Hogwarts and Shankspell

By: CNJ

PG-13

6: Back In England

Harry:



Dear Aunt Miranda,
Hello! How was your week here? Just got back home a few minutes ago from the States. Had a swell time there and it was sooo intriguing meeting people from another culture! Actually, it was like meeting several different cultures, since America is a melting pot. The climate is much more humid there and a bit warmer. I don't know if that's the reason I now have a cold. Oh, the American students were so interesting and I learned a lot about Americans just by being with them. They were very warm and welcomed us so kindly. I loved visiting the States and hope I can visit again. It's also good to be back home also. You might have gotten the notice for the Enlightenment on May 6. All the seventh-years are chatting about it now. The dorm is a mad array of clothes and all kinds of just-unpacked things. My friends and I have a ton of dirty clothes we'll be washing tonight. It's soo good to be back here in the good old United Kingdom! Oh, Auntie...Auntie, I can't believe we'll be graduating in one month! Neither can my friends; we talked about it all the way home. The flight back was a bit bumpy and my ears hurt, but we came back in one piece. Excuse me if my handwriting is a bit bumpy itself here; I'm coughing now. It's just a cough from this cold; don't worry; it'll clear up in a week or so. Just wanted to let you know I was back; I'm going to unpack now. I love you and will owl you again soon. Bye-bye now.

Love, Harry




Hedwig was leaning on me, rubbing against me, so I gently stroked her, happy to see her again. "Careful, girl, I have a cold and I know you don't want to catch it," I whispered to her and gave her the letter and a handful of treats from the States. "Give it to Aunt Miranda..." She nodded, then flew off. She seems to really understand human language. I stood and started digging out my own luggage. A denim robe landed on my head.
"I believe it's yours, Harry," Neville grinned as I pulled off the robe.
"Thanks..." I told him and joined the others in pulling out their things and putting it away or to the wash. It was chaos for the next few minutes, but then things quieted down once we were unpacked. Most of the others took off in different directions, but I stayed in the dorm, lay down and penned a letter to Sirius to be sent later, then pulled out a book that I'd bought in the States. Actually, I'd brought back several, but it probably would be summer before I had a chance to read most of them since in the coming month, I'd be very busy with the Enlightenment and getting ready for graduation. Taking a brief look around, I knew one of my tasks would be to sort through all of my things, so they'd be ready to pack and take back home for the summer, then again in the fall when I got ready to move out on my own and start college. Definitely, I was headed to Andrews and Wallace Arts College this fall; I'd already sent in my response accepting their invitation to attend. My stomach jumped a little, then twinged at the new challenges and experiences that would inevitably come with adulthood. I then blew my nose and started on my book...
I must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing I knew, Ron was shaking me and telling me it was time for dinner. Groggily, I drifted down after him, still half-dreaming. As I headed to our table, I starting coughing...again and that woke me more. I sat, ducked my head and kept coughing for what seemed like a long minute.
"Harry, that cough sounds different now," Hermione told me. I nodded, my hand still over my mouth. I knew I sounded awful. Now that she'd mentioned it, I realized that my cough had gone from a hacking one into a barking one. Dumbledore ninged on the bell up front and we all listened to him welcoming us seventh-years back from the States.
"...I trust all of you had an enjoyable journey and learned much," Dumbledore announced. He then suggested that seventh-years volunteer events from the trip. Hermione told everyone about the immigrants' experience, including the special problems that magical immigrants faced. Cheria talked about the women's movement and the Statue of Liberty. Ron told about our race around Ms. Liberty and everyone, including McGonagall chuckled and I had to grin. I added my story on meeting the leprechauns and the diversity of the American students, both muggle and magical. About a dozen other seventh-years added their experiences, then the food appeared and we began to eat. My appetite was poor, so I actually ate little.
"So, what's it like on a muggle plane?" a third-year called across.
"Wicked..." Ron told her. "Like being on a broom, but it's also like being in a huge box in the sky." Just then, owls started pouring in and I got one from Aunt Miranda. Ginny and Ron also each got one. Ron actually got two...I saw his face tighten as he looked over one beige envelope.
"What's...?" Ginny peered over. Ron cleared his throat nervously and showed us the envelope. It was from Braxton University. I knew he was very nervous since he'd been rejected from Bartmey U. a month ago; it had really hurt him deeply. I myself tensed up.
"Want to wait until later or do it now?" Hermione asked softly.
"I'm afraid to open it, but I know if I don't do it now, I'll be a wreck by the end of dinner," Ron said shakily. He then started to rip it open, his hands shaking. Please...oh, please...I could hear him mutter fearfully under his breath. He swallowed audibly as he pulled the letter out and read it. A second later, his face broke into a huge grin and he whooped.
"I got in!!!!" he bellowed. "I'm accepted!!!" We all joined in the whooping and backslapped him. Others looked over.
"I got into Braxton U!" Ron told them loudly. He exhaled shakily and helped himself to a pile of shepherd's pie meat.
"That's great, Ron; I'm so happy for you!" I told him. Now he could make his college plans. Next year would be Ginny's turn and I sincerely hoped it would go well for her also.
"Upward and onward with our adult plans," Ron took a huge bite of the lemon pie that had turned up for dessert.
"It's a good thing we have lots of food here, since I suspect our planning for graduation and adulthood will be very...hunger-producing," Hermione added and we all laughed. I started to laugh, but that started me coughing again. I really wished this cold would get going and leave me alone soon. I grabbed some napkins and ducking my head, sounded almost like Fang, Hagrid's dog for the next few minutes. I felt someone stroke my back once. Looking up, I saw Colin Creevey pass by, peering at me a minute. I was still barking away, so I took a huge sip of pumpkin juice, a little embarrassed at Colin's fawning over me. It's nothing new; Colin used to follow me around with a camera in my second and third year, snapping pictures.

