American Witch
A\N: Hola! I had a really sore throat this morning and I could barely talk, so my very nice parents let me stay home from school! Now I get to write! And Spring Break starts today after school anyway! Yay, nice parents! ^_^
Too bad my dad took the computer with the Internet for repairs though (the screen did weird stuff, flashed purple, for example), cause I could have gotten on the Internet tooAnd I didn't mind the purple flashes
Ah, yes, you know that girl I mentioned in Chapter 6? Stephanie? Yes, well, that's Stacey. I decided to change her name in the middle of the chapter without telling anybodyHa ha! Actually, I couldn't remember what I'd named her and I was writing some of it on paper without the computer near, so I just made up a new name. Glad to clear that up. And I'm going to call her Stephanie from now on because I like that name better.
So, how about I write the chapter now? Probably going to be pointless, but what the heck^_^
Disclaimer: You know.
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Chapter 9: Christmas and Other Things
12-7-02
I'm nearly bored to tears (I like that expression), and also exasperated. Elena, Amanda (who we told and got to help) and I spent nearly all of yesterday after classes looking for the Seer's Diary or the stupid key, and we didn't find anything. It's especially hard because they're probably going to be disguised in some way, and we have no idea what they look like.
I mean, there's millions of ways you could disguise a key, and a diarywell, I don't really know any disguises for them, but I bet a Seer could think of plenty of ways.
And you know, I wonder why in the first place we even went down there and got annoyed by Harry Potter's bit of parchment. I'd go down there and give him a piece of my mind, except I'm willing to bet there will be yet another parchment in his hand, and I really don't like things I can't figure out.
12-19-02
I just had a nice time doing detention in the attic, weirdo that I am!
Here's the story:
Elena had charmed Arthur Wong's hair with blue and green polka-dots, because he hadn't bothered us for a while and he was starting to get annoying again, and Amanda and I were with her at the time. Professor Bradley, who's unfortunately the head of our house, gave both of us a detention to clean up the attic of the castle, and we went up there very tired and bored and hopeless we were going to get it cleaned.
However, we started trying to clean it, and sorted all of the things in the attic that looked like useless junk into a pile. Then, we started doing spells on the walls and floor and all the junk that had a use to make them all dusted off and clean, because dear Ms. Bradley (not) had forgotten to tell us that we couldn't use magic.
Then, we started sorting through the useless junk to see if we wanted any of it before we threw it away. There were old magazines up there, wizard and muggle, and we decided to keep those in the rubbish pile. Then came bits and pieces of wood and things. We threw that away too. But then there were the books, which Amanda had thrown into the pile carelessly.
"You weirdo!" I was shrieking. "These aren't junk! You know I love books!"
"Sorry," Amanda said, shrugging.
I sorted through them eagerly. There were some Potions books; I threw them away in disgust and Elena gathered them up eagerly, Charms books; I eagerly loaded up my arms with the lot of them, Transfiguration books; I took a couple of them and Amanda took the rest, and Quidditch books; We divided them among us in equal portions because we all wanted some. Then, there was a metal S with a medieval look to it, a photo album, some sheets of yellowing parchment, and a small black book.
Elena picked up the parchment, for some reason, and put it in her arms with the Potions and Quidditch books she already had. Amanda took up the photo album with a thoughtful expression on her face, and I picked up the small black book and the metal figure of an S.
Then, putting down our new things for a minute, we threw the rest of the junk out the window, landing all of it perfectly on the head of Professor Bradley, who had no idea who threw them and probably put them in the trash later. In any case, she scooped up all the things and started walking away, yelling curses (not spells).
Then, we picked up the things again and went downstairs, putting them in our dorms. And isn't it great, we'll have loads of time to look at them, because Christmas Break starts tomorrow!
12-24-02
Christmas Eve! Christmas Eve! YAY!!!! I get presents tomorrow! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha..
Anyway, I've had four days since Christmas break started, and Amanda ended her lessons with Prof. Chant when we left school for the Break. I'm the only one left nowsniff, sniff.
I've gone home for Christmas, and given Amanda and Elena my phone number. They've given me theirs too, and we've chatted quite a bit during the five days. Elena has a phone, even though she's a pure-blood, because she's got a Muggle brother and her family wanted to keep up the act of being Muggles so he wouldn't feel left out. I've also gone over to Amanda's house some, and called some of my old Muggle friends. I can't visit Elena, though, because she lives in California.
