A/N: This is a response to a nasty review we got:
Dear Ms/Mr/Mrs. Fuujin no Mai,
This is Ms. Schmo speaking (okay, writing). I'm sorry you feel that way about our story. I know that I at least tried to make it vary from all the cliche "American girls go to Hogwarts" Mary-Sues. I am 99.999999 that Ms. Schmurf and Ms. Sushi have done this as well.
Now, to warn you before I go on, I am a very emotional person sometimes and, to quote Ms. Cecily Cardew, when I see a spade, I call it a spade. So, consider yourself warned.
WHEN, may I ask, did we EVER say that Shelby, Katelyn, Rachel, Hannah, Sarah and Haley were shallow, as you put it?!!! We even mentioned that the girls had glasses and braces. They are your average girls!! And, to quote Ms. Sushi: I checked--and DOUBLE CHECKED--and there is no mention of being shallow. No mention of being hot except Sarah saying that someone is hot in CHAPTER TWO, ONCE. And Sarah (in real life too) is completely boy-obsessed, and appearance is the only thing that matters, so that's just a reference to real life. And, yes, this is a bit of a self-insert. Characters based off of us, reacting to situations like we would have, but that's not the point. We know, and our characters in turn, KNOW THEIR FAULTS! You see that clearly in the story! And, guess what, WE MAKE NO MENTION WHATSOEVER OF CLOTHES!!!!!
So, please, before you stereotype this fic, remember that it is just that, fanfiction. And, maybe try to actually see PAST your EFFING PREJUDICE against these types of stories and actually read it.
Thank you for reading.
Regards,
Ms. Schmo, AKA Katelyn
P.S. Anyone else with a review like that, please don't bother. Flames aren't taken kindly here.
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"I still haven't seen Harry or Ron," Tanya was saying as they took their seats at the Gryffindor table.
"I hope everything is okay," Hannah said worriedly, gingerly running her finger along the golden plate in front of her.
"I'm sure they'll turn up eventually," Rachel reassured her. She tapped her goblet to emphasize her point.
"Aye," Seamus said with a nod. "In body bags."
"You're not helping, Finnigan," Rachel said, a wrinkle forming between her brows. She looked so despondent that Seamus backed down and made no more cracks, but instead traced the embroidery on the tablecloth.
"Seriously, you guys, what if You-Know-Who came back over the summer and killed Harry!" Hannah dropped the knife she'd been holding and it hit the plate with a crash.
"Oy," Dean said suddenly. "There are three reasons why it's highly improbable that that occurred. One: if You-Know-Who was really back, wouldn't it be all over the Daily Prophet and in the Muggle news, too?"
"Two:" Seamus cut in, warming to the topic, "he doesn't even know where Harry lives besides Hogwarts."
"Three:" Dean finished, "Ron's with Harry. Would he kill Harry if Ron were there?"
"No," Seamus said, grinning, "You-Know-Who doesn't consider Ron to be worth the time needed to exterminate him. So you see, Hannah, you've got nothing to worry about."
"Unless—" Tanya began, but Hermione hissed, "Ssh! The Sorting's about to begin!"
So the Sorting took place, and when Ginny's turn came, the Hat put her in Gryffindor with her four brothers.
After the hubbub died down, the tables filled straight away with food of all imaginable sorts: treacle fudge, shepherd's pie, fried chicken, casseroles, etc, etc.
"I'd forgotten how much I missed this," Seamus said through a mouthful of pork chop. "Me mam is a wonderful woman, but even magic can't fix her cooking."
Rachel laughed. "I'd like to meet this 'mam' of yours. If she's anything like you, I bet she's a load of fun!"
Seamus' face warmed at this unbidden compliment. "She and me da' are 'tryin' to get pregnant', it appears. Obviously, me and Francis aren't enough."
"Are they yet?"
"Pregnant? No."
"That's—what?" Hannah had just sighed heavily, and Rachel looked over at her.
"It's Haley," Hannah said glumly. "Look at her and Oliver. She'll be spending so much time with him that she won't have time for us."
"Well, don't around," Dean said dryly.
Of course, everyone did, and saw Oliver reach over and snog Haley over the chicken dumplings.
"Number one," Hannah said unhappily.
Rachel shuddered. "Ew. That's so gross."
Dean patted Seamus on the back as he pretended to vomit into his flask of pumpkin juice. "Get used to it, Rachel. We're not kids anymore."
Rachel and Hannah clutched convulsively at their necks. "Didn't need to know that, Dean."
Dean shrugged and took a swig of pumpkin juice and winked. "It all depends on how you look at it."
Tanya shuddered. "I'd rather not look at it at all!"
"Number two," Hermione put in.
Hannah didn't even bother to look as she was sick of Oliver already, and she said so aloud.
"Hey, you never know, Hannah," Katelyn said. "You might just end up like that yourself."
Hannah stuck her tongue out in disgust. "I certainly hope not! Oh, stop laughing, Seamus, it goes the same for you."
Seamus ceased mid-laugh and turned beet red, which made both Rachel and Dean snicker.
Hannah made a face at them, then turned to Oliver and Haley and counted number three. "I don't know about you, but I've just about lost my appetite."
Everyone nodded in agreement. "You'd think they'd have gotten tired of it already," Dean said casually.
"I know I would," Seamus and Rachel said in unison, then, inexplicably, both of them blushed.
Soon enough, the golden plates were cleared, and Dumbledore sent everyone off to bed. When the girls got into the Gryffindor Common Room, they found Harry and Ron surrounded by everyone else, looking rather pleased with themselves.
"Thank goodness you're alive!" Tanya cried, and threw her arms around them both.
"We thought you were dead for sure," Katelyn echoed, nearly popping Ron's head off with her exuberant squeezing.
Harry and Ron exchanged slightly nervous looks, and patted the girls' heads.
When they were released, Harry and Ron straightened their shirts, then turned to Hermione. "Can we talk to you, alone?"
"Sure." Hermione nodded, and everyone else headed up to their respective dormitories.
"I wonder what they're going to talk about," Rachel said, mildly curious. Hannah shrugged, and they all got ready for bed.