Year 1 (1988)

(V) Hello, my name is Valentina Riddle. I am 10 years old and I just received my Hogwarts letter tonight. You may ask why I got the owl today already, and that's fine. My birthday is the 1st September, so I wasn't sure whether I would already be admitted or not. Apparently, turning 11 on the first day of school is fine. I am super exited and so is my twin sister Theresa. Our father took us to Borgin & Burkes today and we were allowed to choose something each. I got a nice skull which is going to be our new savings box and my sister got an undead mosquito-eating plant. That will serve us well next summer.

We also went to buy our books already and funnily enough, Theresa and I have exactly identical wands. We tried many different kinds, but the shop owner, Mykew Gregorovitch, was immediately sure that we would need wands with the same core. Dad also bought us this diary which I am now writing in. He said his brother, Tom, had the same type of diary. Theresa and I always share everything, partly because we are identical twins, but mostly because we don't have a lot of money. But that's fine because Theresa and I love to look alike and be mixed up by everyone.

Going to Hogwarts and living away from Dad will be fine because we went to Wizardry Elementary School in the Netherlands. There are no elementary schools in Great Britain because most parents home-school their children and muggleborn (somehow, I do not like the expression mudbloods) go to their schools in the beginning. The Elementary School in Denmark does not teach any spells either, but it gives us some knowledge about the Wizarding community, Wizards around the world and prepares us for any secondary school where our studying will begin. The school is international and in the first year we were allowed to use badges (?) on which the teachers had put translation spells. But then we had to learn languages as well because our teachers say that these spells only work when performed by advanced wizards and are often influenced by the surrounding. I like the idea of other languages and I don't understand why Hogwarts will not teach them. I know that Beauxbaton teaches English, and that is fine because everyone had to speak it. The Muggles once defined it as the 'world language' and the wizards just agreed upon it as well. But we already speak English here, so why not learn another language?

(T) Anyway, (this time Theresa writing), we're on our way to Hogwarts. Dad brought us to platform 9 ¾ and we met Julius, another first year from our little town. His father is a good friend of my father and he sometimes come to dinner. Valentina and I use to listen through the closed door when they are in the living room. They are talking about adult stuff and we want to know what adults think like. We ask dad what he is talking about, and he explains everything to us, but in children's form.

The only time when we don't feel like children is when dad teaches us magic. Using magic at home is not allowed once you've been to Hogwarts, so he wanted to teach us as much as possible before we leave. And he gave us a list of spells we are supposed to study on our own. He said it is very important that no one know but that it is a good preparation. The spells he wrote down are all sorted by the alphabet, and I had a glimpse at words like Bombarda or Engorgio or Oppugno

(V) I trembled so much during the Sorting Ceremony. The hat looked frightening and Professor McGonnagall did not appear any less scary. Dad was in Slytherin. He said our uncle was in Slytherin as well. All their friends were in Slytherin and Julius had just been sorted into Slytherin as well.

I tried not to stumble when climbing up the two stairs to the chair. I sat down, facing the crowded hall in front of me. I tried not to concentrate on them but on my thoughts. That was when I heard the voice of the hat inside of me. He was reading my thoughts, and I could hear what he was whispering into my ear.

"I cannot put you in Slytherin."

"Why not? I have to go!"

"You are not meant for Slytherin."

"What do you mean?" I concentrated really hard on thinking what he should hear. A thousand thoughts crossed my mind. Not Slytherin? Why not? Dad would kill me! What if Theresa and I got sorted into different houses.

"I'll keep you and your sister together," the hat promised. "You would be great for Ravenclaw… you would be a perfect match for Slytherin but Ravenclaw suits you."

It then turned his head to the Professor and then to the hall. "GRYFFINDOR!"

My heart sank into… I don't know. It probably sank deep into the Earth and re-appeared in China. Gryffindor! Why Gryffindor? Dad would kill us! I did not feel how the Professor takes off the hat again. I did not feel how I stood up and walked towards the red and golden table. I sat down. I did not feel how my sister sat down next to me only one minute later. I did not note the people at my table cheering. I did not look at my sister.

After we all got settled in to our Common Rooms and everyone had fallen asleep, Theresa and I met in the bathroom. We hadn't even talked, but we had the same thoughts. We simultaneously started crying. We must have been quite a while because an older girl came in. She saw us and sat down with us. I explained that our whole family had been in Slytherin. She was really nice. Her name is Cathy Wood. She also has a younger brother in Gryffindor. Her whole family is in Gryffindor, except for her cousin who was in Hufflepuff. He had felt so bad that he hadn't written home in three months. I hardly felt this to be relieving. I wish I would have been sorted into Hufflepuff. Anything, but Gryffindor!

Anyway, she made us feel a bit better in the end. However, we still decided not to write our dad for the next time. And probably we won't go home at Christmas. I only hope he doesn't send us a howler.

(T) The first day was a bit better. But we are still down. There are nice people in our class but it seems most of them come from pure Gryffindor families. So, we have decided not to tell anyone that we are from an all-Slytherin family. Well, maybe not all-Slytherin because our grandfather was a Muggle. Also, no one here uses the name mudblood in Gryffindor, and we like that. We don't understand why dad thinks that muggle-born are bad, but we don't ask him about that anymore. At least he teaches us cool magic.

