Sian's mother had only needed help on an address, so she hurried back out
as fast as she could. Sian still couldn't believe how hot Seamus had gotten
over their years apart. In her Element hat and skateboarding attire she sat
on her broomstick in the now vacated center of the garden. The drops came
down a few at a time and she played alone with the pitter-patter of rain as
her company sprinting dangerously fast form one end of the garden to the
other on her outdated Cleansweep Seven. Eventually Rowan joined her and she
beat him, except when he Apparated at the opposite end.
Sian didn't run into Seamus in the end of July or in the beginning of August. One morning Owl Post delivered her four letters. One was from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The other three were from friends. The first that she tore open was from Hazel Bastow in good old West Yorkshire. Another was from Alicia Spinnet in Leeds, England. The last one however was from a particular Seamus Finnigan. Hazel chatted about the last five years and suggested that they get together August 31st at Diagon Alley. Alicia did the same. Seamus had written a completely different letter.
Hey Sian, How's it goin? It's been awhile hasn't it? I'm sorry I haven't written, but with school and all---y'know---At school, Hogwarts, I ran into Harry Potter, the Harry Potter, a great kid let me tell you. Then there's the Weasleys; great guys all of 'em, even Ginny's cool. Don't tell me about your friends, I'll tell you about Alicia, Hazel, and Hagrid. Alicia is graduating next year, and a Chaser for the House team. Hazel's her old self, she hasn't changed much, and she's the back up Seeker and Chaser for the House. Hagrid's still himself as well. Mum invited him for tea tomorrow. Maybe you and your mum will stop by? See you soon, Seamus Finnigan
Sian couldn't help but grin. "Mum?" She called.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Finnigans asked us to join them for tea tomorrow, can we go?"
"Of course."
"Awesome," Sian wrote a reply on the back of his parchment and sent it with his waiting owl. Then she opened the Hogwarts letter.
Dear Ms. MacDonal, Please note that the school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross Station, Platform 9 ¾ at eleven o' clock. As a fifth year you are allowed to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission slip to your parent or guardian to sign. Also, a list of books for the upcoming year is enclosed. Due to the annual dance this year you are required to bring a dress or dance robe. Yours sincerely, Professor McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
"Hmm," she thought aloud, "Mum?" she called again.
"Yes?" Came the exasperated reply.
"Um, can we go school shopping the 31st?"
"Why?"
Sian got up and found her mom in the kitchen. "Well the term starts on the first-and Alicia and Hazel invited me to go shopping with them then. We could stay at the Leaky Cauldron. Please?"
Sian's mother grinned, "Sure."
The next morning the girls busied themselves with the cleaning of the house, it was the first time they had thoroughly cleaned every room since they had moved in. At noon the MacDonals walked to the Finnigans. Mrs. Finnigan, Seamus, and a tall giant-like man decked in a long black beard and friendly beady black eyes waited for them. "Hagrid!" Mrs. MacDonal exclaimed when she saw the man. He got up and they embraced.
"This is Sian," she motioned to the blonde haired, blue eyed girl that looked almost exactly like her.
"Startin' this year at Hogwarts?" he asked.
"Yeah," Sian admitted.
"What year?"
"Fifth."
"Ah, here ya go then." Hagrid handed her a dark green book. She read the gold lettering on the cover The Monster Book of Monsters. Sian grabbed the book by its spine as it bit savagely at Hagrid's hand. He watched curiously at Sian's reaction. She rubbed the dust off the spine and the book shuddered and lay at rest in her hands. Seamus was wide-eyed in astonishment and Hagrid laughed, "Knew you could do it, any kid of Donal's could do it."
"Wicked!" Seamus yelled, "Hagrid had to show us all how to open them on our first lesson."
"I think it's pretty cute," Sian smiled.
"Hagrid, you're a teacher?" Mrs. MacDonal asked.
Hagrid puffed out his chest importantly, "Sure am Sinead."
"Great job," she congratulated him and they embraced again. As tea was served the talk turned serious.
"You hear about Sirius?" Hagrid asked.
"Yes," Sinead replied, "Is it true that Voldemort is back?"
Everyone shuddered at the sound of the Dark Lord's name. "Yes," Seamus replied, "Harry saw him."
"Harry---Harry Potter?" Sian asked.
"That'd be the one," Hagrid replied. "So---he---won the Triwizard Tournament with Cedric, bless his soul, and took the cup and got transported to some place where Voldemort and his servant were waiting.
"They brought him back to power-and Sirius wasn't in on any of this?" Sinead asked.
"Well," Hagrid shot a dark look at Mrs. Finnigan, "some people still think that he was involved, but Harry swears it was Peter Pettigrew."
