September 2nd, 2001

Dear Journal,

This is so strange. Well, you know what's weird. Someone wrote in my journal. My journal.

At first, I thought that I was lolly. I went to write in you, and found someone else already had. This hasn't happened in the 2 years I've had you for…care to explain? Maybe it was one of my roommates? Perhaps that pug-faced girl…I can't remember her name. She's been nice to me so far, but you never know.

No matter, I'll put one of those painful locking spells that father taught me on you so that when Pansy- I remembered her name now, Pansy Parkinson- touches it, it rips out a couple of fingernails. Or something like that.

Alright, because I haven't written since I received my letters, I'll tell you what happened.

You know that I received 2 acceptance letters, one from Durmstrang, and one from Hogwarts.

Well, Father was dead set on my going to Durmstrang. In fact, he had already started writing a letter for me, telling them I would be delighted to attend when Luscius Malfoy sent an owl bragging about how his son Draco had gotten into Hogwarts, and asking whether or not I had shown any possibilities. Well, that settled that. Father tore up his Durmstrang letter and began to write both an acceptance to Hogwarts and a letter to Luscius Malfoy.

Mum was happy- she was a Ravenclaw and a prefect. Father was a Slytherin (you'd think he would have wanted Hogwarts from the first, but Durmstrang has a better Dark Arts program)

I am afraid that Mum has almost no say in where I am schooled- father makes all of the decisions concerning me. But you knew that too, didn't you? I am just blabbering.

Anyway, we went to Diagon Alley, to get my school supplies; I got a snake, even though they aren't on the list of acceptable pets. Father says that my blood is too pure to have a toad, although cats are great pets, they make him sneeze, that he hates rats (I don't know why) and that I can have an owl when I am 15. But, it's alright, I prefer snakes any day. His name, by the way, is Torya.

Father also gave me some spending money. Actually, the only reason he did was because we ran into Luscius Malfoy and his son who were just coming out of the wand shop (my wand, by the way, is oak, 11 inches, ocamy feather and snakeskin, strong, good for hexes.)

But, back to spending money. Luscius, in plain view of father, gave Draco 15 galleons, and told him to go off somewhere with me. Father looked at Luscius, looked at Draco, looked at me, and fished out 18 galleons. I was surprised. Normally, father's limit is five. And he wasn't happy about forking over 13 for my wand. Then Luscius told Draco to go get himself a new quill, and gave him and extra five. Then father gave me three more, and told me to go buy myself some sweets. Draco and I exchanged looks, and ran off before our fathers could change their minds. Don't think that Draco and I are the best of friends. It's just that our fathers are business partners, and I've spent every New Years Eve that I can remember at the Malfoy Mansion. Just as they have spent every Thanksgiving at ours.

Anyway, we went to the candy store, and then to a store specializing in jokes. Draco was talking on and on about how good he was at Quidditch and other equally boring things, and I was not really listening, when something he mentioned caught my attention.

"What did you say?" I asked him, grabbing hold of the sleeve of his ( dark red silk) robes

He looked annoyed, but then, the Malfoy's spend 50% of their time looking annoyed. "I said that I met Harry Potter, and he's a scrawny little twit." Draco told me, sneering at the boy's name.

"Harry Potter!" I squealed without realizing I was squealing "The boy who defeated You-Know-Who?!" Draco looked disgusted (the Malfoy's spend the other 48% of their time looking disgusted. Only 2% is spent being anything else.)

"Oh for Merlin's sake Tyne, don't tell me you're in awe of Harry Potter!" he cried, throwing up his hands.

"No" I said, although I was lying. "I just thought that it must have been wicked, you know, having met him."

Then Draco stormed ahead, and I had to run to catch up, and he pinched me, and I yanked his hair, and then we went into Floreceans and chipped in on a banana split. That's how it's always been with Draco and I, we fight, then we share. Actually, the way it's also been is this: If I want something, I owl Draco about it, and he asks his father for it, then my father finds out, and buys me the same thing. Draco does it too. We're not friends, but we're allies.

I have to go now. I'll write about the sorting next time. Promise.

Sincerely

Tyne Nyoka Radcliffe