3rd July

I'm at home just for 3 days and so many things have happened already. The biggest news is that dad got promoted just yesterday, so he's a Head of the Auror department now! Sirius stopped by to celebrate and dad kept teasing him about being his big boss. Sirius just laughed but I can tell he's already planning a big prank on his new „boss". Poor dad, he never sees it coming.

Second big news is that Ron and Hermione FINALLY got together. Ron took up the nerve at King's Cross and invited Hermione to „cimena to watch a flim". (It was my tip actually. Hermione kept blubbering lately about not seeing a film for ages...Ron of course didn't have a clue what she was talking about. Considering myself an expert (I've seen two films already) I explained to him the advantages of sitting in a dark place very close to a girl. He's a fast learner. It wasn't the smoothest of invitations though. Ron stuttered about the weather and how it is ideal for „flims" and then he blurted out his invitation and turned bright red. I felt really sorry for him, but she agreed anyway so now they are officially a couple for WHOLE THREE days. Ron keeps me updated.

Third news is that a new family has moved to Godric's Hollow to the old mansion on the hill. For this Merlin forsaken hole of a village this is a big deal to gossip about, because pretty nothing ever happens here. Plus in the house there are like 40 rooms and a tower! and it was abandoned for ages. Everybody is overexcited about who could possibly afford a megahouse like that. I think it probably will be a snob family with an army of house elves. Personally I find the house so creepy that I'd bet anything I posses that the newcomers are former Slitherins and worshippers of dark magic. Dad probably thinks the same because he doesn't seem to be overly excited about their arrival either.

5th July

This village is officially mental. I am so ashamed I must live here. Every single inhabitant (magical or not) has joined the „welcome visit" to say hello to our new neighbours. All 83 people (except for Mrs Darling who has a broken leg and has to stay behind (very unwillingly of course) and my parents who are on the Auror conference in London) showed up unannounced at the front door of the old mansion carrying various meat pies and treacle tarts. It was so embarrassing. I refused to join when they came to collect me and was publicly proclaimed „a naughty boy" by Mr Skinner, an old muggle living by the church. I'm seriously considering moving out to Weasleys.

6th July

It turned out that our new neighbours are muggles. Wizard part of the village is slightly disappointed, muggle part doesn't have a clue. Honestly, I couldn't care less.

Ron and Hermione had a second date yesterday. Ron flued me right after that and squealed like a little girl. Then he described everything that happened. And I mean EVERYTHING. I wish I hadn't asked.

8th July

It's so boring here. I hope something happens. Anything. I wish we could visit someone or someone visits us. Last summer we stayed at Sirius' place in London and it was so cool. We were at Diagon Alley all the time. This year he got himself a new girlfriend so I can forget even visiting him. The only prospect of entertainment is celebration of loony Mr. Frederics' 102nd birthday. And I don't need telling you that it's not much. Merlin, everybody here is so old. People under 20 were probably banished from this bloody village.

My last chance is to force myself the Weasleys and spend the whole summer in the Burrow. But with Ron and Hermione dating I'd be like a third wheel. Merlin, I need new friends.

On the top of everything, my Firebolt has a problem with a starter twig so my dad sent it to some broom service called „Problem with a twig? We will mend it, quick!" which really scares me. I begged him not to send it anywhere, that I will repair it myself with my Broom Repair Service Kit but he told me that it would be cheaper to pay for mending my broom to a professional than to buy me another one. It really hurt. I got excellent broom repairing skill by the way. So they will hopefully mend it in about 7 days. But still, it's the whole WEEK! I'll be bored to death by then.

9th July

Mum told me to stop whining and find myself something useful to do. She immediately send me to Mrs Darling (local gossip lady) to help her around the house. I can't describe how incredibly joyful prospect it was. For the rest of the afternoon (during my summer holiday I need to point out) I pushed Mrs Darling in her wheelchair around the village, so she could collect some more of her „absolutely fascinating" stories about all of our neighbours. When we were going up the hill towards the mansion I saw our new neighbours for the very first time. Two adults and a girl about my age. They all looked very neat and pretty, especially the girl. Mrs Darling told me their names are Mr. and Mrs. Hewitt and the girl is their only daughter Maggie. He is rumoured to be top manager of some top company and she a high society lady. Why they moved here then is beyond me.

