Chapter 7 – In which there are letters and the girls make a new friend
As they entered November, the weather suddenly became a lot colder. The ground was covered with frost every morning and it was obvious that it would soon start snowing. On the morning of the first Gryffindor Quidditch match Willow, Hermione and Sam were sitting in front of the common room fire trying to decide what to do for the day.
"Sam what exactly is Quidditch like?" asked Willow.
"Well it has two teams, seven players on each side on broomsticks, and is played with three balls. That's really sort of all I know about it."
"What do you mean?" asked Hermione. "You're a pureblood. Don't you know this sort of thing?"
"I'm not a sports fan. I hate to watch sport. And since you can't really play backyard Quidditch I don't know much about it. Me and my brothers pretty much only play muggle sports."
"So are we gonna go to the match then?"
Sam shrugged. "I don't think I'll go. You guys can if you want to though. And why is it so cold outside? I mean it gets cold during winter in Australia but never like this."
"Northern hemisphere weather," answered Willow.
"Hey you know what we should do?" said Hermione. "We should go meet Hagrid. I mean we've never actually met him we only know what his name is."
"Sounds great," replied Willow. As they were about to leave an owl flew up to the window and began tapping on it. "Oh hey it's Hera. I wonder who the letter's from."
Willow opened the window, let Hera in and took the letter from her. Sam gave the owl an owl treat as Willow opened the letter and skimmed through it. "Well that's weird," said Willow. "The letter is from my friend Xander in Sunnydale. He says there is a new girl at the school named Buffy and he thinks she's a witch."
Sam and Hermione looked at Willow in confusion. "But how is that possible?" asked Sam.
"Yeah," said Hermione, "if she was a witch wouldn't she be in a magic school?"
"I don't know," replied Willow. "She obviously goes to Sunnydale Elementary if Xander knows her. He said that he caught her looking up magic on a computer and looking for magic books in the library."
"All I can say is whatever is going on over there must be something really weird," stated Hermione. "I mean there's absolutely no way that girl could be a witch."
"The question still remains though, why would she be looking up magic?" Sam asked.
"I don't know. I'd better quickly reply and tell Xander that this Buffy isn't a witch. Maybe he'll figure out what's going on soon."
Once Willow had sent the letter off and Sam had rugged herself up, the three girls went down to say hello to Hagrid. As they neared Hagrid's hut they saw a big black dog bounding towards them. Sam grinned and ran to meet it. Willow and Hermione followed her and noticed Hagrid coming their way. "'Ello there you three," said Hagrid. "Why aren't you up in the stadium looking for good seats? Come on then come inside before ye catch yer death in this cold."
The girls followed Hagrid into his hut and sat down at the table as Hagrid bustled around making tea. "No what are yer names then?" asked Hagrid.
"I'm Willow Rosenberg," said Willow, "and this is Samantha Shirley and Hermione Granger."
"Pleasure to meet ye. I see yer in Gryffindor," said Hagrid. "Are you three friends with Harry and Ron?"
Hagrid saw all three girls narrow their eyes in dislike as he sat down at the table with them. "No we're not friends with Potter and Weasley," Sam said.
Hagrid looked surprised. These girls looked like nice people. What was going on? "No? Why not?"
"Because they were mean to Hermione," answered Willow.
"Harry and Ron, mean? That doesn't sound like them. Sounds like more of a Malfoy thing to do."
"Malfoy? As in Draco Malfoy? He's not mean. He's really nice."
"Not to muggle-borns I hear."
"But he is," Hermione protested. "Willow and I are both muggle-borns and we've been friends with Draco since the day we met. Pansy Parkinson is the one who's mean to muggle-borns."
"Well you three and Harry and Ron seem to have very conflicting views about this Malfoy boy."
"Not surprising," said Sam, "seeing as how we're friends with Draco whereas Potter and Weasley hate him."
"Aye I see yer point." Hagrid finished off his tea and asked the girls what time it was.
"11:30," answered Willow.
