MJs Hogwarts Journal Chapter 42

Tuesday 4^th March

Where to start? Oww, on Saturday it was the next Quidditch a match. It was so exciting. The most exciting thing I have ever seen. It was Slytherin versus Ravenclaw. It was a little disappointing that Josie didn’t sit with us, especially with how excitingly close the match was. But as Jed reminded me, after last time (and with this match being against both our house) it was probably safer for Josie to sit with Fabian and his friends.

When I say closer though, I mean really close. Marcus Flint, Adrian Pucey and Vince Edwards may be amazing Chasers, but so are the Ravenclaw team. The points went back and forth all match. First Slytherin scored, then Ravenclaw, then Slytherin and Slytherin again. Just as it looked like we were in the lead, Ravenclaw spiked back and made the score even again. The game went on and on and on like this. It was so fascinating. It was like whatever one team gave, the other equalled it. It really was amazing. Just before the Golden Snitch was caught the score was one-hundred-and-fifty points each. The game really could have gone either way. The screams that sounded through the Slytherin bleachers when Terence Higgs darted past Cho Chang, grabbing the Snitch, they were deafening. Deafening, but exciting. We won. We actually won. There was a massive party in the Slytherin Common Room. Everyone was cheering and applauding. It was like we had all won the lottery. Wow – if this is how excited our house gets when we win one game, I wonder what it will be like if we win the house cup – or when we win the house cup, as Jed keeps correcting me.

*

Today’s Jed’s birthday. At first, he wasn’t as excited about it as I thought he might be. I pounced on him in the Common Room straight away in the morning. “Happy birthday!” I cheered, giving him a hug from behind.

“Wow, thanks,” he mused, looking at me over his shoulder. “I wasn’t expecting you to remember.”

“What?” I exclaimed. “But it’s your birthday.”

“So?” he shrugged, as he turned around to face me.

“So… it’s you birthday,” I said unable to believe that he was not excited. I think I was more than him. “Josie’s got your present,” I told him. “It’s from the both of us.”

“A present?” he muttered. “You didn’t have to,” he said as a smile crept across his face.

“Jed,” I sighed. “It’s your birthday. Of course you need a present.” Honestly, that boy. You’d think he had never even heard of a birthday before.

As we entered the Great Hall, I saw Josie sitting facing the doorway, watching out for us. Spotting us, she bounced up out of her seat with her hands behind her back. “Happy birthday Jed,” she beamed.

“Thanks,” he replied running a hand across the back of his neck.

“We got you something,” she said, as she looked from me to the birthday boy. As she glanced back over at me again, I nodded to her. “Here. Happy birthday,” she said, as she brought her hands around in front of her and handed the parcel to him. “It’s from both of us.”

“Aww, guys, you didn’t have to,” Jed blushed. “Thanks.”

“Well… open it,” I said as we made our way to the Slytherin table. Jed and I sat down, while Josie stood behind us. Jed tugged at the birthday paper. Josie had done a good job in wrapping it. The green paper with black and grey spots was very Slytherin-like. I don’t know where she got sellotape from, but it definitely got the job done.

“Wow!” Jed beamed as he opened it. “Guys, thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome,” we smiled in reply. We had gotten Jed a Slytherin coloured scarf, like some of the ones people wore to the Quidditch matches. Josie had asked Fabian to get it for us when he and his friends went to Hogsmeade. We felt a little bad that it was only one present and between us, but we agreed that it was definitely better putting our money together and buying one gift than if the two of us had tried to get him something separate. Jed made a point of giving us both really, over exaggerated hugs, before Josie left us, promising to meet us at lunch.

Whilst we ate our breakfast, the swooping flutter of owl post arrived. Hovering in front of us, two owls stared at Jed. The one closest to me was Jed’s owl Peggy. Between her claws she held onto a stack of birthday cards – these must have been from Jed’s family. Reaching over, Jed took the pile of cards from Peggy, so that she could perch down on the table. She landed on the edge of my plate and pecked at my pancakes. “Sorry,” Jed muttered to me.

“No,” I giggled. “It’s fine. Peggy can share.” I let her nip at the food on my plate, whilst I reached over to grab another pancake.

The second owl that hovered at our table was a lot larger than Peggy. I think it might have been a barn owl. It held three large packages in its claws and a smaller on by a string between its beak. “Peddington,” Jed said with a smile, as he removed the parcels from the owl. “Nice to see you, boy – how’ve you been?” Relieved from his load, the barn owl shuddered, before dropping to the table. “Peddington’s my parents’ owl,” Jed told me.

“Aww he’s nice,” I cooed. Peggy hopped up and down in front of me, fluttering her wings. “You’re cute too,” I told her – a little jealousy there, it seems.

Whilst we ate breakfast, Jed unwrapped the presents from his parents. He had a new jumper, a book called ‘Quidditch Through the Ages’, a small hamper full of chocolates, fudge and sweets as well as a small velvet, emerald green box containing a chunky, silver ring with swirls engraved around the edges. In the centre sat a dark green stone. “Wow,” Jed whispered. “This was my dad’s… and my grandad’s before that.” In the lid of the green box lay a folded piece of parchment. Taking it out, Jed unfolded it. It read:

Dearest Jack,

As you know this was your grandfather’s. It became mine upon my acceptance into the Slytherin house. Now my boy, I am passing it down to you. You’ve made your mother and I so proud.

All my love,

Dad x

Jed welled up a little, as he stuffed the note back inside the box and slid the ring on his finger.

