Sorry about the wait; life kinda kicked me in the butt. To make up for that, it's on the longish side. All reviews are highly appreciated, and if anyone can tell me anything about the Brittish A or O levels, it would be appreciated. Thanks.

5 April

Mum,

Is not sending me cookies the Hogwarts equivalent of getting grounded? I am really sorry about getting that detention. I promise I won't get into any more fights, even if three other people attack one of my friends.

I just want to know why when I get one detention and get a howler and a three page lecture, (and yes, I read it) but Lin gets in trouble all the time, and you do nothing,

And don't say she's younger than me. It's only a year. I don't care if you expect more from me.

We're avoiding Eleanor, don't worry.

I can't wait until third year. That's when students start to get to visit the town of Hogsmeade. It's close, and it's supposed to be the only completely magical town in Britain.

There hasn't been a trip recently, but several older students were planning what they would do on the next weekend, and they were more than happy to describe it for us poor ikle firsties.

I got Lin's Christmas present from the Zonko's catalogue by owl order, (you're welcome) but they have a store in Hogsmeade with demonstrations and samples. Lin would love it. Michael Corner said Flitch is trying to ban visits to town just because of Zonko's.

Honeydukes is another favorite. It's a huge candy store. They've got everything including acid pops, fizzing wizzbees, sugar quills, cockroach clusters, and fresh fudge. They offer owl order too, but it's not the same.

There's also the Three Broomsticks, where everyone goes for lunch and butterbeers, and Madam Pudifoot's tea shop, which is a popular date place. said that when we can go, we have to check out the Hog's Head, but we really shouldn't go inside. It's a rough place, but the clientele is interesting.

Then there's the Shrieking Shack. It's supposedly really haunted, and not by the nice type of ghost. Michael and tried to scare us with stories, but Orla had heard them before. (Her brother has been trying to scare her for years; it takes lots more than stories to freak her out.) The story goes that twenty or thirty years ago, horrible inhuman sounds would be heard from the shack. It hasn't been heard for awhile, but it's still considered a scary place, and Hogwarts like to check it out.

Orla says that, despite what Michael and say, it didn't disappear because it ate enough first years to sate its appetite, and no student has disappeared in that area. Frankly, I trust her more than them.

I want to go.

Now that I think about it, I don't think they were describing Hogsmeade to be nice.

-Liss