"I'd better go then," said Hagrid. "The Quidditch match has already started and I'd like to see how Harry does in his first match. You three aren't goin' I take it?"
Willow, Hermione and Sam shook their heads. "In that case," said Hagrid, "ye make sure ye come down and visit me again."
The three girls smiled at their new friend. "We will." They gathered their things and began walking back to the castle. When they reached the Gryffindor common room they sat down in front of the fire again.
"So what should we do now?" asked Sam.
"Well I'm gonna do my homework," said Hermione, "while the common room is empty."
"Yeah, me too," added Willow. "You going to do yours Sam?"
Sam sighed. "Yeah okay."
Together Willow, Hermione and Sam did their homework and then went on to do some reading. The three girls were glad to have had some time together without the common room being filled to the brim. When they went to bed that night, they were content.
The next day, when everyone was discussing the Quidditch match, Willow noticed Hera sitting on the window ledge again. Willow took the letter from her and brought it over to the table where Sam and Hermione had been discussing a television show called 'Neighbours'. "Guys it's from Xander again," said Willow.
Hermione and Sam forgot what they were talking about as they tried to see what was written. "Willow read it out," said Sam.
Willow nodded and read,
Dear Willow,
Are you sure that she's not a witch? Because what I've seen so far is kind of leaning towards the witchy. Is there anyway that she could be a witch but not go to a magic school? Jesse doesn't believe me because he doesn't know about you. And it's not like I can actually ask Buffy what's going on. Anyway I'll talk to you soon Will.
Xander
"Maybe she's a Squib," suggested Sam.
"A what?" asked Hermione.
"A Squib is like the opposite of a muggle-born witch. A Squib has a witch and wizard for parents but has no magic in them."
"So it could be possible that this girl is a Squib?" asked Willow.
"It's possible but I doubt it. But whatever is going on in Sunnydale I'd like to know about it. Tell your friend to keep us updated."
"I will." Willow took out a piece of paper and a pen to reply to Xander but as she was writing the letter she was privately thinking, 'What is going on Xander? Why are you so interested in this girl?'
As they entered November, the weather suddenly became a lot colder. The ground was covered with frost every morning and it was obvious that it would soon start snowing. On the morning of the first Gryffindor Quidditch match Willow, Hermione and Sam were sitting in front of the common room fire trying to decide what to do for the day.
"Sam what exactly is Quidditch like?" asked Willow.
"Well it has two teams, seven players on each side on broomsticks, and is played with three balls. That's really sort of all I know about it."
"What do you mean?" asked Hermione. "You're a pureblood. Don't you know this sort of thing?"
"I'm not a sports fan. I hate to watch sport. And since you can't really play backyard Quidditch I don't know much about it. Me and my brothers pretty much only play muggle sports."
"So are we gonna go to the match then?"
Sam shrugged. "I don't think I'll go. You guys can if you want to though. And why is it so cold outside? I mean it gets cold during winter in Australia but never like this."
"Northern hemisphere weather," answered Willow.
"Hey you know what we should do?" said Hermione. "We should go meet Hagrid. I mean we've never actually met him we only know what his name is."
"Sounds great," replied Willow. As they were about to leave an owl flew up to the window and began tapping on it. "Oh hey it's Hera. I wonder who the letter's from."
Willow opened the window, let Hera in and took the letter from her. Sam gave the owl an owl treat as Willow opened the letter and skimmed through it. "Well that's weird," said Willow. "The letter is from my friend Xander in Sunnydale. He says there is a new girl at the school named Buffy and he thinks she's a witch."
Sam and Hermione looked at Willow in confusion. "But how is that possible?" asked Sam.
"Yeah," said Hermione, "if she was a witch wouldn't she be in a magic school?"
"I don't know," replied Willow. "She obviously goes to Sunnydale Elementary if Xander knows her. He said that he caught her looking up magic on a computer and looking for magic books in the library."
"All I can say is whatever is going on over there must be something really weird," stated Hermione. "I mean there's absolutely no way that girl could be a witch."
