How I Met the Marauders (A French Witch's Diary)
30 August
Here I go! From now on, I'll write and talk in English only. (Well, except to my parents because they wouldn't understand.)
Let's start with a little introduction (better be prepared if I have to introduce myself in front of everyone!).
I'm Eléa Bertrand, 18, French. I finished my schooling at Beauxbâtons last June and I applied for an extra term at Hogwarts in order to improve my English. People say it's very good already but I still make a few mistakes and my pronunciation can be quite awkward sometimes.
Eléa is not my real name, actually. I sort of made it up by taking the first letter of each of my given names: Emmanuelle, Laurence, Elise and Astrid. I love the sound of it. Plus, it's so much more original than Emmanuelle, even shorten to Emma or Manue.
Oh, and if you wondered, the blonde of my hair AND its reddish reflections are totally natural. Just like, of course, my eyes' rare shade of blue, so close to violet. Don't even ask about the curves - no magic there, I swear. They're just naturally nice...and in the right places. (A bit of humour is always good, isn't it?)
Okay, now I need to finish packing. I leave tomorrow, spend the night in London then Apparate in Hogsmeade, from where there's only a short walk to Hogwarts (according to what I've been told). Much better than taking their train with all the children of the first years!
I can't even tell whether I'm nervous or just excited about going abroad. Both at the same time, maybe?
- - -
1 September
I'm at Hogwarts! I arrived early to meet the teachers and visit the castle.
The Headmaster, Pr Dumbledore, welcomed me in person, offering me tea ("or coffee, because French people like coffee better, don't they?") in his office. He's an old, very kind but rather weird wizard and has a phoenix as a pet. He asked a lot of questions about my life in France, which is polite, I suppose ("never let a silence fall and always pretend to be interested even to the stupidest details" must be a motto of his), but it can also awkward. At some point, he even asked whether I had a boyfriend, as if he was my grand-father. Or some old pervert, but that thought I could quickly chase away because honestly, purple robes! The man obviously plays for the other Quidditch team. Anyway.
"I did have a boyfriend a couple of months ago but he wasn't pleased with my decision to come and study here, so we quarrelled and now it's over", I summed up in reply.
Hearing that, Pr Dumbledore expressed his regrets - then immediately tell me I would undoubtedly find many charming wizards in his school.
At the beginning of our conversation, he had announced that I would have a private room in the same corridor as the Head Girl and Head Boy, Lily Evans and James Potter. Now, I thoughtlessly asked whether James Potter was one of the said "charming wizards".
"He certainly is", the Headmaster replied, much more serious than I was, "but I'm afraid he has eyes for Miss Evans only." I was about to swear I didn't mean to become the Head Girl's rival when he added, "His best friend, perhaps, would suit you better."
I didn't know what to reply and I still don't know what to think. But I can't wait to meet Lily, James and that friend of him who might "suit me".
Time to go to the Great Hall, where I'll be sorted after the first years. I don't really need to be in a House but I said it would be nice for me to be more like every other student and Pr Dumbledore said the Sorting Hat surely wouldn't mind. Then he asked the hat itself for confirmation and I had the surprise to hear a voice coming from a shelf nearby: "I'll be glad to sort you, mademoiselle Bertrand." How funny!
- - -
2 September
I'm a Ravenclaw! The Sorting Hat declared that "a foreign girl who speaks English so well could only be in the House of wit and learning". I'm proud, although I must say it was quite annoying, during the dinner, to have half the table trying to talk to me in French when they can hardly make two correct sentences in a row. If that's being clever, what am I? A genius?
Later, I chatted with Lily Evans on the way to our rooms then in mine (we had a lot more to say). I had only seen James Potter for a few minutes before. He was with three friends, so I couldn't guess which one was my potential future boyfriend. Lily told me they were known as the worst troublemakers ever, which made me wonder how James could be Head Boy. Lily has no idea either. Plus, she says he's a show-off, especially since he became captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and she can't stand him. But he's been very nice to me so far, and so have his friends.
I had lessons with them (not always all four, but at least one or two) yesterday and today. James offered to be my guide to make sure I wouldn't get lost between two classes. In spite of what she says, I think Lily was a little jealous. Interesting.
