the Sleeping Beauty potion, as I call it – otherwise
know to Snape as Wiggenweld. I don’t think that I did too badly, as I actually
tried to learn this potion fairly well – you know, just in case I find someone
who happens to become the next Sleeping Beauty. What? It could happen.
And then obviously, making the Wiggenweld Potion was the practical. Again, I
think I did okay. Sneaky Snape never gave anything away though – not even to
Blondie, which is a surprise, being as he is his favourite.
*
Now that all of the
exams are out of the way, I have finally gotten into the Christmas spirit. A few
days ago, Jed, Josie and I were walking into the Great Hall when we noticed a
giant Christmas tree was following us. “Mellie… the tree has feet,” Josie
stuttered, tugging at my sleeve. As she pointed at the big, brown fur boots
that poked out underneath the tree’s trunk, the tree swayed a little to one
side and a head appeared around the other.
“Hey
Hagrid,” grinned Jed with a salute, spotting his furry face from the side of
the fir tree. “Need a hand?”
“Nah,
I’m alright, Jed,” smiled Hagrid. “Tis me last one.” We stepped aside and let
Hagrid plod on through, with the last of his fir trees.
Following
Hagrid inside the Great Hall, I gasped. Eleven Christmas trees were already
dotted around the room, all covered with a magnificent rainbow of coloured
candles, sparkling tinsel and traditional baubles – at least I know that there
isn’t a difference in wizards and Muggles Christmases. The walls were streamed
with red and green chains and gold and silver streamers. Holly and mistletoe
were draped around the pillars. I even noticed that one small branch was
entwined above the Great Hall door – typical teacher joke, I guess. It looks
like we’ll all be double checking the doorway before we come and go.
As
Hagrid set the twelfth Christmas tree down near the staff table, Professor
McGonagall and Professor Flitwick headed straight towards it. Between them they
sang out several different cheerful, holiday-like melodies and danced their
wands about. As they did the last of the Christmas trees sprang to life.
Squeezing my arm, Josie gasped at me side. “Don’t ya j’st love Christmas?”
smiled Hagrid.
“I do
now,” I beamed back. “I can’t believe we’re gonna be staying here over the
holidays,” I exclaimed hugging Josie. “I’m so excited. I don’t think I’ve ever
been so excited for Christmas before.”
“Aye,”
said Hagrid as he stepped towards the three of us and threw his arms around us.
“You girls’ll be stayin’ then.” Josie and I nodded.
“An’
I’m headin’ off tomorrow,” Jed told him.
“Well
then, I bests be givin’ yer me gifts,” Hagrid cheered. “But don’t go openin’
‘em ‘til Christmas now, yer hear,” he said as he handed us each a small, brown
parcel.
“Hagrid,”
I gasped, clasping a hand to my chest. A lump built up inside my throat. My
stomach tingled. Forcing myself to blink, my eyes began to sting. “I… I don’t
know what to say… thank you so much.” Josie seemed to tear up too, as she went
over to hug him.
“Thank
you, Hagrid,” she smiled. “You really shouldn’t have.”
“Aye, I
wanted ta give ya all a little sumink t’ show my appreciation of ya comin t’
see me, like,” Hagrid said, as he embraced us once more.
Hearing
shouting coming from the corridor, Hagrid went to investigate. The three of us
trailed behind him, wanting to see what was going on. Potter and Weasley were
arguing with Blondie. I rolled my eyes – I wasn’t surprised. “Weasley!” came a
yell. I shuddered. This voice belonged to one person and one person only:
Professor Snape. Hagrid tried to intervene, saying that the Weasley boy had
been provoked. I have no doubt that he was, but at the same time I have a
slight feeling that the Gryffindors deserved whatever Malfoy threw at them.
While Hagrid brought Potter and Weasley in from the corridor, I watched as
Josie lingered in the doorway.