10th July

Remus visited us today and brought pretty exciting news. He's going to teach at Hogwarts next year! A DADA teacher! I can't believe my luck. After a year with half-blind Mr Hellion (a self-proclaimed dementor expert and who wasn´t even able to produce a fully shaped Patronus) and half-mad Mrs Bennet (who was clearly unable to produce any magic at all) I seriously started to doubt the standards of Hogwarts education. But this returned my faith in Dumbledore's common sense. I wrote it immediately to Ron and Hermione but didn't get any reaction so far. I'd rather don't want to know what kept them from replying.

11th July

Today I saw Maggie Hewitt again. She was wandering around the lake apparently looking for some sort of entertainment in this bloody village. Good luck with that, I've been trying in vain for the last 16 years. Finally she ended up sitting on the pier. I wanted to say hello but decided not to. Muggles are usually nervous around me for some reason and I didn't want to scare her. So I stayed in my favourite spot by the old willow behind the bushes where I am pretty much hidden from view. I tried to mind my own businessbut ended up watching her anyway. I am curious, I admit that. And she's something new here (which doesn't happen very often)...she also happen to look quite pretty. Anyway, she was bathing her legs in the water...and seemed really sad, I don't know maybe it was something about the way water reflected on her face or the way her long dark hair shielded her eyes from view... she reminded me of Merpeople from Hogwarts lake. Just far better looking, obviously.

Then I realised how terribly lonely it must be for her to move in this sleepy hollow where she doesn't know anyone (not that there's anyone to know) with virtually no source of entertainment. It reminded me of my first days at Hogwarts, I felt terribly lost and lonely and was silently cursing my parents for having childless friends. Duncan, my best friend till then, was a muggle and moved to London with his parents shortly after my 11th birthday. It was by far my worst birthday ever, I even cried (still can't believe it). But I met Ron shortly afterwards and forgot all about Duncan and my loneliness. I have a fairly short memory span now I think of it.

Originally I went to the lake to write letter to Ron but couldn't stop staring at Maggie Hewitt. Even though she didn't move much (she was reading a book) I found her fairly fascinating. I blame it on the utter boredom I was experiencing last few days. Right when I decided I'd better go home before she notices I was here (and I completely embarrass myself) she suddenly started to sway and twitch on the spot. At first I thought she was laughing but she doesn't look particularly happy and I realized she's probably having some sort of stroke or spasm. I sprang to my feet ready to help her. She yelped as soon as she spotted me and started to twitch even more violently. I admit I must have looked pretty weird jumping out of bushes all of a sudden, with twigs in my hair (as I discovered later). By the time I reached her she was silently cursing and tugging at her right leg so urgently I was sure she will soon dislocate her ankle. I lifted my hands in surrender. She didn't stop watching me warily as though I was an escaped convict.

„Hey", I smiled at her. She just stared back but stopped tugging at her leg. A good sign.

„Can I help you somehow?", I tried my best to sound friendly and charming but she still looked at me suspiciously. She measured me from head to toe and I felt I was starting to blush. Why am I always like that around girls? Is it some sort of curse or something?

„Um, my leg got stuck", she admitted reluctantly and pointed at her unfortunate foot that indeed was tangled up in some slimy green stuff under water. I immediately identified it as a fine specimen of Strangleweed. Ignatius Billberry (local lunatic) grows it here for his personal use (he stuffs it in his pipe and gets even more loony after that).

„I can help you with that but I need you to stop twitching for a while, ok?" She nodded shortly.

So I kneeled down beside her desperately trying to remember how to persuade Strangleweed to let go of things. I wished (for the first time in my life) I was Neville Longbottom. He would immediately know what to do. The only thing I remembered was that it likes to wrap around objects, which was already pretty obvious. Lead by a sudden crazy idea I picked up a long twig and started to tease the weed. All the time I felt a scrutinizing gaze of Maggie Hewitt boring into me. My face was on fire, my hands were sweaty and I prayed it worked. After few painfully long moments it really started to leave Maggie's leg and wrap around the stick. Then I made the fatal mistake and reached into the water to free her foot completely. As soon as I touched her leg she kicked me with all her might into my butt. I didn't expect that, lost my balance and fell head first into the lake.