"Wouldn't doubt it," Sinead added, "he was always following those he thought would go the farthest."
"Yah," Hagrid agreed. The room was silent as they sipped their tea. The Finnigans walked the MacDonals to their backdoor and waited for Hagrid to Disapparate.
"That was fun." Sian told her mom.
"Yeah," she agreed, to the Finnigans she said, "we'll have to do it again sometime."
They nodded in agreement and the MacDonals walked home. August 31st came too slow for Sian who spent her days catching up on Harry Potter. Harry's original fame came from vanquishing the Dark Lord Voldemort. He had been just a baby and turned Voldemort's spell on himself. Voldemort hadn't really died, but fled until he could regain his strength. In Harry's first year the school was hiding the Philosopher's Stone, a stone that allowed a person to live forever, or cur a deathly ill one, like Voldemort. So Voldemort had used the body of one of his followers who became a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, go figure, right? Harry stopped him with the help of his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. In Harry's second year the school was being ravaged by a basilisk that had been awakened by Ginny Weasley when she used a diary that Lucius Malfoy had intentionally given her, only Ginny didn't know it. Of course the diary had once belonged to Voldemort and Harry defeated it. In Harry's third year Sirius Black, a man thought to have killed Peter Pettigrew escaped from Azkaban, the wizard prison. The Minister of Magic had sent dementors life-sucking fiend to guard Harry because they thought that Sirius had a grudge against Harry because he had destroyed Voldemort and Sirius was supposedly his second-in- command. Sirius, it turned out was after Scabbers, Ron's pet rat who was really Peter Pettigrew as an Animagus, a person who could turn into animals. So Sirius told Harry that he hadn't really killed Harry's parents it was Peter so all was good, except on their way back to the castle to tell Dumbledore, Hogwarts' headmaster the real deal Peter got away. Snape, the evil potions teacher who had a grudge against Black and their new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin, a werewolf, and old friend of Black's and Potter's interrupted and the dementors almost killed Harry. They helped Black get away and all was well again. In their fourth year they held the Triwizard Tournament an event where the three famous wizarding schools get together and compete against each other. The game is rigged and two people are picked for Hogwarts, Cedric and Harry. The game gets on well except in the last event where they had to travel through a maze to find the cup. Everything went haywire and Cedric and Harry both ended up at the end. They got transported to some small town where Voldemort was waiting, Cedric was killed and Voldemort was brought back to power, only the Minister of Magic didn't believe neither Harry nor Dumbledore, so Harry was in grave danger. The school year sounded great already.
Sian didn't run into Seamus in the end of July or in the beginning of August. One morning Owl Post delivered her four letters. One was from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The other three were from friends. The first that she tore open was from Hazel Bastow in good old West Yorkshire. Another was from Alicia Spinnet in Leeds, England. The last one however was from a particular Seamus Finnigan. Hazel chatted about the last five years and suggested that they get together August 31st at Diagon Alley. Alicia did the same. Seamus had written a completely different letter.
Hey Sian, How's it goin? It's been awhile hasn't it? I'm sorry I haven't written, but with school and all---y'know---At school, Hogwarts, I ran into Harry Potter, the Harry Potter, a great kid let me tell you. Then there's the Weasleys; great guys all of 'em, even Ginny's cool. Don't tell me about your friends, I'll tell you about Alicia, Hazel, and Hagrid. Alicia is graduating next year, and a Chaser for the House team. Hazel's her old self, she hasn't changed much, and she's the back up Seeker and Chaser for the House. Hagrid's still himself as well. Mum invited him for tea tomorrow. Maybe you and your mum will stop by? See you soon, Seamus Finnigan
Sian couldn't help but grin. "Mum?" She called.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Finnigans asked us to join them for tea tomorrow, can we go?"
"Of course."
"Awesome," Sian wrote a reply on the back of his parchment and sent it with his waiting owl. Then she opened the Hogwarts letter.
Dear Ms. MacDonal, Please note that the school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross Station, Platform 9 ¾ at eleven o' clock. As a fifth year you are allowed to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission slip to your parent or guardian to sign. Also, a list of books for the upcoming year is enclosed. Due to the annual dance this year you are required to bring a dress or dance robe. Yours sincerely, Professor McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
"Hmm," she thought aloud, "Mum?" she called again.
"Yes?" Came the exasperated reply.
"Um, can we go school shopping the 31st?"
"Why?"
Sian got up and found her mom in the kitchen. "Well the term starts on the first-and Alicia and Hazel invited me to go shopping with them then. We could stay at the Leaky Cauldron. Please?"