"The question still remains though, why would she be looking up magic?" Sam asked.
"I don't know. I'd better quickly reply and tell Xander that this Buffy isn't a witch. Maybe he'll figure out what's going on soon."
Once Willow had sent the letter off and Sam had rugged herself up, the three girls went down to say hello to Hagrid. As they neared Hagrid's hut they saw a big black dog bounding towards them. Sam grinned and ran to meet it. Willow and Hermione followed her and noticed Hagrid coming their way. "'Ello there you three," said Hagrid. "Why aren't you up in the stadium looking for good seats? Come on then come inside before ye catch yer death in this cold."
The girls followed Hagrid into his hut and sat down at the table as Hagrid bustled around making tea. "No what are yer names then?" asked Hagrid.
"I'm Willow Rosenberg," said Willow, "and this is Samantha Shirley and Hermione Granger."
"Pleasure to meet ye. I see yer in Gryffindor," said Hagrid. "Are you three friends with Harry and Ron?"
Hagrid saw all three girls narrow their eyes in dislike as he sat down at the table with them. "No we're not friends with Potter and Weasley," Sam said.
Hagrid looked surprised. These girls looked like nice people. What was going on? "No? Why not?"
"Because they were mean to Hermione," answered Willow.
"Harry and Ron, mean? That doesn't sound like them. Sounds like more of a Malfoy thing to do."
"Malfoy? As in Draco Malfoy? He's not mean. He's really nice."
"Not to muggle-borns I hear."
"But he is," Hermione protested. "Willow and I are both muggle-borns and we've been friends with Draco since the day we met. Pansy Parkinson is the one who's mean to muggle-borns."
"Well you three and Harry and Ron seem to have very conflicting views about this Malfoy boy."
"Not surprising," said Sam, "seeing as how we're friends with Draco whereas Potter and Weasley hate him."
"Aye I see yer point." Hagrid finished off his tea and asked the girls what time it was.
"11:30," answered Willow.
"I'd better go then," said Hagrid. "The Quidditch match has already started and I'd like to see how Harry does in his first match. You three aren't goin' I take it?"
Willow, Hermione and Sam shook their heads. "In that case," said Hagrid, "ye make sure ye come down and visit me again."
The three girls smiled at their new friend. "We will." They gathered their things and began walking back to the castle. When they reached the Gryffindor common room they sat down in front of the fire again.
"So what should we do now?" asked Sam.
"Well I'm gonna do my homework," said Hermione, "while the common room is empty."
"Yeah, me too," added Willow. "You going to do yours Sam?"
Sam sighed. "Yeah okay."
Together Willow, Hermione and Sam did their homework and then went on to do some reading. The three girls were glad to have had some time together without the common room being filled to the brim. When they went to bed that night, they were content.
The next day, when everyone was discussing the Quidditch match, Willow noticed Hera sitting on the window ledge again. Willow took the letter from her and brought it over to the table where Sam and Hermione had been discussing a television show called 'Neighbours'. "Guys it's from Xander again," said Willow.
Hermione and Sam forgot what they were talking about as they tried to see what was written. "Willow read it out," said Sam.
Willow nodded and read,
Dear Willow,
Are you sure that she's not a witch? Because what I've seen so far is kind of leaning towards the witchy. Is there anyway that she could be a witch but not go to a magic school? Jesse doesn't believe me because he doesn't know about you. And it's not like I can actually ask Buffy what's going on. Anyway I'll talk to you soon Will.
Xander
"Maybe she's a Squib," suggested Sam.
"A what?" asked Hermione.
"A Squib is like the opposite of a muggle-born witch. A Squib has a witch and wizard for parents but has no magic in them."
"So it could be possible that this girl is a Squib?" asked Willow.
"It's possible but I doubt it. But whatever is going on in Sunnydale I'd like to know about it. Tell your friend to keep us updated."
"I will." Willow took out a piece of paper and a pen to reply to Xander but as she was writing the letter she was privately thinking, 'What is going on Xander? Why are you so interested in this girl?'