*

I felt a little bad that Jed’s first lesson on his birthday was History of Magic. I guess Binns wasn’t too bad this morning – we did find out something sort of amusing about the Werewolf Code of Conduct though. After Binns droned on and on about it the other day, apparently it was an epic fail. The day that the document was supposed to be signed and put into effect, nobody showed up. What made it even more amusing is that it happened on the fourth of March 1637 – nearly four-hundred years ago to the day. At least Jed should be able to remember that fact, being as it’s the same day as his birthday. Transfiguration was alright too. Jed was so close to turning a mouse into a snuffbox. He had a silvery, tarnished box… it just had a tail, whiskers and little floppy, round ears. Still, Jed was the closest in the class to making any progress. Blondie seemed to try and make a fuss over his attempt. He managed to change the colour of his mouse from a deep brown to a sort of bronzey-gold, but apart from that, Jed’s was better. Jed seemed to let Blondie take the limelight, but I could tell that he was a little annoyed. Pressing his hand against his fist, Jed glared over at Blondie several times throughout Professor McGonagall’s class.

*

When we arrived in the Great Hall for lunch, Josie was already there with Jed’s cousin Vince. Vince pulled Jed into a headlock and ruffled up his hair. “‘Appy birthday cuz,” said Vince as he let Jed go. “Gotcha summink,” he told him as he handed Jed a hand-size, packaged. Jed opened it. It was a can full of ‘Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans’ – Jed was happy. “And…” he said as he stepped to the side of Josie. Bending down, Josie picked something up that she must have had sat on a seat. Bringing it into view, Jed and I gasped as Josie showed us a large, round, chocolate cake. “She’s got good taste,” Vince said to Jed.

“Well Vince is good at getting them to make what I want,” Josie laughed, as she placed the cake on the table. Jed sat down on the opposite side of the table with a massive smile on his face.

“Of course she has a good taste in cake,” Pansy retorted, as she walked into the Great Hall, hugging Blondie’s arm. Scarlett, Priscilla, Crabbe and Goyle weren’t too far behind them. “She is a fat lump after all.” What a nasty little witch if ever I saw one. It’s bad enough that she insults Josie every chance she gets, but on Jed’s birthday. What was she trying to do? Make a scene and get Jed mad at her? If that was her plan it was working.

“Oh, shut up Pansy,” Jed groaned.

 “Why stick up for her?” Pansy pouted. “Even Draco agrees.” Jed’s glare returned. Josie gazed at them as her previous smile drained from her face. Vince nudged her, but not realising his own strength, I think he may have hurt her, for I caught Josie rubbing her arm few seconds later.

“Come on,” said Vince, trying to drag everyone’s attention away from Pansy. “Let’s light the candles. You need t’ make a wish Jeddy – better make it a good un.” Josie whipped out her wand and muttered something. A purple spark shot out of her wand and lit the candles. The flames sparked like fireworks. Each candle blazed with light as little sparks show out. It was amazing. I have never seen anything like it. With Vince leading the song, we all sang out, “Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to Je-ed. Happy birthday to you,” before he blew out the sparks.

Wafting smoke away from us, I gave a cough, as I heard Blondie say, “Pretty impressive spell.”

“Thanks,” Josie muttered, staring at the table. She hadn’t looked in Blondie and Pansy’s direction since Pansy’s little comment.

“You’re only showing off,” Jed mumbled.

“Showing off?” Josie repeated in an offended tone. Placing her hands on her hips she said to Jed, “Well excuse me for trying to do something nice.”

“Something nice?” Jed laughed. “That wasn’t something nice. That was: ooow, look at me. I can do a really complicated spell – bet you can’t.”

There was a ring out of, “Oooow,” from around the room, as a crowd began to gather. Gripping my forehead, I sighed. Why did they have to fight today? Why on Jed’s birthday and in front of everyone too? Why couldn’t they have argued yesterday or tomorrow even? And why not in the library or in Hagrid’s hut? Anywhere but the Great Hall.

“What?” Josie exclaimed frowning at him. “You’re my friend, why would I do that?”

“‘Cause you’re a know-it-all and a show-off and I’m sick of it,” he growled at her standing up.

“You are such an ungrateful, little cockroach,” Josie snarled. “Remind me never to do you a favour again.”

“I’ll do you one better,” Jed said as his eyebrows shot up. “Never speak to me again.”

I wanted to interject, but I had no idea what to say. Jed was way out of line, but what Josie did was no better. I can see how Jed got mad. That was a complicated spell, even Blondie agreed, and she knows how easily riled Jed gets when she shows us something. My mouth froze open as I rooted to the spot. This was much worse than any other argument the two of them had ever had before. Much worse.

“You know what,” Josie cried. “I thought you were different, but now I agree with the rest of the school – there isn’t one nice person in Slytherin.” As her eyes sparkled, Josie grabbed her bag and marched off towards the doorway. Turning back to us she said, “I hate you – all of you,” before throwing the door open and storming off.

*

I have no words. There isn’t anything that I can say. After Josie ran off, I sat down next to Jed and tried my best to calm him down. Scarlett and Priscilla sat opposite us and tried to help too. I honestly don’t know what happened. It came out of nowhere. Okay, so Jed was already wound up from Blondie showing off in Transfiguration and I dare say Pansy’s comment shook Josie up at little, but there was no reason for them to start screaming at each other. Maybe they’re just too opposite to be friends. This really is upsetting me now. I like them both. I can’t choose between them. I get along with both of them all the time, so why can’t they get along with each other? That’s the joys of school, I guess. I’m going to try and talk to Josie tomorrow and see if I can figure this out.

- Josie -