I am so sorry I forgot to update this story yesterday, but the days of the week have got muddled up in my brain. (I know this excuse sucks, but you'll have to live with it.) This is the first chapter of year two and really just explains the summer holidays.
Oh, and before I forget, I am still not J.K. Rowling. Thank you.

CHAPTER 13

The summer holidays passed immensely fast. I attended my mother's funeral in the first week and it settled my mind that she had a nice send off.

About four weeks before we were to go back to Hogwarts, a grey owl started pecking at my window. In its beak, two letters in the signature parchment and green ink of Hogwarts. I slid open the window, letting the owl, and took the letters from it. It then flew back through the window to wherever it now needed to be.

I looked at the two letters: one had been addressed to me, and the other had been addressed to my little brother Edward. He had obviously been accepted into Hogwarts too! I skipped downstairs, handed Ed his letter, and ripped open mine too.

It told me many things I already knew, such as the Hogwarts Express would be leaving Platform 9 3/4 on the first of September. There was a list of the books required for second year students:

The Standard Book of Spell, grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk

Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockheart

Gadding with ghouls by Gilderoy Lockheart

Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockheart

Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockheart

Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockheart

Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockheart

Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockheart

I was slightly surprised by how many Gilderoy Lockheart books were on the list, but just guessed the new teacher really liked him, especially after seeing Ed had a similar list of books. I congratulated him on getting into Hogwarts, and started a letter to Hermione, Ron and Harry, asking their opinion on things.

I also spent a week at Hermione's house, and it was probably the best week of the holidays. While I was there, both Hermione and I got letters from Ron, explaining how he and the twins would be rescuing Harry from his relatives. I didn't know the true extent of the rescue, nor just how cruelly his aunt and uncle treated him, so was sceptical about the whole adventure.

Hermione wrote back to them on behalf of the both of us.

Dear Ron (and Harry, of you're there),

We (Lottie and Hermione) hope everything went all right and that Harry is ok and that you didn't do anything illegal to get him out, Ron, as that would get Harry into trouble, too. I (Hermione) have been really worried and if Harry is all right, will you please let us know at once, but perhaps use a different owl, because I think another delivery will finish your one off.

I've been very busy with school work, of course (that's Hermione, not me. Don't you guys worry, I am normal!). Charlotte and I have arranged to meet up in London next Wednesday to buy new school supplies. Why don't you two join us in Diagon Alley?

Please let us know what's happening as soon as you can,

Love from Hermione and Lottie.

We then continued with the struggling game of chess we were playing, as we were both determined to improve our skill. It wasn't working very well so far.

The next Wednesday, I arrived in Diagon Alley, showing my brother the important and useful sights, and ready to meet Hermione, Ron and Harry in Flourish and Blotts later. My grandfather and grandmother were with us, as they were from the wizarding side of my family, and were going to help Ed get all his first year school supplies.

After a quick stop at Gringotts for some money, I left Ed and my grandparents to their shopping and began my own. I had arranged to meet Hermione in an hour's time, and Ron and Harry an hour after that. This meant I had an hour on my own in which I could do my own shopping and get more quills and ink, and second year potion ingredients, all of which I desperately needed. I was also in need of some new robes, as my current ones were getting far too short in the arms and legs.

An hour later, I arrived at Flourish and Blotts and saw Hermione hovering in the doorway. Signs were plastered all over the doors and windows about a book signing happening later that day. Apparently, Gilderoy Lockheart would be giving a talk and signing copies of Magical Me, his new autobiography. However, we still had an hour and a half until the shop would be flooded with fans, and so we could browse the shelves in peace for a while.

After a time and I had bought all of mine and Ed's books, I noticed a large gaggle of rather untidy red-headed people enter the shop. At first, I took no notice of them, but I then realised that Ron was among them, and deduced that they must be the Weasley's. Hermione had obviously had a similar train of thought, as we both ran over at the same time, each carrying our hoard of books.

The Weasley's were all rather dirty, with black dust smeared across their faces. As I looked closer, I noticed it actually seemed to be soot, and guessed that they had arrived by Floo Powder. Someone I could only assume to be Mrs Weasley was at the front of the large group, and she seemed to be worrying absent-mindedly about something.

Ron soon confirmed for us what it was she was frantic about, "Well, we arrived using Floo Powder, you see; only Harry's never used it before and he choked on the soot, saying diagonally instead of Diagon Alley. We therefore don't know exactly where he is. Although he's probably only gone one grate along and is elsewhere in the Alley." He added the last bit rather hastily after seeing Hermione's aghast expression.

We then milled around in Flourish and Blotts for a while, helping Ron find his books, catching up with news from the summer, and waiting for either Harry to turn up or Lockheart's talk to begin. Waves of people started filtering through the doors of the bookshop, causing the already slightly cramped space to become like a tin of sardines.

Not too long later, a yellow haired man (yellow, not blonde) stepped forward, with a short and slightly desperate reporter following behind. I instantly know that this is the absolutely wonderful Gilderoy Lockheart, mostly from his incredibly fake smile. That and the awed gasps and giggles from the women in the room. Idiots.

However, the room falls silent when he starts talking, "Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, I present to you Order of Merlin, third class, winner of witch weekly's smile of the year award five years running, and soon to be Hogwarts new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher; me!"

I groaned, and tuned out of his exceptionally vain and arrogant welcome speech. Having Gilderoy Lockheart teaching us Defence for a year would certainly be one of the worst experiences of my life.

About half way through the speech, someone who appeared to have just joined bumped into me, and I turned round to have a look at them. Instead of seeing a stranger, I was confronted with Harry. He, like the Weasley's, was covered in soot, obviously from the Floo powder. I whispered, "Harry!" but realised that his glasses were broken, and knowing a handy spell, tried to help, "Let me fix those for you: Occulus Reparo." As I flicked my wand, his glasses returned to normal.

Unfortunately, Hermione overheard my conversation, so turned around, and just slightly too loud said, "Harry!" too. This meant that Lockheart overheard, and drew his attention to us. The reporter also noticed us, and dragged Harry out of the audience towards Lockheart. He was then thrust next to him, forced to have his photo taken with the idiot for the newspaper tomorrow. Harry looked exceptionally uncomfortable, but there was nothing we could do to save him from the ordeal.

When he was finally released from Lockheart, Harry gave Mrs Weasley the free books he had been given, before joining us by the door. He seemed rather annoyed, which only worsened when Draco Malfoy slithered into our day.

Malfoy appeared to have been watching from the small balcony area above the main floor of the bookshop, and seemed to think that what had happened would be a suitable thing to rile Harry up about. An argument erupted about blood status of all things. It got worse when Lucius Malfoy (Draco's father) and Arthur Weasley (Ron's father) overheard our conversation, and started debating about what made a good wizard. It took Hagrid to have to intervene before they stopped, and when they did, they both looked rather dishevelled. Lucius gave us a snide look, gave Ginny back the book he had taken off her, and strutted out of the shop with Draco trailing behind.

The rest of our trip to Diagon Alley was very uneventful after that, and as I waved goodbye to my friends until September, I decided I couldn't wait to go back to school.

So, this is the start of year two! It will continue next week, and the week after, and most probably the week after too.
See you on Saturday.