The next day, as expected was cold, and everything was covered in snow, people were rushing back and forth, carrying bags and brooms and owls and assorted other objects to the carriages that would take everyone to the train station. Of our little group only Harry, Ron, and Hermione were staying, along with only a few other people, like Draco, Crabbe, Goyle Neville, and the twins.
I don't think you are really going to be interested in my winter; it wasn't very interesting, it was very ordinary. My Dad and I stayed with my Grandparents in Hampshire (that's on the south coast for anyone who doesn't know, just north of the Isle of Wight), who had no idea about the magic world, or even my mother and the Gods. They are old and Anglican, so we celebrated Christmas together, it was fun, I hadn't seen my Grandparents in years, they were very happy I was at school in the UK, and that I was getting a 'proper British education,' and then Grandpa made us watch the Queen's speech.
When we got back to school we decided to find out what our friends had been up to, so the six of us were sitting in the library, just like we did the year before, John decided to start us off, "so, what did we miss?"
"Well, we used the polyjuice," Ron said, he was smiling over something, in fact he looked close to bursting out laughing, "Draco doesn't know who it was,
"I told you so," Janet said, frowned and continued.
"And Hermione turned into a literal cat person after using a cat hair," John, Janet and I started laughing, quietly so as not draw the ire of the librarians, librarians are terrifying.
"Also, last time it was opened, someone died and Hagrid got kicked out the school for it they thought it was his pet giant spider," Harry said, Ron shuddered, "I found an enchanted diary which showed me the memories of it, but someone stole it."
"Did it show you who died, or where?" Janet asked, "we could find out if a ghost or painting saw it," Harry shook his head, "did you see the body in the memory?"
"Briefly, for like two seconds," Harry said grimly.
"Was it half eaten or cut at all?" Janet sounded morbidly curious about the dead body.
"No, it looked like all colour had drained from a living person, but that was about it, but I couldn't make out any features," Janet nodded, but stayed quiet, she had a look on her face, a look which meant she was close to solving a puzzle, but only had one piece missing.
"So, everyone looking forward to the Quidditch tomorrow?" Ron asked changing the subject, but no-one answered him.
Nothing really happened until February when Lockhart decided to ruin the fourteenth by trying to boost everyone's morale, by having a massive Valentine's Day celebration. He had decorate the whole school in pink flowers, the Great Hall looked like Persephone went to town on it, the ceiling was this unnatural blue with randomly falling confetti coming from somewhere. But, the worst parts were Lockhart's robes, which were a shade of pink even I found ridiculously garish and the not quite as disagreeable, but no less irritating dwarves. Lockhart had hired several dozens of dwarves to dress up like Hallmark cupids and deliver Valentine's cards, messages, gifts, poetry and worst of all sing love songs, dwarves cannot sing love songs. At breakfast, the confetti was not an issue that could be dealt with, I just sat next to Janet who used a modified rain shield spell, but the dwarves were an issue, every five minutes one would pop up and deliver something to Janet, even Harry got a dreadful bit of poetry. I was rather sad until the end of the day when I received my Valentine's Day poem.
"Ehem," the dwarf said clearing his throat as he approached me, "are you Alice Smith?" I nodded in surprise, "right, I have a message to deliver, he cleared his throat again before beginning in a voice surprisingly clear for a dwarf,
"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! And, if Gods choose,
I shall but love thee better after death."
I recognised it as a poem by a muggle poet, I'd done it in English back in the States, and knew the Janet liked it, for some reason, I didn't really like poetry, but suddenly it made sense, poetry made sense, the dwarf turned and walked off, probably to deliver another message.
I then continued walking back to the Common Room, where I sat down next to Janet who was talking to Hermione.
"Hi Alice," Hermione said smiling at me, "you look surprised, what happened?"
"I had one of those dwarves deliver a message to me, and it wasn't meant for Janet," there had been a couple of embarrassing incidents when a dwarf had thought I was Janet.
Janet looked unable to contain her excitement, "oh tell me about it."
"It was one of those sonnets you love so much, it was the one that starts How do I love thee." Janet smiled widely.
"Oh, Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnet 43, not the most creative title, but still a pretty good poem, I prefer Shakespeare's sonnets."
"So, what about your valentines Janet?" I asked my friend preventing her off from delivering a rambling speech about poetry; she glared at me before burying her head in her hands.
"Wait, valentines plural?" Hermione asked.
"Urgh, don't start," Janet muttered, "I've had twenty three today, well, twenty three individual ones, some joker sent me twelve, and the poetry was so bad I couldn't tell which were ironic."
"Twenty three?" Hermione asked, Janet nodded, "well, someone's popular."
"Did you send any Janet?" I asked, Janet froze like a rabbit in the headlights, Janet is a dreadful liar if caught off guard, "so, who's the lucky boy? or girl?" I added quickly.
Janet blushed furiously, "I'm not saying anything, Hermione were you one of the girls to send Lockhart a message," she asked trying to change the subject.
"I'm not saying anything either, what about you Alice?" I felt my cheeks warm up, I had sent a Valentine's message as well.