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Ginny:

I really was going to miss my older friends once they left. I was almost over my sixth year and next year it would be my turn, mine and a friend of mine I sometimes hang about with, Shamla Curran. She's in my year, so we'll graduate together next year. I was also relieved that my brother had made it into Braxton U. He'd been unusually tense waiting for that letter and I'd heard that he'd been rejected from another college earlier. I'd be meeting Shamla back in the common room to go over some Potions notes with her in a few minutes. As I headed back upstairs, I went the long way and passed by the front doors. It was a mild night and the doors were open. Outside, by a tall tree stood Hermione, Ron, Cheria, and Harry quietly talking with pensive looks on their faces. I watched them a minute, silently wishing them good luck next year, then went on upstairs. As I went, I thought over them...Ron, my brother whom I'd known all my life...meeting Harry at Kings Crossing Station seven years ago when he and Ron were both first-years. Excuse me...he'd called politely back then. At first, I thought his face looked somewhat familiar, but couldn't place it. Mum had shown him how to get onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters. I could tell he'd been nervous and I'd wished him good luck. He seemed unusually mature for an eleven-year-old boy then and it wasn't until after he and Ron had left for Hogwarts that I heard through the grapevine that he was Harry Potter, the boy who'd been the first child to survive an attack by Voldemort. Ron owled often, mentioning Harry and how wonderful and kind he was and I'd developed a crush on him for a couple of years. I met Hermione, their other friend when I started at Hogwarts. She'd shown me the ropes at Hogwarts and had really taken me under her wing with her efficient, some would say bossy manner. I'll be forever grateful to her for her kindness and for her befriending me when I was an insecure first-year. Cheria had come in our fourth year and wound up sitting by us at meals, then eventually began hanging about us late in our fourth year and by their fifth year, her friendship with us had solidified. Together over the years, we'd been through so many ups and downs. Together all of us along with the rest of the Gryffindors had defeated Voldemort for good back last November that windy night in the dark woods of Quarry Grounds. It was hard to believe that it was almost over. The thought made my heart pang. I knew, however, that we'd keep up our friendship beyond Hogwarts even though we'd be scattered about. It's always hard however...I guess you could say it was the end of our Hogwarts era.

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Harry:

It was a lovely mild night, so we had the perfect excuse to stand outside in the twilight and watch the sun set and talk quietly. As the glow from the sun faded and the sky faded from deep orange to a cornflower blue, then to a dark blue, I thought it was fitting for the ending of our childhood. The sun setting on our teen years, I thought.
"What...?" Cheria asked me.
"Oh..." I started. I didn't realize that I'd spoken out loud. "I was just...thinking..." I coughed a couple of times. "...about things." The others peered over at me a minute.
"As they say in the States..." Ron told me. "A penning for your thoughts?"
"Just about the sunset and how...it's setting on our childhood," I told the others in a soft, rather sad voice. The others looked over westward.
"Yeah..." Hermione nodded. "Symbolic, isn't it?"
"I wonder how our American counterparts are doing...especially the graduating students," Cheria put in.
"Probably having a lot of the same fears and worries as we are," I said softy. I coughed again. My nose began to run, so I had grab a tissue from my robe pocket and blow my nose again. I just hoped I wouldn't be blowing my nose a lot for another reason at graduation, but I had the feeling that I would be...being the sensitive cornwallop I know that I am.
"It was swell seeing America," Ron added. "I hope I can go again later on in adulthood." It was growing late and we still had one more month of our seventh year to complete as well as gear up for the upcoming Enlightenment, so we slowly drifted inside. Just one more month and it'll be over, I thought as I lay down to sleep a while later. No, wait, this era of our lives will be over, but next fall a new era will be beginning. It was a muggle saying I'd heard, but it also applied to the wizard/witch world as well, something to the effect of one door closing and another one opening. Our task was to get ready for it and when it came, meet it head-on.


Storyline Copyright 2003 by CNJ