Disclaimer: While I admit to some possible ownership of Gwylan, her parents and several of her friends, most of this stuff belongs to J. K. Rowling. All praise and glory to her…
*******
Gwylan clutched the parchment in her hand as she hurried to the library. It had taken more than a little courage to go through with all of that. Snape did not seem so bad after all. Gruff, aloof, yes, but not evil precisely.
Gwylan glanced around the library as she entered. Harry Potter and his friends were studying furiously behind a large pile of books. There was a scattering of older students here and there.
She consulted her list and gathered the books. The librarian raised her brows at Gwylan's choice of reading material, but did not comment when she caught sight of Professor Sanpe's note.
Gwylan hurried back towards her dormitory, her mind on the bowl waiting on her bed.
She met Marcia, one of her roommates, just as she rounded the corner to their common room.
"Hey, Gwylan, what is all that?" She laughed. "A bit of heavy reading?"
"Just some books Professor Snape recommended to me." Gwylan responded, shifting the books in her arms.
"Oh, you poor dear," Marcia grimaced. "Is he picking on you?" The two girls continued into their common room.
"Not quite," Gwylan grinned. "I asked for them." She set the books on a table at the side of the room with a sigh.
"Oh…" the other girl said, eyes widening. "I was looking for you. Do you remember the page numbers Professor Flitwick assigned? I thought I wrote them down, but I can not find the parchment anywhere."
Gwylan dug into the pocket of her robes and came up with a small spiral bound colander. She flipped it open and read off the page numbers.
"What is that thing?" Marcia asked.
Gwylan looked at the book in mild surprise. "Just a weekly planner. I have used one for years."
"Oh, is that an American thing?"
"More of a muggle thing, I think." Gwylan replied. "But it keeps me organized." She pulled a pen from the spiral binding and marked off 'speak w/ P. Snape' on the page.
"Is that a muggle quill?" Marcia asked, wide eyed.
"Yeah, another one of my muggle artifacts. Father bespelled it to never to break and never run out of ink. Useful, really. I do not need to open an ink bottle in the halls."
Marcia shook her head in wonder.
"I need to get these put away," Gwylan said, picking the books up again. "I will see you in a bit."
Gwylan slipped upstairs. The dormitory was empty. She dumped her books on her bed and placed the ceramic bowl on the bare floor. She took out her wand and said the first word from the post script. The bowl filled with blue flames. She said the second word and after a few moments her father's face suddenly filled the flames.
"Gwylan!" He said. "Rowena, come quickly, its Gwylan."
Her father's head became smaller as it was joined by her mother's.
"How are you, darling?" Her mother asked. "I couldn't finish a letter without mentioning the bowl, and I wanted it to be a surprise, so none of the letters made it to the post."
"I have missed you." Gwylan said, her eyes misty.
"Oh, we have missed you too." Her father said. His hand appeared, clutching a fistful of papers. "Here are your mother's letters. A few of my own too."
Gwylan took the sheaf of papers from him. They spoke for a while before Gwylan remembered her homework and promised to talk again the next day.
*******
Gwylan clutched the parchment in her hand as she hurried to the library. It had taken more than a little courage to go through with all of that. Snape did not seem so bad after all. Gruff, aloof, yes, but not evil precisely.
Gwylan glanced around the library as she entered. Harry Potter and his friends were studying furiously behind a large pile of books. There was a scattering of older students here and there.
She consulted her list and gathered the books. The librarian raised her brows at Gwylan's choice of reading material, but did not comment when she caught sight of Professor Sanpe's note.
Gwylan hurried back towards her dormitory, her mind on the bowl waiting on her bed.
She met Marcia, one of her roommates, just as she rounded the corner to their common room.
"Hey, Gwylan, what is all that?" She laughed. "A bit of heavy reading?"
"Just some books Professor Snape recommended to me." Gwylan responded, shifting the books in her arms.
"Oh, you poor dear," Marcia grimaced. "Is he picking on you?" The two girls continued into their common room.
"Not quite," Gwylan grinned. "I asked for them." She set the books on a table at the side of the room with a sigh.
"Oh…" the other girl said, eyes widening. "I was looking for you. Do you remember the page numbers Professor Flitwick assigned? I thought I wrote them down, but I can not find the parchment anywhere."
Gwylan dug into the pocket of her robes and came up with a small spiral bound colander. She flipped it open and read off the page numbers.
"What is that thing?" Marcia asked.
Gwylan looked at the book in mild surprise. "Just a weekly planner. I have used one for years."
"Oh, is that an American thing?"
"More of a muggle thing, I think." Gwylan replied. "But it keeps me organized." She pulled a pen from the spiral binding and marked off 'speak w/ P. Snape' on the page.
"Is that a muggle quill?" Marcia asked, wide eyed.
"Yeah, another one of my muggle artifacts. Father bespelled it to never to break and never run out of ink. Useful, really. I do not need to open an ink bottle in the halls."
Marcia shook her head in wonder.
"I need to get these put away," Gwylan said, picking the books up again. "I will see you in a bit."
Gwylan slipped upstairs. The dormitory was empty. She dumped her books on her bed and placed the ceramic bowl on the bare floor. She took out her wand and said the first word from the post script. The bowl filled with blue flames. She said the second word and after a few moments her father's face suddenly filled the flames.
"Gwylan!" He said. "Rowena, come quickly, its Gwylan."
Her father's head became smaller as it was joined by her mother's.
"How are you, darling?" Her mother asked. "I couldn't finish a letter without mentioning the bowl, and I wanted it to be a surprise, so none of the letters made it to the post."
"I have missed you." Gwylan said, her eyes misty.
"Oh, we have missed you too." Her father said. His hand appeared, clutching a fistful of papers. "Here are your mother's letters. A few of my own too."
Gwylan took the sheaf of papers from him. They spoke for a while before Gwylan remembered her homework and promised to talk again the next day.