Sian's mother grinned, "Sure."
The next morning the girls busied themselves with the cleaning of the house, it was the first time they had thoroughly cleaned every room since they had moved in. At noon the MacDonals walked to the Finnigans. Mrs. Finnigan, Seamus, and a tall giant-like man decked in a long black beard and friendly beady black eyes waited for them. "Hagrid!" Mrs. MacDonal exclaimed when she saw the man. He got up and they embraced.
"This is Sian," she motioned to the blonde haired, blue eyed girl that looked almost exactly like her.
"Startin' this year at Hogwarts?" he asked.
"Yeah," Sian admitted.
"What year?"
"Fifth."
"Ah, here ya go then." Hagrid handed her a dark green book. She read the gold lettering on the cover The Monster Book of Monsters. Sian grabbed the book by its spine as it bit savagely at Hagrid's hand. He watched curiously at Sian's reaction. She rubbed the dust off the spine and the book shuddered and lay at rest in her hands. Seamus was wide-eyed in astonishment and Hagrid laughed, "Knew you could do it, any kid of Donal's could do it."
"Wicked!" Seamus yelled, "Hagrid had to show us all how to open them on our first lesson."
"I think it's pretty cute," Sian smiled.
"Hagrid, you're a teacher?" Mrs. MacDonal asked.
Hagrid puffed out his chest importantly, "Sure am Sinead."
"Great job," she congratulated him and they embraced again. As tea was served the talk turned serious.
"You hear about Sirius?" Hagrid asked.
"Yes," Sinead replied, "Is it true that Voldemort is back?"
Everyone shuddered at the sound of the Dark Lord's name. "Yes," Seamus replied, "Harry saw him."
"Harry---Harry Potter?" Sian asked.
"That'd be the one," Hagrid replied. "So---he---won the Triwizard Tournament with Cedric, bless his soul, and took the cup and got transported to some place where Voldemort and his servant were waiting.
"They brought him back to power-and Sirius wasn't in on any of this?" Sinead asked.
"Well," Hagrid shot a dark look at Mrs. Finnigan, "some people still think that he was involved, but Harry swears it was Peter Pettigrew."
"Wouldn't doubt it," Sinead added, "he was always following those he thought would go the farthest."
"Yah," Hagrid agreed. The room was silent as they sipped their tea. The Finnigans walked the MacDonals to their backdoor and waited for Hagrid to Disapparate.
"That was fun." Sian told her mom.
"Yeah," she agreed, to the Finnigans she said, "we'll have to do it again sometime."
They nodded in agreement and the MacDonals walked home. August 31st came too slow for Sian who spent her days catching up on Harry Potter. Harry's original fame came from vanquishing the Dark Lord Voldemort. He had been just a baby and turned Voldemort's spell on himself. Voldemort hadn't really died, but fled until he could regain his strength. In Harry's first year the school was hiding the Philosopher's Stone, a stone that allowed a person to live forever, or cur a deathly ill one, like Voldemort. So Voldemort had used the body of one of his followers who became a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, go figure, right? Harry stopped him with the help of his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. In Harry's second year the school was being ravaged by a basilisk that had been awakened by Ginny Weasley when she used a diary that Lucius Malfoy had intentionally given her, only Ginny didn't know it. Of course the diary had once belonged to Voldemort and Harry defeated it. In Harry's third year Sirius Black, a man thought to have killed Peter Pettigrew escaped from Azkaban, the wizard prison. The Minister of Magic had sent dementors life-sucking fiend to guard Harry because they thought that Sirius had a grudge against Harry because he had destroyed Voldemort and Sirius was supposedly his second-in- command. Sirius, it turned out was after Scabbers, Ron's pet rat who was really Peter Pettigrew as an Animagus, a person who could turn into animals. So Sirius told Harry that he hadn't really killed Harry's parents it was Peter so all was good, except on their way back to the castle to tell Dumbledore, Hogwarts' headmaster the real deal Peter got away. Snape, the evil potions teacher who had a grudge against Black and their new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin, a werewolf, and old friend of Black's and Potter's interrupted and the dementors almost killed Harry. They helped Black get away and all was well again. In their fourth year they held the Triwizard Tournament an event where the three famous wizarding schools get together and compete against each other. The game is rigged and two people are picked for Hogwarts, Cedric and Harry. The game gets on well except in the last event where they had to travel through a maze to find the cup. Everything went haywire and Cedric and Harry both ended up at the end. They got transported to some small town where Voldemort was waiting, Cedric was killed and Voldemort was brought back to power, only the Minister of Magic didn't believe neither Harry nor Dumbledore, so Harry was in grave danger. The school year sounded great already.
