MJs Hogwarts Journal Chapter 47

Friday 11^th April

It’s now Easter half-term. A few students have gone home for Easter, which is next week on Sunday, but mostly everyone has stayed – I’m guessing it’s to help each other study, that and not many families do an awful lot special from Easter, like they do Christmas. Only about ten Slytherins have gone home for Easter. I don’t know any of them by name and none of them are in my Year. I don’t know whether Josie has stayed or not. I know that she did over Christmas, but I didn’t see her at dinner, so maybe she went home, I don’t know. She still isn’t speaking to us, not that Jed or I have even tried communicating with her. I guess we’ve just decided that we have to accept that Josie isn’t coming back and that it’s just the two of us now. That sounds more lonely than it actually is, I mean I’ve got the girls too and Jed has Blondie and his buddies, but I guess it still feels like something is missing.

*

Goodness, we have had so much homework and revision to do. I can’t believe that the entire school year will be over in just over a month’s time. We’ll be doing our exams on the nineteenth until the twenty-third of May and then that’s it. Our whole years’ worth of studying is done. That’s pretty scary when you think of it like that. There is so much that I need to learn. Defence Against the Dark Arts is probably the subject that I’m panicking about the most. I still have no idea of the difference between Vermillious and Verdimillious – I know that they have something to do with coloured sparks, but that’s as far as my memory goes. Then there’s Flipendo, which is a knockback jinx used to repel an opponent or object, but the description of that wand movement in the book is so confusing that I have no idea where to start. It says, ‘Start with a descending correction mark, up to the mountainous arc; the curvature is only slight before you dip to you and flick,’ – yeah, like I’m ever going to understand that.

I’m still struggling to get the transfigurating formula right. Professor McGonagall always tells me that I’m out by one or two. I just don’t get it. Isn’t the formula supposed to be unique to the individual anyway, so how in Merlin’s name would she know what my personal strength formula is?

I guess I’m not doing too badly in Potions. I’m managing to make them in class most of the time, except I do sometimes get my left and right stirring the wrong way around. I think that most of the potions that I have made have turned out okay though. And I think that my theory work is getting there. I usually get a ‘Good’ scribbled on the bottom of my homework when Professor Snape hands them back, so that can’t be bad.

Astronomy is getting harder though. Professor Sinistra is making us learn more and more names of constellations. I know that there are eighty-eight in total and that most of them are to do with animals. There is an eagle, a ram, a crab, a goat, a giraffe, a whale, a dove, a swan, a lizard, a lion, a scorpion, a wolf, a fox and a fly. One of the unusual ones I found out is that there is a dragon-shaped one with Blondie’s name – his parents must have named him after it, lucky thing. I think I would have liked to be linked to a phoenix, they are magical, fiery creatures, that would be pretty cool, or what about oow, the queen, Cassiopeia – everyone bow down to your Queen Cassiopeia, hehehe. Okay, what would Jed be? He can be the compass, Pyxis, because he’s always changing direction personality-wise. I think I’ve found one that Josie would have wanted to be named after, the unicorn, Monoceros, it doesn’t quite sound as nice as Josie does though. I don’t think I’m doing too badly on the constellation side, but Professor Sinistra has us memorising the names of Jupiter’s moons. I can just about remember Metis, Adrastea and Amalthea… ow and I think one might be called Europa, but that’s as far as I can remember. I can’t believe that she wants us to remember all sixty-three. What on Earth (or should I say Jupiter) will that test be? Naming them all? It will take me the whole hour just to answer that one question. They all have such stupid names; they’re too difficult to remember.

And don’t even get me started on Tarantallegra. I wouldn’t even know the thought process. I tried to see if I could use a similar sort of formula to the transfiguration one to see if that helped, but it didn’t. Professor Flitwick only wants us to be able to make a feather dance and I can’t even make it flutter. It’s so frustrating. I just hope that it isn’t on the test. Knowing my luck, it will be.

Oh, how I wish we had Josie with us to study. It would make things so much easier. Whenever I used to get confused, she would always just explain something to me, now I’m finding that I’m having to wander mindlessly around the library to try and find a similar book to the compulsory textbook and read the entire thing cover-to-cover, before realising that it isn’t much help and going to find another one. At least if I wanted to read the book for myself before, Josie would have told me which one to read. She probably would have known which section in the book too. Okay, this sounds really whiny and like I rely on her too much, but I think that’s what mine and Jed’s problem is. We were relying on Josie too much. Whenever we didn’t get anything, we just asked her, and she’d tell us. Or if she didn’t know, she’d go away read a book the come back and tell us everything that we needed to know.

