Hello, friends! I am desperately and contagiously sick. I have a lot of time on my hands. I'm pretty sure that you can expect an update every day for the next month, I have so much time to write.

GIANT HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT: I have a new HP Christmas story up! It's called "The Christmas of '97" and the first chapter is being posted, yes, you guessed it, TODAY! Please read it!

For some reason, the Carrows just wouldn't be fazed by anything we did after that. Nothing! Sure took the fun out of it. Maybe they know more than we gave them credit for. cracks up No, no, that can't be it at all. But however they caught on to our weaknesses, it did make us stop pranking.

Instead, we decided to risk it all and be all out smartmouths!

We got detention after detention. But we found out something no wizard has ever found out before. The Cruciatus Curse is something your body can build up an immunity against! If you have it cast on you an outrageous number of times in an outrageously small amount of time, it's possible. Or … maybe we just stopped caring and learned to ignore it. Either way, we couldn't care less if we got these painful detentions anymore. The Carrows were desperate. They didn't know a single thing to do that would hurt us.

Little did they know how much I hurt when I thought about Harry.

However, Death Eaters don't use emotional pain. Ever. Voldemort doesn't love, ever, and that completely takes away his comprehension of how much pain it causes when someone you love leaves you. Far, far more than the Cruciatus Curse, that much I can tell you. But if you've never experienced it, I can't truly make you understand.

One thing that especially hurts is spending a holiday without your loved one. It was the end of November at fall break, and the holidays got nearer and nearer. Soon, the calendar said December 5, and there still hadn't been any word from Ron and friends, or a letter telling me whether to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas or go home for the holiday. Then, one day, as I munched on burnt toast with chunky grape marmalade (ew and ew), Pig flew in through the window.

"Luna, it's Pig coming through that window!" I cried excited. Then I gulped. "I'm gonna need owl treats, hay, string, and tape. Lots and lots of tape," I said to no one in particular. But Pig didn't look so good, and he was calm as he perched … on the edge of my cereal bowl. There went the Cheerios. With a last farewell glance at them, I pulled the letter crossly from Pig's foot. He hooted indignantly, and I patted him apologetically, remembering how sad it had been when Hedwig, a loyal owl, was killed by the Death Eaters. I then checked the envelope, and found the letter was from my mother! Finally! A connection to the outside world! I sighed with joy and yanked it open.

"Dear Ginny," read the letter.

"How have you been? We all miss you. Ron's spattergroit is no better than when you left. He won't be back at school any time soon. But I'm sure it would help him if you would come home for the holidays. We'll all be looking forward to seeing you.

"Remember that one purse that I chose? How we couldn't find it again after that day, so we had to ask the man who ran the shop? He said he would call if he got it in? There's been no word about that one purse I chose. Just wanted to let you know.

"I love you so, so much, Ginny.

"Hoping to see you soon,

"Your Loving Mother,

"Mommy."

I grinned. My mom was absolutely terrible at her hints. The Death Eaters were bound to find something suspicious about a mother who, during the first half of her letter, acted as though the daughter hadn't had contact with the family in months and needed to be told basic facts, and then, all of a sudden, was also expected to care about a purse. Well, I did care about that purse. The one we chose. The Chosen One? Just thought you might need a little help on that one.

I ran upstairs to start packing, when I realized that every single outfit I had would probably be used between now and Christmas. It was still over two weeks until winter break started. For the first time since I had been at Hogwarts, I wanted desperately, oh, so desperately, to go home. Two weeks seems like a lifetime to a trapped teenage girl.

Then I realized that I had been so busy thinking about the people who I had no chance of seeing any time soon that I hadn't even been missing the peole who were right at home, who could have been comforting me and writing to me this whole time. My mother was probably totally worried about me not writing. After all, it was awfully dangerous at Hogwarts these days, and when the Ministry were the ones doing the killing, who was left to notify the family of anyone who was killed? All in all, I knew I was being rude and torturous to my mother, so I decided to write.

I still had Pig with me, so I sat him down on the dorm desk, commanded him to stay (like that would work if he really wanted to go- that's a good joke), spent ten minutes hunting down my parchment, spent five minutes hunting down my quill, spent fifteen minutes hunting down my ink, and finally sat down to write.

"Dear Mom,

"I miss you, too. Tell Ron I'm okay and he should get that way too. And if the guy with a purse contacts you, tell him it is my favorite purse and that I love it. Of course I remember it!

"I will definitely be home for the holidays. I can't wait to see everyone. Sometimes I get scared and wonder if you guys are okay. But I'm sure you are. All the same, it'll be great to see that with my own eyes.

"I love you more.

"Love and XO,

"Your Loving Daughter,

"Ginny."

Don't forget to review, everyone! And remember- "The Christmas of '97".