She’s
been lingering by Professor Snape a lot lately, ever since he accused her of
stealing his wand. She hadn’t, of course. Josie had caught Pansy with it and
snatched it away from her. Of course, Snape appeared, just as Josie took his
wand from Pansy and assumed that she was the one who stole it. Josie was too
upset to object. When she told me and Jed what happened, we couldn’t believe
it. What was Pansy Parkinson playing at? You don’t just take someone else’s
wand – especially not one belonging to Professor Snape. The problem was being
as Pansy was a Slytherin and Josie a Ravenclaw, Josie stood no chance in
getting Snape to believe her. She had tried several times, but she just seemed
to linger in the doorway waiting for him to notice her. The second that he did,
she turned away, too scared to face him. Jed and I had offered to tell Snape
for her, but Josie didn’t seem to like the idea – she didn’t want us fighting
her battles for her.
“You
okay, kid?” Hagrid called out to her, noticing that she was still in the
doorway. Josie jumped, before spinning herself back towards us.
“Oh,”
she murmured, going pink. “I was hoping to catch Professor Snape, but-” Looking
back over her shoulder at the doorway, she sighed. “It looks like he’s in a bad
mood.” She pulled the cuffs of her jacket around her wrists, before joining us
at the table. “Maybe I’ll try later.”
“Givin’
out punishments this side a Christmas, aye,” Hagrid tutted, shaking his head.
“That there Malfoy kid had better get what’s comin’ to him.”
“I hear
ya there, Hagrid,” the Weasley boy agreed. Potter, at his side, nodded.
“Come
off it,” Jed laughed. “Snape wouldn’t dream of touching a hair on his
favourite’s head.” Although sarcastic, this was sadly true. If only Professor
Snape could wipe that smug smile off that pale little face of his.
“Arh,
Josie, I almost fer-got,” said Hagrid, snapping his fingers. We all turned
towards him as he began rummaging around in his pockets. “No that’s not it…” he
mumbled. “Nor that… not that either…” We started to giggle, as Hagrid gave a
huff. “Arh-ha!” he said with a grin as he fished out an envelope from a hidden
pocket behind his beard and handed it to Josie. “I was told t’ give yer this
wiv strict instructions a not to open it ‘til Christmas day.”
“Thanks,”
said Josie as she took it. Leaning over her, me, Jed, Potter and Weasley all
tried to get a look at it. There wasn’t much point. It was just a plain
envelope with Josie’s name written on it in green ink. As she turned it over,
the back was sealed with a red, wax stamp with the Hogwarts crescent pressed
into it. It looked fancy. Whoever was writing to Josie definitely wanted to
make an impression. “Who’s it from?” she asked.
“Can’t
say,” said Hagrid with a shrug. “Sworn t’ secrecy.”
“Come
on,” Jed smiled, elbowing Hagrid in the side. “It’s Christmas… You can tell
us.” Holding a hand against his mouth Jed whispered loudly, “Or you can just
tell me.” We all laughed.
“Sorry,”
said Hagrid. He pinched his lips together, pressed his index finger and thumb
together and swiped them across his mouth, imitating a zip.
“It’s
okay,” Josie said with a shrug. “I’ll find out on Wednesday – it’s not that
long to wait.” She slipped the piece of paper into her bag.
I must
say, I am quite intrigued. I’m probably more curious about Josie’s mysterious
envelope than she is. It’s probably just some card off Fabian or something and
he couldn’t find her before he left, so he gave it to Hagrid, knowing that he’d
see her because she was staying behind. Yeah, that probably seems about right.
My mind can’t help but wonder though.
*
I can’t believe that
it’s going to be Christmas in four days. I’m so excited. Jed and all of the
others actually left Hogwarts last night, so it’s been pretty quiet since then.
It’s just me, Josie, Potter and the Weasley family that are left in the castle,
which is pretty cool. Tonight, at dinner we all got to sit around the teachers’
table, being as there were so few of us and many of the teachers had also left
to go home for Christmas. The only teachers that are left are Professor
Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Hagrid and Filch. I guess
I’m a little disappointed that Professor Snape didn’t stay, mostly because he’s
my Head-of-House and that I feel a little strange being surrounded by
Gryffindors, the Head-of-Gryffindor, a Ravenclaw and the Head-of-Ravenclaw. But I really couldn’t be happier. Just
four more sleeps to go!
- Josie -
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