In Charms, I was sitting next to one of James's friend, Peter Pettigrew (I wanted the seat beside Lily's but James took it first). Peter talked to me all the time and I was afraid to be reprimanded by Pr Flitwick (my Head of House, whose very, very small - maybe part-dwarf?) but no one seemed to notice. Peter clearly worships James as a hero, both for his skills at Quidditch and because he's top of the class. Is he James's best friend? I don't know. He's nice but quite plain (is that word still used as the opposite of "beautiful"? I read it in Jane Austen's novels so, as far as I know, it could be very out of date) and, more importantly, not very intelligent. He couldn't perform the spell we were learning until the end of the lesson, and I had to help him. I need someone who could be a Ravenclaw like me, whether he really is or not.
- - -
6 September
First week over already! It passed very fast and I had no time to feel alone or be homesick.
I definitely believe Lily likes James, after all. She keeps on saying she hates him but I know better. I saw how she frowns every time he talks to me in what she might call a suspiciously kind tone. Is it possible that she doesn't realise it herself? Should I try to open her eyes? It seems it would be quite hard.
"Beware of James, Eléa !" she told me last night. "So many girls love him - don't be as silly as they are."
"Don't worry, I know who he loves", I replied with a wink.
She sighed. "I wish he didn't!" But I bet she wouldn't like it at all if he asked me (or another girl) to date him.
For now, I don't have reason to complain about my classes. I don't really need the lessons, of course, but attending them is good for practicing English and socializing.
In Potions, I share a table with a Slytherin boy named Severus Snape. On the first day, my book (ordered by owl like the others) hadn't arrived yet, so Pr Slughorn asked Severus to let me read the recipe in his copy. Severus didn't look pleased with that and I quickly understood why - he had scribbled all over the page. But the most amazing thing is that he actually improved the book's recipe. Using his modifications, I brew a perfect potion as quickly as he did and was congratulated by the teacher. I wanted to credit Severus for the help, but he stopped me.
"It's a secret", he explained as soon as Pr Slughorn was far enough from our table. "And you must be good at Potions anyway, otherwise you could have messed all up even with my instructions."
So I promised not to say anything to anyone about his personal recipes. I thought we could become friends, but then James told me he was "in dark magic up to his big nose" so I don't know. Lily's not too sure either. She says he used to be her friend, but he grew so stupidly influenced by very bad people that she had to take her distance. And she doesn't seem convinced we could succeed in putting him back in the right way.
At least there's someone that both Lily and James approve of - Remus Lupin, another of the "Marauders" (as Lily says James's gang is called). Remus is very kind, a little reserved but always polite and willing to talk as long as it's not about himself. It puzzles me to think he's part of the "troublemakers" Lily told me about on Monday. I can't believe he had something to do with the little prank of which Pr McGonagall, our Transfiguration teacher, was victim yesterday. Change her sober, black hat into a bright pink one... It was amusing (especially because she spent half the lesson wondering what disturbed our attention so much) but also so childish! In my opinion, Remus is too mature to be involved in that silliness. Yet, according to Lily, he never intervened against his friends' mischievous plans even when he was a Prefect, in 5th year. It might be why he then resigned, though. But his poor health would be enough to justify that and, since he's always diverting people's questions, Lily doesn't know for sure.
I like Remus a lot but now I know that the one that Pr Dumbledore had in mind when he mentioned James's best friend was Sirius Black. And I must confess I wouldn't object to the match. Although I haven't really talked to him yet (we were just part of the same conversation a few times, but never addressed each other in particular), I do think very high on him because he's so handsome and so smart. In both senses of the word "smart" - clever (just as good as James in all his classes) and elegant. He must be the most perfect boy in the school. Alas, he doesn't even seem to see me. How many are the chances of his asking me to dance during the ball that Pr Dumbledore announced we'll have soon "in honour of our French guest"? Will my being the "queen of the feast" be enough to attract his attention? I doubt it. So I have to do something to make myself noticed.
- - - - - -
So, what do you think so far? Do you agree with Dumbledore, who seems to believe Eléa and Sirius would be a good match? Or would you rather pair her with someone else? I'm curious. And a little nervous, too, I must confess. Please let me know if you like this first chapter, or if there's something in it that seems wrong to you. Not only grammar or spelling mistakes but any kind of thing that doesn't work for you.
Thanks to everyone who read!
~ Anna