Very few books are written in Mermish. Maybe it's because very few mermaids see a need to be literate. Or maybe it is due to the unsuitability of paper in an underwater environment. The latter was a given, while the former stood as debatable since Miranda Goshawk was not sure if a statistical analysis had been undertaken regarding mermaids' ability to read. However, some must possess the capacity, since her books, Standard Book of Spells, Grades 1 -7, were all translated into the rare language.
Staring down at her Chocolate Frog card, Miranda remembered a childhood where chocolate existed as a luxury not even afforded on her birthday. Being the youngest of nine daughters in an impoverished family left only room for the barest of needs being met. It wasn't until she first sat at a table in the Great Hall in Hogwarts that Miranda discovered the joy of desserts.
Miranda hated when people pitied her for growing up poor. For her, shame did not come from a lack of money. Yes, she felt the standard humiliation for always wearing hand-me-down robes and using fifth-hand books. The real childhood strife which Miranda resented was being accidentally overlooked, blatantly ignored, or downright bullied by her older siblings. Her list of grievances also included not receiving the tools to succeed.
She had used jinxes against her sisters, just as they did to her, both sides getting away with near impunity. The exception seemed to be when she turned her sisters Tangwystl and Diadema into toads. After a time, she had become creative enough in the ongoing battle to begin to make up her own spells. Some were right nasty, like the Bat-Bogey Hex.
This sibling rivalry became her learning ground in many ways. Miranda struggled with school, in large part because the textbooks seemed useless to her. When she did ask for help, she was often given incorrect answers.
Miranda's willpower got her through Hogwarts and a subsequent Charms Mastery, after which she swore to help future generations never undergo the struggle she did. Hence, her series of books to teach charms that were so well-written, they were currently translated into 72 languages.
The extra editions containing faulty spells she devised to have specially printed and shipped to her family members left a lack of trust for some time. Possibly, if she had helped Romilda banish that tail sooner…
In the end, she couldn't be bothered to care. She had put so much of her energy into caring about young minds having the ability to grow and learn, with her book as a guide.
Perhaps a bunch of chocolate would help repair some of those burned bridges with her sisters?