Our house teacher is Professor McGonagall. She is really strict and she spend half an hour telling us what to do and what not to do in our class. We did not even make it to practicing the first spells today, but we already have loads of homework to do. After school we met Oliver Wood. He's the brother of Cathy, who solaced us tonight, and he's really nice. He's a keen Quidditch player and he's going to try to make it into the house team this year. Two year students are rare in house teams, and because we also love playing, we suggested to train together. Non-house team students are only allowed to practise broom sports on Wednesday evenings and Sundays because that's when no training is on.

(T) The first week has gone past and Valentina and I are two of the few people who are actually caught up with homework. We got our essays back from McGonagall and we both have an A. That cheered us up a bit, but we're still worried about dad. If we don't write him soon enough, he'll know from Julius' father that we got sorted into Gryffindor.

(V) It's becoming colder outside and we've entered November. We have not received any letter from dad and we're both worried. Julius doesn't talk to us. He and his Slytherin friends are making fun out of some of my Gryffindor classmates and I would like to stand up against them but we're too scared that we cannot return home then. Dad also hasn't written to us, so we're sure he knows.

We've also started practising these spells and sneaking out of the dormitory at night. We've learnt a spell to mute sounds and that helps tremendously. All teachers are surprised we're so good with spells, but we're not allowed to tell that we practised some of them at home. Dad always said that our uncle is the better wizard and if he returns, he'll teach us more. I don't know what to think. I know what happened and I feel pity for this Harry and his family. Dad says he deserved it, but we're not so sure.

Sam is muggle-born and she is really nice. She has problems fitting into the magic world, so Theresa and I often help her with homework. We often sit together in the evenings and she tells us about her people. This is so cool and I wonder why we cannot live together and share all our experiences. If we combined our magic and their inventions, we could solve so many problems.

(V) Theresa and I have decided to stay at Hogwarts during Christmas. At the Danish boarding school, we always returned home, and Sam is also going back, so it will be a bit lonely here.

(V) Oliver broke his leg during the last Quidditch play. He hadn't made it into the team this year but we still play for fun. Madam Pomfrey does not want to send him on a train-long journey because she fears that his wound is inflamed. The bacteria might grow with flu powder, so he has decided to stay here as well. I'm sorry for him but also glad that he will spend Christmas with us.

(T) Maybe we should write dad. The year so far is going well. Valentina and I are one of the best students and we have been asked plenty of times why we aren't in Ravenclaw. We are wondering the same. I am starting to doubt the houses system anyway. There's this girl, Alex, and she is a Hufflepuff, but everyone tells her she should be in either Ravenclaw or Slytherin. The three of us are the best students and we have started studying together. She Muggleborn and she's studying a lot. I think it is a bit unfair that everything is so much harder for her. I never realised that the spells our dad taught us would help us so much in getting generally better.

(V) It's Easter and Dad sent us a first letter. It was only one sentence. "You can come home at the end of the year." We're too busy discussing. Jake, Sam, Alex and us, we are studying together for the final year exams. Jake is in Slytherin but he is really cool. He does not judge anyone by their houses and he always keeps in the background. Other Slytherins don't like him because he is friends with Sam, but I think he should be a Gryffindor because he is strong enough to be friends with us.

(V) We've taken the exams and I'm a bit worried. We'll get the results when we are already home. The year has gone by like nothing and I am surprised it went over so well. Theresa and I have continued studying those spells our dad has told us. It's not allowed to sneak around by night but no one has ever caught us.

I was really nervous when dad awaited us on platform 9 ¾. He did not say anything when we followed him home. In the kitchen, he sat down at the dining table. We sat down as well, silently exchanging looks.

"Why Gryffindor?" he finally said.

"We don't know." My sister was the first to speak.

"You don't know?" He was too calm. "You don't know?" Now he was shouting. "Do you have any idea what kind of embarrassment this is for our family? For our heritage? If your uncle was here, he–" He stopped mid-sentence. I guess he was starting to think. He was probably too disappointed with us to be angry.

"That's why you haven't been writing for the whole year." He was calm again.

"When did you find out?" I asked.

"Julius wrote his parents in the first week. They told me after a month. Have you spoken to him?"

We shook heads. "He doesn't want to talk to us anymore."

"Well, he has every right to." He sighed. "Have you made a lot of friends? A lot of muggle-born friends?"

We did not respond. If we told him the truth, he would kick us out of the flat here and now.

"Go to your rooms," he said.

There was no dinner tonight. The next morning, he woke us at 6 o'clock. He wanted to test the spells we were supposed to learn. Some of these spells had been mentioned in our Defence against the Dark Arts classes. We were not allowed to practise them. They are not unforgivable, like The Three, but no one should use them. Dad says they are important when our uncle comes back. Theresa and I have often discussed this, and we understand that we are supposed to help when he comes back. But we are not sure we agree with all of his opinions. I hope he won't come back.

Please review. It may take some time until I upload Year 2.