My mom was really glad to see me. She hugged me really tight, until she was almost choking the breath out of me, and asked if I'd had a nice time at Hogwarts. I said yes, of course, because I have been having fun, but I didn't tell her about the hall full of portraits and all that, because she would probably spoil my fun one way or anothermy mother is really nice, but she has a way of making things not as fun as they were before.
My dad was glad to see me too. He swung me up in the air before a person could say knife, and happiness must have brought him that strength, because I've been too heavy for him since I was, say, eight. I didn't tell him about the portraits and stuff either, because he would ask me too many questions I couldn't answer and perhaps try to warn me off, even though there's absolutely no danger in the whole thing.
When I met my old Muggle friends again, it was rather awkward, because we hadn't seen each other in such a long time, and I had to lie to them about why I was going to a boarding school, not to mention lying about its name and what was taught there, obviously. And I'm not good at lying. We didn't have such a great time as I'd expected. I don't think I'll get in touch with them again, because I don't think any of us had much fun.
I've spent most of my time reading my new books. As a Christmas present, I've promised myself that I'll read the little black one tomorrow, because that looks like the most interesting. I've hardly been able to stop myself from reading it before Christmas.
I've sent Elena a big package of pranks with Lilac (my owl, in case you've forgotten since I haven't mentioned her in a while) from a little wizarding town that happens to be a few hours away from us, and I'm going to give Amanda a piece of string. Just kidding! I'm actually going to give her a nice little silver bracelet. She likes wearing jewelry a lot more than me, so I know it'll be appreciated.
I've decided to rake the lawn for free for my mother, and give one of my magic-related books to my father, because he's read the Harry Potter books too and I bet he'd like to see a book related to the magical world.
Now, to wait for Christmas!
12-25-02
Christmas is wonderful this year!
I got a book of Charms from Andrea and Stephanie, sent by Andrea's owl, Toidi. I'm willing to bet that it's "idiot" spelled backwards. It kept bumping into the rafters before I sent it off, and where else would Andrea think of a name like Toidi?
Elena sent me a present with her owl too. It's a really thick, thick, thick, thick, thick book which I am going to LOVE. Yes, I know I'm insane. But I like thick books. And this one is a collection of long stories on the kind of subject I like, all about kingdoms and princesses and enchantmentsyes, I really do like that kind of story. It's my favorite kind of fiction book. I don't know why, but I just think they're more interesting than any other type of book.
Kira sent me a book on Quidditch with her owl. I think I'll enjoy reading it.
Amanda sent me some lip gloss and nail polish which had a note attached to it, "You don't like anything girly, you even hate pink. At least wear some minor makeup." And they were both PINK. Ugh. I'm not planning to actually use any of it. I think I'll send it to that girl at my old school who was two years older than me and always put on too much eyeshadow and stuffThat gift was disappointingAnd especially disappointing after I bought her that nice bracelet, which SHE'S actually going to WEAR, probably constantly, while I'm NEVER going to wear that makeupI think she gave that to me just to annoy me.
Then, as the REAL present, as she stated in the note, she gave me a big box of Chocolate Frogs, about 12 bags of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, a gigantic bag of pretzels, and a gigantic bag of MARSHMALLOWS!!!! Yummyyummyyummyyummyyummmmmmmmmmmmmmmy! Large amounts of all my favorite candy! Yes, I've taken a liking to Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (let's just call them BB's EFB, shall we?) as well as pretzels and MARSHMALLOWS!!!
I got some clothes and some more candy (yay!) from my mom. From my dad, I got a thick book, like the one Elena sent me, and slightly smaller, except this one's another subject of fiction. But hey! it's still fiction, so I love it!
My aunt and uncle and cousins gave me jewelry and books (everyone likes to give me jewelry and know I love books), and my grandparents gave me jewelry and a journal (everybody likes to give me jewelry and know I also like to write in journals).
So, I've gotten all my presents for Christmas, and now I'm going to read that black book.
1 PM
Slight problem with reading the black book. I can't open it! Seriously, I can't. I try and tug it open, and it's like the pages suddenly melt together with an unbreakable seal and turn normal again when I stop trying to open it. It's really baffling me. I wonder if there's some kind of lock on it
But what would a person lock a book for? Of course, there is that Seer's Diary. It might be the diary! Some people lock their diaries, although I never succeeded with that when I did it, because I kept losing the key.
There's also a weird, very queer design on the back. It's a circle with a wavy stripe inside it. The stripe is deeper than the rest and there are also little deepened circles connected to the stripe. I really have no idea what it is. I'm going to call Elena and Amanda and see if they have any ideas.
1:30 PM
When I picked up the phone to call Elena, it began ringing. Elena called me before I even got a chance to dial her number!