The water was surprisingly warm but that was about everything pleasant in this situation. Before I could even reach the surface to take a breath I felt Strangleweed wrap around my legs and upper body pulling me down and I knew I was in trouble. I cursed my chivalrous nature (my stupidity more like) and tried with all my remaining force to reach into the back pocket of my jeans to get to my wand. But the more I struggled the less possible was to make any movement at all. I was quickly losing my consciousness. Bloody Maggie Hewitt. Maggie bloody Hewitt. I could her face even then, in the last minute of my life. As if she came to reassure herself that indeed I won't come up to the surface ever again. Her beautifully sad eyes were floating just inches above mine and then darkness swallowed me completely. When I woke up I was laying on the pier coughing violently. In a mad second I thought it was all a dream but then I tasted the bitter lake water in my mouth and there were still pieces of strangleweed wrapped around my hands. I spotted Maggie Hewitt breathing heavily few feet away from me. She was drenched in water from head to toe and she was shivering quite prominently. When she realized I gained consciousness her eyes widened and she sprang quickly but somewhat unsteadily to her feet. As I watched her picking up her things I wanted to stop her, to thank her for saving my life (even though she kicked me into the lake herself). But before I collected myself she was gone.

12th July

This evening an owl came from Ron carrying a very brief note about having Lupin as a DADA teacher being great news and him talking to me later. Ron was never a lengthy writer but since he started dating Hermione his letters are barely two-sentence long. I can imagine he's got better things to do now. Well, I'd rather don't imagine.

I'm losing my friends because they prefer to snog each other. I don't blame them. Snogging is fun. I'd snog someone gladly, if there was anyone around to snog...I want to go back to Hogwarts and find myself a girlfriend. Life is so hard sometimes.

13th July

Today I was woken by various high pitched noises. It turned out to be a bunch of squeaking girls who were passing by our house. I didn't recognize any of these girls, in fact I never thought that there could be so many girls at once in Godric's Hollow. They all practically danced around one Maggie Hewitt and I realized that they probably came to pay her a noisy visit. Maggie (thank Merlin) wasn't squeaking nor giggling and looked fairly embarrassed. And fairly beautiful. No weed in her hair this time. All of the girls (including Maggie) were dressed in pink something, although some of them could hardly be described as dressed at all. It took me a while to process the whole situation and when I finally did it they were already gone. (I am pretty slow, maybe it's because I half-drowned in the lake just yesterday).

Girls are one big puzzle to me. With all their pink stuff and that annoying giggling. Honestly, who in their right mind would wear a pink tutu? I went to bed again and ended up having series of pink dreams. I hate my life.

14th July

Ron and Hermione have been here today. They stopped by on their way to visit Hermione's parents. (Their relationship is obviously getting serious:) It's kind of fun to watch them stealing glances at each other and secretly holding their hands whenever they think nobody's watching. They seem so happy - pink cheeks, glassy eyes, goofy smile... Hermione is bearing it better than Ron, her cheeks are considerably less pink but she wears that same goofy smile.

I was really looking forward to see them but in the end it wasn't that great. I felt alone around them. They try to act casual as they always have (for my sake I suppose) but I can tell that something's changed. We always were a trio of friends, but from now on it will be a couple of them and a single me. I even start to miss their constant bickering. They're too kind to each other all of a sudden. Ron started to be really protective over Hermione. I can't even tease her anymore without him giving me deathly glares. It's seriously disturbing. I'm really trying not to be jealous but Merlin it's SO hard.

15th July

Dad got back from work with a little card on his forehead that stated: „Who's your boss? I'M YOUR BOSS. Say it!" It seems to be attached by a permanent sticking charm. Dad keeps repeating that it is not as bad as it looks and that certainly Sirius wouldn't do such a thing to him. But we all know the truth.

16th July

By 4 in the morning after a sleepless night full of fruitless attempts to cancel one particular permanent sticking charm it started to be pretty clear that the bloody little card won't come off of dad's face not only without fight but not at all. In fact the only thing we've managed so far was to break several plates including mum's favourite china (done by dad throwing dishes in frustration), give my dad a black eye (mum's work – revenge for the china) and puke all over the sofa in the living room after eating the entire jar of grandma's homemade chocolate cream (my work, don't ask).

Around 5 in the morning dad officially banished Sirius from the circle of his closest friends and started cutting his face out of all family photos. I was promised to get a new godfather promptly.

At 8:30 Sirius stopped by and casually wiped the card off of my dad's forehead with one smooth flick of his wand. Dad who was half conscious at that time just silently wept in gratitude.

It's like that all the time. As soon as my dad gains back his dignity he will start to plan a revenge. Mum will threaten to divorce him if he will continue with this madness but will eventually end up helping him anyway. I just wish I had a normal family.