Speaking of Jed, he’s been bugging me something terrible when it comes to revision. He’s been asking me so many questions and all of the time too. He literally goes from one question to another in a matter of minutes. “For Reparo, do you move your want left to right – or right to left? What about Vermillious, is that one that reveals objects hidden by Dark Arts spells or is that Verdimillious? Did Gaspard Shingleton get imprisoned for the massive Soap Blizzard leak in thirteen-seventy-eight, or is he the cauldron guy?” Seriously, I could scream. How did Josie used to put up with this? No wonder she worked herself up about not having enough time for her own studies. Jed’s hard work… very hard work. I’m hoping that he’ll grow out of it. I’ve been imagining what he’ll be like when we study for our N.E.W.T exams in our last year – he’ll be a nightmare. I just hope this past month has made him realise just how much he used to rely on her.

*

Leaving the library, Jed and I decided to walk to the Common Room by taking a detour up on the second floor. Sometimes we like to just wander around on a different floor to the one that we need. We just like looking around the castle or sometimes it’s because we want to stay away from large groups of people – especially if we’ve heard that a fight between some of the older years in opposing houses breaks out. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, you really know about it. A Gryffindor and a Ravenclaw put each other in the Hospital Wing the other week. The Ravenclaw girl accused the Gryffindor Fifth-Year of trying to cheat off her. Whether he did or not I don’t know, but the pair of them used such strong spells that they ended out spending two whole days in the infirmary.

Whilst walking along the corridor though, Jed and I overheard the conversations of three of the Hogwarts staff. The voices belonged to the Headmaster, Deputy Headmistress and Professor Flitwick. Hearing voices coming from one of the classrooms, Jed and I crouched down outside it. “Yes Minerva, I am aware of the dangers,” said the Headmaster. “But I am afraid that the evidence is too weak to support this. The Ministry need proof.”

“Oh, but Albus, Hagrid’s found three dead unicorns already,” Professor McGonagall protested. “We don’t need a fourth.”

“But we have no proof of what killed them,” Professor Dumbledore pointed out.

“Surely the Ministry will look into it,” she replied. “After all, three of the forest’s most greatest creatures don’t just drop down dead.” My eyes widened as I stared at Jed. We had been right, something terrible was going on. The teachers knew about it too, they just needed evidence.

“I bet we could find out something,” I whispered to Jed. “If we just went back.” He nodded.

“If we could lure that thing towards the troll…” he muttered.

We jumped hearing Professor Flitwick cry out, “And the bite marks. Don’t forget about those. Anything that feasts upon a unicorn is-”

“I know,” croaked Dumbledore. “I know too well what that means: A curse so strong that it keeps you alive, even if you are moments from death. A pain so vivid that any who feels it would wish that they were dead, as opposed to the agony that is pulsing through their body.”

“But what would do something like that?” Professor McGonagall exclaimed. “What would cause itself so much pain and suffering?”

“Not what. Who,” said the Headmaster. Professor McGonagall gasped.

“Now, now,” barked Flitwick. “You can’t be expecting us to be believing that, can you Albus?”

“Arh, but Filius, the prophecy has spoken,” came Dumbledore’s calm reply.

“But that was over ten years ago!” Professor McGonagall snapped. There was silence. “You aren’t telling me… oh Albus, no…”

“I’m afraid so Minerva; I’m afraid so,” were the last words that we heard Professor Dumbledore say. Hearing footsteps coming up the staircase, Jed and I ran.

Reaching the doorway to the Slytherin Common Room, Jed and I leant against the wall and panted. “What do you think they were talking about?” I asked Jed, a hand pressed firmly into my chest, as I begged for air.

“I dunno,” he breathed. “Could be anything.”

“We need to go back,” I told him.

“How?” he muttered. “We need the key.”

“I know,” I replied.

“An’ why? What could we do?” he asked. I shrugged.

“You said it yourself… we could trap whatever it is… in with the troll,” I explained between raspy breaths. “Then Hogwarts is saved.”

“If only things were that simple,” Jed muttered.

“It could be,” I told him.

“So longs as we don’t get killed in the process,” he said bluntly.

“I know,” I muttered, lowering my head. “But we still need Josie’s key.”

- Josie -

MJs Hogwarts Journal Chapter 46

Monday 7^th April

Wow. It’s been over a month since Jed and Josie fought. I can’t believe that the two of them are able to hold grudges for so long. I can tell he misses her too though; he just tries not to show it. We were studying in the library on Friday when he said to me, “You know, Josie would love this,” and pointed to a photograph in a book of people having a tea party with dancing cups, teapots and cake. I gave him a longing look and he quickly flicked the page over. I wish Josie had been there to see that then maybe, just maybe, she would come back to us.

Jed’s still being acting up. I can’t tell what’s wrong with him, I really can’t. One minute he’s fine and then the next he’s getting himself into trouble. He and Blondie have been winding each other up a lot too – I’m surprised that they’re still friends. They insult one another so often, it’s unbelievable. If anyone ever called me a thick-skulled troll with a face full of toads’ boils and the body of a crippled salamander, then I would never speak to them again. And that’s without being told that I’m so stupid that Madam Pomfrey wouldn’t realise that someone had cast the Curse of the Bogies hex on me, because I already have snot for brains. I mean how insulting can you get? But they’ll be best friends by dinner again. Boys… I’ll never understand them.

