September 2nd 2017
Dear Ben,
I'm not sure how you'll receive this letter, Darwin might deliver it, or it might come in the post. Hermione told me that they've had to cut down on owl post because muggles were getting suspicious, so now a lot of letters are taken to the Ministry of Magic and then distributed by regular post. Anyway, I hope you get to see Darwin, just so you know, he likes peanuts.
Anyway, I'm writing to you from the RAVENCLAW common room! That's right, I was sorted into Ravenclaw, no surprise there. I've only been here for like 12 hours, but so far it's amazing. I sat on the HOGWARTS EXPRESS with Rose Weasley (the name thing has been really confusing), Albus Severus Potter (but everyone just calls him Al) and James Potter. Rose and Al were sorted into Gryffindor, but I have met a few nice people who are Ravenclaws. I sat next to Leo, Leah, and Maria. They were sorted a bit before me. The Sorting Hat was so cool, I don't remember its song, but it was amazing. And the food was so good. And they had tofu! Not as good as Thai Garden, but nothing's perfect. And the giant squid isn't real, which is so upsetting. I was looking forward to swimming with it.
You get into the common room by answering a riddle (just like in the books!) And I answered it. Our prefects are really cool, they're twins and really nice. The common room is so pretty, everything is blue and bronze and silk. The fireplace is so big that I could stand in it! And the dormitories are so beautiful, I have this amazing comfortable four-poster bed with silk hangings and because we're in a tower, our room has these huge windows that overlook the lake and all of the grounds.
I forgot to tell you! Hagrid is still alive, but he's retired now, the new groundskeeper is this guy named Pan, he's really nice. And Professor Mcgonagall is the Headmistress, she is just as I imagined her. And Professor Flitwick is still there and our head of house, he's also the Deputy Headmaster. He has the highest voice I've ever heard, but he's really nice.
I'm trying to think if there's anything I've missed...I don't think so. It's really early here, I woke at dawn, it seems very much like a novel. I'm going to try to write as often as I can (thanks again for the stationary! And I wrote this with a quill and ink, sorry if it's a little blotty, I'm still getting used to it). I hear people waking up, so I should probably finish up.
You better send me a letter soon or I'll never forgive you.
Your most sincerely etc (that's how Mum says that people in Austen always sign their letters, and because I'm living in a novel...)
Rose xx
September 3rd 2017
Dear Ben,
I forgot to send yesterday's letter, so I'm putting both of them in the same envelope. Make sure you read the other one first.
How's Oxford? I miss bike riding, but I have flying lessons tomorrow, I'm so excited I can hardly breathe! I've had all of my lessons today and now I'm in the library, which is giant and amazing. I've never seen this many books in my life, Oxford had nothing on this. But I miss Professor D, I just got yelled at by the librarian for doing magic. Well, I wasn't really yelled at, because there's this silencing charm in the whole library, you can't make a sound. She conjured letters out of her wand and they formed words.
Professor Flitwick still teaches Charms, and we learned "wingardium leviosa" with a feather! And I got it on my first try, it was so freaking cool. I've even managed to do it with some heavy books, it's hard, but I'm getting better. Everyone keeps saying that "practice makes perfect," which I guess is true.
We had Herbology with Neville Longbottom! He's really nice, we planted bouncing bulbs, which kept on sliding out of our hands. My friend Leo got smacked in the face by one of my friend Leah's bulbs. The Slytherins were with us, and they're not so bad, but I haven't really spoken to any of them. Draco Malfoy's son is in my year! I wonder if he's like his father. Professor Longbottom (it sounds so weird calling him that!) took me aside after class and told me I could always talk to him if I need anything (Hermione told him about me). It was nice, I guess, but I think everyone thinks I'm going to fail just because I'm a muggle born. But I showed them in Transfiguration.
Professor Athena Adair teaches Transfiguration. She's so cool, and a really good teacher. She taught us how to turn matches into needles. It was really difficult, I felt like I really had to fight with the magic. But I love it! Anyway, I was the first kid in the class to manage it. Afterwards I got a terrible headache, which is apparently really normal for people after they do Transfiguration for the first time. It's really weird, you have to take something and completely change it. Magic is all about understanding stuff, and in Transfiguration you have to do that and then wrap your head around changing it. It's hard to explain, but it's really cool.
But I'm getting way ahead of myself, I had 2 other classes before Transfiguration. After lunch (more amazing food) we had General Studies. You know how people are always wondering why students at Hogwarts don't learn maths and literature and history and stuff like that? Well it turns out that they do, it just wasn't interesting enough to write about. But the class is actually really cool. Ok, so you know "it's a small world" the professor, Simon Bell went to Oxford after he went to Hogwarts! And Mum was his advisor and professor! Can you believe that? It's so crazy that my professor at magical Hogwarts studied at muggle Oxford, though I guess it is a pretty magical place… Anyway, in class we read some "Tales of Beedle the Bard," which was a lot of fun. I'm glad that I get to continue learning "normal" stuff, you know me the nerd who loves school.
Then we had Potions with the Hufflepuffs, who are ok, but a little boring for my taste. Our Professor Damocles is weird. Really nice, but also terrifying. He yelled at this kid today for laughing today. He kind of reminds me of Snape, but friendlier? Anyway, we learned so basic potions techniques: how to chop things and the proper way to stir things. I kid you not, I just finished writing a paper about how to properly stir things, and what can go wrong if you don't stir a potion at the proper speed and in the right direction (you can turn into a turnip, fun fact). Anyway, he was really helpful and patient. I think I'm going to like potions.
The last class of the day was Defence Against the Dark Arts (but everyone just calls it DADA). It's taught by professor Roxanne Shacklebolt, yes the Minister of Magic's daughter is my professor. I've spent the whole day trying so hard not to fangirl at everyone and everything.
Oh, and I went to the hospital wing (because of my Transfiguration headache). Long story short: magic medicine is amazing. And Hannah Abbott (who's married to Professor Longbottom, they're adorable) is the new Madame Pomfrey. And now I'm in the library writing papers and reading books that look like they're even older than Oxford (ok, that's an exaggeration, our books are pretty new, but there are some books in here that look older than dirt).
I'll send this letter off as soon as I leave the library. The owls show up to every meal, so I'll give it to Darwin then. Can't wait to hear from you.
Yours most sincerely etc (really getting into character here)
Rose xx
Author's note: Rose and Ben's letters! I decided to post these 2 as one chapter because Ben receives them both in one go. I'll try to post another letter later this week, but if not, it will be posted by next Monday!