This is a story about an original character – to those who are not fans of OCs, turn back now. I am not Ms Rowling, nor am I in any way connected with Bloomsbury or Warner Bros.
And now, read on.
Chapter 1
otober 28 1984
unkl lanly gev me this diry so i cud practis ritin. he is meking me lurn to rite properly but it isnt wurking verry wel yet. mis lidea, unkl lanlys gurlfrend is teechn me, and she ses if i lurn reel fast, sheel get me a pet. id like a pet. id like a big dog. id go on woks with it and id play with it and feed it reel gud. i wud col it monstur and it wud be my best frend.
nvembr 5
unkel lanly ses i shud rite down my histry. i donet rememer most of it. unkel lanlys told me sum thins tho. like when i was a litel babey my parens dide an the mastr tuk care of me fur a wile. then he gev me to the lesranjs but they got rested and ther in jale now. so the mastr sent me to unkl avry. i stil see him sumtims. hes reel nise. hes reely big and hes danejrus wen he gets cros but he luvs babeys an hes reel gentel wit them. but he got hurt in a fite so he cudnt mined me enymore. so i went to morcam. unkl lanly ses hes an ivil bastrd and he rememers heerin morcam seying that he yused to hit me an all, so the mastr tuk me away from him and torchurd him fur a wile then gave me to unkl lanly heer at the hotel an ive bin heer evr sins. the mastr got hurt reel bad a few yeers bak, and lodes of peepl think hes ded, but evrywun at the hotel knose hel cum bak. ther al wating.
Aprel 27 1985
I worked realy hard at my writing and now i dont make so manny mstakes. I havent even had time to rite in my diery becose ive been workin so hard, and then when i was ready i showed aunt Lidia my writing. She said wel done and then she went away. I waited for a long time becaus i thougt she had gon to get my dog, but she dint come back. When i saw her again later i asked her about my pet and she laufhed and said shed give it to me later. and she did. Sort of. Only it wasnt a dogg. it was a mous.But I did say id take it on walks an call it Monster and love it so i will. But i wish it was a dog.
June 4
Monster Mouse died yesterday. He got out of his cage and aunt Lidia stepped on him by axident. She was really sorry and she said shed get me a new one if i wanted, but i said no. I loved Monster Mouse, but I always wished he was a dog. Theres no point in having another pet that i dont really want. I asked Lidia if I could have a dog, but she laughed and said id never be able to look after it. I suppose shes right. See what hapened to my mouse, and it was a lot smaller. Id probaly let a dog get killed by a spell or something.
April 28 1986
I've been working really hard at my writing and my reading because aunt Lidia says she'll get someone to teach me some magic when I'm able to write really well. I think I'm pretty good now, so Lidia is going to ask uncle Langley tomorrow. Fingers crossed...
April 29
I get to learn magic! Uncle Langley said yes! Lidia's going to start me off on some basic curses tomorrow, and uncle Langley says he'll teach me some poisons! I'm so happy!
October 11
I started learning about plants a week ago. Mister Alexis arrived in the hotel and he's an expert on Herbology so Lidia asked him if he'd teach me a few things while he's here. So far, I've learned about the toxic qualities of common British plants and how to tend to some of the less harmful ones, but he says that he'll give me a mandrake before he leaves next week, and when he comes back, he'll show me what can be done with it. Uncle Langley is delighted mister Alexis is here, because he'd the main supplier of rare potions ingredients in Britain. Mister Alexis isn't so thrilled, because Uncle Langley is buying up his entire stock.
January 9 1987
Lidia gave me a wand for new year! It's one of her old ones and it has bit of unicorn hair poking out of it and it sometimes sets fire to things and blows things up but it's a wand! I can practice charms on my own now! Well, not exactly on my own - there has to be someone in the room, but I can do it even when Lidia's busy now. And uncle Langley gave me a little cauldron and a key to his storeroom so I can practice potions when he's not around too. I feel so loved!
May 16
Jamie Kinealty is staying in the hotel! The world-famous astrologist! Here! And he said he'd teach me how to read the stars! He's setting up his telescope right now, and he's going to teach me the constellations tonight! I love my life!
August 22
Mister Alexis arrived back today with a huge man-eating Spectagora in tow. It was quite funny - it didn't dare take a bite out of him, because he has it so well trained, but it snapped at anyone else who went past. The only way he could stop it was to threaten it with the lowest of the low - that he'd chop it up and make it into soup. It stopped then. Plants don't seem to mind being used in potions, but they can't even stand to hear the word 'soup'. It winced every time he said it. Then we made up a song all about soup, just to see it squirm. I have a very interesting sadistic streak. I must use it more often!
December 12
I made my first accurate prediction today! Well, last night, actually, just before midnight, but close enough... I predicted the arrival of a dark stranger who walks in shadows and carries a burden of shame, and lo-and-behold, a vampire walked in the door just after sunset today! Uncle Langley insists that he's not a vampire, that he's just an odd pale man, and Jamie says that the prophecy fits even if the man isn't a vampire, but I've always wanted to meet one, so I'm going to convince myself that he is, no matter what anyone else says.
February 16 1988
Uncle Langley is working 24 hours a day, eight days a week, to raise enough money to add an extension to the hotel. He's let about half the staff go to save money, he's persuaded some of the long-term guests help out with the laundry and he's bloody well making ME work in the kitchen! I can't cook! My whole life, I've taken pride in not being able to cook, and now, I have to cook. It's not bloody fair! He says that cooking is just like Potions. The only non-poisonous potion I can make is a laxative! Damn him!
June 3
I am so tired, it isn't even funny any more. I cannot believe he did that... To save money, uncle Langley declined the builder's offer of help and had us build the Grindewald-cursed extension. All my muscles ache. I've discovered new muscles, muscles that no-one ever knew about, because they're aching too. Even my earlobes hurt. I thought they were just flaps of skin! I'm going to sleep for a month, then I'm going to get up and poison that bloody slave-driver. G'night.
December 28
It's nearly New Year! Wahoo! I love December! First Solstice, then New Year! Uncle Langley says that, originally, Solstice would have signified the beginning of the New Year, but the Muggles changed it with their religions and all that. He says the really devout Pure-Bloods even have their own calendar that has December 21 as New Year's Day. I'd hate to do that. I love the way we have two parties really close together! We just put the decorations up at the start of December and leave them up til about midway through January. It's like the whole month is a holiday! Lidia says that the Muggles have another celebration on the 25th called Christmas. She explained it to me, but I don't really understand it - something about their god being born. I thought gods weren't born, that they just existed, but some Muggles believe that. Odd. I told Lidia I wouldn't mind it - three parties in December instead of two, but she said that the Muggles who celebrate Christmas don't usually celebrate Solstice as well. I don't get that either. Solstice is so... obvious - the shortest day of the year. You can see it - you have evidence of it. Oh well, I guess this just confirms what I've thought for a long time - Muggles are crazy!
March 14 1989
Apparently, today is my birthday. I'm ten years old today. I never wondered before. I mean, I knew my age, and I sort of knew when I'd been born - in Spring. But I never wondered about the date before. I wonder why? Uncle Langley gave me a library card and permission to go whenever I want (sub clause - 'within reason, of course') Jamie gave me his first telescope, and a blanket to sit on so I don't freeze my arse. Thoughtful man. And Mister Alexis sent me a card from Nepal with some Yeti hair and a promise of a garden of my own when he gets back. Happy Birthday to me!