"I was just about to call you!" I said.
"Yeah, for some reason I felt like you might want to talk to me. Anyway, I've got something to tell you."
"I've got something to tell you."
"The parchment from the attic writes back to you."
"The book won't open, and I think it has some kind of magic lock on it. I think it might be the Seer's Diary."
"WHAT?!?" we both shrieked at the same time.
"Ow, you're hurting my ears," was said in unison also.
"What do you mean, the parchment writes back to you?"
"It just does. I write something on the parchment, and it spits out an answer in my ink."
"Weird. Sounds like the diary from the second Harry Potter bookwait a minute! Ask it what it's name is."
A pause. Then, "It said it was Jenny Chapman."
"Hmnot Tom Riddle then."
"No. So, you think your book is the Seer's Diary?"
"Well, yes. It has some kind of lock or spell or something so it won't open, and there's this weird design on it, and I don't knowI mean, what else would you lock but a diary? And a Seer's diary would just have to be in an old and dusty place like the attic, don't you think?"
"Yeah, I guess so. I wonder if Amanda found anything strange about her photo album
"How about I call her and see? I have three-way-calling."
"Okies!"
Then, Elena got Amanda on the phone, and managed to get me on too.
"Amanda, have you noticed anything strange about your photo album that you picked up in the attic?" Elena asked.
"Well, yes, actually."
"What?"
"Well, see, there's this pretty girl with long wavy red hair in all the pictures"
"Go on"
"I am. Anyway, in one picture, she's writing in a little black book, rather like the one you found in the attic, Kara."
I held my breath.
"In another, she's waving her wand over some parchment, and I just feel like the coincidence with the black book is too strange for the parchment not to be that parchment that you found, Elena."
"Oh"
"What?"
"Well, just go on. Any other pictures that stand out?"
"Well, in one, she has this crystal ball, and she's gazing into it. In fact, most of the pictures are of this girl doing Divination stuff.."
"The Seer," I breathed softly into the phone. "You've hit it, Amanda. That girl is the Seer, I have the Seer's Diary, and Elena has her parchment that she's cast a spell on to make it answer as her. Apparently the Seer's name is Jenny Chapman."
"What?!?"
"Yeah, Amanda. The parchment answers when you write on it and says its name is Jenny Chapman. I'm guessing the Seer cast a spell on it so a bit of her personality would be preserved in the parchment."
"Where do you get this stuff, Kara?" Amanda asked, apparently incredibly awed by my brilliance. Ahem, getting a little swelled there
I went on. "And then I've got a little black book with a weird symbol on it that's got some kind of lock. It has to be the diary. Also, you've got a photo album that also gives us her appearance. We've got her thoughts, her looks, and her personality. We just don't have the key to her thoughts. We're going to have to ask her personality. Elena, could you write to the parchment again and explain this whole thing, and ask how to open the diary?"
There was a very long pause. Elena said at last, "She says she is the Seer, and that you open the diary by using the metal key that fits."
"Well, that really helps! Ask her to give us some answer that will actually help us."
"She says she can't. I don't know why, but she can't. She can say that it's not a spell though, since the key is metal and all that."
I sighed. "All right. Tell her we can figure it out on our own, but can she possibly give us some help if we need it once we get the Diary open?"
"She said yes."
"Okay. Well, I'll just try and figure out how to open it then, shall I?" I said sarcastically, doubting that I would be able to figure anything out.
"You do that." Amanda said in relief. She obviously thought I could do it.
"Bye. If I figure out anything, I'll call one of you." I said.
"Okay, bye." Amanda and Elena said. We all hung up, and now I'm probably going to stare at the ceiling until the next batch of Christmas festivities starts, wondering what the key is. Bye for now until sometime after Christmas is over.
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A\N: Yay! I got to the end of Chapter 9. I can't believe I got this far, and I still have ideas of what I'm going to write! I think I'm actually going to finish this story. Yipee! Hullaballoo! Sorry, that's not actually a word having to do with happiness, but I like it^_^
I'm surprised at myself for wting so much. Apparently, I'm really imaginative today. Maybe having a sore throat is good for story writing^_^ But I think I was just feeling unusually productive.
And you may not shoot my muse in your review for this chapter, even if you hate my story, because I like my story too much at the moment, even thought you're right, whoever's reading this, it's very dumb
Oh, and I think the KB is climbing up from its drop to 13. This one's 20 KB. My longest chapter was 28 KB.
Toodles, amigo!
~Hermione2 Demented Fanfiction Author ^_^