*

I guess I’m getting there with the spells. I can kind of do Spongify – my textbook hasn’t turned bouncy yet, but it’s gone kind of soft and a little fury. I can do Incendio. I’m a little annoyed that I only mastered that one last week; it’s warm now, so I don’t really need it. Over winter I saw Granger using it and keeping the flame in a jar. Josie had used it once as well to start the fire in the Ravenclaw Common Room. Jed seems particularly good as this one – it was the first of the new charms that Professor Flitwick taught us that he got within the first lesson of practising. He was so pleased with himself and I’m really proud of him – I just hope that he doesn’t set anything or anyone on fire when he’s angry, or on accident. I can lock things too… I just haven’t been able to master unlocking them, which actually seems the more important of the two. Oh, and don’t get me started on Tarantallegra; it’s never going to happen. I think that I have wished to do this spell the hardest, and not just because I want to copy Josie either, but because it seems so cool. It’s just so frustrating. I’m never going to get it. Never, ever, ever.

Transfiguration spells aren’t going too badly either. I’ve just about managed to do Flintifors – the spell that transforms a sparrow (or any small animal) into a matchbox. I did it once. I managed to get a matchbox, but it did kind of jump a little. If this spell happens to be our practical exam, I could always just hold it the second that I’ve made it, that way Professor McGonagall might not notice if it flutters a little. I’m starting to get a hang of the transfigurating formula. It has something to do with the power of your mind (which is a little different from your concentration) and also how strongly you mean it when you cast the spell. I guess it’s kind of easier to say, if you aren’t paying attention and you try to sloppily say a spell, it’s never going to work. You really have to really try at it. However, if you try too hard, let’s say to create a matchbox, you may end out setting fire to it. I guess that’s kind of a little similar to something that Professor Quirrell said to us when we did a practical on Hallowe’en. He didn’t want the boys doing spells on the girls, because he was afraid that, as they didn’t know their own wizarding strength, they may hurt us more.

*

Something that just popped into my head, this happened on Friday. Okay, it was kind of bad and if it happened to anyone else or by anyone else, I might have been really mad at them, but it was actually pretty funny. After leaving Potions, I walked a little behind Pansy with Scarlett and Priscilla. We were talking about how Seamus had accidentally set fire to one of Professor Snape’s textbooks – that boy is always getting into trouble with fire, it’s funny. Anyway, just before we reached the Great Hall, I saw the Weasley twins stick their heads out from around the staircase next to the door. There was a third with them – a small red-head. The twins muttered something, then when the other with them pointed, they shot their wands and shouted what I think is the spell, “Colovaria,” but there was another word that I didn’t quite catch. A green spark shot out of each of the boys’ wands towards Pansy. Staggering back, she screamed. Her hair became neon green. I threw a hand over my face, trying not to laugh. Priscilla and Scarlett ran to Pansy’s side. Looking over to the pranksters, I saw them admiring their work through their laughter as they wandered into the Great Hall. It was then when I caught the identity of the third person who was with them. It was Josie. My smile grew even bigger. I always knew that Josie would have loved to pull a stunt like this.

As for Pansy, she ran off to the toilets, too embarrassed to come inside the Great Hall. Me, Priscilla and Scarlett had to spend the entire hour of lunch trying to lure her out of there. She just kept blubbering and flushing the chain, hoping that no one would hear her, but that only made things worse. Moaning Myrtle (she’s a ghost who haunts the girls’ toilets. I think she died in there or something, but I’ve been too afraid to ask her. I bet Josie knows – Myrtle was a Ravenclaw) floated her way in and started pointing and laughing at Pansy. I have to admit, I’ve never seen that ghost smile before, I guess Pansy cheered two people up in one day. But the jesting from Moaning Myrtle only made Pansy worse. She refused to speak to any of us. We had Defence Against the Dark Arts next. Scarlett stayed behind with her, whilst Priscilla and I promised to fill them in on whatever they missed. After class, before Charms, me and Priscilla stopped by the girls’ toilets to see if Pansy was still in there. You could hear here crying halfway down the corridor. I have no idea why a teacher didn’t go in there and check it out – then again everyone probably just thought it was Myrtle.

We did manage to convince Pansy to come with us to the nurse, Madam Pomfrey, who managed to change her hair colour back to black in a matter of seconds. However, Pansy was so hysterical that she refused to come to Charms and stayed in the Hospital Wing right up until dinner time. She was so overreacting. Okay, so I can see why she went into a bit of a meltdown, but did she honestly not think that there was a spell to reverse it? Even I knew that there would be. Like I said before though, if this spell was done on anyone else and by anyone else, I would have totally defended the person whose hair got discoloured, but something about this seemed a little amusing.

- Josie -